Wine

This characterful Müller Thurgau, which embodies the cool elegance of South Tyrol's north-easternmost growing region, comes from the high vineyards at the beginning of the Eisack Valley and on the Ritten at an altitude of 600-700 metres. The Isarco Valley, where sunny, warm days follow cool alpine nights, offers ideal conditions for this sophisticated cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale with its mineral-rich, sandy and gravelly soils. The grape variety, named after the Swiss botanist Hermann Müller from Thurgau, finds the best conditions here on warm hillside terraces with a delicate soil structure. The harsher climate with increasing altitude and the marked differences in temperature give the wine the freshness and variety of flavours that make it so popular.

The sub-alpine microclimate between Bolzano and the Ritten gives this Pinot Gris its unmistakable personality. Warm alluvial and gravel soils form the foundation for a wine that combines Burgundian tradition with Alpine freshness. During vinification, cellar master Stephan Filippi deliberately favours gentle pressing and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel – a concept that perfectly preserves the natural fruitiness. Bright straw yellow with golden nuances, the 2024 reveals a multi-layered bouquet of ripe pears and apples, accompanied by subtle honey and nutty flavours. Its full-bodied nature and extract-rich character make it the perfect partner for mushroom risottos or traditional Schlutzkrapfen. A Pinot Gris with South Tyrolean soul and international stature. SUPERIORE.DE

Merì – symbolising the evening sky in the Sardinian dialect – is a Vermentino that unfolds pure, Mediterranean elegance in the glass. The grapes come from the calcareous hills around Selegas, which are blown by the wind from the Gulf of Palmas. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are cooled in the vineyard to preserve the typical varietal flavour. The wine is fermented and matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks, with precision, clarity and a focus on freshness.

Zenato has stood for reliable quality from the Veneto region since 1960 – no experiments, but solid craftsmanship over generations. The home of this Valpolicella Superiore is the gentle vineyards in the soft hills of Valpolicella Classica, in the heart of Sant'Ambrogio. Corvina Veronese forms the backbone with 85 per cent, supplemented by Rondinella and Corvinone from the 35 hectares of own vineyards. The grapes are harvested by hand in October, de-stemmed and macerated in stainless steel for ten days before the wine matures for twelve months in large oak barrels.

Arnaldo Caprai bottled his first wine in 1973 – a Montefalco Rosso made from Sangiovese, Sagrantino and Merlot. This Rosso was the beginning, the foundation stone for everything that was to follow: the rebirth of Sagrantino, the conquest of international wine critics, the transformation of a forgotten Umbrian village into a Mecca of wine tourism. Half a century later, this wine still carries the DNA of that vision – earthy, authentic, accessible. The extremely popular cuvée made from seventy per cent Sangiovese, fifteen per cent Sagrantino and fifteen per cent Merlot grows on the hills of Montefalco on limestone-clay soils.

Over a century of French tradition finds its South Tyrolean continuation in the warm altitudes between 350 and 500 metres around Bolzano. This Chardonnay comes from dry slopes and is not harvested until the end of October, allowing it to develop its characteristic ripeness. The controlled temperature control during fermentation and pure steel tank ageing preserve the natural elegance of the grape variety and emphasise its exotic expressiveness. Light straw yellow in colour with golden hues. Pineapple, mango and honeydew melon on the nose. The well-integrated acidity gives the wine its lively structure, while a pleasant fullness ensures a harmonious drinking flow. A versatile companion that shows its class both as an aperitif and with fish dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

A Nero d'Avola with southern warmth and fine depth: Gazzerotta presents itself with a clear presence and elegant expression. The wine comes from sunny vineyards around Mazara del Vallo, characterised by clayey and chalky soil, which gives it a juicy fruit and earthy minerality. Intense ruby red in colour. The aromas intertwine ripe berries, cherry and plum with a seductive spicy note, tamed by floral traces of violets and a hint of honey. Soft, warm and round on the palate. Balanced tannins, juicy fruit and a lingering spicy finish round off the profile. Medium-bodied and well-balanced, ideal with pasta al forno or spicy ragouts. SUPERIORE.DE

The name reveals the grape variety, the origin and the claim in one word. Since 1989 – the first vintage – the Grecante Caprais has been the white flagship: 100% Grechetto, from the Colli Martani, the gentle hills south-east of Montefalco, where calcareous soils give the Grechetto its characteristic minerality. Three months in steel, then bottled. No wood, no distractions. The result landed in Wine Spectator's Top100 with the 2016 vintage – an honour that is anything but a matter of course for a single-varietal Umbrian white wine.

The fame and Latin name of this legendary wine dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. In the current Est! Est!!! Est!!! Poggio dei Gelsi, Riccardo Cotarella brought all his bravura to bear: he gave it an appetising, aromatic spiciness that is supported by a slender, lively structure. Pale straw yellow in colour. Subtle, pure aromas of fresh citrus fruit, white flowers and nectarine. Fresh, beautifully balanced and gently concentrated on the palate, offering good density and a bright acidity lift. SUPERIORE.DE

Anthìlia is Donnafugata's "ancient white rock", named after the ancient town of Entella and a tribute to the roots of Contessa Entellina. Born as the first wine of the house, it is still a shining classic in the portfolio today. Pale yellow in colour with delicate greenish reflections. The nose reveals a lively basket of aromas of white peach and fine citrus notes, accompanied by fragrant wild flowers that combine lightness and freshness. Clear and juicy on the palate: pure fruit, a pleasant salty coolness and an elegant finish. Goes perfectly with raw fish, fried vegetables, vegetable tarts or mild cream cheese – a Mediterranean white wine that is an uncomplicated delight and enriches everyday life with style. SUPERIORE.DE

With 100% Carignano in the glass, Cardanera is a true wine of character – pure, honest and with Sardinian soul. The grapes ripen in the stony, sandy soils of south-west Sardinia under the warm sun and salty sea breeze. After careful hand-picking, the wine is fermented spontaneously and matures for a few months in cement tanks – a combination that preserves depth of flavour and freshness at the same time.

Elisabetta Geppetti is more than just a winemaker – she is the "Signora del Morellino", the energetic woman who took over the reins of the family winery at the age of just 20 and helped the Maremma region to achieve international renown. When she pressed the first Morellino in 1985, she laid the foundations for a success story that continues to this day. This wine is the quantitative and qualitative calling card of Le Pupille – a constant, authentic expression of the terroir between Pereta and Magliano in Tuscany. The Morellino combines Sangiovese (90%) with Alicante and the autochthonous Ciliegiolo (5% each) from vineyards exposed to the south-west at an altitude of 50 to 250 metres. The vines, some of which are over 40 years old, are rooted in skeleton-rich, clayey and ferrous soils, cooled by sea breezes and strengthened by pronounced day-night temperature differences. After the harvest at the end of September, the must ferments on the skins for 15 days and matures for eight months, mainly in stainless steel tanks with a small proportion in used barriques.

A wine with style and substance: Pregio del Conte combines Montepulciano and other local grape varieties from organic cultivation in the estate's best locations. The wine is matured partly in large wooden barrels and partly in barriques – a step that gives the wine depth and structure. Dense ruby red colour with a violet core in the glass. Blackcurrant, cherry, pipe tobacco, herbal spice and a hint of dark chocolate on the nose. Powerful but well-balanced on the palate: ripe tannins, dark fruit, finely dosed wood spice and an elegant length. Pregio del Conte is concentrated and harmonious, with a classic ageing profile and modern appeal – a wine with inner tension and beautiful versatility. SUPERIORE.DE

A Cannonau that harmonises origin and structure – that's how Costera feels in the glass. The grapes come from the old sand and limestone hills of the south-east facing vineyard of the same name, where the intense sun and cool sea breeze combine to ensure aromatic ripeness and multi-faceted minerality. After controlled fermentation, the wine matures for around five months in barriques and cement tanks. The colour in the glass is a deep ruby red with a fine garnet hue. The bouquet unfolds with intense but not overpowering aromas: ripe strawberry, black cherry, herbal spice, cedar wood and subtle spicy notes. In the mouth, Costera shows deep fruit, warm and yet without heaviness; juicy, clearly contoured, with elegant tannins and mineral freshness that brings clarity. The finish is harmoniously long, savoury, slightly salty and persistently seductive. SUPERIORE.DE

Intense violet colour in the glass. The bouquet of smoke, spices with traces of liquorice. Taut on the palate, then opening up and a mouthful of wine with everything the wine lover's heart desires when thinking of Puglia: harmony, fresh fruit and animating acidity, plus fine extract sweetness and well-worked tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

The name sounds familiar, but Araja opens a new chapter in Sardinian red wine culture: a fruity, focussed expression of Sulcis. The cuvée consists of 85% Carignano and 15% Sangiovese (!) and is produced on the red, sandy soils around the coastal area of Porto Pino. Here, the salty sea air characterises the grapes, while the chalky terraces provide structure. After careful fermentation, the wine matures in temperature-controlled stainless steel to preserve its expressiveness.

The Lohsa estate is located in Magliano in Toscana – deep in the Maremma, less than 30 kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Federico Carletti bought it in the 1990s and replanted the vineyards: Sangiovese as the heart, Ciliegiolo as the Tuscan companion. The soils here are Galestro and marl, skeleton-rich, well-drained, at an altitude of around 100 metres – the sea is close enough to moderate the ripeness without taking away the structure. Morellino di Scansano is Sangiovese in Maremma guise: sunnier, softer, more accessible than its big siblings in the north – but with its own character. Fermentation in stainless steel, followed by partial ageing in wood: the wine remains fresh and loses none of its Mediterranean directness.

This seductive Goldmuskateller is produced from carefully selected, sun-exposed hillside vineyards around Bolzano at an altitude of 300-550 metres, continuing the centuries-old tradition of this aromatic grape variety in South Tyrol. In the warm, well-ventilated sites, the Moscato Giallo grapes thrive under ideal conditions until the end of September and develop the intense muscat flavour that makes this variety so unmistakable.

No winery has characterised Lugana like Zenato. When Sergio Zenato started out in San Benedetto di Lugana in 1960, the appellation was a sleepy corner on the southern shore of Lake Garda. Today, the family winery owns 70 hectares of the best vineyards – a tenth of the entire DOC. The Trebbiano di Lugana grape variety, also known as Turbiana, is rooted here on clayey moraine soils between Peschiera and Desenzano. DNA analyses suggest a relationship with Verdicchio – a debate that is causing a stir among ampelographers. One thing is certain: The 30-year-old vines produce grapes of remarkable complexity. Hand-picked at the end of September, gently pressed, fermented at 16–18°C in stainless steel.