When you ask Alessandro Gallici if he comes from a family of winemakers, he laughs gently at the notion. Not at all, but his family had a bit of land in Friuli, with a few rows of vines, that had been theirs for generations. From the grapes of these, they made a simple wine for their own dinner table. All this fascinated Alessandro, and wine became his chosen career. And we're glad it did. We've known Alessandro since 2002 and love every new wine he sends our way.
For this fizz Alessandro carefully selected Glera grapes with a drop of Chardonnay. In Champagne, this would add to the price – in the Veneto this addition means it can't be labelled Prosecco, but frizzante. Whatever, it delivers citrus, tropical fruit with gentle bubbles.
We've worked with Alessandro Gallici for over 15 years and, like our customers, love the wines that he makes. He was born in Friuli, but doesn't come from a long line of winemakers. His dad was a truck driver, but everyone in the village used to have a few rows of vines and, from these, each family used to make a bit of wine. All this fascinated Alessandro as he was growing up, walking the hills and getting to know the best vineyards and their growers.
He's still great friends with them - they love his sense of fun - so he always get first dibs at the best parcels. Made with grapes from the region's top areas – Colli Orientali and Grave – this wine delivers delicate pear fruit and crisp minerally ‘zing’. Enjoy solo or with creamy linguine.
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Antonio Federici is a small, 3rd-generation cellar in Lazio, just south of Rome. As you'll taste here, its wines are both authentic and delicious. Normally, they only supply their meagre output to top restaurants in Rome.
But with most shut in 2020, we managed to gain a small allocation of this superb, cherry-scented red. And again, the following year. On fine limestone soils (the rocks of which were used to build some of Rome's most famous buildings) they grow some of Italy's most characterful native grapes.
From these they make a small range of award-winning wines. No doubt the skill of top Italian consultant Franco and Matteo Bernabei comes into play, as well as the commitment and passion of the family.
A silky, smooth, easy red.
If you enjoy the food-friendly reds of northern Italy, especially the Valpolicella Ripasso style, you'll love this. We have worked with Italian Winery of the Year Cantina di Negrar for years. They own a vineyard in the Marano Valley and they’ve offered us a deal on their Rosso Veronese – a wine usually reserved for their Italian fans. It’s named after Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic 18th-century poem of rural life made Valpolicella wines famous the world over.
The Marano Valley is especially cool, so grapes take longer to ripen, which adds depth, character and freshness to the wines. Also included is a dash of dark Amarone. With black cherry fruit and Christmas cake spice, it’s hard to imagine a more appealing Veronese red. Great with game.
