2020 Vietti Arneis Roero
The Vietti Arneis is a perennial favorite. Grown on roughly 30-year-old vines, the grapes are vinified in stainless steel without malolactic. Pale yellow with…
Italy
2019 Ciavolich Fosso Cancelli Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
Ciavolich’s Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is hand-harvested, de-stemmed, crushed, and given 24 to 36 hours of maceration to earn color. Winemaking, with ambient cultures, follows the…
2020 Olivastri Marcantonio Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is not quite red, not quite rosato, and takes well to a chill. For their bottling, Olivastri ferments the grapes with temperature…
2015 Erpacrife Spumante Rosato Metodo Classico Langhe
Erpacrife is located in Castagnole delle Lanze, midway between Asti and Alba. The team of winemaker-owners — Erik Dogliotti, Paolo Stella, Cristian Calatroni, and…
Torrone, The Sicilian Not-Too-Sweet Treat
Caffè Sicilia’s exquisite torrone is my new holiday staple.
2020 Medici Ermete Concerto Reggiano Lambrusco
Medici Ermete’s 2020 vineyard-designate Lambrusco is grown organically in the Tenuta la Rampata vineyard. The wine is 100 percent Lambrusco Salamino, and fermentation is…
2019 Donnafugata Floramundi Cerasuolo di Vittoria
Donnafugata’s Floramundi is 70 percent Nero d’Avola and 30 percent Frappato, two of Sicily’s commercially important native grape varieties. The wine ferments in stainless…
2020 Gorgo Chiaretto Bardolino
Winemaker and owner Roberta Bricolo has converted her family estate in Bardolino to organic production and now makes a range of red, white, and…
2020 Costaripa Valtènesi Rosato Riviera del Garda Classico
Costaripa’s rosé is a blend of autochthonous Italian grapes, half Groppello Gentile, one-third Marzemino, and the balance split between Sangiovese and Barbera. The fruit…
2020 Gorghi Tondi Zibibbo Secco Rajàh Sicilia DOC
First, a brief memory: I visited Gorghi Tondi in 2017, a guest of sisters Annamaria and Clara Sala. They are the fourth generation to…
2018 Ca’ dei Zago Prosecco Valdobbiadene
Ca’ dei Zago’s vintage Prosecco is a col fondo, the ancient method that gives the wine its glitter from a second fermentation in bottle….
2019 Elena Walch Gewürztraminer Kastelaz Alto Adige
Elena Walch’s Gewürz is estate grown in her Kastelaz Vineyard, a south-facing plot that lies at 350m elevation. Its solid gold robe is perfumed…