Northern Italian Pinot Grigio tends to be a stony fresh, subtle fruit white. That's true of Il Pino, but the wine has just a little bit more, too. Riper orchard fruit, with citrus freshness and it’s always good value. It comes from the high-altitude Adige Valley, just inland from Venice and home to some of the best quality Pinot Grigio in Italy. Plentiful sunshine and cooling mountain breezes together ensure healthy, ripe grapes with excellent aromatics.
Deliciously fresh and thirst quenching, this wine displays crisp lemon and grapefruit flavours, white stone fruit and a minerally edge. It’s a ‘drink anytime’ wine, but perhaps best enjoyed as an aperitivo or with grilled white fish, prawn or spring vegetable risotto or leafy summer salads.
Wine Enthusiast calls Amarone “one of 15 icons in Italian wine”. They are certainly some of the country’s most treasured reds. Rooted in the ancient tradition of sun-drying grapes before fermentation, Amarone wines offer exceptional richness and a glorious combination of power and complexity that cellars well, too. No wonder they are sought after worldwide. This 2020 from esteemed Cantina Negrar pays tribute to 18th century poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic poems celebrating rural life made Valpolicella wines famous.
The grapes are from the ancient, dry, stone terraces of the cool Marano Valley, where they ripen slowly. They are then air-dried for 120 days to intensify flavours. Decant early and enjoy with hearty dishes, or cellar.
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.
The Pignoletto grape is considered the “king of the Colli Bolognese wine zone”, but few have heard of it outside of the Emilia region of northern central Italy. Our buyer, Leo, had to use his persuasive prowess to secure cases of this hidden gem from winemaker Daniele Artioli. And it’s proved to be a huge hit with our customers. It’s an easy to drink, dry frizzante, made using mainly Pignoletto (named after ‘pigna’ – the Italian for ‘cone’ – due to the shape of its bunches).
Its lively green apple notes are enhanced by citrusy Trebbiano and Muscat, which lends a grapey aroma. A gentle fizz makes it a delightful apéritif, perfect for leisurely sipping in the garden on a sunny afternoon. Serve chilled and pair with salad or seafood.
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As the name suggests, these wines are the ultimate creations of Farnese, a cellar that has won Top Italian Winery three times. For years they’ve delighted us with a rich, seductive red. This is the 98 point bright apricot and citrusy white.
