Big dark red with smooth mouthfeel and soft plummy flavours of ripe fruit, spice and liquorice notes leading into complex blueberry flavours. Montepulciano is one of the great red grapes of Italy, but is often considered a bit of a workhorse because it  naturally grows big bunches of grapes, which makes it easy to make high volumes of wine from. This wine is a step up from the most straightforward Montepulcianos on the market, and it's an incredibly smooth, deliciously drinkable red - a great wine to enjoy now and over the next two to three years. 

If you're looking for a next level red at an accessible price, here it is. 

Amaranta is a cru wine obtained from Abruzzo's most important red grape, the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. This is a deep red wine with an intense perfume of red fruit and complex spice characters. The palate is well structured, complex and elegant, with a long, rich finish. 

Umani Ronchi is an excellent Italian wine producer in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It's a company that makes a wide range of wines, including this incredibly delicious Montepulciano, which massively over delivers in taste. 

Big, bold and deep in colour, it has powerful dark fruit flavours held together in a smooth full bodied style with spicy notes adding complexity. Medium acidity adds balance to the blend, making for a beautifully integrated wine which is stunning value for money.

Sealed with a screwcap for freshness.

Vigor is made from Sangiovese and Merlot grapes grown in the Marche hills, rolling down the Appennine mountains to the Adriatic sea. Aged for one year in oak cask. This is a very fruity wine with savoury undertones. Medium bodied on the palate with balanced acidity, Vigor is a very versatile wine.

Casal di Serra Verdicchio was first made in 1983 from grapes grown in the Montecarotto Vineyard. It now includes grapes from three other vineyards, all of which are fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and fruit flavours. It is then aged in tank for five months in contact with yeast lees but with no malolactic fermentation. 

Verdicchio tastes great with Seafood, the ideal match with Verdicchio, as is soft cheese.

The Marche region

The altitude vineyards and sea breezes in the warm Mediterranean Marche region both combine to create a wine with vibrant freshness and bright acidity as well as a medium to full body. Verdicchio is nearly always made as a 100% varietal dry white and also lends itself to high quality sparkling wine, thanks to its robust acidity.

The earliest written mention of the Verdicchio grape is in 1569 and it makes some of the most age worthy dry whites in all of Italy, even at relatively modest prices such as this outstanding wine from Umani Ronchi, which is now organically certified and represents one of our greatest hidden treasures on our white wine shelves.

Buy it by the case and watch its tasty flavours unfold over four to five years, potentially longer.

Grillo is one of our fave southern white Italian grapes and is increasingly being used to make dry full bodied and smooth white wines, such as this one, which is certified organic with the EU and new in store here at Regional.

The Grillo grape has historically been used as one of the three key ingredients in the fortified wine called Marsala, which comes from the westernmost region of the same name in Sicily. Marsala sales are waning but the Grillo grape's popularity and success are growing, along with sales of whites such as this stellar version.

If you love Chardonnay, you'll enjoy the waxy, full bodied texture of this lively wine. 

If you're looking for Italy in a glass, here it is - a complex Chianti Classico (90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot) from  a hillside vineyard in Tuscany called Poggio Teo. This 10 hectare site is situated about 400 metres above sea level where its vines gain maximum sunshine and benefit from cool nights, both of which enhance this wine's deep velvet smooth mouthfeel and complex, dry savoury aromas. Fleshy black plum flavours and a soft textured mid palate are followed by a lingering flavoursome finish. 

A great wine for drinking now (must be decanted to show at its best) and to save for another five to six years. 

98 points- Jeb Dunnuck

"Located in Novello, from three hectares of the Ravera MGA with southwest exposure, the 2017 Barolo Ravera was aged for 32 months in large oak casks. It is forward and expressive with fresh pine, candied cranberry, orange oil, and aniseed. The palate is full of energetic tension, balance, and purity, with apricot pit, tea leaf and saline minerality. An inspiring wine to close out the Vietti 2017 lineup." Drink 2025 - 2050

97 points - James Suckling

"Dried strawberry and citrus rind, as well as subtle undertones of smoke and dried flowers. Full-bodied, yet so tight and composed with freshness and lightness, yet power, too. Long finish. This really needs time to open. Classic style. Try after 2025."

96 points - Vinous, Antonio Galloni

"The 2017 Barolo Ravera is a powerhouse. My impression is that the 2017 is going to develop into something truly special. It has all the energy that makes this site so distinctive, but with an extra kick of fruit density and a whole range of exotic aromatics that make for a truly drop dead gorgeous wine. Bright red/purplish fruit, rose petal, chalk and white pepper build into a finish laced with searing intensity. This is such an impressive wine." Drink 2027 - 2042

Here's a great little red blend from Antinori, which is a gorgeous expression of the insanely beautiful Tuscany region, but which is made from an interesting mix of Italian and French grapes. Sangiovese leads the way here with small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, all grown in Tuscany. 

Antinori's winemakers describe this wine as firm bodied on the palate, supple with  velvety tannins and a long, savoury aftertaste.

Winemaking Philosophy
The Arneis vineyards used for this selection are cultivated on loose soils with a strong presence of silica and a particular microclimate, which can give wines aromatic and elegant.

The grapes are picked by hand and the harvest is followed by cold maceration with soft pressing. The must then undergoes temperature controlled fermentation at 16-18 °C for about 10 days. The last important phase for this wine is a short period of bottle ageing, in order to develop its structure and pleasant bouquet.

Tasting Notes
Colour: clear straw yellow.
Bouquet: complex, intensely fruity with attractive notes of vanilla, face powder and candyfloss.
Palate: well balanced and elegant. The finish shows notes of peach and honey.
Statistical information
Grape variety: Arneis
Alcohol: 13.50 % vol.
Appellation: Roero Arneis DOCG
Aging: on the lees in steel vats.

Bardolino is located on the shores of Lake Garda in the Veneto region of Italy.
where Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes are permitted. This is a lovely fruit forward quaffer with decent structure to boot.

A big and intense wine with aromas and flavours of plum, dark cherry and dried dark fruits.