Calabria

Calabria is generally known as the “toe” of the Italy “boot”.

A typical feature of the region is agricultural richness. Calabrian Bergamot is recognized as the best quality for essence oil in the world. Calabria is also the largest producer of Porcini Mushrooms in Italy.

Calabrian cuisine can be (very) spicy, at the image of the Nduja, a spreadable pork salume. It is mainly served with slices of bread or with ripe cheese.

Calabria is also well known for its Ciro DOC wine region, based on the Gaglioppo grape variety. Considered one of the oldest named wines in the world, with a winemaking history stretching back thousands of years, this is very much Calabria’s flagship wine.

Librandi

The winery has been founded in 1950 by Antonio and Nicodemo Librandi.

Nowadays, the winery is run by Nicodemo’s sons, Paolo and Raffaele, his nephew Francesco and his niece Teresa.

Librandi has 300 hectares of vineyards around Cirò Marina, a small town in the southern Italian region of Calabria. The geographic position, located between the sea and the Sila Mountains, guarantees an excellent balance between day and nighttime temperatures.

Librandi was awarded “Best Italian wine grower 2013” by Gambero Rosso.

Sicily

The largest Mediterranean island, separated from the Italian peninsula by the very narrow Messina strait, Sicily is probably among the richest regions in history, art and cultural heritage, a mosaic of colours and contrasts.

According to legend, it was Dionysus (Bacchus) who brought pleasure to mankind, and wine to Sicily.

In the past, Sicily was famous for its Marsala and cheap bulk wines. Over the last 30 years, however, Sicily’s wine culture has changed dramatically and is now considered as one of the best regions.

The Sicilian has the largest vineyard in all of Italy. It is three times the size of the vineyard in New Zealand, larger than vineyard in South Africa and equivalent to the vineyard in Germany.

Donnafugata

Established in 1983 by Giacomo Rallo, the winery is now led by José and Antonio.

Donnafugata boasts vineyards in Contessa Entellina, nestled in the heart of western Sicily, as well as on Pantelleria island, situated between Sicily and Africa.

The 2016 harvest marked a milestone for Donnafugata, fulfilling the aspiration to produce wines in eastern Sicily with the distinguished Etna, Cerasuolo, and Frappato di Vittoria appellations.

The name Donnafugata, meaning ‘lady in flight,’ originates from the novel ‘Il Gattopardo’ and alludes to the tale of a queen who sought sanctuary in what are now the company’s vineyards, a narrative that also inspired the company’s logo.

Sicily

The largest Mediterranean island, separated from the Italian peninsula by the very narrow Messina strait, Sicily is probably among the richest regions in history, art and cultural heritage, a mosaic of colours and contrasts.
According to legend, it was Dionysus (Bacchus) who brought pleasure to mankind, and wine to Sicily.
In the past, Sicily was famous for its Marsala and cheap bulk wines. Over the last 30 years, however, Sicily’s wine culture has changed dramatically and is now considered as one of the best regions.
The Sicilian has the largest vineyard in all of Italy. It is three times the size of the vineyard in New Zealand, larger than vineyard in South Africa and equivalent to the vineyard in Germany.

Donnafugata

Established in 1983 by Giacomo Rallo, the winery is now led by José and Antonio.

Donnafugata boasts vineyards in Contessa Entellina, nestled in the heart of western Sicily, as well as on Pantelleria island, situated between Sicily and Africa.

The 2016 harvest marked a milestone for Donnafugata, fulfilling the aspiration to produce wines in eastern Sicily with the distinguished Etna, Cerasuolo, and Frappato di Vittoria appellations.

The name Donnafugata, meaning ‘lady in flight,’ originates from the novel ‘Il Gattopardo’ and alludes to the tale of a queen who sought sanctuary in what are now the company’s vineyards, a narrative that also inspired the company’s logo.

Sicily

The largest Mediterranean island, separated from the Italian peninsula by the very narrow Messina strait, Sicily is probably among the richest regions in history, art and cultural heritage, a mosaic of colours and contrasts.

According to legend, it was Dionysus (Bacchus) who brought pleasure to mankind, and wine to Sicily.

In the past, Sicily was famous for its Marsala and cheap bulk wines. Over the last 30 years, however, Sicily’s wine culture has changed dramatically and is now considered as one of the best regions.

The Sicilian has the largest vineyard in all of Italy. It is three times the size of the vineyard in New Zealand, larger than vineyard in South Africa and equivalent to the vineyard in Germany.

Donnafugata

Established in 1983 by Giacomo Rallo, the winery is now led by José and Antonio.

Donnafugata boasts vineyards in Contessa Entellina, nestled in the heart of western Sicily, as well as on Pantelleria island, situated between Sicily and Africa.

The 2016 harvest marked a milestone for Donnafugata, fulfilling the aspiration to produce wines in eastern Sicily with the distinguished Etna, Cerasuolo, and Frappato di Vittoria appellations.

The name Donnafugata, meaning ‘lady in flight,’ originates from the novel ‘Il Gattopardo’ and alludes to the tale of a queen who sought sanctuary in what are now the company’s vineyards, a narrative that also inspired the company’s logo.

Alsace

Alsace region can be found in the very eastern side of France in a valley along the Rhine River. On the other side of the river is Baden, a German region that produces wines in a similar style.

Recognized in 1962, today the protected designation of origin AOC Alsace represents 72% of the production. About 90% of the wine produced is white.

Vines were grown on 15,600 hectares in 119 villages. Mainly 7 grape varieties

In contrast to other parts of France where wines take their name from their regions of production, Alsace wines are labelled by grape variety.

Boeckel

The Boeckel family, established in Mittelbergheim-Alsace for almost 500 years, founded the commercial enterprise in 1853.

At the end of the 19th century a large part of wines was already bottled and exported.

Today Jean-Daniel and Thomas Boeckel continue to produce high quality wines on 24 hectares of vineyards. They are all cultivated according to the rules of the organic farming.

The aging process sets the Boeckel wines apart from other wine producers. They are aged for 12 months or longer in large oak casks of 75 years. Boeckel wines, controlled to perfection, are recognized by their perfection.

Piedmont

Located, as its name suggests, at the foot of the Alps bordering France and Switzerland, Piedmont is the second largest of Italy’s 20 regions, after Sicily.
Recognized for its industry like Fiat in Turin, Piedmont is also one of the greatest regions in the world in terms of cuisine (don’t forget the white truffles from Alba!) and wine!
With 46 DOC and 4 DOCG, Piedmont has more wine appellations than any other Italian region.

Broglia

Bruno Broglia acquired this historical estate in 1972.

It was the first winery to collaborate with the University of Torino to improve the quality of the local varietal, Cortese, used for the Gavi di Gavi DOCG.

Now a third-generation family business, the winery manages 65 hectares of vineyards within the Gavi municipality.

Broglia safeguards its oldest vineyards, which date back to the 1950s, thanks to the unique calcareous marl soil that allows the vines to have an ­extended lifespan.

They are recognized as one of the top Gavi producers on the international stage, receiving industries titles such as Tre Bicchieri, as well as, a place as some of the most exclusive tables, such as the Vatican and G8 summits.

Veneto

The Veneto, located in the north-east of Italy, is about five million population, ranking fifth in Italy. The tourists are very attracted by the capital, Venice but also Verona, the hometown of Giulietta!
It is also a region that contributes a significant percentage of the country’s total wine industry. With now 14 DOCGS & 24 DOCs, Veneto is producing every style of wine and with great success.
Soave, Valpolicella and Bardolino, Amarone, are produced there. The super trendy sparkling wine Prosecco has its origins and its best expression in the Veneto.
Much of Italy’s Pinot grigio hails from the Veneto, where the crisp and refreshing style is easy to maintain.

Inama

The winery was established in 1967 by Giuseppe Inama.  At the time, he began to purchase small plots of vineyards in the heart of the Soave Classico and as a result, the Inama winery today owns most of the vineyards on the prestigious Mount Foscarino.

Today the winery is run by the 3rd generation, pushing up the quality of the Soave and developing their other project in Colli Berici.  Here, mineral-rich terra rossa soils (red clay over limestone) and a hot, dry climate make ideal conditions for growing red grapes, in particular Carmenere.

Piedmont

Located, as its name suggests, at the foot of the Alps bordering France and Switzerland, Piedmont is the second largest of Italy’s 20 regions, after Sicily.

Recognized for its industry like Fiat in Turin, Piedmont is also one of the greatest regions in the world in terms of cuisine (don’t forget the white truffles from Alba!) and wine!

With 46 DOC and 4 DOCG, Piedmont has more wine appellations than any other Italian region.

Braida

Braida has been created in 1961 by Giacomo Bologna. He has been recognized as the first winemaker to raise the quality from a traditional table Barbera to a fine wine.

In 1982, Braida launched Bricco dell’ Uccellone, a “Super Barbera”.

The wines were aged in small, French oak barrels in order to compensate for Barbera’s lack of tannins. The result was a deeply flavourful, complex wine out of a variety normally considered to be an acidic filler.

Now, the children, Raffaella and Giuseppe, run the wine estate. They have made Braida one of the most respected wineries in Piedmont.

Burgundy

Burgundy (or Bourgogne in French) is a legendary wine region in eastern France.

Most of the red wines are made from pinot noir grapes and white from chardonnay grapes.

Burgundy has a higher number of AOCs than any other French region, often seen as the most terroir conscious. The various AOCs are classified from grand cru vineyards down to non-specific regional appellations.

Chablis is the furthest north-region and produces some of the greatest whites.

Further south lies the Côte d’Or, split into Côte de Nuits, home to many of the world’s finest Pinot Noir wines, and Côte de Beaune where Chardonnay plays a more prominent role, though outstanding red and white are produced throughout.

And South is the Côte Chalonnaise and the Maconnais.

Domaine Gueguen

Born into winemaking families, Céline and Frédéric Gueguen embarked on their own adventure in 2013. They created their Domaine nestled in the heart of the Chablis vineyards.

Between the Auxerrois and Chablisien vineyards, the estate is made up of 36 hectares.

The Gueguen’s are passionate about conservation and respect towards the environment, aiming to create a wine representative of its terroir.

Finally, they love sharing their knowledge and estate with their visitors and have even set up their own Bed and Breakfast.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, is home to some of the most famous châteaux in the world of wine. Their exceptional terroir and superlative wines have long reigned as some of the most sought after and investment-worthy.

The majority of Bordeaux wines are dry, red blends from Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon or Cabernet-Franc.

The finest (and most expensive) of these come from the great châteaux of the Left Bank (higher in tannins, alcohol and acidity, more on Cabernet) like Pauillac, Margaux, St Estephe or St Julien and the Right Bank (softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity. Merlot is the dominant grape), appellations of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. They are complemented by high-quality white wines (particularly from Pessac-Leognan) and the sweet, botrytized nectars of Sauternes.