Vintage 2025

The hill. A solitary, 50-metre-high ridge south of Margreid, which gives the Pinot Grigio its name and its character. The soil is unusual: grey, loamy sand with a high clay content – no porphyry, no limestone gravel, but rather a soft, nutrient-rich deposit that gives the Pinot Grigio a richness and freshness that poorer soils cannot provide. Margreid's Mediterranean climate – warm summers, mild winters, the afternoon Ora breeze from Lake Garda – ensures the grapes ripen evenly and develop their aromas. Hand-harvested, clarified must, three weeks' fermentation in stainless steel, five months on the fine lees.

Berg. The name gives away its origins. The higher elevations in the Adige Valley, on the right bank of the Adige, on soils of porphyry and limestone, which give the Pinot Bianco its mineral freshness and structure. The alpine climate, with mild summer months and cool autumns, slows down the ripening process – the harvest takes place in mid-October, considerably later than for comparable white wines. This patience pays off. In 1932, the winegrowers of Nals and Margreid founded their co-operative on a simple principle: better together than alone. This principle still applies today – to 140 member estates, which supply their grapes with the same care as they did back then.

Margreid is situated in the southern Unterland, where the Adige widens and the climate becomes more Mediterranean. The Ora, the warm afternoon breeze from Lake Garda, sweeps through the vineyards every day, bringing with it the warmth that makes the Chardonnay from these vineyards so full-bodied and aromatic. The soil is the opposite of barren: brooding, white limestone gravel with a high humus content – nutrient-rich, water-retaining, and possessing a minerality that gives the wine its name. Limestone. No further description is needed. Nals Margreid cultivates the Kalk Chardonnay on gently sloping vineyards in Margreid at altitudes of 220 to 350 metres.

An elegant journey to Lake Garda: Rosa dei Frati blends the region’s typical grape varieties – Groppello, Marzemino, Sangiovese and Barbera – into a harmonious cuvée. In the glass, a delicate salmon pink with a subtle orange sheen. On the nose, a delicate interplay of summer berries, raspberry, redcurrant and elderflower, underpinned by a hint of almond blossom and green apple. Fresh and lively on the palate, supported by crisp acidity, juicy fruit and a subtle salty minerality. The dry, structured final is long and inviting. A stylish rosé that goes down a treat – ideal for light summer dishes, antipasti or simply as a lively aperitif. SUPERIORE.DE

An integral part of Piedmont's wine culture and arguably one of Italy's most underrated wines with DOCG status: the distinctly sparkling Brachetto d'Acqui is a pale ruby red (with a cherry-red head). The bouquet is highly aromatic, with notes of nutmeg, rose and violets. The flavour is exceptionally elegant, reminiscent of strawberries; it is round and finely balanced between a mild sweetness and a fruity, very refreshing tartness. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1907, Josef Hofstätter founded his winery in the heart of Tramin – in an imposing 16th-century building that remains the centrepiece of the estate to this day. Ever since, the name Hofstätter has stood for the very best that South Tyrol has to offer: white wines characterised by distinct varietal typicity, elegant freshness and understated minerality. The Pinot Bianco comes from Cortaccia, one of the finest vineyards along the South Tyrolean Wine Route, on light marl soils that give the grape variety precisely that delicate structure and aromatic purity for which Hofstätter is renowned. Gentle pressing, ageing on the fine lees in stainless steel.

Pale straw yellow with golden highlights – a Chardonnay that derives its character not from oak, but from its terroir and freshness. In the Colli Orientali, this variety reveals a particularly refined character: the high altitudes around Prepotto bring coolness and precision, whilst the chalky soils provide structure. On the nose, hints of yellow apple, citrus, lime blossom and a touch of white almond. On the palate, it is juicy, balanced and crystal-clear, with lively acidity and mineral depth. A Chardonnay from north-eastern Italy that relies not on gimmicks, but on terroir – authentic, taut and wonderfully unpretentious. SUPERIORE.DE

Here comes a cheerful and lively delight for the glass and the heart: a straw-yellow sparkle with a silvery sheen and a fine, persistent effervescence. On the nose, it's a dance of fruit and florals: peach, white blossoms, rose petals, a hint of orange blossom and delicate musky notes – all fresh, playful and spicy. On the palate, it is sweet yet never heavy, with refreshing lightness, delicate acidity and a gentle aroma that swings into a soft, aromatic final. The Moscato grapes are grown in Mango d'Alba, are gently processed (including controlled fermentation in an autoclave) and undergo a short period of bottle ageing — very typical of the variety and with a refined style. Vigna Senza Nome is not a classic dessert wine, but a charming, vibrant experience – like a summery greeting from Piedmont. SUPERIORE.DE

The "Kretzer" is South Tyrol's most traditional rosé. It is produced on calcareous loam soils at altitudes of between 260 and 380 metres from the quintessential indigenous "Königsrebe" grape variety. The name "Kretzer" derives from medieval winemaking practices – the "Kretze", a woven wicker basket, was once used to separate the must from the grape skins. This historic rosé wine tradition is continued today using state-of-the-art winery technology: the Lagrein grapes undergo traditional rosé vinification at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks, with brief skin contact giving the wine its characteristic salmon-pink colour.

The Tenuta Sallier de la Tour is located in Monreale – a few kilometres from the sea, nestled in the gentle foothills of the Valle dello Jato. Coastal winds, pronounced temperature fluctuations between day and night, fresh sandy soils of medium texture: conditions that give the Syrah a naturalness and freshness that cannot be taken for granted in the Sicilian summer heat. 100% Syrah, harvested by hand, traditional white wine vinification, fermentation at 14 °C, three months on the fine lees in steel. No malolactic fermentation – the acidity remains lively, the fruit direct. Madamarosé is the antithesis of La Monaca Syrah from the same estate: the same grape variety, a completely different result.

A Catarratto that plays with lightness and clarity: Prio means "joy" in Sicilian – and that is exactly what this single-varietal Bianco conveys. The vines grow in Contessa Entellina on chalky soils, ventilated by warm winds and cool nights – ideal conditions for freshness and aromatic finesse. Straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections in the glass. The bouquet exudes aromas of white peach, citrus fruit, green apple and a hint of broom blossom. Dry, lively and pleasantly clear on the palate with a delicate melting finish. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the freshness and fruitiness. An accessible, lively white wine with a regional profile – ideal for warm evenings, summer cuisine or simply: a moment full of joy! SUPERIORE.DE

Three grape varieties, three soils, one rosé. Nals Margreid summarises in this cuvée what makes up the South Tyrolean wine landscape between Nals and Magreid in miniature: Merlot from broodinglimestone gravel soil with a high humus content, Pinot Noir and Lagrein from porphyry, sandy river alluvial soils. 280 to 400 metres above sea level, a Mediterranean climate with warm summers, mild winters – and the Ora, the warm afternoon wind from Lake Garda, which sweeps over the slopes every day and shapes the flavour of the grapes. Hand-picked, short maceration, fermentation in steel for around three weeks, then five months of ageing on the fine lees before bottling.

Sur Sur is a fresh Grillo, named after the little cricket whose gentle chirping symbolises lightness and new beginnings – a loving reminder of the playful, unforced life of the Sibyllines that blossoms on Sicilian soil. The vines grow in the west of Sicily around Contessa Entellina, on clayey-loamy soils with a chalky structure, which lend the wine a lively freshness and aromatic purity.

The name says it all: Grillo means cricket – and in Sicilian folk tales, the cricket is the fairies' horse that carries them through the night on its back. "Cavallo delle Fate" therefore – the fairy horse. A wine that takes its name seriously: light at first glance, but with an energy that carries. Grillo is one of the oldest grape varieties in Sicily, a cross between Catarratto and Zibibbo, long known primarily for Marsala. In Regaleali, it grows on the hills of Sant'Anna and Piana Case Vecchie, 480 metres above sea level, facing south-east, in deep loamy, slightly calcareous soils. Tasca deliberately plays with two harvest times: Some of the grapes are harvested earlier – for freshness and minerality – the rest later, for body and structure. No wood, no malolactic fermentation, four months of maturation on the lees in steel tanks. Cool, precise, with respect for a grape variety that needs no disguise.

The Cantina della Volta is located on a section of the Naviglio di Bomporto canal – the place where river trains used to have to turn round before continuing towards Modena. La Volta means the turn, the hairpin bend. Not an inappropriate name for a frizzante that also goes its own way. 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara from the alluvial soils of the Secchia river, hand-picked in 15-kilogramme crates, cold maceration, first fermentation in steel tanks. What follows is the decisive step: the second fermentation in the bottle – bottle-fermented like a Méthode Classico, then the yeast carefully removed, crown cork. The same artisanal effort that Christian Bellei shows in his great sparkling wines – for a frizzante that should simply be a pleasure to drink.

Il Bianco is Brancaia's fresh white wine made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc – grown on loamy soils around Castellina in Chianti, at an altitude of 230–400 metres above sea level with south to south-west exposure. The cool hill winds and the day/night temperature gradient keep the profile clear and fragrant. Pale straw yellow in colour with a greenish tinge. Juicy citrus fruit, green apple and white peach on the nose, with a hint of sage and wet stone. Lean and precise on the palate, with lively, well-integrated acidity, a fine yeasty texture and a salty, mineral finish. Organic-certified, very clear Toscana Bianco with character: ideal with seafood, vegetable tempura or simply as an elegant aperitif. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1981, the Swiss Widmer family purchased the Brancaia hill in Castellina in Chianti; in 1998, they acquired land in the coastal Maremma region, overlooking the sea. This is where the Merlot vines for this Rosato are grown, at altitudes of between 75 and 175 metres on sandy loam, facing south-south-west and cooled by an almost constant sea breeze. The must ferments at a cool 16 degrees and rests on the fine lees for three months in a stainless-steel tank. A vibrant salmon-pink colour. On the nose, sliced white peach, lemon and apple, along with floral notes and a hint of watermelon. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, fresh and dry, with a crisp finish. A Merlot that has deliberately embraced Mediterranean lightness. SUPERIORE.DE

Since 1857, Bertani has been synonymous with Valpolicella and Amarone. The fact that this estate on Lake Garda also produces a very fresh, straightforward wine is only surprising at first glance. The southern tip of Lake Garda, between Desenzano and Sirmione, is Turbiana country: a grape variety that grows almost nowhere else, on clay-rich soils that lend it that characteristic chalky finish. "The wine that tastes of spring and summer." Bertani's own words, and they ring true. Three months in stainless steel, around four months in the bottle.

Soave once had an image problem. For decades, the name was synonymous with mass-produced white wine from the plain – pleasant, neutral, forgettable. The hills of the Classico zone, volcanic and interspersed with basalt rock, tell a completely different story. Giuseppe Inama recognised this in the 1960s; his son Stefano carried the story forward, and today his sons Matteo and Alessio are fully committed to it: old vines rather than high yields, Garganega as a simple expression of the terroir rather than a means of increasing volume. And their Vin Soave is at the heart of this philosophy – accounting for half of total production, from 30-year-old vines on basalt-volcanic soil in Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone. Hand-harvested, short maceration, stainless steel.

Tramin appears twice on the label here: once as the name of the winery, and once as the name of the grape variety. The grapes for the estate's classic wine grow at altitudes of between 300 and 450 metres on calcareous clay and gravel. During the day, the slopes are bathed in Mediterranean sunshine; at night, cold downdrafts sweep down from the mountains. The grapes are harvested by hand, gently pressed immediately afterwards, fermented at 21 degrees and matured in stainless-steel tanks, without malolactic fermentation.

A wine like an ecosystem: Misto Mare is no ordinary white wine, but a polyphonic ode to nature from the Alois Lageder winery. The blend combines grapes from over 14 white and red grape varieties grown in organically or biodynamically managed vineyards that are currently in the process of transitioning to organic certification. The grapes come from a wide range of altitudes across South Tyrol – a reflection of the region's diversity, captured in a single wine. The name draws on the region's geological past: around 200 million years ago, South Tyrol was covered by a primeval sea. Today, vines grow on what was once the seabed, their complexity evoking the former depths and the intricate balance of marine ecosystems.

Rêverie means daydream. Gaspari deliberately chose the French word – for a wine that requires no concentration, no patience, no prior knowledge. You pour, you drink, you are happy. This is more difficult to create than it sounds. 2025 was a warm, generous vintage in Valpolicella – mediterranean fruit, ripe flavours, a natural balance between power and freshness. The fact that the Rêverie nevertheless remains light is due to the decision: early harvest, short skin contact, no intervention, no wood. Celestino Gaspari does not intervene in a wine that shines on its own – he leaves it.

Sardinian sunshine meets a Mediterranean breeze – Samas feels like a glass of holiday under the olive trees by the sea. The grapes are grown on sandy, limestone soils in the sunny south-west of Sardinia and were harvested in the cool of the morning to preserve their freshness and aroma. The blend of 80% Vermentino and 20% Chardonnay is perfectly balanced. Following a cool fermentation and around 40 days on the fine lees in the tank, the wine matures for a further few months in stainless steel tanks – elegant, crisp and yet complex.

Monti in Chianti, on the southern tip of the Chianti Classico region, seven kilometres south of Gaiole. Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi has been cultivating the same slopes here for generations – the family's history dates back to the Lombard era, and its winemaking tradition is almost as old. The estate has been certified organic since 2010. The Rosato is made from the same Sangiovese vineyards that also supply the grapes for the Chianti Classico and the Gran Selezione San Marcellino. Hand-harvested, with a short maceration period of 40 to 50 minutes, must clarification at low temperature, around one month's fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by three to four months sur lie. The result is not a light summer rosé, but a Rosato with substance: lively acidity, salinity and subtle minerality.