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Gulfi Nero d’Avola Nerosanloré: 2001-2015

Italy: Center & South, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured

Ian D'Agata, Jan 2020

Gulfi was the first winery in Sicily to believe in single-contrada Nero d’Avolas. Today, Gulfi makes four such wines that highlight the extraordinary diversity of these sites, all of them so well-suited to showing the potential of Sicily’s indigenous Nero d’Avola. This vertical spanned a representative selection of the Nerosanloré - arguably the most elegant of the wines.

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Tiberio Pecorino Colline Pescaresi 2005-2018

Italy: Center & South, featured

Ian D'Agata, Jan 2020

Tiberio’s Pecorino has fast become a gold standard for the variety, delivering aromas and flavors and a relatively rich glyceral texture that are archetypal of the cultivar, but with more refinement than most wines made with this trendy Italian native grape.

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Campania 2018: Early Appeal And Accessibility

Italy: Center & South, featured

Ian D'Agata, Nov 2019

Readers who have followed my writings over the years know I am a huge fan of Campania. The whites are some of Italy’s greatest and most ageworthy wines. The best Campania whites are terroir-driven and full of varietal character. With some notable exceptions, Campania's red wines are unfortunately less consistent because of the combination of overripe grapes and too much oak. For that reason, it pays to be especially selective when it comes to the reds.

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Vinous Table: Terrazza Bosquet, Sorrento, Italy

Italy: Center & South, Vinous Table

Ian D'Agata, Oct 2019

Terrazza Bosquet is perhaps Sorrento’s most “in” restaurant at the moment. It boasts an amazing view in a gorgeous hotel that has been the haunt of many a famous name. An intimate menu and an excellent wine list make for a dining destination that tries hard to avoid falling into the tourist-trap cooking of similarly storied seaside hotels.

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Vinous Table: Osteria Veglio, La Morra, Italy

Italy: Center & South, Vinous Table

Ian D'Agata, Sep 2019

Over the last few years Osteria Veglio has upped their game, and is once again one of best and most reasonably-priced restaurants in the Langhe. Authentic traditional Piedmontese food, an improving wine list and a beautiful setting make for a terrific dining experience.

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Abruzzo and Molise: Another Brick in the Wall

Italy: Center & South, featured

Ian D'Agata, Sep 2019

Estates in Abruzzo and Molise continue to slowly claw their way to the top, although a big gap still exists between the region’s best wineries and all the others. That said, the better 2018 whites and 2017 reds show that Abruzzo and Molise are (mostly) on the right track.

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Vinous Table: Piazzetta Milù, Naples, Italy

Italy: Center & South, Vinous Table

Ian D'Agata, Aug 2019

Piazzetta Milù has the potential to become one the top dining destinations not just in Campania, but in all of Italy. The food, wines and sleek décor are already top-notch, so this dining establishment run by a young, passionate team is well worth keeping a close eye on.

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Sicily: Where Great Wines and Lava Flow

Italy: Center & South, featured

Ian D'Agata, Aug 2019

Never before has the island of Sicily produced so many world-class wines. The most recent vintages in the market, 2017 and 2016, yielded a bevy of superb whites and reds.

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Vinous Table: Il Silene, Pescina, Italy

Italy: Center & South, Vinous Table

Antonio Galloni, Jun 2019

I have wanted to eat at Il Silene for many years but had always been put off by its location, which is not especially convenient to the tasting circuit. What a mistake that turned out to be. This spectacular lunch proved Il Silene is very much worth a special trip.

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Lazio: New Vintages, New Discoveries

Italy: Center & South, featured

Ian D'Agata, Jun 2019

Lazio’s finest estates are making wines of a level that was unthinkable just a few years ago. Though still mostly under the radar, be they white, red, pink, sparkling or sweet, a number of Lazio’s wines are truly world-class.