Vintage 2025

The Negroamaro grapes used to make the exceptionally delicate Calafuria come from vineyards stretching along the Adriatic coast in Salento. The region boasts a long tradition of producing rosé wines from Negroamaro, a grape variety that expresses its full potential best when grown near the sea. Pale pink in colour, with a bouquet of fruity citrus notes of grapefruit and orange blossom, and hints of jasmine. Pleasantly fresh on the palate with excellent aromatic persistence and a delicate flavour. SUPERIORE.DE

Whilst Andreola's Rive wines each bring a single vineyard to the glass, the Dirupo tells a different story: that of the entire Denominazione. For this Brut, Stefano Pola draws on the privilege of a network of vineyards stretching across all 15 municipalities of the Valdobbiadene DOCG – from gentle slopes at 200 metres to the extremely steep slopes at 500 metres, on calcareous marl, sandstone, conglomerates and deep clay soils. No other wine from the house captures the territory so fully. The choice of grape varieties underlines this approach: 90% Glera, complemented by Bianchetta and Perera – two indigenous varieties of the hills that have long since disappeared from standard Prosecco and which, as quiet contributors here, enrich the aromatic depth.

Rhine Riesling in South Tyrol? What sounds unusual at first glance makes perfect sense in the valley floor around Kurtinig. The loose, well-aerated sandy soils with calcareous gravel offer ideal conditions for the demanding Rheinriesling. The microclimate does the rest: the warm afternoon wind from Lake Garda alternates with cool morning breezes from the north, ensuring constant ventilation from April to October. The grapes undergo a 6–8-hour cold maceration before pressing – a process that releases the fine fruit flavours from the skins. Fermentation takes place at a controlled 19 °C in stainless steel.

450 metres above sea level, on stony limestone soils around Tramin and Montan: this is where Sauvignon Blanc finds those striking day-night fluctuations that make its aromatic intensity possible in the first place. The mild, sunny climate of Bassa Atesina ensures optimum ripeness, while cool nights preserve the flavours. In the cellar, the grapes undergo an 8–10-hour cold maceration – longer than the other white wines from the estate –to release the full flavour potential from the skins. After gentle pressing and natural sedimentation, the must ferments at 19 °C in stainless steel.

The aromatic soul of South Tyrol. Gewürztraminer is considered the most typical of all South Tyrolean white wines – full-bodied and unmistakably aromatic. At Peter Zemmer, this grape variety grows on low-growing rootstock in the Guyot system, in the best vineyard sites on the valley floor around Kurtinig at 220–230 metres above sea level. The favourable location, ideal sunshine and good aeration of the grapes create ideal conditions for this demanding variety. After destemming, a six to eight-hour cold maceration follows, which transfers the valuable flavours from the skins into the must and intensifies the characteristic bouquet. Gentle pressing and subsequent fermentation at a controlled temperature of 19 °C in stainless steel preserve the varietal aromas in all their splendour.

A Friulian wine with a subtle French accent: Tunella's Chardonnay combines the purity of the Colli Orientali terroir with hints of Burgundian elegance. The vines grow on Ponca soils on a gentle slope, which lend the wine precision and structure. In the glass, it is a pale golden-yellow with greenish highlights. On the nose, white flowers, yellow apple, a hint of toasted hazelnut and a touch of vanilla. On the palate, it is harmonious, with a creamy texture, fine acidity and subtle minerality. A well-balanced, charming Chardonnay with a clear expression of its origin and stylish depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Verdeca is a grape variety that hardly anyone knows – and that is no coincidence. For centuries, it was used as the base material for vermouth, was rarely vinified as a single variety and was considered too unspectacular for its own bottle. Yet its history is an ancient one: Greek in origin, it probably arrived in Apulia with the first settlers and became native to the sandy limestone soils of Salento. Masseria Li Veli has given it a stage with the Askos project – and the wine critics have responded. Askos Verdeca is the only Apulian white wine ever to be honoured by Gambero Rosso with its Tre Bicchieri.

A fragrant charmer with depth: Valmasìa is made from Malvasia Istriana, which thrives on the characteristic Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali. The terroir lends the wine an invigorating freshness and delicate minerality. In the glass, it is a pale straw yellow with a greenish sheen. On the nose, floral notes of orange blossom, ripe pear and nutmeg, accompanied by a hint of herbal tea. On the palate, it is fragrant and lively, with a smooth texture, delicate spice and an elegant, dry finish. A versatile, characterful white wine with a Mediterranean soul – ideal with antipasti, fish or herb-infused risotto. SUPERIORE.DE

Tunella's classic with a very distinctive profile: the Sauvignon Bianco from Tunella shows why this variety has found a new home in the Collio Orientali. The vines grow on calcareous marl soils and benefit from cool nights and sunny days – ideal conditions for freshness and flavour. Lively and clear on the nose: elderflower, whitecurrant, gooseberry and a hint of sage. Juicy on the palate, with elegant acidity, a firm texture and an animating fruity-spicy finish. A typical, but never intrusive Sauvignon – precise, easy-drinking and full of Friuli spirit and a clear signature. SUPERIORE.DE

Renon (Ritten) is the high plateau to the east of Bolzano, where the town's inhabitants used to seek respite from the summer heat – and still do today. Whatever grows up here at 550 metres benefits from both the warmth of the steeply sloping porphyry rocks and the coolness of the high altitude. A combination that gives the Chardonnay what it cannot find in hot valley locations: aromatic depth and natural balance. Kleinstein is the farm that supplies these grapes, run by a young farmer from St. Justina who studied agricultural economics in Vienna, worked in environmental policy and then returned to his father's farm to convert it to organic farming. Terroir and biography in a single label. Gentle pressing, maturation on fine lees in stainless steel, with part of the alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation taking place in barriques – for texture without woody aromas.

If Pecchenino is traditionally known for its great Dolcetto and Barolo, the Maestro reveals another facet of this family winery: the ability to give Chardonnay at 700 metres above sea level in the Alta Langa a form of expression that combines freshness with elegance. Since 1994, this wine has been produced from the vineyards around Bossolasco, where the Piedmontese hills rise up towards the Ligurian Apennines. Here, on medium-heavy soils with a high proportion of limestone and clay, the Chardonnay benefits from a south-easterly exposure and the cool climate that ensures pronounced acidity and aromatic intensity. After the harvest at the beginning of September, the chilled grapes are gently pressed, the must is naturally decanted and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Maturation takes place partly on the fine lees in steel and partly in barriques.

Dellago comes from Pinot Bianco plots personally selected by cellar master Stephan Filippi on characteristic porphyry and limestone soils, where Archduke Johann of Austria established Pinot Blanc in South Tyrol as early as 1850. The special terroir with its distinctive temperature fluctuations between warm days and cool nights gives the hand-picked grapes the mineral precision that characterises Dellago. After careful manual harvesting, the grapes are gently pressed and vinified in two parts: The majority matures traditionally in stainless steel tanks on the fine lees, while a small but decisive proportion undergoes alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation in French barriques – a subtle use of wood gives the wine additional structure and complexity without overpowering its Burgundian elegance.

The evening downdrafts from the Mendel Mountains give the entire terroir of the St. Michael-Eppan Winery its distinctive character. They ensure cool nights and endow the grapes with those exceptional qualities that define the wines' aromas, their unmistakable freshness and their longevity. The downwind is the natural force that sweeps across the vineyard every day, positively influencing the climate and supporting the valuable work of the winegrowers at the cooperative winery.

A Pinot Grigio with substance and origin: the grapes for this classic white wine come from the chalky flysch soils of the Colli Orientali, where cooler nights and good aeration ensure aromatic clarity and freshness. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. The aroma is typical of the variety and delicate: yellow apple, pear, white flowers and a hint of lemon zest. Dry, lively and straightforward on the palate, with fine fruit, subtle minerality and balanced acidity. An elegant representative of its grape variety, not focussing on superficial fruit, but on balance and drinking flow. SUPERIORE.DE

"In the past, St. Magdalener – a traditional cuvée made from the two indigenous grape varieties Vernatsch and Lagrein – not only played a very important role in South Tyrolean viticulture but was also one of Italy's best-known red wines. Even today, this delicately fruity and characteristically elegant red wine, named after the growing region around the wine-growing village of St. Magdalena, has many admirers and is currently being rediscovered by many a connoisseur." Rudi Kofler (cellar master at Cantina Terlano)

If any wine has made an appellation world-famous, it is this one: Santa Cristina comes from the Vigneto Massoni, Zenato's oldest and most historic vineyard, which is regarded as the greatest site in the entire Lugana region. Here, on the calcareous and clayey moraine soils south of Lake Garda, Trebbiano di Lugana reaches its most elegant expression. The vines at Podere Massoni benefit from an ideal southern exposure: optimal sunshine during the day and cool nights from the lake. After gentle pressing, the must ferments for 15–20 days at a controlled 16–18°C, followed by five months of ageing in stainless steel and further bottle ageing.

Tunella's Friulano is an archetype straight out of a picture book – authentic, balanced and with fine depth. The vines grow on the typical Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali, whose limestone-marl structure lends the wine mineral tension. White-fleshed fruit, almond blossom, ripe apple and a delicate hint of hay on the nose. Fresh yet gentle on the palate, with a soft texture, moderate acidity and a slightly almondy final typical of the variety. The 2025 vintage brings clarity, harmony and freshness to the glass – a characterful all-rounder with a strong regional identity. SUPERIORE.DE

Sauvignon bianco doesn't come from here. And that was never a problem – on the contrary. The variety from the Bordelais has long since found a second home in the hilly locations of the Collio Goriziano: The windy slopes, the marly soils of Eocene origin, the cool nights between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea – all this forms a Sauvignon that has nothing in common with Loire or Nouvelle-Zélande. It's simply Friulian. Mario Schiopetto knew this. He had travelled Europe, learned precision in German cellars, elegance in France and elegance in Capriva del Friuli – and in Capriva del Friuli turned both into something of his own. His Sauvignon bianco was one of his early passions. The Pompiere version that Emilio and Alessandro Rotolo bottle today is the direct, accessible interpretation: hand-picked at the beginning of September, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, a few months on the lees.

In the 16th century, Ludovico Ariosto had the knights of the House of Mongrana ride through fantastical landscapes in Orlando Furioso – adventurous, freedom-loving, always ready to set off. The hippogriff, the winged hybrid creature that carries one beyond all boundaries, is the symbol of this epic. Querciabella has featured both on the label of its Maremma project: the name, the creature, the ethos. Since 1997, Querciabella has been cultivating vineyards in Banditella near Alberese – right on the Tuscan coast, where sea breezes, salty air and sandy soils shape the Mediterranean character of the wine. 100% Vermentino, 20,000 bottles, organically farmed. Fermentation in small concrete and steel tanks, carried out gently and precisely. The 2025 vintage saw a balanced spring and cool nights, which slowed ripening, preserved acidity and concentrated the aromas.

In 1966, Vernaccia di San Gimignano became the first wine in Italy to be awarded DOC status. This was followed by DOCG status in 1993. A long history for a grape variety whose name derives from "vernacolo", meaning "local" or "native to the area": A grape so deeply intertwined with a place that it bears its name. Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara is situated on the San Donato hill, at an altitude of 250 to 360 metres, on sandy soils rich in stones and fossilised marine organisms: a fossilised sea beneath the Tuscan sky. Organically farmed, 5,000 vines per hectare, hand-harvested in the third week of September.

Anyone who understands Ribolla Gialla understands Friuli. The variety is old, unique and uncompromising – it gives the best of itself on poor soils and does not forgive any laziness in the cellar. It is no coincidence that the small vineyard around the archbishop's castle in Capriva del Friuli is still home to Ribolla Gialla today: as a silent commitment to the regional identity of the house. The soils of the Schiopetto vineyards – flysch, called "Ponca" in Friulian, from marine sediments of Eocene origin – are the ideal terrain: poor, stony, draining. The vine has to fight, and this fight shapes the character. Harvest at the end of September, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short ageing in steel – the technique takes a back seat, the fruit takes centre stage.

South Tyrol's autochthonous king grape variety finds its ancestral terroir on the permeable gravel and crushed stone soils of the Bolzano valley floor at 250 metres. Here, where "Lagrinum" was first mentioned in a document as early as 1379, Lagrein thrives in its heartland – the warm, sun-drenched vineyards around Gries with their extreme day-night temperature fluctuations. The traditional mash fermentation in stainless steel with controlled fermentation and gentle mash movement, followed by malolactic fermentation and six months of ageing in large oak barrels, gives Rubeno its characteristic structure and elegance.

Gavi del Comune di Gavi is the strictest level of the Gavi appellation – only grapes from the commune of Gavi itself qualify. 100% Cortese, 15 days fermentation at 18 °C, no wood. What is created in the vineyard should arrive in the glass. A beautiful white wine with fish, shellfish and everything the sea has to offer. Pale straw yellow with a green tinge – the typical colour of Cortese. Bouquet of flowers, citrus, fresh fruit – direct and clear. Dry and harmonious on the palate, with lively acidity and a mineral freshness that defines the wine. A Cortese of great typicity and personality – quiet, but convincing. SUPERIORE.DE

While the Blanc des Rosis brings together four grape varieties, the Friulano speaks only for itself. That is intentional. Because Friulano – the historic grape variety that Mario Schiopetto was the first to bottle pure and unblended in 1965 – needs no company. It is Friuli. The vineyards of Capriva del Friuli lie on Eocene clay and marl: soils that impart minerality and a cool, herbaceous depth to the grapes. Harvest by hand in the second and third decade of August, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, eight months on the lees – no wood, no effort that would distract the wine from itself.