Di Madre In Vigna. Antonella Corda four years on Di Madre In Vigna? That must be Antonella Corda in Sardinia. That phrase is prominent on her bottle labels. It says that the land is the mother to the vines. But you could infer that Antonella Corda is also the vines’ mother. Four years ago, I had the great fortune to …
The Mimesi Project by Tenuta di Ghizzano
The Mimesi Project by Tenuta di Ghizzano Tenuta di Ghizzano has been featured on these pages before, with two superb classically-styled red wine blends called Nambrot and Veneroso. Their new wine project is called Mimesi, where current owner Ginevra Venerosi Pesciolini employs ancient natural wine practices in a modern context. As Confucius once said, “study the past if you want to …
Castello di Querceto and their Gran Selezione wines
Castello di Querceto and their Gran Selezione wines Castello di Querceto was a founder member of the Chianti Classico consorzio, back in 1924. When heading south from Florence, Greve in Chianti is the first town on the Chiantigiana wine road and the gateway to the Classico region. Nearby is Castello di Querceto. This beautiful wine estate makes wines of high reputation, together …
SP68 Rosso by Arianna Occhipinti – serious fun
SP68 Rosso by Arianna Occhipinti – serious fun Arianna Occhipinti owns 23.5 hectares of vineyards in the southeast of Sicily, near Vittoria. Here is a beautiful land of limestone and sandy soils at around 300 metres in altitude. It’s in complete contrast to Mount Etna further north; flattish land where grapes are just one of the many fruits, and vegetables …
Brunello di Montalcino Terroir: Tenute Silvio Nardi 2015’s
Brunello di Montalcino Terroir: Tenute Silvio Nardi 2015’s Tenute Silvio Nardi has just released their three 2015 vintage Brunello di Montalcino DOCG wines. This article is about how each one expresses their particular Montalcino terroir. Let’s begin with a little more about Brunello and why Nardi is a classic producer. Then we can see how these wines express their environments …
Le Pupille – Delicious Summer Drinking
Le Pupille – Delicious Summer Drinking For many lovers of Italian wine, the Fattoria Le Pupille winery and founder/owner Elisabetta Geppetti will need no introduction. Le Pupille’s name derives from the two farmhouses (the Pupils), located on the top of the hills near the village of Pereta, in the deep south of coastal Tuscany. We are in the Maremma, in a DOCG …
Tenuta di Ghizzano and a double anniversary
Tenuta di Ghizzano and a double anniversary The Tenuta di Ghizzano occupies the gently contoured low hills of the Colline Pisane, southwest of Pisa, less than an hour away. Here, there’s plenty of wine grown in coastal Tuscany, yet they are often obscurities. Twenty-six generations of the Venerosi Pesciolini family have owned this 350-hectare estate since 1370. Today it’s in the …
Conte Vistarino – Italian Pinot Pioneers
Conte Vistarino – Italian Pinot Pioneers When you think of Pinot Noir, the chances are that you won’t be thinking about Italy. Of course, Italy has its own great native red grape varieties, while the spiritual home of Pinot Noir is in Burgundy. However, in Lombardy, Conte Vistarino has long been a Pinot Pioneer. Pinot Nero In Italy, Pinot Noir is …
Antonella Corda, Stunning Sardinian Wines
Antonella Corda, Stunning Sardinian Wines Antonella Corda is from a family of Sardinian winegrowers. She is also an agronomist specialising in vine management, returning to Sardinia from Trentino. 2011 was her first vintage. In so doing, she has created a boutique winery producing subtle, authentic, and refined wines. I met with Antonella in Cagliari to taste her Vermentino di Sardegna. …
Visiting Villa Monteleone in Valpolicella
Visiting Villa Monteleone in Valpolicella I visited Villa Monteleone on a hot spring day infused with the smell of Jasmine. We sat in the shade of an ancient Cherry tree tasting the wines with owner Lucia Duran Raimondi. Magic was in the air. Villa Monteleone is in the most western part of the Valpolicella Classico zone in northern Italy, found …