Italy
Home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, Italy is the world's largest producer of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted for 19 per cent of global production, ahead of France and Spain. Italian wine is both exported around the world and popular domestically among Italians, who consume an average of 42 litres per capita, ranking fifth in world wine consumption.
Brands
Anselmi
Anselmi is a family business located in Monteforte d’Alpone, in the province of Verona. The owner Roberto Anselmi decided to go back to the family business in 1975. He had a dream: to repurchase those vineyards that his grandfather had cultivated for 25 years and lost in 1945 because of WWII.
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Antinori
The Antinori family has been involved in the production of wine for over twenty six generations. Over these years, they have always maintained an unaltered, fundamental respect for tradition and for the territory in which they have operated. Tradition, passion and intuition have been the three driving principles which have led the Antinori name to become a leader in Italian wine.
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Bisol
Bisol is a family of grape growers and wine producers since 1542, in Valdobbiadene: a tiny beautiful village, at the foothills of the Alps but only 60km away from the city of Venice, in the North East of Italy. This area is famous for a traditional white grape variety: Prosecco, normally used to make a fruity, light, elegant sparkling wine, easy drinking and refreshing: the classic Italian Apertif wine. Bisol has the reputation of being one of the oldest and finest producers of Sparkling Prosecco and the family’s main focus.
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Borgogno
Since 1761, the most historical winery in Barolo. The underground cellars continue to represent a rare historical memory of the Langa to this day, and the wines are made according to tradition: long spontaneous fermentations in concrete tanks without the use of selected yeasts, and long periods of ageing, strictly in large Slavonian oak barrels.
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Founded in 1967, Carpineto farms 424ha of land that spreads over four estates located in the renowned Central Italian Region – Tuscany. The range of wines from Carpineto includes some of the most classic and famous wines such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vin Santo as well as the highly revered Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva that is made with the native Sangiovese grape. Carpineto wines are made with hallmark style that is incredibly rich, complex and elegant with long aging potential.
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Diego and Alberto Cusumano are two dynamic characters in the modern Sicilian wine renaissance. When Sicilian wine really started to pick up speed two decades ago, the Cusumano brothers were an important part of the “Rat Pack” (including Tasca, Donnafugata and Planeta) at the tippy top of the production pyramid. They are tireless promoters and hardworking managers, and at the forefront of the Sicilian wine industry. Cusumano is one of the top brands in Sicily with 502 hectares of vineyard across Monreale, Palermo, Pachino and Caltanissetta.
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Fattoria Aldobrandesca estate is located near the town of Sovana in the isolated, uncontaminated southern part of Tuscan Maremma. The area is characterized by its fertility, and its virtually wild character. In this rich territory, the Aldobrandesca estate represents a microcosm of incredible variety. In the space of a very few hectares, the soil takes on many different shadings of color: white pumice stone, tufaceous soils which range from yellow to garnet red and black volcanic rock.
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The history of this winery is very much linked to the history of a typical wine from the South Eastern region of Tuscany: Morellino, which takes the name after the “darker” colour of the Sangiovese grape variety traditionally grown here. Mantellassi was the first family to bottle the Morellino in 1977 and this beautiful, rich, complex and full bodied red wine, is definitely their signature product.
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Pighin
Since 1963 Pighin is one of the leaders among the wineries in the North Eastern Region of Friuli, just on the edge with
Slovenia and Austria. This is without any doubts one of the most prestigious and highly rated Italian Region for the
production of premium quality white wines: Pinot Grigio above all, an indigenous grape variety in Friuli, and one of the signature wines for Pighin.
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Garofoli
With a history dating back to 1901, Garofoli is the oldest winery in the Central Italian Marche Region that faces the Adriatic Sea, and close to Tuscany. The Garofoli family is focused on the production of the finest wines, using the traditional and native grape varieties from their own area: Verdicchio for the whites – dry, elegant, fresh with great minerality and wonderful with seafood; that has incredible longevity. As for the reds, the renowned Montepulciano and Sangiovese; with their signature full bodies, strong and well-balanced style.
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Isole e Olena
The Isole e Olena came about when the de Marchi family purchased two adjoining estates, ‘Isole’ and ‘Olena’ in the 1950s. Now run by Pablo de Marchi, the wines are not focused on power, but rather on elegance and finesse.
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Jermann
Silvio Jermann, a friend and young wine technician, has gone against the stream: he has created a blend of the best grapes of Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon from the Tunina vineyard. A vineyard in Ronco del Fortino in Villanova di Farra, that owes its name to one of Casanova’s mistresses. The result is an unrivaled wine: pale gold yellow, joyous and brilliant in color; the bouquet is ample, rich and sensual with hints of capsicum, ripe tomato and acacia blooms.
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La Braccesca
Just miles away from the city of Montepulciano, near the border between Tuscany and neighbouring Umbria, the La Braccesca estate is surrounded by a splendid territory, first Etruscan and Roman, then medieval and Renaissance. The La Braccesca estate is situated in two very close, but entirely different zones; Montepulciano, the classic and prestigious area of “Vino Nobile” and Cortona, which has made a name for itself in world markets principally with international grape varieties, above all Syrah.
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Le Mortelle
The Le Mortelle estate is located in the Tuscan Maremma near the town of Castiglione della Pescaia.The estate has belonged to the Antinori family since 1999, and it has worked both on the vineyards and the new cellars with the firm conviction that the area, at the time just emerging into prominence in the overall panorama if Italian wine, had a very significant potential for the production of high quality wine. The family also believed that here the finest characteristics of the terroir and the varieties to be planted could fully find an excellent expression.
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Michele Chiarlo
Founded in 1956, Michele Chiarlo owns 100ha of vineyards in Piedmont: a North Western Italian Region, famous for its prestigious red wine. Michele Chiarlo produces classic wines such as Gavi, Arneis, Moscato for the whites, Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto for the reds. Michele Chiarlo is internationally considered as one of the finest producers of Baralo, Barbera, Moscato and Gavi.
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Nicolis
Established since 1951, the Nicolis family produces wine from their estate vineyards in San Pietro in Valpolicella (“valley of many cellars”) region in Italy. The birthplace of one of the most celebrated wines in the world – Amarone and Valpolicella “Ripasso”, Nicolis is helmed by second generation, Giuseppe Nicolis – the winemaker, and Giancarlo – the viticulturist. The Nicolis brothers’ winery covers over 40 hectares of vineyards in various parts of Valpolicella both on foothills and at higher altitudes, with an annual production of only 16,000 cases.
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Prunotto
Established in 1923 by Alfredo Prunotto, this historic winery – Prunotto is located in Alba, the most important city of the Langhe district of Piedmont equidistant from both Barbaresco and Barolo. Alfredo Prunotto pioneered the vitculture techniques such as grape selection, and the production of superior blends made solely from the finest grapes; which was unheard of at that time. Just over a decade ago, Prunotto was purchased by Marchesi Antinori.
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Santa Cristina
The first vintage of Santa Cristina was produced in 1946, which became a point of reference for connoisseurs for its unwaverving commitment to quality. Just like a good story, Santa Cristina never gets old. The wines of Santa Cristina were born from this simple philosophy, thanks to a continuous bond with the land. Owned by Marchesi Antinori, this dedication to preserve the quality of Santa Cristina continues.
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Tormaresca
Tormaresca is the expression of tradition and innovation. Character, personality and top quality are the characteristics that Puglia transmits to the native grape varieties. For this reason the Antinori family gave birth to Tormaresca in 1998 when they started investing in Puglia. Puglia is considered one of the most promising regions in Italy for the production of high quality wines with a strong territorial identity.
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Umberto Cesari
Emilia Romagna is located in the North Eastern part of Italy, and many of its traditional products like Parma Ham, Balsamic Vinegar, and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese are famous around the world. Emilia Romagna is not just a “food capital” but it’s also the birth place of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ducati. One of the finest wine producers from this region is definitely Umberto Cesari, who started his winery in 1965 with the simple idea of making the best possible wines, using the local grapes: Sangiovese di Romagna, which is used to make Umberto Cesari’s legendary “Tauleto winner of the Sangiovese Trophy” best Sangiovese wine of the world in 2007.
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Villa Girardi
A brand owned by the Tommasi family – grape growers and wine producers since 1902 in Valpolicella (an area close to the Garda Lake, the biggest lake of Italy and near the enchanting city of Verona), is one of the most famous producers in Italy for the production of fine wines such as Amarone, Valpolicella, Soave and Lugana.
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PALA Wines
Pala vineyards are divided in eight different single ones. Some of them are really close to the cellar, some other one are far. Different terroirs, the best exposure, and the best soil type are adapted to the different grape varieties. Form the town of Serdiana, where Pala has its cellar and where the limestone in a rolling hill area is common to the municipalities of Ussana and Senorbì with again limestone and marnes.
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