Cantine Riondo is a large cooperative based near Soave with over 2,000 winegrower members. This Extra Dry vintage spumante (Italian for semi sparkling), offers rich and elegant scents of ripe Golden Delicious apple, acacia and wisteria blossom. Fresh and creamy on the palate with a pleasant silky finish.

Castello di Verduno is an historic Piemontese estate that makes classic Barolo and Barbaresco from prime vineyard sites in both appellations. The winery is located in Verduno, the northernmost commune of Barolo.

For their Barbarescos and Barolos, winemaker Mario Andrion prefers 30 to 40 day macerations and extended aging in large Slavonian botti. Their varietal wines see mostly stainless steel aging, with some large botti.

This wine is 100% Nebbiolo grown on Marne di Sant'Agata, which is a combination of sand, clay and limestone. Hand harvested grapes were fermented in stainless steel for 20 days with periodic punching down of the cap, prior to 18 months in large traditional Slavonian oak with three months resting in stainless steel and another 14 months ageing before release. 

Vino Novello News comes from Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes grown in the municipalities of Ortona and San Salvo, on the Adriatic coast of Abruzzo.

It is vinified through the carbonic maceration technique in whole clusters at a temperature of 30 ? C for 10 days. The grapes are pressed and spontaneously ferment for 4 days after which the wine is bottled and ready for consumption.

Ruby red in colour, it expresses itself on the nose with hints of red fruits. On the palate it is fresh and harmonious, very pleasant, ready to drink.

It goes perfectly with cured meats, recipes based on mushrooms and grilled chestnuts.

Montestefano is a great single vineyard Barbaresco and is one of the nine cru Barbarescos made by the cooperative winery that is arguably Italy's highest quality minded one, Produttori del Barbaresco.

This wine is a keeper and drinks beautifully now when decanted. 

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. 

Seductively fruity and powerfully tannic are two of the hallmarks of great Barolo and this wine more than meets the mark with its massive depth of earthy, dark flavours and its delicate aromas of red fruit. It is a sensational Barolo, available in small volumes in New Zealand. 

This is Barolo at its best. It is alluringly tasty now and undoubtedly has a long life ahead for those with willpower to cellar it for up to and beyond a decade.

Giacomo Fenocchio is regarded as one of the best Barolo producers today. Here's a piece that sums up why he is so highly respected and what makes his wines an authentic expression of Piemonte as a wine region.

Commercial description

"Grapes are dried in temperature and humidity controlled warehouses in hillside locations till December. Fermentation for about 20 days on the skins with constant pumping over. Oak wood aging for 18 months and in bottle for 6 months.

Casalforte Amarone della Valpolicella is a full-bodied red wine with a garnet red shade. Its complex bouquet recalls cherry jam, ripe black cherries and spicy notes of vanilla and licorice. On the palate it is juicy, well-structured with a fresh and fruity finish. It pairs perfectly with rich pasta dishes, game and grilled or stewed red meats as well as mature cheeses."

Sangiovese blended with Merlot in a wine with a vibrant ruby colour and flavours of raspberries, cherries and spicy clove aromas.

Drink now and decant… or keep for three to four years

Designation: Barolo D.O.C.G.

Grape Variety: Nebbiolo (100%)

Vineyard: The grapes for this wine are sourced from the single vineyard Lazzarito in Serralunga d’Alba. Lazzarito is a wonderful natural amphitheater facing southwest, at an altitude of 260 – 390 meters a.s.l., with a clayey and calcareous soil. Vietti’s property in this vineyard stretches for about 2 hectares. The grapevines have an average age of 40 years. They are planted using the Guyot trellis system with about 4,500 plants per hectare.

Winemaking: Hand-picked on September 29th, 2018, the grapes have been destemmed and gently crushed before bringing them into stainless steel tanks for the alcoholic fermentation. They have spent about four weeks in contact with their skins. This time includes the pre- and post-fermentation maceration, using the traditional submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in wood.

Ageing: The wine has been aged for 30 months in large oak casks and, only a small amount, in barriques. It was bottled without filtration.

Description: Deep ruby red colour with garnet nuances. Fascinating and deep on the nose. Notes of hay, cut grass, tobacco, white pepper and a hint of mint. Robust, muscular on the palate, with a taut and mineral finish. The tannins are typical of Serralunga: angular, austere and very deep. Appealing long lingering sweetness on the finish.

Food pairings: Game, red meats, seasoned cheeses.

Crafted with the native Grillo grapes from Sicily this is a lovely expression of the Sicily's sea swept terroir . Pale straw yellow. Fresh and lively with citrus notes. Pleasantly dry and crisp.

Made in the Valpolicella Classica region from a blend opf the traditional Veronese grapes: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. 

Medium intensity cherry red in the glass this opens with an intense bouquet of ripe cherry aromas. The palate is fresh with good acidity and soft and silky tannins. Cherries and red fruits are the dominant flavour bolstered by hints of oak.

Food pairing - Typically versatile and good throughout the meal; excellent with soups, pasta and risotto. Enhances both simple food and more complicated dishes based on red meat and moderately aged cheeses.