When Monica Larner, Italy taster for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, publishes her extensive notes on the current collections from Piedmont, it is a highly comprehensive and exciting affair every year. This year, too, she has tasted almost 1,000 samples since spring and has therefore only published the first two major Piedmont rankings in the last few weeks. And a third will follow after the...

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The British Stuart Pigott is a wine critic, author and journalist. He regularly writes wine columns for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Feinschmecker and Fine - Das Weinmagazin. Since September 2016, he has also been writing for the website of wine critic and former editor of Wine Spectator, James Suckling. He describes his writing style as “gonzo wine journalism”, meaning...

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Many 2019 red and 2020/21 white wines from Maremma and Bolgheri are now released for sale. Reason enough for Antonio Galloni to take a closer look: “I really liked this year’s new releases from the Tuscan coast. The best Vermentinos and Morellinos offer excellent value for money, while in the upper price segment many of the region’s benchmark wines are performing superbly. The greater...

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Every year, the results of the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) are eagerly awaited. For the 19th time, wines from all over the world were judged by the leading wine experts. The number of wines tested this year is once again impressive, a total of 18,244 drops were tasted, of which over 3,100 wines from Italy alone. A total of 250 tasters from all over the world, including several Masters...

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In autumn 2021, as part of the new “Bolgheri DiVino” format, an Anteprima was held for the first time in the history of this region, which has been sheerly booming for a good decade now. The presentation was crowned with the fabulous and spectacular dinner on the famous Viale dei Cipressi." This was reported in detail by the editor-in-chief of WEINWISSER Giuseppe Lauria in a wonderfully...

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Between the provinces of Verona and Vicenza, amidst the rural backdrop of forests and Venetian villas, Stefano Inama cultivates two close yet very different wine-growing areas. His vines thrive on the red clay and limestone subsoils of the Colli Berici and the extraordinary volcanic lava basalt soils of the Soave Classico area - so we are talking about volcanic wines from northern Italy,...

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As Eric Guido from Vinous.com very aptly points out, Veneto’s paradigm wine Amarone is still too rarely drunk with food. This may be due to the traditional prejudice that, because of its density and often high alcohol and sugar content, this wine is more likely to be accompanied by an aged cheese or a good cigar. Valpolicella (and the Superiore from the core zone) is also generally not...

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In the region around the imposing towers of the medieval town of San Gimignano, oenologist Alessio Logi has dedicated himself to what is probably Tuscany’s most famous white wine. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is one of the oldest white wines in Italy, mentioned in records dating back to 1276 and in Dante’s Divine Comedy. This white wine is therefore characterised by a centuries-old history of...

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Today we are not talking about banal sparkling wine, which – if it does come from northern Italy – is commonly known as “Prosecco” and is even available in cans, but we are talking about the core zone of a highly individual and very authentic Spumante, whose region has rightly been elevated to the status of one of the world’s rare cultural assets worthy of protection, not only because of...

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Between the provinces of Verona and Vicenza, amidst the rural backdrop of forests and Venetian villas, Stefano Inama cultivates two close yet very different wine-growing areas. His vines thrive on the red clay and limestone subsoils of the Colli Berici and the extraordinary volcanic lava basalt soils of the Soave Classico area - so we are talking about volcanic wines from northern Italy,...

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At the end of February, Monica Larner published for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate her first ratings of the Brunello di Montalcino 2017 and Riserva 2016 that came on the market this year. She rightly asks in her article and also immediately gives the answer: “And what is the soul of Brunello? The ideal is elegance. Few wine regions in the world have the potential to produce wines with such...

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The acronym COS stands for the initials of the three founders of the winery: Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Pinuccia Strano. As early as 1985, the triumvirate became a duo, consisting of Giambattista Cilia and Giusto Occhipinti, who have passionately shaped the Sicilian success story of the COS winery for more than 40 years. It’s hard to imagine now that the owners' original...

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The Badia a Coltibuono winery is world famous for its Chianti & Chianti Classico. Situated amidst the typical hilly landscape high above the municipality of Gaiole, the winery’s headquarters are located behind impressive monastery walls. A place with an impressive history, because already about 1,000 years ago the monks of Vallombrosa, belonging to a Benedictine order, founded the “Abbey...

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Riccardo and his brother Renzo Cotarella are not unknown faces on the Italian wine scene. The two renowned oenologists have received significant recognition for their work at numerous successful wineries over the years. Meanwhile, at the Falesco family winery, the Cotarella family is undergoing an exciting generational change: Dominga, Marta and Enrica Cotarella – a new and third...

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Since the much too early and sudden death of Pio Boffa in the spring of 2021, his legacy of more than 40 years of enthusiastic work has passed to his daughter Federica. Together with her cousin Cesare Benvenuto and her uncle Augusto Boffa, she now leads the fortunes of the 140-year-old winery. The triumvirate is completed by oenologist Paolo Fenocchio. Pio Boffa has always paid great...

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Second fermentation at the highest level! More than thirty years ago, when Vernatsch still dominated the South Tyrolean wine world, Kettmeir set the course for an experiment that would become a passion over the years. Since then, spumante has been produced using the champagne method, with several years of yeast storage, from the classic grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot...

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“2016 is also a big year in Montalcino and offers a brilliant, perhaps even historic duo with 2015. Rarely before have I tasted so many excellent Brunello wines. And yet, here too, the two top vintages are quite different. So just twins in quality. 2016 shows itself with more freshness, compactness and with classic finesse and less overload. A tendency that has become apparent in this...

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The images that come to everyone’s mind when speaking of Tuscany are actually always those from the heart of Tuscany, the Chianti region. Everyone thinks of the wonderful hilly landscape between Florence and Siena. But Tuscany is much more. Much bigger. And more diverse. The five most important sub-regions of Tuscany are Bolgheri, Chianti/Chianti Classico, Maremma, Montalcino and...

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Traditional & future-oriented – that is not a contradiction here. The vineyards of Castello di Lamole extend between the typical Tuscan villages of Lamole and Pile, not far from Greve in Chianti Classico. The terraced vineyards look out over the Chianti hills. Year after year, the foundations are laid here for the terroir-strong, wonderfully classic wines of the house. From the...

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Since 1988, the most important Italian wine guide has provided an irreplaceable and annually updated reference work for all those who enjoy and intensively deal with the complex world of Italian wine. The imposing book with its many pages is the result of the excellent work of a team of over sixty tasters. These experts select the top wines of the Italian wine industry in countless blind...

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Monica Larner from Robert Parker’s “The Wine Advocate” published her current tasting notes of the South Tyrolean vintages 2017-2020 these days. It shows that the whites and reds are getting better (fresher and more complex) from year to year and that the South Tyrolean winemakers know how to deal with the effects of climate change very well. But read for yourself: “This is my annual report...

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Lagrein is relatively easy to recognise by its dark berry aromas and a delicate scent of violets, often also plums and sour cherries. It has a dark colour, is full-bodied and velvety, has mild tannins and moderate acidity As a local red wine (and rosé), it is currently booming in South Tyrol. But demand is also growing internationally among enthusiasts who love independent and...

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Friuli lies in the far north-east of Italy, bordering South Tyrol and Austria to the north, Slovenia to the east, Venice to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Many small family wineries still cultivate ancient, little-known grape varieties and, of course, international varieties from Chardonnay and Sauvignon to Cabernet and Merlot have long been completely normal in the larger...

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Carricante, the autochthonous white grape variety from eastern Sicily (mostly around Etna), is now a rarity, as there were only 205 hectares left in the last statistics in 2010. However, since some larger wineries such as Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Tasca d’Almerita, Planeta, Cusumano, Graci or Benanti around Etna have invested a lot in recent years, it can be assumed that some have also...

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The Tuscan coast is more synonymous than an official wine region. The Tyrrhenian coast of Tuscany is home to dozens of different wine appellations, from Terre di Pisa in the north to Costa Toscana down to Maremma Toscana, Morellino di Scansano, the island of Giglio and some of the interesting IGT wines from Capalbio on Tuscany’s southern border with Lazio. “Today, the region is considered a...

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Originally from France, where it is called Pinot Gris, this grape variety is widespread and very old all over the world. That is why there are countless synonyms. In German-speaking countries, these include Grauburgunder, Ruländer, Grauer Mönch and many more. The variety is genetically identical and actually only a mutation of Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder) as well as Pinot Bianco...

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“Award-winning summer retreat." Nonino’s “L’Aperitivo Nonino” BotanicalDrink is the “Aperitif of the Year 2021” at the international “Spirit Award”. Out of more than 120 aperitifs and distillates from all over the world, the natural and vegan aperitivo is the first representative from Italy to adorn itself with this special award. And the verdict comes from a competent mouth, because the...

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Positively into the future. An exclusive shoulder view with Alvaro. Most certainly, Lis Neris is one of the best wineries from Friuli. Winery owner Alvaro Pecorari devoted much of his time to researching his vineyard sites and their varietal suitability. That he has succeeded in this in an impressive way is proven by the fact that his Lis Neris winery is now more than ever considered an...

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The attraction of tradition Tradition, it is said, is not the worship of ashes, but the passing on of fire. It does not blindly repeat what has always been, but knows how to recognise the signs of the times and interpret them correctly with the power of centuries of knowledge. This is another reason why tradition is an important pillar of the South Tyrolean wine industry. It is based on...

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“Authentic & biodynamic – and firmly in family hands!" The Alois Lageder family winery produces lively and fresh wines from South Tyrol. With a holistic understanding of nature, creativity and a love of experimentation, Alois Lageder creates wines that reflect the diversity of South Tyrol. In the spirit of biodynamic agriculture, the winery is constantly developing its knowledge,...

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This is what we call a hat trick: After we were able to enjoy the very well-balanced, fruit-driven and almost perfect 2015 vintage last year, the appellation is now doing it again. In terms of elegance, complexity and finesse, the 2016 vintage brings wines to the market that are more comparable to the great 2010 vintage. Compared to the fruity, warm and very harmonious style of the rightly...

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“A tour around centennial bush vines and a 18th century Palmento on Mt. Etna” Tenuta di Fessina was born in 2007 by a Silvia Maestrelli project. First woman producer and pioneer on the Volcano. The estate it is a 17th century Palmento hidden inside a double lava flow from two different eruptions, 1911 and 1809. Tenuta di Fessina core is located on the Northern slope of Mt. Etna, the...

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The renowned trade magazine Falstaff asked its community at the end of 2020 “Where do you prefer to buy wine?" and you answered. And we are excited: SUPERIORE.DE was voted the most popular wine merchant in the category “selection Italy”. Thank you very much for your numerous votes and, of course, especially for your loyalty over the last 20 years, without which this great result would not...

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“It is a vintage full of strength and purity, the result of a long growing season without extreme events. One that was warmer than 2014 and with much less rain, yet the water reserves were high due to the rainfall during the winter months. These reserves helped the vines through the dry, warm and sunny summer months, supplemented by cool night temperatures and just the right amount of rainfall...

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“The 2015 vintage is a historical year for Brunello di Montalcino that nobody should miss. The wines show impressive precision of vivid fruit, fine tannins and freshness in acidity despite their ripeness and richness which makes them some of the most exciting in years. Winemakers in Montalcino were never better prepared to produce outstanding wines in a year like 2015 with their exactness in...

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If there is a top address in our business, then it is Meininger Verlag, which appropriately resides in Neustadt an der Weinstraße: In 1903, the “Weinblatt” by founder Daniel Meininger was one of the first renowned trade journals to deal with our favourite topic, and 114 years later the publishing house became an oenological and gastronomic authority. Every year the trade magazine...

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For years it was suspected, but after recent genetic engineering studies it is now known for certain: Primitivo is identical to the Californian Zinfandel and is derived from the ancient Croatian grape variety Tribidrag or Crlenjak Kastelanski, which was already known in the 15th century. The name was originally “Primativo” and referred to early ripening, which incidentally also applies to the...

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