Formats

Some decisions are radical in their simplicity. Gianluigi Bergaglio has been producing exactly two wines since 1970 – both from 100% Cortese, both from his own 17 hectares in the Rovereto fraction, both exclusively in steel. No barriques, no second grape variety, no distractions. The vineyards lie at 300 metres in the hills south of Gavi, on characteristic red clay with a high iron content – a soil that gives the Cortese minerality and structure not found in other parts of the appellation. Ligurian breezes from the south cool the slopes and maintain freshness. Guyot cultivation, no extreme yield reductions, but care in the vineyard and cellar.

The name reveals the grape variety, the origin and the claim in one word. Since 1989 – the first vintage – the Grecante Caprais has been the white flagship: 100% Grechetto, from the Colli Martani, the gentle hills south-east of Montefalco, where calcareous soils give the Grechetto its characteristic minerality. Three months in steel, then bottled. No wood, no distractions. The result landed in Wine Spectator's Top100 with the 2016 vintage – an honour that is anything but a matter of course for a single-varietal Umbrian white wine.

The fame and Latin name of this legendary wine dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. In the current Est! Est!!! Est!!! Poggio dei Gelsi, Riccardo Cotarella brought all his bravura to bear: he gave it an appetising, aromatic spiciness that is supported by a slender, lively structure. Pale straw yellow in colour. Subtle, pure aromas of fresh citrus fruit, white flowers and nectarine. Fresh, beautifully balanced and gently concentrated on the palate, offering good density and a bright acidity lift. SUPERIORE.DE

Over a century of French tradition finds its South Tyrolean continuation in the warm high-altitude vineyards between 350 and 500 metres around Bolzano. This Chardonnay comes from dry slopes and is not harvested until the end of October, allowing it to develop its characteristic ripeness. Controlled temperature management during fermentation, combined with ageing exclusively in stainless steel tanks, preserves the grape variety’s natural elegance and emphasises its exotic character. Pale straw-yellow in colour with golden hues. The bouquet offers notes of pineapple, mango and honeydew melon. The well-integrated acidity lends the wine its lively structure, whilst a pleasant fullness ensures a harmonious drinking experience. A versatile companion that shows its class both as an aperitif and with fish dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

This characterful Müller Thurgau, which embodies the cool elegance of South Tyrol's north-easternmost growing region, comes from the high vineyards at the beginning of the Eisack Valley and on the Ritten at an altitude of 600-700 metres. The Isarco Valley, where sunny, warm days follow cool alpine nights, offers ideal conditions for this sophisticated cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale with its mineral-rich, sandy and gravelly soils. The grape variety, named after the Swiss botanist Hermann Müller from Thurgau, finds the best conditions here on warm hillside terraces with a delicate soil structure. The harsher climate with increasing altitude and the marked differences in temperature give the wine the freshness and variety of flavours that make it so popular.

Anthìlia is Donnafugata's "ancient white rock", named after the ancient town of Entella and a tribute to the roots of Contessa Entellina. Born as the first wine of the house, it is still a shining classic in the portfolio today. Pale yellow in colour with delicate greenish reflections. The nose reveals a lively basket of aromas of white peach and fine citrus notes, accompanied by fragrant wild flowers that combine lightness and freshness. Clear and juicy on the palate: pure fruit, a pleasant salty coolness and an elegant finish. Goes perfectly with raw fish, fried vegetables, vegetable tarts or mild cream cheese – a Mediterranean white wine that is an uncomplicated delight and enriches everyday life with style. SUPERIORE.DE

"Grignolino is the reddest of all white wines and the whitest of all red wines." Veronelli is said to have said so – and once you have a glass in front of you, you immediately understand why. Bright ruby red with an amber-coloured shimmer, almost transparent, with a delicacy that no other Piedmontese red has. And yet: a red wine, decidedly dry, with tannin and character. Grignolino is difficult – difficult in the vineyard, difficult in the press, demanding to handle. Because of its many seeds, it runs the risk of developing too much bitterness. The Bertolinos have known this for decades. The grapes come from vineyards in Isola d'Asti, on Pliocene sedimentary soils in the Asti basin, organically farmed. Hand-picked, pressed in the evening on the harvest, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a maximum temperature of 28°C. No wood. No wood.

The vineyards stretch from 350 to 800 metres above sea level, where cool nights and four extra hours of sunshine per day create ideal conditions. Deep soils formed from eroded Dolomite material, rich in clay and loam, give the Pinot Grigio its mineral backbone and characteristic freshness. Over generations, Franz Haas has developed a special instinct for high-altitude vineyards – what works here for the red wines also demonstrates its strength in the Pinot Grigio. The grapes ripen in Guyot-trained vines facing south-south-west and, after careful hand-harvesting, are fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel (and a small proportion in barriques). Around four months' ageing on the fine lees lend the wine additional complexity and a fuller texture. The characteristic screw cap is not a question of cost, but a promise of quality: it keeps the wine fresh for longer and allows it to develop optimally in the bottle.

With 100% Carignano in the glass, Cardanera is a true wine of character – pure, honest and with Sardinian soul. The grapes ripen in the stony, sandy soils of south-west Sardinia under the warm sun and salty sea breeze. After careful hand-picking, the wine is fermented spontaneously and matures for a few months in cement tanks – a combination that preserves depth of flavour and freshness at the same time.

The name sounds familiar, but Araja opens a new chapter in Sardinian red wine culture: a fruity, focussed expression of Sulcis. The cuvée consists of 85% Carignano and 15% Sangiovese (!) and is produced on the red, sandy soils around the coastal area of Porto Pino. Here, the salty sea air characterises the grapes, while the chalky terraces provide structure. After careful fermentation, the wine matures in temperature-controlled stainless steel to preserve its expressiveness.

A wine with style and substance: Pregio del Conte combines Montepulciano and other local grape varieties from organic cultivation in the estate's best locations. The wine is matured partly in large wooden barrels and partly in barriques – a step that gives the wine depth and structure. Dense ruby red colour with a violet core in the glass. Blackcurrant, cherry, pipe tobacco, herbal spice and a hint of dark chocolate on the nose. Powerful but well-balanced on the palate: ripe tannins, dark fruit, finely dosed wood spice and an elegant length. Pregio del Conte is concentrated and harmonious, with a classic ageing profile and modern appeal – a wine with inner tension and beautiful versatility. SUPERIORE.DE

Moscato Giallo has a history stretching back centuries in South Tyrol. Almost always sweet, often served with dessert: that is its tradition, and it is a fine one. The Bozen Winery is taking a different approach. The same grape variety, the same aromatic intensity, but vinified as a dry wine. What remains is the essence of Muscat without the sugar coating. The grapes come from warm, sun-drenched vineyards around Bolzano at altitudes of between 300 and 550 metres. Gentle pressing, controlled fermentation in stainless steel. The result is a white wine that openly displays its aromas without losing its freshness.

This seductive Goldmuskateller is produced from carefully selected, sun-exposed hillside vineyards around Bolzano at an altitude of 300-550 metres, continuing the centuries-old tradition of this aromatic grape variety in South Tyrol. In the warm, well-ventilated sites, the Moscato Giallo grapes thrive under ideal conditions until the end of September and develop the intense muscat flavour that makes this variety so unmistakable.

No winery has characterised Lugana like Zenato. When Sergio Zenato started out in San Benedetto di Lugana in 1960, the appellation was a sleepy corner on the southern shore of Lake Garda. Today, the family winery owns 70 hectares of the best vineyards – a tenth of the entire DOC. The Trebbiano di Lugana grape variety, also known as Turbiana, is rooted here on clayey moraine soils between Peschiera and Desenzano. DNA analyses suggest a relationship with Verdicchio – a debate that is causing a stir among ampelographers. One thing is certain: The 30-year-old vines produce grapes of remarkable complexity. Hand-picked at the end of September, gently pressed, fermented at 16–18°C in stainless steel.

A Sicilian everyday red with a delicate soul: La Bella Sedàra is a harmonious blend of 90% Nero d'Avola and other grape varieties, grown on hilly, limestone-rich soils near Contessa Entellina. The terroir imbues the wine with warm fruit, a clear structure and a natural drinkability. A luminous ruby red with lively purple highlights. A fragrant bouquet of blackcurrant, cherry, a hint of tobacco and delicate minerality – as subtle as a whisper from the stone. On the palate, it is both fresh and round: soft tannins, ripe fruit and a smooth flow that leaves you longing for the next sip. Ageing in concrete tanks contributes to the fine texture and preserves the wine's freshness and varietal character. A fine red for every day. SUPERIORE.DE

The name Rifugio – refuge – tells of underground hiding places where the inhabitants of Salento once protected themselves from danger. Today, an entire area near Veglie bears this name, where particularly high-quality Primitivo grapes thrive on alluvial, clayey soils with limestone deposits. The traditional Conti Zecca winery, owned by the noble family since the 16th century and one of the icons of Apulia with 320 hectares of vineyards, vinifies this single-varietal Primitivo using tried and tested methods: manual harvesting with selection at the sorting table, gentle destemming and pressing, twelve-day maceration at 25 degrees, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Maturation takes place over twelve months in large oak barrels of 30 hectolitres and in resin-sealed concrete tanks, followed by a short period of maturation in the bottle.

What began in 2004 as a commemorative wine to mark the 50th harvest of Salice Salentino – Leone de Castris has been producing this Apulian classic since 1954 – became an established tradition thanks to its resounding success. Since then, a new vintage of the "50° Vendemmia" has been released every year. A Riserva that demonstrates how Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera find their powerful yet elegant expression on the red soils of Salento. The blend of 90% Negroamaro and 10% Malvasia Nera di Lecce undergoes an 8- to 12-day maceration at a controlled temperature of 20 to 22 degrees following selective harvest, before the wine is aged for twelve months in 30-hectolitre oak barrels. A further six months of bottle ageing round off the wine's development.

Pinot Grigio has an image problem. Somewhere between mass production in Veneto and its reputation as a run-of-the-mill international wine, the impression has taken hold that it is a wine without ambition. Anyone wishing to correct this impression should look to South Tyrol. In Alto Adige, the variety – originally from Burgundy – has found a terroir that gives it what it cannot get elsewhere: cool nights, altitudes between 300 and 500 metres, calcareous soils, and alpine precision. Cellar master Hans Terzer, one of the leading figures in South Tyrolean white wine for decades, has clearly defined the style: clean, single-varietal, and distinct in character. The St. Michael-Eppan Winery, founded in 1907 and supported by 340 member families, has turned this into one of its best-selling wines – and rightly so. 100% Pinot Grigio, fermented and aged exclusively in stainless steel.

A Cannonau that harmonises origin and structure – that's how Costera feels in the glass. The grapes come from the old sand and limestone hills of the south-east facing vineyard of the same name, where the intense sun and cool sea breeze combine to ensure aromatic ripeness and multi-faceted minerality. After controlled fermentation, the wine matures for around five months in barriques and cement tanks.

In 1900, Cleto Chiarli travelled to Paris. In his luggage: bottles of his Lambrusco, fermented using the traditional method – fermentation in the bottle, no intervention, no dosage. The jury at the World Exhibition awarded him the "Mention Honorable". A century later, *Wine Spectator* selected the Fondatore for its Top 100 Wines of the World. The secret lies in the method. Whilst the market favours the Charmat method, Chiarli 1860 continues to use the *Metodo Ancestrale* for the Fondatore, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle. This is followed by six months' ageing on the lees. No dosage. The result is a Lambrusco whose vintages can be traced back – and which reveals what this wine tasted like long before anyone had the idea of making it sweet.