Italy · 6 days · 6–10 people
Etna: wines from the volcano
Six days from Catania with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Etna, Sicily, from north-slope contrade and palmenti to Benanti's Carricante.
countries
Italy
Tours
Italy · 5 days · 6–10 people
Friuli and Collio: orange wine at the border
Five days from Trieste with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Friuli's Collio and Carso, amber Ribolla in Oslavia, Vitovska and osmize.
Italy · 6 days · 6–10 people
Piedmont: Barolo, Barbaresco and the Langhe table
Six days from Turin with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont, Italy, with five estates and white truffles.
Regions
Italy · Region guide
Italy
My guide to Italy's wine country: Nebbiolo in the Langhe, amber Ribolla in Oslavia, Nerello on Etna's lava, Chianti hills, and how I run a wine tour in each.
Italy
Tuscany: Chianti Classico, Radda and Montalcino
Tuscany's Sangiovese hills: Chianti Classico from Radda and Panzano, Brunello di Montalcino, Montevertine and Fontodi, and how I add it to an Italy wine tour.
Italy
Etna wine region: Nerello Mascalese on the volcano
Etna wine region, Sicily: Nerello Mascalese and Carricante on lava at 600 to 1,000 m, the contrade of Randazzo and Passopisciaro, and how my wine tour runs.
Italy
Friuli Collio: orange wine country on the Slovenian border
Friuli's Collio and Carso, north-east Italy: Ribolla Gialla on skins in Oslavia, Gravner's qvevri, Radikon's botti, osmize above Trieste, and my wine tour.
Italy
Piedmont: Barolo, Barbaresco and the Langhe hills
Piedmont's Langhe hills around Alba, Italy: Nebbiolo in Barolo and Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto, white truffle season, and how my wine tour runs.
Winemaker stories
Italy · Etna Classic
Antonio and Salvino Benanti and the sea stone of Milo
Benanti in Viagrande on Etna, Italy: Pietra Marina Carricante from Milo, Nerello Mascalese Riservas, and the twin brothers who run the classic Etna reference.
Italy · Etna Natural
Frank Cornelissen and the buried clay of Solicchiata
Frank Cornelissen on Etna's north slope, Sicily, Italy: old-vine Nerello Mascalese, no wood, buried terracotta, and a winemaker who revises his method yearly.
Italy · Piedmont Traditional
Luca Roagna and the slow cellar of Barbaresco
Roagna in Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy: Nebbiolo macerated 60 to 70 days under a submerged cap, five years in old botti, and a winemaker who never hurries.
Italy · Piedmont Classic
Giuseppe Vaira and the stained glass of Vergne
G.D. Vajra in Vergne, at the top of Barolo, Piedmont, Italy: Bricco delle Viole Nebbiolo, Freisa and Riesling from a winemaker family under stained glass.
Italy · Friuli Natural
Saša Radikon and the slow Ribolla of Oslavia
Radikon in Oslavia, Collio, Friuli, Italy: Ribolla Gialla months on its skins, years in old oak, half-litre bottles, and the winemaker son who keeps the pace.
Italy · Friuli Natural
Joško Gravner and the qvevri of Oslavia
Gravner in Oslavia, Friuli Collio, Italy: Ribolla Gialla six months on skins in Georgian qvevri, six years in botti, and a winemaker who lets time do the work.
Tell me where you want to drink
Write in any of my five languages. I answer personally, usually within a day.
Dante replies personally, usually within a day, in English, Russian, Czech, Armenian or Italian.