Sacello – Chianti Classico from Arillo in Terrabianca Arillo in Terrabianca is located in the Radda commune of Chianti Classico in Tuscany. This article is devoted to just one of their wines, namely Sacello, a Chianti Classico DOCG made only with Sangiovese, grown at Tenuta Terrabianca. The estate was originally a medieval farm. Winegrowing began in the 1950s. It was …
Four Facets of Domìni Veneti
Four Facets of Domìni Veneti Looking back to the beginning of my wine journey, I quickly found that the best way to get an overview of a wine region and its wines was to visit the local cooperative winery first. That was certainly the case with Cantina Valpolicella Negrar in Valpolicella Classica, with its wide range of wines from across …
Agroforestry, in Search of Tomorrow’s Viticulture – Mosnel 190
Agroforestry, in Search of Tomorrow’s Viticulture – Mosnel 190 April 2026 marked the 190th anniversary of the Mosnel winery in Franciacorta. A major part of the celebrations was attending a conference about Mosnel’s Agroforestry project, which is the subject of this article. Ten years ago, I was privileged to attend the celebrations of Mosnel’s 180th anniversary 1 This time, their …
Vilosell – Tomàs Cuisiné, Twenty Years On
Vilosell – Tomàs Cuisiné, Twenty Years On Twenty years ago, an encounter Spanish red wine called Vilosell inspired me to visit Catalonia, and I have been back many times since to visit its various wine regions. Meanwhile, Vilosell has been an annual companion ever since. This all-new article is about the current release (2022). However, it is also compared with …
Susumaniello by A. Mano – the Donkey of Puglia
Susumaniello by A. Mano – the Donkey of Puglia Susumaniello is a red grape native to Puglia, grown mainly around the major southern port of Brindisi, in the heel of Italy’s boot. Like some other Italian native grapes, Susumaniello became rediscovered in the late 1990s. Modern wine-growing has enabled it to make a significant comeback in this area, with around …
Titolo by Elena Fucci, Aglianico del Vulture
Titolo by Elena Fucci, Aglianico del Vulture Welcome to the final Part 3 of a feature on Italy’s three greatest red grape varieties. These three were written in honour of Burton Anderson, the best writer about Italian wine in the English Language. So far in the series, we’ve covered Nebbiolo in Part 1 from Barolo DOCG in Piemonte (north), and …
Ronchi di Castelluccio in Romagna
Ronchi di Castelluccio in Romagna Ronchi di Castelluccio is a boutique winery at Modigliana, on the hillsides of Romagna in Italy. When the opportunity to try their flagship wines arose, no further encouragement was necessary. This wasn’t just because of high-quality or because the wines of Romagna deserve better recognition abroad. In fact, it was a way to revisit this …
Bellone from Lazio – Anthium by Casale del Giglio
Bellone from Lazio – Anthium by Casale del Giglio Bellone is an extremely high-quality autochthonous white grape variety from the Lazio region of Italy. A stunning example is made by the Casale del Giglio winery in Lazio, 50 km south of Rome. Called Anthium, it’s 100% Bellone, designated as a Lazio Bianco IGP. All this deserves better recognition here in …
Vicoregio 36 – Three Classic Italian Reds, Pt 2 – Sangiovese
Vicoregio 36 – Three Classic Italian Reds, Pt. 2 – Sangiovese Castello di Fonteruloli in Chianti Classico embraces the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione category, producing not just one but three examples. They are all 100% Sangiovese, but each comes from a distinct terroir. One of those wines features here: Vicoregio 36. Fonterutoli is a place where the ancient sits comfortably …
Lison DOCG – In the Shadow of the Lion
Lison DOCG – In the Shadow of the Lion You may never have heard of Lison DOCG, as despite its lofty status, there are only 44 hectares of vineyards and around 180,000 bottles made each year. Yet the excellent wine quality fully deserves such an appellation, which even contains a Classico subzone. There is a long history of winemaking here, …