Gambero-Rosso

The vines for this Dolcetto grow on the Ravera hillside in Novello, on soils rich in limestone, sand and clay with a gentle south-easterly aspect, at an altitude of around 380 metres above sea level. This plot is situated in Elvio Cogno's traditional wine-growing heartland and epitomises local provenance and authenticity. In the glass, Vigna del Mandorlo displays a vibrant ruby red colour. The expressive bouquet ranges from juicy cherry and blackberry to fresh, spicy notes. The combination of freshness, a soft texture and a delicate hint of almond on the finish lends the wine its harmonious elegance and drinking pleasure. On the palate, it impresses with its balanced structure: fruity density, lively acidity and gently structured tannins carry the fruit profile, with hints of bitter almond, right through to final clean final.

A single-vineyard Soave as it should be: pure Garganega from vines over thirty years old on volcanic soils in Colognola ai Colli. The Castagnedi brothers press the whole grapes under nitrogen and use dry ice to preserve the aromas even before fermentation – a technique that demands precision and rewards character. Six months on the fine lees give the wine depth without taking away its freshness.

Only one wine at a time bears the estate's name – and there is a reason for this. The Montecucco Rosso Riserva is the centrepiece of the estate's production: the wine that most directly expresses the estate's philosophy. Italian passion meets Swiss precision – that is how the Tipa Bertarelli family themselves describe their approach. In the glass, it impresses anew every year. 80% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon – grapes from vineyards on sandstone, marl and clay at an altitude of 300 metres. Spontaneous fermentation on natural yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, followed by 16 months' ageing: the Sangiovese in 40-hectolitre oak barrels, the Ciliegiolo and Cabernet inLiters French oakLiters.

In the 1820s, wine merchants knew three Bardolino crus that existed in Switzerland's grand hotels alongside Burgundy and Beaujolais. In 1968, they were lost in the DOC regulations. They have been back since 2021 – and Montebaldo, the northernmost and highest subzone on the foothills of Monte Baldo, is perhaps the most exciting. Guerrieri Rizzardi's response to this rediscovery: 95 per cent Corvina – the highest percentage the winery has ever bottled –supplemented by a touch of Rondinella, vinified completely without wood. This is not a concession to light summer enjoyment. It is a statement about transparency: the grape speaks exclusively here, and the moraine soil of Cavaion gives it a resonance chamber.

Behind the Castello di Soave, invisible to the tourists enjoying the view of the plain, lies a vineyard that epitomises the opposite of what Soave has been for decades. No mass product, no compromise. Ferra is single-varietal Garganega from volcanic gravel – of a hilltop that has belonged to the Rizzardi family since 1977 and has been bottled as a single vineyard since 2014. What makes this Soave stand out from the standard, pleasing wines: Garganega gets the full stage here. Fermentation in glazed cement tanks preserves the mineral precision, while six months in large foudres give the wine texture, depth and richness that go far beyond what is expected from the appellation.

Federico II di Svevia, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and King of Sicily, had a special affection for the hills around Monte Vulture. Here, in Basilicata, he had castles built that still stand today. And he loved the wines of the Vulture – those deep, mineral reds that came from the lava soils of the extinct volcano. The Terre degli Svevi estate, founded in 1998, honours his legacy with the name of its flagship wine: Re Manfredi – king Manfred, his son, the fearless warrior. 100% Aglianico, grown at 420 metres in Venosa, on volcanic soil rich in calcium, nitrogen and tuff – the mineral foundation on which the character of this wine is built. A continental climate with harsh winters, hot summers and pronounced temperature fluctuations.

A red wine with character – irresistible in its depth and yet with supple elegance. Noras comes from 90% Cannonau (Grenache) and 10% Carignano and is harvested from old vines rooted in sandy-granitic soils deep in the Sulcis terroir. After late manual harvesting, the must ferments at a controlled 22-24 °C for 12 days in stainless steel tanks, accompanied by regular pumping over to optimise extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place early and spontaneously, followed by around six months of maturation in used French barriques. Before it is released for sale, Noras matures for a further six months in the bottle – a maturation and ageing process that gives it depth and elegance.

The single vineyard Monteprandone is the centrepiece of the winery – a south-west facing, organically cultivated plot on calcareous clay soil, which produces the most structured grapes on the estate year after year. Montepulciano and Sangiovese are selected here with great care and matured classically in large wooden barrels and barriques. The result is a Rosso Piceno Superiore with depth, nobility and a clear signature of origin.

In 2010, Marco Cirese, grandson of Noelia Ricci, started a project within Tenuta Pandolfa: nine hectares of the best plots, a radical focus on Sangiovese, back to the origins. The label is adorned with a wasp – the insect that lives in the vineyard like no other. The vines are planted at an altitude of 250 to 300 metres, on ochre-coloured clay soils with limestone marl, in 2002. Spontaneous fermentation, 18 days of maceration, then six months in stainless steel – without clarification, without filtration. Purism as a principle.

Mozart knew what he was doing. In the second act of Don Giovanni, his hero calls for wine – and it is the Marzemino that he desires: "Eccellente Marzemino!" It was to be his last indulgence before his just punishment. The variety, which is related to Refosco and Teroldego, has lost little of its seductive power since then. Maculan cultivates it in Fara Vicentino, on a vineyard called Cornorotto – volcanic tuff hills, mineral-rich soil. The grapes are lightly dried for a week before being placed in steel tanks – a quiet trick that brings concentration and depth without heaviness.

A wine that shows at first sip: Sardinia not only has sunshine, but also depth. Iselis is a tribute to the indigenous Monica grape variety from a carefully selected vineyard near Serdiana. The vines are rooted in calcareous clay soils, warm winds and Mediterranean sunshine. After controlled mash fermentation, the wine matures for around a year in barriques before being bottled, powerful and elegant at the same time.

Mario Schiopetto was born in 1930, he grew up in the family-owned Osteria ai Pompieri and had his first professional experiences as a fireman and later as a truck driver. In 1963, guided only by his taste and love of wine, he began to devote himself to wine production in his parents' farm and produced the first pure Tocai in 1965. The historic label at the time included the drawing of his fire engine, which he also used to deliver the wine to customers. With the 2019 vintage, the winery recalled these historical roots and resumed the cute drawing on part of its wine labels.

An askos was a small Greek clay vessel dating from the 1st century BC – an ancient Decanter, designed for pouring wine. Masseria Li Veli has made this name the symbol of an entire project: the rescue, research and promotion of Apulian grape varieties that had almost vanished from the region’s collective memory. Susumaniello is one of them. For the Askos, Li Veli uses exclusively grapes from plots with particular suitability, cultivated according to the rules of an ancient tradition. Vines over 20 years old – partly trained in the traditional Alberello style, partly as Cordone speronato. Clay-sand soils with limestone deposits, hand-harvested at the end of September. Fermentation in French oak vats at controlled temperatures. Maturation in barriques and large French oak barrels.

Just 1.5 kilometres separate the vineyards of Capitel Croce and Foscarino – yet geologically, they are worlds apart. Whilst Foscarino is rooted in volcanic rock, Croce sits atop the pure limestone of the Zoppega hill. "Croce like Calcareo," Roberto likes to say as a mnemonic. Here, in the highest-altitude areas of his estate, his perhaps most uncompromising wine has been thriving since 1982: 100% Garganega, aged for eight months in old Allier barriques. What makes this wine so exceptional is not only its provenance, but Roberto's radical approach: just 45 hectolitres per hectare, late selective harvest with up to twelve passes, until only the most perfect berries remain. Fermentation takes place directly in the barrique, allowing the fruit and wood to blend from the very start.

The history of Selvarossa began shortly after the turn of the millennium, when Angelo Maci – the fourth generation of an old family of winegrowers and founder of Due Palme – put his vision of uncompromising quality production into practice. What began in 1989 with fifteen members now brings together over a thousand winegrowers, who collectively cultivate 2,500 hectares of vineyards in the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto. The name "Red Forest" refers to the characteristic red-coloured, loamy soils around Cellino San Marco, rich in minerals, graphite and iron oxides, which give the terroir its distinctive character.

A genuine Lambrusco cru from the 15-hectare Vigna del Cristo vineyard, which underwent a second fermentation using the Charmat method for three months in a pressure tank. Salmon pink in colour. Aromas of pink grapefruit and subtle hints of raspberries. On the palate, it is bold, fresh, lively and bone-dry – —perfect for fans of zero dosage. Very fine bubbles that linger for a long time. A long finish with delicately tart fruit. Ideal as an aperitif, with mussels, oysters and cold fish starters. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for this single-varietal Pinot Bianco come from altitudes of up to 700 metres around the municipality of Montan. Delicate greenish-yellow in colour, with a fine bouquet of green apple, lemon, chalk and some crushed rock. Fine texture on the palate, with good structure and excellent depth. The spicy, fruity finish is characterised by precise, linear acidity and notes of pear and apple. Great and very balanced! SUPERIORE.DE

In 2001, Michele and Massimo Bernetti of Umani Ronchi stood on Centovie Hill near Roseto degli Abruzzi. Before them lay the estate, behind it the Gran Sasso, and below it the Adriatic Sea. They bought the 35 hectares and immediately began farming organically – not as a certified commitment, but because the terroir demanded it: sunny and windy, with self-regulating soil requiring no intervention. They produced the estate"s first wine as a Pecorino. From the best plots of the vineyard, hand-harvested in early September with particular attention to acidity, on deep, clay-sandy limestone soil with alluvial skeleton. Fermented in steel, then 12 months in concrete tanks, followed by 5 months in bottle.

A long time ago, the Madean hill slid down, leaving behind deep, fertile soil in Guia. The name says it all: a farmstead with a large house and stable, built on the landslide. Since 2013, Andreola has been cultivating around six hectares here in a small valley whose slopes face in all directions. At altitudes of between 250 and 350 metres, the vines grow on old marl at the bottom and on sandstone at the top. The winery was founded in 1984 by Nazzareno Pola, who competed in cycle races for around ten years and spent another decade behind the bar before turning his passion into a business at the age of 35. The grapes are harvested by hand; the base wine rests for at least six months in steel tanks, and the second fermentation lasts 30 to 40 days. Here, "Extra Brut" means zero grams of residual sugar.

Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie is made mainly from Corvina and Corvinone grapes. It takes its name from the vineyard of the same name in Grezzana, where the ripening of the grapes is subject to strong temperature fluctuations between day and night: a climatic peculiarity that gives the wine a special spiciness on the nose and a completely unique polyphenol profile. Bright ruby red in colour with notes of cherries, vanilla and spices. Beautiful fruit and acidity on the palate, wonderfully balanced body. Juicy and long. SUPERIORE.DE

The name refers to an ancient coin of the Genoese lords who once owned the vineyards around Gavi. Today, the Cortese grapes come from the heart of the appellation: the Comune di Gavi itself, where calcareous marl soils and pronounced day-night differences give the wine its characteristic freshness and floral aromas. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are cooled with carbon dioxide snow and pressed particularly gently. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, followed by three months of bottle ageing.