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Abruzzo: The Great Divide
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Oct 2022
Producers in Abruzzo are divided and struggling. The most ambitious feel undervalued as they compete against bulk production and supermarket wines that bear the Montepulciano DOC. Climate change is another real challenge. The good news is that this remains a buyer’s market, with a growing number of fantastic wines that are being produced at price points that are nearly impossible to beat throughout the rest of Italy.
Basilicata: Vulture’s Rise from the Ashes
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Sep 2022
For many years now, a core of passion- and quality-driven producers have been working hard to prove that Vulture deserves its place on the world’s stage. While many hurdles remain, I wholeheartedly believe that Vulture is very much on its way.
Sicily: Welcome to the Revolution
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Jun 2022
Sicily is hot, and I don’t mean temperature-wise. A significant rise in quality across the island, not just from Etna, has finally broken down many of the old stereotypes that once plagued the producers here. Today we are witnessing a focus on variety and place that has seldom been seen from Sicilian winemakers, and the results come through in the bottle. That said, there’s still an ocean of wine to sort through to find the best.
Wines from Italy’s Volcanic Arc: Campania
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Jan 2022
If one region in Italy has the potential to keep pace with the best that Piedmont and Tuscany have to offer, it is Campania. With each passing year, new releases show a glimmer of their best possible selves, while some are transcending to the next level. Although the number of world-class wines continues to increase, there are still a number of hurdles that Campania must overcome. At the other end of the spectrum, Campania is full of values, readers just need to know where to look.
Italy’s Ace in the Hole: Marche
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Oct 2021
Marche is a land of pleasures and values, bursting with wines packed with potential just waiting to be realized. The last three vintages offer readers a plentitude of exciting wines from the dueling regions within Verdicchio, but also some irresistible reds from Central Italy’s Adriatic coast. The question isn’t if these wines will be discovered, it’s when they’ll be discovered.
Umbria & Lazio: Italy’s Underdogs
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Aug 2021
It won’t be long before the word is out on the superb quality and tremendous value that both Umbria and Lazio offer. Looking beyond the obvious is the trick, and that’s exactly what I will share with you in this report.
Cellar Favorite: 2008 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo Il Quadro delle Rose
Italy: Center & South, Cellar Favorites, cellar favorite
, Aug 2021
Readers have many questions when it comes to the wines of Etna. How do they evolve in bottle? How long does it take for wines to peak? What should I expect?
Cellar Favorite: 2008 Galardi Terra di Lavoro Roccamonfina Rosso
Italy: Center & South, Cellar Favorites, cellar favorite
, Aug 2021
I purchased the 2008 Terra di Lavoro upon release for a price that seems amazing for what’s in the bottle today, and then buried it deep in my cellar. In 2018, I opened the first of my six-pack, and I decided that the wine still needed a little more time. Well, that time is now, as the 2008 is just entering its prime drinking window.
Treasures of Italy’s Southern Adriatic and Ionian Coasts
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Jul 2021
It’s no wonder that the Romans thought of the territory that comprises Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia as a Garden of Eden. These regions between the southern Adriatic and Ionian coasts and the mountains to the north are strongly influenced by both elevation and proximity to the sea. Whites and reds frequently overdeliver, making Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia treasure troves of value, while the top wines rival the best of Italy.
Sicily: The Island Nation
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Jun 2021
There was a time when I believed wine lovers were ready to give up on the idea that Sicily might ever shrug off its reputation for large cooperatives, bulk production and false starts to fine-wine glory. Luckily, that day never came. Quite simply, the wines of Sicily have never been better than they are right now. The combination of drastically diverse terroirs, a huge uptick in quality and a vast number of varieties has created an embarrassment of riches for the discerning wine lover.