Organic White Wine

In 1987, there were still 0.5 hectares of Timorasso in the whole of Piedmont. The grape variety, once widespread in the hills south-east of Turin, had almost disappeared due to phylloxera, structural change and lack of interest. Walter Massa rescued it – and brought it back into the dialogue. Giorgio Rivetti from La Spinetta, whose eye for exceptional terroirs has made his company great, recognised the potential and planted in Montemarzino, Montegioco and Monleale. Derthona – the ancient Roman name for Tortona, the capital of these hills – became the name of the wine. 100% Timorasso, south-west and south-east facing vineyards, organic cultivation. Destemming, gentle pressing, fermentation in temperature-controlled small stainless steel tanks. Then seven months on the fine lees – no malolactic fermentation, the acidity remains naturally lively. Four months in the bottle before release.

An expression of old vineyard depth and finesse: Vecchie Vigne comes from vines over 40 years old on clayey soils at altitudes of 250-300 metres above sea level. The result is a white wine that makes balance, structure and terroir tangible. Pale straw yellow in colour with crystalline purity. The bouquet is intense but nuanced, with aromas of almond blossom, white flowers, meadow herbs, lemon and peach, supported by lively minerality and a delicate hint of aniseed. On the palate, the wine impresses with elegant acidity, animating and firm at the same time. The mineral tension ends in a long, salty-fresh final – with structure, depth and plenty of substance. Vecchie Vigne is more than just a pleasure to drink: it is a kind of reference for the ageing potential of Verdicchio. A white wine that carries origin, history and personality in every sip. SUPERIORE.DE

A small marvel, perfectly harmonised with multi-layered aromas of tropical fruits, apples and honey. A highly interesting white natural wine that is far more than just a casual pleasure, as it offers an extremely full, well-structured flavour. Fermented with the skins using the red wine method. Strong yellow colour with golden reflections. Intense aroma of dried herbs, incense, candied lemon peel and a hint of bitter orange. Fresh citrus notes on the palate, an exciting acidity and a powerful structure lead into a very long finish, crowned by a hint of bitter almonds. Very complex and a wonderful accompaniment to food – be sure to aerate! SUPERIORE.DE

"This wine was born as a challenge. In 2004, when we started making it, ageing it in steel was against the general trend of ageing complex Soave wines in barrique. Today, we are glad that we took this risk." Graziano Prà

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.

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.

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 combined.

Campinovi offers an unusual perspective on the Tuscan terroir: a pure Trebbiano Toscano, to which Dievole lends a surprising dimension through twelve months' ageing in large, untoasted oak barrels made from Italian rovere and chestnut wood. The grapes are grown at an altitude of 300 metres in organically farmed vineyards, where sandy loam soils with a gravel component provide distinctive minerality. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete vats at a controlled temperature of 18°C preserves the wine's natural freshness, whilst the subsequent barrel ageing lends it its characteristic complexity.

For decades, the Porer vineyard on the Margreider alluvial fan has been regarded as the source of Lageder's most refined interpretation of Pinot Grigio. At altitudes of between 230 and 240 metres, where stony, sandy and highly calcareous soil, combined with dramatic day-night temperature fluctuations, creates a unique microclimate, grapes of exceptional complexity ripen. The organic cultivation of this single vineyard follows strict sustainability principles. The secret of the Porer lies in its three-stage vinification: one third is pressed immediately, another portion remains on the skins for 15 hours, whilst the final component is macerated with stems and skins for up to eight months. This orchestrated blend of different textures gives the wine its characteristic tension. Six months' ageing on the fine lees in stainless steel rounds off the complex aromatic profile.

The name Gaun takes us back to the 17th century, when the noble family of the same name owned the Löwengang estate – a tribute to the historical roots of Lageder's ancestral home. Since 1934, when Alois III planted the first Chardonnay vines in Margreid, this wine has been regarded as a pioneer for international grape varieties in South Tyrol. The calcareous gravel soils around Margreid, Kurtatsch and Salurn, where Mediterranean influences meet Alpine coolness, produce grapes of exceptional minerality. During vinification, Lageder focuses on salinity and tension: part of the batch ferments spontaneously with whole bunches, allowing tannins from the skins and stems to accentuate the natural freshness.

With "Family & Friends", Feudo Maccari reinterprets the concept of a Mediterranean white wine – not as a light, casual accompaniment, but as brooding, characterful Grillo born within the Moretti family. The wine was originally intended solely for private occasions – a labour of love which, through its name, now celebrates the connection to people and moments that mean more than mere consumption. The grapes used (label: "only the best grapes") come from strictly selected plots around Noto, where calcareous soils, salty sea breezes and intense sunshine shape the wine's aromas and structure. A complex, vibrant wine with structure and balance.

Carricante from Planeta's Etna vineyard is an exceptional wine full of freshness, energy and minerality. This noble grape variety thrives in exclusive conditions, on volcanic soils and at altitudes of 870 metres. A wonderfully complex pleasure that is only ever released for sale two years after the harvest. The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. SUPERIORE.DE

On the sand – the name already reveals the secret of this extraordinary interpretation of Gewürztraminer. A work of art of aromatic perfection springs from the sandy, calcareous soils of various locations in the lowlands between 240 and 370 metres. From Tramin to the Margreider Schuttkegel to Lake Kaltern and the Eisack Valley, Lageder combines the many facets of this traditional grape variety into a harmonious composition. The biodynamic Demeter cultivation of these selected plots follows the natural rhythms of the landscape. The secret lies in the staggered harvest: As the southern sites are all very hot, Lageder deliberately sets early accents and harvests the grapes at different stages of ripeness – sometimes even with noble rot. One part is vinified spontaneously with whole grapes, the rest matures for nine months partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels on the fine lees.

Fórra, an elegant small-batch white wine, is made purely from Manzoni Bianco and has an interesting history and an exciting development. Lageder's project with this grape variety began several years ago and resulted in the crossing of Rhine Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Traditional methods were used in the cellar to ensure freshness and vibrancy. Contact with the skins over several days sharpens the profile of the wine. After spontaneous fermentation, Fórra remains on its lees in wooden barrels for several months. Fórra exudes all this passion and love, all this experience and craftsmanship - a wonderful, great pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

The quality of Italian white wines has improved significantly over the last 20 years, and this also applies to Verdicchio. There are still quite a few poor, old-fashioned wines out there, but the good ones can be a real revelation. The region around Matelica in particular has made Verdicchio famous, as it is here – and mostly from the higher-altitude vineyards – that the finest examples of this wine are produced: complex, mineral, fresh and long-lasting.

In Liguria, the question of whether Pigato and Vermentino are the same grape variety is answered with a Ligurian shoulder movement. Bruna cultivates both, appreciates both and gives each its own space. Vermentino grows in Valle Arroscia on loose, stony soil made from weathered sedimentary rock – lighter and more permeable than the Pigato plots, aromatic earlier, with a characteristic saltiness. 100% Vermentino, hand-picked, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short bottle ageing.

In the early 2000s, Marco de Grazia, an American wine merchant with Tuscan roots, began systematically buying land on Mount Etna. Not because the volcano was the talk of the town at the time – it wasn't. But because de Grazia, who had been importing Sicilian wines into the US since the 1990s, recognised something that many locals had not yet seen: that these soils, these Alberello vines, these altitudes between 600 and 900 metres possessed something that could not be found anywhere else on the island.

Pithos – the ancient Greek word for the terracotta vessels in which wine and oil were stored in antiquity. When Giusto Occhipinti travelled to Georgia in 1999 and discovered the local qvevri tradition, he ordered the first amphorae in 2000. COS thus became one of the first pioneers of amphora vinification in the whole of Italy. Grecanico – the grape variety of the Greeks, brought to Sicily more than 2,500 years ago – grows on red limestone gravel soils near Vittoria, at 250 metres, cultivated biodynamically. Spontaneous fermentation with the skins inLiters, six to seven months, natural yeasts, no added sulphur.

Pietrabianca offers a contrast between richness and freshness and seduces with a blend of white flowers, almond paste, wet stone and crushed red pears. Silky and supple, it caresses the palate with an elegant wave of ripe peach and nectarine. Lingers long, leaving a mineral and acidic tension as notes of candied lime fade. Not only is it stunning today, but it has a bright future. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes come mainly from the historic Russeghine vineyard above the town of Ranzo Borgo. The character of the Pigato here is of particular depth and minerality, which is due to the exceptional terroir and the long maturation on the fine lees. Bright straw yellow in colour with light green reflections. Fragrant nose of herbs, yellow fruit and traces of pine resin. Full and long-lasting flavour with beautiful spiciness and aromas of citrus and almond, then again this beguiling, deep minerality at the end. SUPERIORE.DE

A renowned, single-varietal Fiano from limestone-rich, loamy-sandy soils in the Contrada Dispensa near Menfi. A bright straw-yellow colour with greenish highlights. The bouquet is complex and full of finesse: white flowers, Williams pear, ripe citrus fruit and a hint of exotic notes such as passion fruit and guava, underpinned by a salty, almost chalky nuance. On the palate, it is silky and expansive, with refined fruit, lively acidity and a cool, mineral edge. The texture is creamy yet remains clearly defined, convincingly expressing its terroir.

Zibibbo is the most aromatic grape variety in Sicily. Its full name is Moscato d'Alessandria – from Alexandria, Egypt, from where it travelled to the Mediterranean for centuries. On Pantelleria, it is known as the soul of the sweet passito. COS turns it into something else: a dry wine, spontaneously fermented on the skins in Liters terracotta amphorae. The vineyards are located in the hinterland of Marsala, at 12 metres above sea level. This is no coincidence – it is part of the programme. The sea is close by, the air is salty, the soil is flat and sandy. Biodynamically cultivated, Guyot training, around 5,000 vines per hectare. Hand-picked in September. Then the amphora: spontaneous fermentation, skin contact, natural yeasts, no intervention.

Exciting, balsamic, white cuvée from Vermentino, Trebbiano and Malvasia - with a handful of Traminer and Riesling. Initially reductive on the nose, then dark yellow fruit, some smoke. Very direct, straightforward and grippingly mineral on the palate, with crisp acidity, citrus zest and fine juicy yellow fruit. Lingers on the palate for a long time and, with its race and alpine freshness, makes you briefly forget that this linear and very concise white wine comes from Tuscany. SUPERIORE.DE