Wine

The "Collection" range from the Bolzano Winery is based on a simple principle: the wines bear the winemaker’s name, and each bottle is a portrait of a person and their vineyard site – and thus entails a mutual responsibility. Christian Graf Huyn cultivates the Steinerhof in Siebeneich, one of the warmest wine-growing areas near Bolzano, on sun-exposed porphyry soils at altitudes of between 250 and 300 metres. Merlot is the predominant variety grown on his vineyards. Photovoltaic power is used to run the farm machinery, alongside electric tools, and brush work is used instead of herbicides. Hand-harvesting, thinning the foliage by hand – and much of the work is done by muscle power rather than machinery. Traditional fermentation of the must takes place in steel tanks, followed by ageing in large oak barrels and then bottle ageing.

This classic wine from the Bozen Winery hails from the heartland of Lagrein, the warm porphyry soils of Bozen-Gries at an altitude of 250 metres. Formed in 2001 from the merger of the long-established Gries and St. Magdalena cooperatives, the winery is now one of the leading producers of indigenous South Tyrolean grape varieties – not least thanks to the keen instinct of cellar master Stephan Filippi, who has been making wine here for over three decades.

Count Otto Huyn (1927-1998) embodied the last splendour of the traditional South Tyrolean aristocracy – a nobleman from Eberstein in Carinthia, who owned his best vineyards in Siebeneich near Terlan, thus continuing a centuries-old winemaking tradition of the Tyrolean aristocracy. His privileged plots at an altitude of 250-300 metres, characterised by weathered porphyry soils of volcanic origin, were already considered the crown jewels of South Tyrolean viticulture during his lifetime. The Bolzano winery honours this heritage with its Collection Otto Graf Huyn, a selection that comes exclusively from the top vineyards of the historic estate, personally selected by the cellar master. The unique terroir of Siebeneich, where warm, sun-exposed slopes meet the nutrient-rich weathered soils of the Bolzano porphyry, creates ideal conditions for Bordeaux grape varieties. The cuvée of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc benefits from the continental character of this location: warm days and cool nights give the grapes the concentration and finesse that characterise this Riserva.

The sparkling classic from Italy's leading Prosecco winery is now certified organic. Radiant in the glass, with the scent of white flowers and fruit, extremely fine and elegant in flavour. Clean, delicate finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Noir from the finest vineyards in and around Eppan. The compact loamy soils, with limestone deposits on porphyry rock, provide ideal conditions for full-bodied grapes. The bouquet offers a variety of spicy and fruity aromas of raspberries and cherries. Powerful, full-bodied and harmonious on the palate, with an elegant flavour and a long, fruit-driven final. SUPERIORE.DE

Rosso Mosso means: a red wine that's on the move. The play on words is intentional. "Mosso" sounds like "mosto", the young wine that is fermenting and alive. Helena and Alois Clemens Lageder, representing the new generation, created this wine because they wanted to ask a question: what happens when you transform red wine into a fresher, more accessible, effervescent form without losing its character? The answer comes from a network. For over twenty years, Alois Lageder has been working with organic winegrowers from various South Tyrolean vineyards. For the Rosso Mosso, grapes from these partner vineyards come together; different vintages and grape varieties are blended and reimagined. No specific vintage, no boundaries. Volcanic and limestone soils; alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel. The attractive label was designed by the Finnish artist Klaus Haapaniemi.

Santo Stefano Belbo is a small town in the Langhe, at the transition to the Asti zone – known as the birthplace of Cesare Pavese and the heart of Moscato cultivation. It is also the home of the Ceretto family. A second story began here in 1976, when Bruno and Marcello Ceretto had long been regarded as the reformers of Barolo and Barbaresco: together with four local winegrowing families, they founded I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano – out of a desire to restore the dignity of Moscato d'Asti. At the time, the grape variety had sunk into mass production and the name had been eroded. In contrast, they set 41 hectares, hand-picked grapes and a clear attitude. Today, almost fifty years later, the principle remains unchanged: 100% Moscato Bianco from marble-rich hillside terrain at around 400 metres above Santo Stefano Belbo and neighbouring Calosso. Fermented exclusively in steel. The freshness and varietal character of Moscato should speak for themselves, and they do so extremely well.

Pinot Blanc is not a fad in Terlan. It is the foundation. The grape variety around which cellar master Rudi Kofler has been thinking for decades is Pinot Bianco – and no other place in Italy produces it as clearly, as long-lived, as unmistakably as these slopes. The vineyards lie at 350 to 900 metres, on steep to very steep slopes on Monte Tschöggl – higher and cooler than most other Terlan parcels. Quartz porphyry, hand-picked, gentle pressing, slow fermentation in steel, 6–7 months on the fine lees.

When an artist founds a winery, the spirit of this artist wafts right into the last cellar room. The Brio label shows a detail from a fresco by Sandro Chia: chessboard, violin, clock. Existence, soul, time. An unusually serious statement for an entry-level wine. The wine behind it lives up to it. Sangiovese from the Scansano vineyards of Tenuta Ghiaccio Forte – young vines on volcanic soils, close to the sea, cool nights. A few months in wooden barrels, then bottle ageing.

Carménère was once one of the six great Bordeaux grape varieties. Following the phylloxera crisis, it was thought to have been lost – until it was rediscovered in Chile in the 1990s, where it had been marketed as Merlot for a century. And in the Colli Berici region of Veneto, it had survived quietly and unnoticed until Inama became the first winery in Italy to launch a serious project centred on it. Carménère and Merlot, from the hills south-west of Vicenza, aged for 12 months in used barriques. A red wine that is unrivalled in Europe – because no one else in the Colli Berici produces a Carménère apart from Inama. A real statement wine and excellent value for money.

Nascetta, indigenous to the Langhe region and particularly rooted in Novello, is considered the "forgotten queen of Piedmont's white wines". Once almost disappeared, it was revitalised by dedicated winegrowers and today shows its full potential: aromatically nuanced, elegantly matured and with natural tension. For La Regina, the grapes are carefully harvested and matured in stainless steel tanks to allow the fruit and origin to be clearly experienced. An authentic, rare white wine with character – and a shining example of the diversity of Piedmont.

Above Margreid, where the Mediterranean climate of the lowlands gives way to the coolness of the higher altitudes, lies the Penon. A single vineyard at an altitude of 500 to 600 metres, facing east-southeast – to the morning sun, which sweeps gently and evenly across the vineyard before the afternoon heat sets in. The soil is pure: exclusively limestone gravel with a high humus content. No porphyry, no volcanic deposits, no mixed rock. Just limestone – and, within this limestone, the most concentrated minerality that Nals Margreid has to offer for Pinot Bianco. The Penon is not a ‘Tradition’ wine, but one of the estate’s ‘Selection’ wines: a single vineyard vinified according to the estate’s own style. Hand-harvested, carefully processed, and further aged sur lies in stainless steel.

Originating from a single parcel in Dogliani, facing south-west and grown on a chalky-clay medium soil, Quass Pecchenino is a concentrated Barbera signature characterised by its terroir. The vines are over 35 years old, trained in Guyot with around 5,000 vines/ha – a classic Dogliani setting that combines density, freshness and a distinctive mineral line. The first release in 1994 also makes Quass a piece of house history.

In the Tuscan dialect, "Botro" means a ditch, a natural channel that carries water away. "Dei Fichi" refers to the fig trees. The Botro dei Fichi is already mentioned in the cadastral records of the 18th-century Leopoldine Land Survey – a small depression on the estate that gave its name to a wine long before Vermentino was grown here. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 50 metres, facing west, on volcanic soil with a high proportion of scree. No sand dunes, no alluvial deposits – volcanic rock that lends the grape variety structure and minerality. Fermentation for 30 days in unglazed, raw concrete vats at a controlled temperature of 18°C, using indigenous yeasts. At least three months sur lies. No oak.

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. 

Graziano Merotto has named wines after parcels of land, after decades of experience, and also after himself. This one, however, he named after his daughter. La Primavera di Barbara – barbara's spring. What at first sounds like a gesture of affection is also a precise description of the wine: bright, blooming, with a vibrancy that can only be found in the best season.

Chardonnay is a world grape variety – and that is precisely the problem from time to time. Too often it tastes like a desire to be somewhere else: Burgundy, Napa, some ideal. Terlaner Chardonnay does not have this problem. It tastes like Terlan. The vineyards are located on the characteristic quartz porphyry soils on the slopes of Monte Tschöggl, where volcanic primary rock gives the grapes mineral tension and natural freshness. Hand-picked, gentle pressing, slow fermentation in steel, 5–7 months on the fine lees – no wood to over-mould, no butter to smooth.

The name refers to an ancient coin of the Genoese lords who once owned the vineyards around Gavi. Today, the Cortese grapes come from the heart of the appellation: the Comune di Gavi itself, where calcareous marl soils and pronounced day-night differences give the wine its characteristic freshness and floral aromas. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are cooled with carbon dioxide snow and pressed particularly gently. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, followed by three months of bottle ageing.

Il Poggiones Rosso di Montalcino is dark and youthful, with nuances of blackcurrant and liquorice balanced by ashy rock. Silky and enveloping on the palate with a savoury core of minerality and bright acids, followed by tart red berries. The wine finishes long and lightly structured, but is always fresh and asks for a short stay in the cellar before it can unfold its full charm. A truly straightforward and captivating Rosso in the style of the house. SUPERIORE.DE

Thirty Angels. That was the name the shepherds gave to that old resting place on the Bocca di Lupo estate, where they would stop on their long journeys through the Apulian Murgia before driving the migratory herds onward. Under the protection of these thirty angels, a name was born that today belongs to one of Apulia's most remarkable Aglianico wines. Tenuta Bocca di Lupo is situated in Minervino Murge at an altitude of 380 to 400 metres, on the high plateau of the Murgia, the limestone massif at the heart of northern Apulia. This is unusually high for Aglianico – and this is precisely why Trentangeli sounds so different from its heavier counterparts from the flatter Salento region.