Italy - January 2021

Here we are in 2021 – a year for the history books behind us – and the need to get a taste of far away places has never felt more compelling. To me, it also means there’s never been a more exciting time to drink and explore wines that express their native land and the people producing them. This month, we’re taking you on a tour of Italy, with four specially picked bottles from four different regions of the country, all of them unique and delicious in their own way.

We’ll start up north in the Veneto, specifically in Valpolicella Ripasso, a region known for, not only, but typically bold, complex, red wines made from a crazy amount of indigenous grape varieties. The traditional style of Valpolicella blends grapes like Corvina and Rondinella and others for deeply savory and rustic wines. The wines from Giuseppe Quintarelli – the most famous winemaker of the region – are highly sought after all over the world. So, some twenty years ago when “Bepi” (as his friends and family called him) labeled Tommaso Bussola the “next best superstar,” the wine world paid close attention. We’re thrilled to include a wine from Tommaso Bussola in this month’s box.

Next, a region you’re probably most familiar with – Piedmont. This is where the great Baroli are made - wines of insane longevity, finesse, and power, made with the nebbiolo grape. The saying in Piedmont goes, “you drink the Barbera while you wait for the Barolo to age,” and we couldn’t agree with this thirst quenching decision more. The Cascina Fontana Barbera d’Alba is one of our favorites and we think it will become one of your go-to wines when you need a fun and easy-to-drink red.

Heading south to the vast and centrally located Basilicata – a region whose viticulture is really on the rise. If you’ve ever tasted a bottle from this region, it has likely been made from the sturdy Aglianico grape. In the hands of the right producers this grape yields wines of terrific quality and tremendous complexity. We’ve got a bottle from a winemaking couple who jetted from Tuscany (after making wine there for many years) and settled in the foothills of the Vulture volcano in Basilicata.