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.

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.

South West

The South West (or ‘Sud-Ouest’) is a relatively large territorial zone of France, incorporating the administrative regions of Aquitaine, Limousin and Midi-Pyrenees but excluding Bordeaux.
South West France is a rather heterogeneous region in terms of its wines and how they are marketed. It is rare to see wines being sold as Vins du Sud-Ouest. With Bordeaux brightly highlighted wines, the south-western wine regions have been struggling for centuries to get recognition for their diverse & unique appellations.
The region’s wine portfolio, meanwhile, includes sweet wines from Jurancon; tannic, full-blooded reds from Cahors and Madiran; sparkling wines from Gaillac; and dry whites produced from a wide range of different grape varieties.

Château Montus

Lying between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees Mountains, the spectacular hillside vineyard of Montus, overlooking the Adour Valley, is producing some of the finest Madiran.
Alain Brumont purchased Montus to create the wines of his dreams in 1989. Nicknamed the Petrus of the Southwest by several critics, the château is one of France’s most prestigious wine producers.

Champagne

Champagne, lying to the east of the Paris region, is one of the historic provinces of France.

Thanks to a sparkling wine to which the region has given its name, the word Champagne is known worldwide – even if many of those who know the drink do not know exactly where it comes from.

Champagne wine was first produced within its three main towns – Reims, its largest and home to the Montagne de Reims, famed for its Pinot Noir; Epernay, the capital of the Côte des Blancs, the area most renowned for its Chardonnay; and Ay, the town situated on the border of both the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs.

Founded in 1837 by Henri-Marc de Venoge, located in Epernay, Champagne de Venoge has been keeping its leadership:

• 1st House to release illustrated labels in 1838,
• Special Cuvée des Princes launched in honour of the Princes of Orange in 1858,
• One of the founders of the “Syndicat des Grandes Marques” in 1872,
• 1st “Maison de Champagne” to produce a Blanc de Noirs in 1988.

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.

Massolino

The history of the Massolinos. became entwined with the history of Serralunga d’Alba in 1896, when Giovanni founded the estate.

Giovanni was the very first person to bring electricity to the village.

The first wine cellar was built by Giuseppe, son of the founder Giovanni, who, together with his sister Angela, extended his estate into the best soils.

At that time, Giuseppe had six children. Three of them followed in their father’s footsteps, expanding the estate.

They purchased Margheria, Parafada and Vigna Rionda, cru vineyards which are authentic jewels.

In the 1990’s Franco and Roberto, both oenologists, joined the family estate and put Massolino as one of the best Barolo producers.

Friuli Venezia Giulia

This region is situated in Italy’s northeast and borders Slovenia and Austria.
Friuli Venezia Giulia overlooks the Adriatic Sea and is surrounded by high mountains, enclosing many different landscapes.
The cooking traditions are influenced by the Slavic, central European and Venetian cultures. The cuisine relies on simple recipes and genuine ingredients.
Some typical dishes of the area are polenta or “porcina”, a dish made with boiled pork meat and sausages served with sauerkrauts and mustard.
The most important typical product of the region is Prosciutto of San Daniele.
The dishes of the area are accompanied by a rich production of high-quality red but mainly white wines, like Refosco, Malvasia, Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Ribolla.

Venica & Venica

Venica & Venica is a family-owned estate with 28 hectares of vines in the Dolegna district of Collio, near the Slovenian border. It was established in 1930 when Daniele Venica purchased Ronco del Cero.
Today the winery is one of Friuli’s most famous and respected estates and is well-known for making highly textural and aromatic whites that use little to no wood in the production of their wines.
Giampaolo now has taken over the estate from his father Gianni and uncle Giorgio. Venica & Venica’s vineyards are spread over 7 different hills from 300-400 meters above sea level — each with its own distinct micro-climate.
This great terroir provides unique characteristics to each of the vines and, when blended together, creates a wine of great complexity.

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

Fuligni

Fuligni was founded in 1923 by the Fuligni viscounts, an ancient Venetian family who moved to Tuscany around 1770. The present owner is Maria Flora Fuligni, who works side by side with her nephew Roberto Guerrini Fuligni.

The property covers approx. 100 hectares east of Montalcino, historically the home to the most classic of Brunellos. The surface area under vine is 12 hectares, principally located at I Cottimelli (hence “vigneti dei Cottimelli”).

The older vineyards are 380-450 meters above sea level, mainly east and southeast facing.

Fuligni produces Rosso, Brunello, and Super Tuscans. They are all consistently ranked amongst Tuscany’s finest.

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.

Château Hostens-Picant

Château Hostens-Picant is a non-standard Bordeaux winery, family-owned and run, quality-focused.

The family represents the pioneers in Sainte-Foy Bordeaux and are today the leader in this appellation.

The 42ha vineyard is on a great terroir in AOC Sainte Foy Bordeaux (close to St Emilion) with clay, limestone and parts with flint.

The Hostens-Picant vineyards are under sustainable viticulture and under process to be organic.

Rhône

One of the demanded red wine regions in France is the Rhône! The Valley is starting south of Lyon and is continuing along the Rhône River until Provence.

Due to its notable length, it has varying soils, expositions, micro-climates and varieties.

The north is home to appellations such as Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, Cornas and features Syrah as its sole red grape. Its whites include Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier.

In its southern half of the Rhône, the wines are notably different. The vineyards are hotter, flatter and composed of different soils and varieties, such as Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan as well as the ubiquitous Syrah. The resulting wines such as Châteauneuf du Pape, are rich and robust with lots of character and warmth.

Cave de Tain

Established in 1933, Cave de Tain is located at the foot of the Hermitage hillside.

Cave de Tain is the leader of “cru” wines in the northern Rhône Valley in producing 5 famous appellations: Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Cornas and Saint Peray.

The winery owns 28ha of vineyards and has access to more than 1000 hectares through a longterm partnership with farmers in buying their grapes every year, making Cave de Tain the leader in the region from far.

The Rhône Valley is the birthplace of Syrah. It is the only red varietal used for 5 of the “crus” wines produced in the northern Rhône: Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Cornas appellations and in the very north Côte Rôtie.