Wine

Lezér means "light", and that's exactly what it is – in the most delicate sense of the word. A pale ruby red in colour, with red berries and an interesting hint of violet on the nose. On the palate, smoky notes, freshly cut wood and a subtle creaminess. A thoroughly fresh red wine right through to the finish, which is perfect when served slightly chilled during the warmer months and pairs beautifully with simple Mediterranean cuisine. Maturation in a variety of vessels, such as amphorae, concrete tanks and wooden barrels, lends it an extra charm and an unmistakable character. SUPERIORE.DE

Vino nero – is what the Tuscans once called their red wines. With this name, the Rivetti family takes up an old tradition and makes it the flagship of their Casanova estate in Terricciola. Twenty-year-old Sangiovese vines are rooted in sandy soils of marine origin, whose oceanic sediments give the wine its characteristic minerality. After two weeks of maceration, it matures for twelve months in French barriques that have already been filled – subtle enough not to mask the fruit.

The first alcoholic fermentation of the must takes place in steel tanks on the fine lees at a controlled temperature and after a waiting period of at least six months, the wine is bottled. The bottles remain at a constant temperature of 12°C so that the wine can undergo its second fermentation and mature on its own yeasts, which remain at the bottom of the bottle as a light sediment (note: it is not filtered!).

An international white wine in a region that is world-famous for its great red wines? Pecchenino dared to try this experiment in Bossolasco at an altitude of 700 metres, and the challenge was mastered with flying colours. Here, where one would expect to find Arneis or Cortese, Riesling Renano thrives on calcareous soils with marl and white clay. The south-easterly exposure and the cool, high-altitude climate of the Alta Langa create ideal conditions for the crystalline acidity and aromatic precision that characterise great Rieslings from France and Germany. The grapes are harvested in mid-September when perfectly ripe, cooled to 12°C in the cellar and gently pressed. This is followed by ten months of ageing on the fine lees with repeated bâtonnage and a further six months of bottle ageing.

At the heart of the north-eastern Etna amphitheatre, where Silvia Maestrelli's vision turned to stone, lies Fessina: a name that sounds like a whisper through the volcanic winds. Here, in the Frazione Rovittello of Castiglione di Sicilia, between two ancient lava flows from 1809 and 1911, a dream came true in 2007. Silvia, the pioneer – a Tuscan with a Milanese soul and a Sicilian heart – was the first woman on the volcano to recognise the extraordinary potential of this difficult, masculine earth. With the tenacity of a visionary and the sensitivity of a "female oenological vision", she created a refuge of excellence after long negotiations with the countless owners of the fragmented plots.

Feudi's Premium Rosato San Greg bursts from the glass with a lovely blend of sweet melon and white flowers. It offers a captivating balance between ripe stone fruits, candied citrus and a refreshing acidity. The finish is of medium length, leaving a tangy hint of lime and steely mineral notes. San Greg, made from 100% Aglianico, is a very sophisticated rosé and an absolute delight. SUPERIORE.DE

Mario Schiopetto's father ran the "Ai Pompieri" osteria in Udine – directly in front of the fire station. His son did not become a landlord, but the founder of modern Friulian white wine. Years ago, the new owners, the Rotolo family, incorporated the name of their father's restaurant into their younger wine line as a nod and a promise: accessible, direct, straightforward. Since 1986, the Blanc des Rosis has brought together the four leading white grape varieties of the Collio in a single wine: Friulano as the aromatic backbone, Pinot Bianco for volume and elegance, Sauvignon for freshness and tension, Pinot Grigio for the mineral bite. The soils under Capriva del Friuli – eocene clay and marl – give the wine its characteristic cool precision. Gentle pressing, decanting without sulphur, eight months on the lees in steel. And from the 2025 vintage, the Blanc des Rosis will appear in the glass earlier than ever before without the previous two-year retention period – in the glass earlier than ever before.

Since the 2015 vintage, Piancornello has been producing a Ciliegiolo in small quantities of 4,000 bottles, which is solid, deep and very distinctive. Intense ruby red colour. The nose reveals very pure, straightforward aromas of ripe cherries and sour cherries, rounded off with spicy notes and hints of medicinal herbs. In the mouth it is rich, with noticeable tannins, but well integrated into the structure, with a solid body and a flavourful, long finish of good complexity. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that define a winery. Sirì d'Jermu is one of them. Since it was first bottled in 1988, this single-vineyard Dolcetto has embodied the elegance and ageing potential that Orlando and Attilio Pecchenino are able to draw from the grape variety – and it is the reason why Pecchenino is now counted amongst the most respected producers in the appellation. The name refers to the vineyard of the same name, situated right next to the historic winery in Dogliani, where 35-year-old vines are rooted in medium-heavy, calcareous soils with silt and clay components. The south-west-facing aspect ensures optimal ripening conditions for the concentration and complexity that characterise Dogliani Superiore. Vinification follows traditional principles with modern precision: after destemming, the must – including a proportion of whole bunches – is fermented for 15 to 20 days at 26°C in stainless steel tanks, using exclusively indigenous yeasts. What sets Sirì d’Jermu apart from San Luigi, however, is the ageing process: twelve months in large oak casks lend the wine structure, depth and the capacity for maturation that gives it an ageing potential of over ten years.

Lagrein – South Tyrol's "local hero", as cellar master Rudi Kofler calls it. Originally native to Bolzano, this indigenous grape variety has long since found a home in the Terlano area too. Founded in 1893, the winery – the village’s first cooperative and today one of the most prestigious producers of South Tyrolean white wines – also cultivates this traditional red variety with its characteristic meticulous care. Hand-harvested, destemmed and fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, the wine is then aged for 7–10 months in large wooden barrels. This ageing process gives the Lagrein its velvety texture without overpowering the fruit.

La Sabla is the red entry-level classic from Les Crêtes - an independent cuvée made from indigenous grapes: Petit Rouge, Fumin, Mayolet and Barbera from old plots around Aymavilles. It is lively and elegant, vinified in stainless steel with controlled mash fermentation and matured on the fine lees for around eight months. Intense ruby red in colour with a violet hue. The nose opens with aromas of redcurrant, fresh raspberry, forest blossom and delicate spice. Fresh, juicy and clear on the palate with soft tannins and striking mineral tension - a salty bite on the finish ensures precision and length. A pure expression of unmistakable Alpine elegance that combines origin and style with youthful clarity. SUPERIORE.DE

The Lupo line from COS bears an animal in its name that in Sicily symbolises wildness, independence and the unspoilt nature of the island. The Nero di Lupo is the "black of the wolf". The Rosa di Lupo is its lighter, lighter counterpart – a rosato made from 100% Nero d'Avola, from the same terroir: Vittoria, south-eastern Sicily, 230 metres, sandy soil with limestone subsoil and silicon veins, biodynamically cultivated. 15-year-old vines, Guyot, 5,000 vines per hectare, hand-picked in September. Vinification follows the consistent COS philosophy: spontaneous fermentation on the skins in the press, a few hours of skin contact for colour and depth of aroma without tannin weight. Then seven months in concrete vats. Natural yeasts, no added sulphur.

A Rosato with a name that has a person behind it. Rosy Pio was the granddaughter of the founder – and the grandmother of Federica and Cesare, the fifth generation of the house. The Pio Cesare family carries its history in its wines. This one bears it in its name. The decision to vinify Nebbiolo as a rosé was a matter of the heart: a small addition of Syrah, their own vineyards in Treiso in the Barbaresco region, various exposures and locations. Early harvest in small crates after strict selection in the vineyard, gentle pressing with short maceration. Fermentation partly in stainless steel, partly in non-new French oak barriques. One month on the lees.

The name says it all: the vineyard is located on an elongated, plateau-like ridge in the historic Classico region of the Castelli di Jesi – a ridge reminiscent of a podium. It is therefore no coincidence that Garofoli harvests its best Verdicchio cuvée right here. 100% Verdicchio from the vineyard that the estate has cultivated as its flagship for decades – and with which Carlo Garofoli was one of the first to prove that Verdicchio can and should age. The vinification remains true to the wine: steel, precision, long ageing on the lees, which gives the podium the fullness and texture that clearly distinguishes it from the fresh entry-level wine. No wood, no distractions – just Verdicchio in its most concentrated form.

The Goldmuskateller (moscato giallo) is one of South Tyrol's aromatic rarities. At Tiefenbrunner, it thrives at altitudes between 220 and 650 metres, with the best lots coming from the Penon, Hofstatt and Rain vineyards: 400 to 650 metres high, on calcareous dolomite soils that give the wine its fine mineral structure. Vinification takes place exclusively in concrete tanks – a deliberate decision to preserve the varietal flavours unadulterated.

Rivus: the river. The Adige flows through the Unterland from Neumarkt to Auer, that welcoming region of southern South Tyrol where Lagrein thrives on the flat valley slopes like almost nowhere else. It is here that Pfitscher sources the grapes for her more approachable Lagrein – from vineyards at 300 metres, partly from vines that have stood here for a hundred years. Fermentation takes place in concrete vats with continuous stirring of the cap, followed by 10 to 12 months in oak and concrete vats. An approachable Lagrein for drinking now and for every day.

This masterful Vernaccia matures for 4 years in small Caratello barrels, whose natural shrinkage is never topped up so that the yeast flora, which is very characteristic of this Vernaccia, forms on the surface and not only produces the characteristic flavours, but also gives it its name.

A white wine with Mediterranean lightness and a Friulian character: Shàris is a charming blend of Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla – —two varieties that reveal their finest qualities here on the marl and sandstone soils of the Collio. A skilfully composed white wine with character that is never overwhelming, yet never seems mundane – but rather a true flagship of Friuli’s modern white wine culture and, incidentally, the winery’s bestseller.

When the Antinori family founded their Apulian branch Tormaresca in 1998, they set an example: Southern Italy could deliver more than quantity. Torcicoda became proof of this vision – the first wine from Apulia to make it into the Wine Spectator Top 100. Its name refers to the historic grooming tool for horse manes, but also to the lush, twisting growth of the Primitivo vines, which were once called the "vine of three harvests".

In November 2025, Vigna Misco received official recognition as a designated single vineyard – as "Vigna", a designation which may henceforth appear on the label of this classic wine. Ondine de la Feld Aymerich, owner and winemaker of the Tenuta, commented: "This vineyard has always embodied our vision of white wines from the Castelli di Jesi – a place where Verdicchio reaches its finest expression." The 2024 vintage is the last to be produced without this designation. However, this does not make it any less significant, quite the contrary.

Mussels in the vineyard? Not uncommon in Valdarno di Sopra. Where today Chardonnay vines take root at the foot of the Pratomagno, millions of years ago there was a lake – the metamorphic soils are criss-crossed with fossilised evidence of that era. The name "Lamelle" honours these grooves in the fossilised shells, which give the wine its unmistakable minerality. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are left to rest overnight at 5°C before being gently pressed. Pure stainless steel vinification at 16°C, two months on the fine lees – that's all it takes to capture the freshness of this terroir.

Tenuta San Leonardo is a name synonymous with red wine. For generations, the Guerrieri Gonzaga family in Avio, in southern Trentino, has been producing a Bordeaux blend that connoisseurs mention in the same breath as Italy's finest wines. Far fewer people are aware that the estate also produces white wine (and rosé) – and does so with the same precision. Vette di San Leonardo takes its name from the peaks that frame the vineyards. "Vette" – peaks, summits – is the image San Leonardo has chosen for this Sauvignon Blanc: high-altitude, crisp, unmistakable. The grapes come from Roveré della Luna, a village on the border between Trentino and Alto Adige, which ranks among the finest Sauvignon Blanc sites in northern Italy. With the Dolomites as a backdrop, cool nights and a long ripening process on the vine. Hand-harvested in September. Exclusively stainless steel, no oak. Five months sur lie on the fine lees – for texture and depth without any external ageing.

A real insider tip for lovers of elegant white wines: This Trebbiano shows what this grape variety can do outside the classic norm. It comes from biodynamic vineyards in a coastal location near Scansano, characterised by the influence of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The 2023 vintage was characterised by alternating sunny days and cool nights - ideal for aromatic clarity and finely balanced acidity. The wine was fermented cold in stainless steel and matured briefly to preserve varietal typicity and freshness.