Montepulciano, Toscana In 2015, the young Eduardo Vannutelli started restoring his family's property, bringing the old abandoned vineyards back to health. The Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile clone, grown on clay and red earth, is showing a fascinating, elegant and balanced Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, that is truly contemporary but with respect to tradition and culture of...
Montalcino, Toscana Albatreti is a relatively new Brunello label, first released in 2008 by Gaetano Salvioni. Cousin to Guilio Salvioni of La Cerbaiola, Gaetano Salvinoni trained as a fine artist in Florence and returned home to Montalcino, where he opened a small electronics shop. Working the small vineyards owned by his mother and father had...
Montalcino, Toscana The Cupano winery is perched on a stony hill above the Ombrone river with well draining soils high in mineral content. Year after year the winery is recognized with “un vrai grand terroir”. Ornella Tondini and Lionel Cousin moved to Montalcino from Paris with their daughter Orsa in the 90s and in 1997...
Terricciola, Toscana In the nineties, when Tuscan winemakers were still pulling up “local blending grapes” to plant the so-called international varieties beloved by the Super Tuscan movement, the Cantoni family discovered a property that was full of precious old vines, including a vineyard that was planted in 1895. They brought in Sangiovese expert Professor Bandinelli,...
Palaia, Val d'Era, Toscana The vines of Sangervasio know today’s sea from Thyrrenian breezes as well as they know the ancient oceans through their roots in the fossil-laden soils. The Tommaisini family have owned their estate since 1960, and they started their label in 1994. Focused on local Tuscan grape varieties, their 22 hectares (54...
San Donato in Collina, Toscana Seven miles southeast of Florence, the magnificent structure at Torre a Cona has been destroyed and rebuilt many times since 1066, when it was known as Cuona Castle. In 1750, a sumptuous villa was crafted there by the Marquis Rinuccini. During World War II, the Germans took the property as...
Radda in Chianti, Toscana Thirty years ago, world-traveler and one-eyed dreamer Sean O’Callahan handed in his thesis at a German winemaking school, then took off on his motorcycle for an Italian vineyard adventure. He dived into Chianti and never looked back, now partnering with Karl Egger at Tenuta di Carleone. In 2012, Karl and his...
San Gimignano, Toscana The Logi brothers began the winery Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara in 2002, inspired and supported by their father Mario, who began working the vines on the hills of Siena in the 1950’s as a young boy. “Colombaio” means dovecote, and the name, along with the label design, pay homage to a...
Gallicano, Toscana Garfagnana is an ancient borderland between the Apuan Alps and the Apennine mountains, located in today’s Lucca province. Home to one of Tuscany’s highest vineyard sites, the region found its once notable viticulture neglected after the Second World War. After running his family’s osteria for many years, Gabriele da Prato embarked in 1999...
Castellazzo, Emilia-Romagna Known as a regional pioneer of natural farming practices, Dario Rota produces a refreshing Lambrusco, entirely vinified at the family's own winery at the border of Modena & Reggio. The Rota family has been making wine here in picturesque Castellazzo for three generations over the last 110 years! Roberto Rota founded the winery...
Fiumana di Predappio, Emilia-Romagna Noelia Ricci is a 9 hectares (22 acres) wine project launched in 2013 in Predappio – Emilia Romagna, within Tenuta Pandolfa, an estate rich in history. The Pandolfa villa was built between 1731 and 1763, it dominates the valley of the Rabbi stream with its monumental aspect. The Commander Giuseppe Ricci,...
Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Liguria Terraces perched above the sea like the ones set up for winemaking in Cinque Terre cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Azienda Agricola Possa is a farm and winery in Riomaggiore. Samuele Heydi Bonanini, artisan producer of natural wines and artist of heroic viticulture started producing wine in 2004....