Languedoc-Roussillon

Languedoc-Roussillon is located in the south of France. It extends from the Rhône Valley and Provence in the east to the Spanish border in the southwest.

This region is home to 300,000 hectares of vineyards, making it the largest wine region in France.

While historically known for its inexpensive table wines, many producers have spent recent decades striving to enhance the quality of their wines.

Languedoc and Roussillon, the two sub-regions, are recognized for their unique red wine styles. Languedoc for its fruit-forward, full-bodied, and sometimes complex wines, and Roussillon for its riper, juicier blends.

Atelier Guibert – Mas de Daumas Gassac

One of Languedoc’s most successful winemaking stories is that of Mas de Daumas Gassac, founded by the Guibert family.

Following the well reputed Daumas Gassac and its Moulin de Gassac which offered more accessible bottlings, a new wine adventure has started.

The family has officially launched a new wine range: Atelier Guibert.

It is described as a “Liberty and Creativity workshop” and “natural, intuitive winemaking.” There’s an emphasis on letting the terroir speak for itself without too much winemaker intervention.

The 14 hectares of vineyard benefits from the same cooling winds and microclimates than Daumas Gassac.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Veneto

The Veneto, located in the north-east of Italy, is about five million population, ranking fifth in Italy.

It is a very touristic area, mainly to Venice but also Verona.

It is also a region that contributes a significant percentage of the country’s total wine industry.

Soave, Valpolicella or 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.

Bertani

The company was established in 1857 by brothers Giovan Battista and Gaetano Bertani in north of Verona.

The winery’s influence on Veneto’s winemaking, especially in Amarone production, is so profound that the names ‘Bertani’ and ‘Amarone’ are almost interchangeable.

Bertani produced its first official vintage of Amarone Classico, crafted through natural appassimento, in 1958.

Today, the winery continues to blend tradition with innovation, managing over 200 hectares of vineyards in the prime areas of the Verona province.

In 2018, Bertani was honored with the title “Winery of the Year” by Doctor Wine.

In 2023, one more award as “Winery of the Year” by Gambero Rosso.

Languedoc-Roussillon

Languedoc-Roussillon is located in the south of France. It extends from the Rhône Valley and Provence in the east to the Spanish border in the southwest.

This region is home to 300,000 hectares of vineyards, making it the largest wine region in France.

While historically known for its inexpensive table wines, many producers have spent recent decades striving to enhance the quality of their wines.

Languedoc and Roussillon, the two sub-regions, are recognized for their unique red wine styles. Languedoc for its fruit-forward, full-bodied, and sometimes complex wines, and Roussillon for its riper, juicier blends.

Moulin de Gassac – Mas de Daumas Gassac

The Moulin de Gassac was created in the early 90s by the founder of Mas de Daumas Gassac, Aimé Guibert.

After the initiation of vine pull schemes, he started collaborating with local vine growers to preserve their vineyards. The Moulin de Gassac wines played a decisive role in preventing the disappearance of this terroir.

Thereafter, Mas de Daumas Gassac confirmed the wines’ unique identity with their own signature: Moulin de Gassac.

Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is the heart of France, famous for its natural beauty, magnificent châteaux and great wine.

The Loire Valley is stretching more than 960 km. It was added to UNESCO’ World Heritage list in 2000.

The Loire Valley vineyard area is a mosaic of different climates, soils, geographical features and locations

A vast area of 70 000 ha over 14 departments from Vendée to Puy de Dome.

Joseph Mellot

The iconic, historic and family-run Maison Joseph Mellot has been established in Sancerre for more than 5 centuries.

At the head of the estate since 2005, Catherine Corbeau Mellot is now joined by her children.

The vineyards are entirely cultivated in line with the principles of ecological and certified agriculture (HVE), part of which is organic.

The vineyards of Joseph Mellot cover 8 appellations of the region, of which Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are the most renowned.

Tuscany

Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history and artistic legacy. As the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, the region has an incredible art and architecture heritage.

Tuscany is certainly the most famous of all Italian regions for its wines. Sangiovese reigns in all its forms in the vineyards of Chianti but also Montepulciano and Montalcino.

It is also the land of the Super Tuscan, the Bordeaux blend style that laid the foundation of some of the greatest Italian wines.

As a pairing with these wines, Tuscany cuisine is based on simplicity but high quality and certainly topped with Tuscan olive oil, recognized all over the world.

Rocca delle Macìe

Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973 by Italo Zingarelli, the film producer of the highly successful series of films starring Bud Spencer and Terence Hill.

At the time, he purchased “Le Macìe” estate – 93 hectares, of which only two are planted with vines – in order to establish a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico region.

Italo passed on his love and passion for the Tuscan land to his three children. In 1985, Sergio started working with his father.

In 1989, with the help of his wife Daniela, he took over the management of the company. Since then, Sergio, in collaboration with his sister Sandra, has consolidated and developed his father’s company.

Today, the winery has about 500 hectares. 200 are planted with vines and about 22 with olive trees, divided between six estates.