Formats

Three letters, a whole story: BIP stands for ‘Benjamin Ingham Palermo’. The Englishman arrived in Sicily in 1806 – not as a tourist, but as a visionary entrepreneur. He followed in the footsteps of John Woodhouse, but far surpassed him: Ingham built a trading empire that shipped Marsala all over the world and left a lasting mark on the city. To this day, Pellegrino preserves his archive – 110 volumes of Sicilian economic history. Pellegrino dedicates its elegant Oro-Riserva to this man. Grillo, Catarratto and Inzolia, grown on sandy coastal soils between Marsala and Petrosino. Fermentation is halted using an acquavite that has been aged in oak for at least five years – a detail that adds layer upon layer of depth. Then: more than 48 months in large oak casks, followed by a further six months in barriques. The 2013 vintage is a wine that has clearly benefited from the passage of time.

Il Bacialé – in dialect "matchmaker" – brings together grape varieties that normally rarely meet: Barbera, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The grapes come from selected plots in the heart of Monferrato, whose gentle hills give the vines warmth and depth. After fermentation, the wine matures in wood, which gives it structure, finesse and good ageing potential. A successful liaison that marries tradition and international class in a pleasing way.

Jermann's Sauvignon Bianco is a meticulously vinified white wine from the cooler vineyards of the Venetian-Friulian border region. The grapes come from vineyards with calcareous flysch soil, which fosters an elegant, crisp style. In the glass, it is a pale straw yellow with a greenish sheen. The nose is complex but never overpowering: gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf, a hint of lemon zest and subtle nuances of elderflower and white peach. On the palate, the wine is juicy, focused and lively, with a fine texture, well-integrated acidity and a fresh, mineral final. A thoroughly stylish Sauvignon Bianco with a distinct regional character – subtle, elegant and perfectly in line with the style. SUPERIORE.DE

Downdraught. The name is not marketing – it is pure meteorology. Every evening, cool air masses descend from the Mendel Mountains and sweep over the vineyards of Appiano, Caldaro and Cortaccia. These evening downdraughts give the entire terroir of the winery its character: they slow down ripening, maintain freshness and give the wines the flavour and longevity that cannot be taken for granted in this region. Merlot and Cabernet have been grown here since 1850, and the two varieties are vinified separately for the Riserva – in stainless steel tanks, followed by malolactic fermentation and ageing in barriques and tonneaux. After around a year, they are blended and mature further in steel. The Merlot brings soft tannins and fullness, the Cabernet structure and reverberation. The vineyards are located in the warmest areas of the municipalities of Appiano, Caldaro and Cortaccia, south to south-east facing, on calcareous gravel and moraine soils.

San Giusto a Rentennano – the name is of Etruscan origin and embodies centuries of history. This medieval estate lies in the southernmost corner of Chianti Classico, where the region meets the upper reaches of the Arbia and the hills become more remote, quieter and rougher. A Cistercian monastery – San Giusto alle Monache – once stood here. In 1204, the Florentines fortified the area as a border outpost against Siena. The underground vaults from that period now serve as the storage cellars for Martini di Cigala. The family has owned the estate since 1914. Luca, Francesco and Elisabetta now run it guided by the conviction that has defined the estate since the early 1980s: Sangiovese needs no shortcuts. It needs low yields, fully ripe harvestand time. Organically farmed since 2006, with green pruning in July and August reducing yields by 30 to 50 per cent. 95% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo, harvested by hand.

L'America is the old name of a place where there was already a small vineyard and a shelter for animals in the 1950s. It was located on one of the outer borders of the winery, so the name L'America still embodies seclusion and great ambition at the same time. The plot is 300 metres above sea level, in terrain with rich and deep skeletal soils. Protected from winds, the scents of the woods are preserved here and the plants benefit from softened sunlight. This constellation gives the fresh and herb-accentuated Rosso a low pH value, a beautiful acid structure, a radiantly bright colour and a comparatively high tannin content. SUPERIORE.DE

The Oberkofler family has been running the ancient Bachmannhof farm since 1853 and Pinot Nero has found its second home in South Tyrol for over a century – nowhere is this rootedness more evident than at the Bachmann from the steep vineyards around Bolzano. Between 600 and 700 metres above sea level, the vines thrive on mineral-rich soils, where cool nights and sunny days create the finesse that combines Burgundian elegance with Alpine clarity.

The vines of this single-vineyard Barbera are rooted at the highest point of the hill in the renowned Ravera and Pasinotti vineyards near Novello. Grown on soils rich in limestone and clay with a south-south-easterly exposure at an altitude of 300-400 metres, the wine reflects both elegance and a clear origin. The wine matures for around 12 months in large Slavonian wooden barrels, which give it depth without masking the freshness of the fruit.

A wine with history, personality and depth of character: Centovie is the centrepiece of a long-term project at the organically farmed Tenuta Centovie near Roseto degli Abruzzi. The 35 hectares of vineyards on the southern slope near Montipagano, with a view of the Gran Sasso, produce elegant Montepulciano, among other things – equipped with traditional training systems (pergola in long tendone and short cordon training) and an optimal microclimate.

An Etna Rosso with a clear vision: Ghiaia Nera is the introduction to the volcanic world of Tenuta Tascante – straightforward, elegant and characterised by the dramatic tension of the volcano. The grapes come from various locations on the north side of Mount Etna, around Randazzo and Castiglione di Sicilia. Volcanic sand, high altitude and large temperature differences characterise the style. It is traditionally matured in large wooden barrels. Brilliant ruby red colour with garnet hues in the glass. The nose opens with ripe cherry, dried raspberry, some orange zest and fine herbal notes. Juicy on the palate, with fresh acidity and a fine-grained tannin reminiscent of black tea. A wine with precision and cool noblesse, not a powerhouse, but a finely drawn red wine that clearly emphasises its origins. SUPERIORE.DE

The name says it all: "torcolare" – to twist, to braid. In Breganze, it was once a tradition to braid the Vespaiola grapes into plaits after the harvest and hang them under the cellar ceiling so that the air could circulate between the berries. An exercise in patience that takes months and ends with liquid gold. Fausto Maculan did not invent this wine – he saved it. When he took over the winery in the 1970s, Torcolato was an oxidised, syrupy relic. Fausto turned it into a modern sweet wine of international calibre: precise, fresh, lively. Today, 10–15% of the grapes are still woven and hung as Rosolo using the old method, the rest are dried in modern crates. After four months, the berries have lost almost 70% of their weight. Slow fermentation in steel tanks for around a month, followed by a year in French barriques.

Dievole's new Chianti Classico Casanova, just released with the debut 2020 vintage, is the result of a quest to highlight the identity characteristics of particularly suitable vineyards, leading to ever more precise expressions of Sangiovese. The Casanova grapes come from a vineyard at an altitude of about 400 metres, with an ideal south-west to south-east exposure and composed mainly of sandstone rocks Macigno del Chianti. The result is a Chianti Classico that is very immediate and direct, with a beautiful acidity to boot. It has the elegance and freshness and the bright, radiant fruit of Chianti Classico "as it used to be".

700 to 800 metres above sea level, in the Piana degli Albanesi south of Palermo – where Sicily ceases to be what one might expect. Tenuta Ficuzza lies at the heart of a vast nature reserve, with woodlands, Mediterranean scrub and vineyards woven into the landscape like a mosaic. Here, Chardonnay has found a home that reminds it of Burgundy – without copying it. Jalé is produced from the historic single vineyard "del Ventaglio", named for its fan-shaped layout. The altitude creates temperature fluctuations that Chardonnay rarely experiences on this island: slow ripening, cool fruit, natural tension. Hand-harvested in early August, cold maceration, fermentation in oldLiters – no new wood to overpower the wine, but rather a subtle integration. Six months sur lies, then bottled.

The Lageder family now produces only one Sauvignon Bianco, and it forms part of the "Kompositionen" range. It derives its complexity from the wide variety of different clones in the vineyards. The majority of these are situated at altitudes of over 400 metres and are rooted in limestone on the one hand and weathered volcanic rock on the other. The different source rocks and the diversity of the vines inspired the Lageder family to choose the wine's name. This is because it is composed of fragments from the finest organic and biodynamic vineyards, which are blended together to form a single whole.

An unusual liaison between two blues: "Blau & Blau" combines the autochthonous Blaufränkisch (Frankonia) with the international Pinot Noir. The grapes come from high-altitude plots in the cooler foothills of the Trevenezia, where both varieties enjoy fresh nights and long growing seasons. 2022 was a ripe, harmonious year with moderate weather conditions – ideal for balanced, elegant red wines. After manual harvesting, the wine matured in used barriques to develop structure and depth without overpowering the fruit.

A white wine that immediately tells of south-west Sardinia as soon as it touches the palate. Villa di Chiesa originates from the sun-kissed slopes of the lower Sulcis near Porto Pino – calcareous, sandy soils and a sea breeze provide the aromatic essence of this characterful cuvée of Vermentino and Chardonnay. Even the name refers to history: "Villa di Chiesa" was once the medieval name for Iglesias, the town near which viticulture, mining and culture are closely intertwined – a subtle nod to the deep roots of this wine in the local context.

Merlot in South Tyrol – this may sound like a misunderstanding, but it is one of the most convincing arguments in favour of the versatility of the southern lowlands. Margreid, the southernmost corner of the winery, supplies the white wine grapes to Gennen and Magred. The same soil, the same climate, the same ora – is used by Levad for something completely different. White limestone gravel soil with a high humus content, 220 to 350 metres, south-east exposure. Warm summers, mild winters, the daily afternoon wind from Lake Garda. Conditions that allow Merlot to fully ripen without suffocating it in opulence. Hand-picked, careful destemming, fermentation in steel tanks with gentle pumping over – then twelve months in barriques and a further year of bottle ageing. The ageing gives structure, the soil gives minerality, the climate gives depth.

Centovie is coming together. After the Pecorino kicked things off, the Rosato followed – and finally, in 2015, the Montepulciano. The Bernetti family describes it as "a wine that did not exist before and which seeks no imitation". A personal, bespoke interpretation of a grape variety and a landscape. The estate lies 200 metres above Roseto degli Abruzzi, facing south-east, between the Gran Sasso and the Adriatic Sea. Clay-sandy limestone soil with an alluvial skeleton, organically farmed from day one. The Montepulciano is grown using two training systems: "Tendone" with long pruning and "Filare" with short spurs, at a density of 1,600 to 5,000 vines per hectare.

Three thousand years of wine-growing history are encapsulated in a single road name: the Strada Provinciale 68 near Vittoria, the route along which generations of Sicilian farmers carried their amphorae – and later their barrels – to market. Arianna Occhipinti, a pioneer of Sicilian natural wine, has created a liquid tribute to this country road. Albanello and Zibibbo, two indigenous Sicilian varieties, grow here on red sand over limestone. The grapes ferment together with wild yeasts in concrete vats; two weeks' maceration give the Bianco its characteristic texture. Bottled unfiltered, it retains its lively cloudiness.

La Rosé de Manincor is produced using the classic saignée method – by drawing off the juice from the estate's finest red wine batches. The grapes come from the Manincor, Seehof, Panholzerhof and Mazzon vineyards, situated at altitudes of between 250 and 500 metres. Rich clay soils, interspersed with limestone gravel and glacial rock deposits, define its character. The composition of the cuvée varies slightly from year to year – in 2025 it consists of 30% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 20% Pinot Nero, 13% Vernatsch, 4% Tempranillo, 4% Syrah and 4% Petit Verdot. After six to twelve hours of maceration, the must is racked off – the part that makes the red wines more concentrated and gives the rosé its colour, structure and richness of aroma. Fermentation takes place in wooden casks, partly spontaneously with wild yeasts. The wine is then aged on the fine lees for five months, during which time the aromas refine and that creamy texture develops which characterises La Rosé.

In 2009, the Belgian entrepreneur Virginie Saverys took over Tenuta Avignonesi – and transformed it into one of Tuscany’s most ambitious biodynamic estates. Biodyvin-certified, organic, vegan, B Corp: at Avignonesi, wine is understood as an expression of living soils – and Montepulciano as a place that reflects this with exceptional clarity. The Vino Nobile comes from vineyards on sedimentary soils of marine origin – calcareous, with varying proportions of clay and sand from the Pleistocene and Pliocene periods, planted between 1995 and 2017 at altitudes of 270 to 375 metres. Fermentation takes place using yeasts from the estate’s own ‘pied de cuve’: the first batch of grapes is harvested in advance to select the naturally occurring yeasts on the skins. A process that deepens the connection between the wine and the vineyard and anchors the sense of place. 20 to 25 days’ maceration, followed by 18 months in large casks and tonneaux.

Back to top. The name reveals the philosophy behind this Pinot Bianco, which emerges from the interplay between two fundamentally different worlds. On the one hand, the Bassa Atesina near Salorno and Magrè: calcareous soils, Mediterranean warmth, vines on both banks of the Adige. On the other, Dorf Tirol near Merano: volcanic rock, an alpine climate, a completely different energy. Alois Clemens Lageder, the sixth generation at Tòr Löwengang, calls such wines "compositions" – deliberate arrangements of contrasts that only reveal their full potential when brought together.

Dievoles Chianti Classico Petrignano is the result of a commitment to highlighting the distinctive characteristics of particularly well-suited vineyards, leading to ever more precise expressions of the Sangiovese grape. Petrignano is the name given to a distinctive area characterised by mineral- and stone-rich soil. At an altitude of approximately 330 metres, rocks protrude from the ground, typical of the geological formation of Monte Morello. The abundance of stones, the depth of the roots and the compact growth of the vines result in an expressive and opulent wine from this distinctive and authentic cru site.