Ovello is one of the great red wines of Italy and is made entirely from the great structured red grape, Nebbiolo; exceptional in taste, complexity and its ability to age for at least a decade, evolving into a silky delicious wine over this time. It's made by the Produttori del Barbaresco. This highly respected winery cooperative was founded in 1958 and now has 51 members who collectively own approximately 100 hectares of the entire appellation, which means they own approximately a seventh of the appellation. The single vineyard wines, such as this one, are only made in highly rated vintages (all of the grapes go into a blend in other years) and released after four years maturation in the riserva programme. 

All single vineyard cru wines from Produttori del Barbaresco are fermented at 30°C and given 32 days of skin contact time before being pressed in large oak barrels for 36 months of maturation in wood followed by a further nine months aging in bottle, prior to release. 

* The 2017 cru Produttori del Barbarescos are extremely collectible because there were no 2018 cru wines made, which means the blend will be of higher quality than usual – and there will be more of it. 

The 2018 Produttori del Barbaresco blend is not yet available in New Zealand. ETA is late 2022.

Fast facts on Barbaresco

Barbaresco as an appellation was created in 1894

Barbaresco was given DOCG status in 1980

This is a small wine production area with approximately 700 hectares of vineyards registered to make Barbaresco – which must be 100% Nebbiolo and made within the same sub region in which the grapes are grown. 

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

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.

Here's a big, bold red number from Puglia in the south of Italy and it's made from a blend of the two most popular red grapes there, Negroamarro makes up 80% with Primitivo at 20%.

Powerful dark fruit flavours are held together in a smooth, full bodied red wine with soft tannins and a lingering depth of flavour on the finish, thanks to being made using the Italian appassimento winemaking technique, which sees a portion of dried grapes added to the ferment to create richness of flavour and concentration. 

Grosjean's velvety Gamay from north east Italy tastes ideal with cured meats such as salami, prosciutto and Italian soups.

Gamay's smooth red fruited flavours and lifted red floral perfume are best known from France's Beaujolais region but here's an Italian take on the same theme from the dramatic beauty of the Valle d'Aoste in north east Italy. Grosjean is a small volume, high quality focussed producer, which makes this wine from grapes grown between 700 and 850 metres above sea level on steep sunny mountainous slopes.

The Grosjean family traces its roots back to the village of Fornet in the high mountain passes of the Valle d?Aosta known as Valgrisenche where they raised cattle. During the summer months, the family cultivated grapes and chestnuts on the slopes at a lower altitude, stocking up on wine to supply themselves over the long winters. In 1969, Dauphin Grosjean, the father of the five sons that now collaborate to produce the wines of this estate, was encouraged to present his wine at the local ?wine expo?. The exceptional quality of his work was recognized and the entire family became engaged in the expansion of the vineyards and in the production of wine.

The estate has now grown to encompass seven hectares of vineyards. The domaine is located in the hamlet of Ollignan on the border of the towns of Quart and Saint Christophe and includes ?cru? vineyard sites such as Tzeriat, Rovettaz, Creton, and Touren in Quart, plus Tzant? de Bagnere, Merletta and Castello di Pleod in Saint Christophe. After starting out with the traditional Petit Rouge along with some Gamay, Pinot Noir and Petite Arvine, the Grosjeans have planted other local varietals such as Fumin, Cornalin, Premetta and Vuillermin.

Sustainable farming techniques have been in place since 1975: only organic fertilizers are applied and no pesticides or herbicides are used. Natural yeasts are utilized for fermentation.

It is not by chance that the makers of this tasty Sicilian red called this wine Kerasos, which means cherry in Greek. It's an apt description of the pronounced aromas of cherry and red fruits that mark the flavour profile of this sensational red. This is Nero d’Avola at its best and made from grapes grown on calcareous clay soils, high on hillside sites in Sicily where with high temperatures fluctuate between day (hot) and night (cooler) and winds help alleviate the risk of fungal issues in humid temperatures. This wine has a deep ruby colour, body to burn and structure to impress. 

It's made from vineyards in the rolling hills of Camporeale countryside, between 250 and 350 meters above sea level. Grapes are all harvested by hand and transported to the winery in small baskets where they are de-stemmed and go through natural fermentation. which takes about 10 days at about 24° C. The finished wine spends six months aging in stainless steel before bottling.

It retains freshness and has deliciously ripe fruit flavours with complex velvety mouthfeel and notes of spice and Meditteranean warmth shining through in every sip.

Timorasso is often called the ?white Barolo? and this grape produces a white wine with great potential for aging.

The soil in the Tortona area is sandy clay and the vineyard aspect is South, South west at about 250-450m. the vines are trained to Guyot with ten buds per plant at 4.500 vines per hectare.  All grapes are handpicked around the end of September followed by 6 hours of cryo-maceration. Fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with followed by 6 months on fine lees.

The end result is a super complex minerally driven wine, full-bodied on the palate with fresh citrus and tropical fruit notes leading to a mineral finish.

Commercial description

The hill overlooking Trento, with its clayey-limestone soils, welcomes the Manzoni Bianco and matures the grapes in late September. The character of the Fontanasanta vineyards is expressed through this hybrid, born of a mix of Riesling with Pinot Bianco. Its ability to evolve overtime requires patience; Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco is a wine that really comes into its own at least three years after harvest.

Name of wine: Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT
Grape: Manzoni Bianco
Vineyard location: Fontanasanta, Trento hills
Hectares: 5 hectares
Terroir: Calcareous clay
Fermentation and fining: Fermentation on the skins in cement tanks, followed by 7 months of aging in acacia casks
Annual production: 20.000 bottles

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is one of Italy's great reds and comes from Montalcino, a hillside town that's about 42 kilometres from the city of Siena, 150 kilometres from Florence and is 567 metres above sea level. 

Brunello di Montalcino must legally be aged for five years prior to its release in bottle, so when looking at the great wines from this small township, it's important to take that into consideration. 

The name Brunello comes from the Italian word Bruno, which means brown. It was given to the grape variety that Brunello di Montalcino is made from; it's a 100% varietal wine, meaning it is made entirely from only one grape variety. And until 1879, that grape was thought to be a distinctively different variety than the main grape in Tuscany, namely Sangiovese. 

In 1879, it was discovered that the Brunello grape is, in fact, a clone of Sangiovese which happens to produce particularly powerful, velvety smooth reds in this little highly prized hillside appellation. So, Brunello is one of Tuscany's few red wines that is made 100% from the Sangiovese grape and it is one of Italy's great red wines. 

Gavi is a wonderfully, mineral-driven white wine made in and around the eponymous township in south east Piemonte. The only difference between 'Gavi DOCG' and 'Gavi di Gavi DOCG' is that the latter can only be made of fruit grown within the borders of the Commune or township.  Other than that, they're identical wines and, more importantly, utterly delicious!  With its characteristic greenish tinge and notes of acacia flowers and green apple, it delivers a mineral-laden yet fruity wine with a bitter almond finish that pairs beautifully with all manner of dishes.

Frescobaldi's Nipozzano Riserva Rufina Chianta is named after the Castello Nipozzano and is a delicious complex Riserva Chianti with extended aging time and made from vineyards in Rufina. Wild berries and cherry flavours are flattered by spicy undertones of pepper, nutmeg and roasted coffee. It has a silky texture and layers of depth and interest. 

If you love champagne but find its rising prices hard to swallow, try Italy's answer to the world's best bubbly - with this blanc de blancs from Lombardy in north central Italy. Vezzoli is renowned as a producer for making bone dry wines and this lovely lively, dry sparkling wine is a top notch example. Yeasty and fresh, it rocks into a citrusy purity of flavour a long, beautifully balanced finish from extended ageing on lees (decomposing yeast) for 20 months.  

A quirky dry Italian white wine with interesting fruity aromas and a fleshy, medium body. 

It takes a fair bit of work to create a Pinot Grigio as complex, rewardingly delicious and layered as this one from the northern Italian wine region of the Veneto. Dry with intense flavours of lemon pith, red apples and hints of saltiness, this wine makes an outstanding match with salads and seafoods and is a great aperitif on its own. 

Hand picked grapes were gently pressed and given temperature controlled fermentation with wild yeast. The finished wine was aged for three months pre release. 

An outstanding Pinot Grigio.