We have a vested interest in the farmers and winemakers we meet, the wines they make, and the stories they have to tell. As of this writing we're working directly with about 40 wineries in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy, and over the past year about 50,000 or so of their bottles found their way into our warehouse and then out into your car or onto a UPS truck. Thank you!

With this six-pack you'll be introduced to a virtual "Tour de Italy" of some of (we think) our best selections in the $20 price range.  Get to know us in just a week or two with this nice half dozen recent discoveries from all over Italy. 

With this mixed pack you'll receive six different reds, all ready to drink right now. Here they are:

From way down in Sicily...

Cantine Pupillo Damarete Rosso 2020, $25-- A superb blend of Nero d'Avola (the most important red of Sicily) and Cabernet Sauvignon (less important, but seemingly at home here). Juicy and delicious Sicilian red for under $25? Where do I sign up?? Alas, here we are, our first foray into Sicily, Mt. Etna looming to the north, with loads of red wine all around. And what do we do? We decide to offer a red wine from the island's southeast, and from a winery I imagine we'll go back to again and again.

...to the shores of Lake Garda

Giovanna Tantini Bardolino La Rocca 2020, $24 -- Giovanna's joyful, easy attitude undoubtedly infuses itself into her wines. They are bright and cheerful, like this rose-scented Bardolino, a new wine in her lineup, and one that I have been anticipating for several years when she first whispered to me about it. This is one of our winemakers that I wish all of you could get to know, so we could all just hang out in the sun, a glass of Giovanna's wine in hand, and enjoy the moment forever. Here's a chance to do that through one of her best bottles of wine. She calls this bottling her "Prince among the wines we produce." The pride shows through. It is nice to drink Bardolino that has spent equal time aging in both stainless steel AND barrels, the latter giving the wine a wonderful layer of richness. Overall, this isn't a darkly colored opaque wine, but it is so alive with a salad bowl of fruit, and accompanied with a whiff of herbs like fresh tarragon and rosemary. 

Then, two from Tuscany...

Sassotondo Ciliegiolo Tuscany Maremma DOC 2021, $24--Little cherries. That is what the grape variety Ciliegiolo translates to in Italian. But when one sees Ciliegiolo written on paper, or a wine label, and speaks very little Italian, they need a mnemonic device to rememeber how it's pronounced. Alas, I give you: Chili Jell-O. Its color is ruby red, of nice vivacity; the nose is intense with notes of red fruits, plum, licorice and the typical touch of ground white pepper. The taste is warm and smooth thanks to tannins that are present but not aggressive and to a structure backed up by alcohol and a nice acidity.

Poggio al Sole Chianti Classico 2020, $27-- The Davaz family vineyard is the heart of Chianti Classico, arguably one of the top 3 or 4 sites in the entire denomination (not by way of my opinion, but that of the region's top consulting enologist). In fact, their property is surrounded on virtually all sides by vineyards that are farmed, or belong to, the famous Antinori. Poggio al Sole is one of only two independent wineries in all of Tavernelle Val di Pesa. I've always found the Davaz' Chianti to look and feel like Pinot Noir was part of the picture. They really go for a fine and understated style of winemaking, and this new vintage is no diferent. Lovely aromatics in the glass give way to mouthful of pure pleasure--silky, only lightly tannic, and a lovely complexity. 

...And finally, a pair from Piedmont

Alemat 'Barbacro' 2021 $19-- Here's a unique red that is made with approximately 70% Barbera and 30% Croatina. (see 'Barb' + 'Cro' = Barbacro) The vinification is made with a shorter permanence on skins, in order to have something let’s say more ready to drink compared to other of Alemat's wines. The name references of course the blend of BARBERA + CROATINA, but then Savio discovered that in a Normandy dialect, it means “HANDLEBAR MUSTACHE”. So they designed the package with this in mind. What is interesting is that the label is printed using a special new technology: almost every label is different. It can change: mustaches, eyes, the shirt and butterflies.

Crissante Alessandria Barbera d'Alba 2021, $21--The Alesssandria family owns vineyards surrounding the frazione (hamlet) of Santa Maria and just below the pretty hilltop village of La Morra, a well-known address for Barolo lovers. There are a total of 6 hectares spread among 5 different parcels, all creating distinctly wonderful and delicious wines. One parcel is dedicated to this lovely Barbera, and similar to my love for the wonders of Dolcetto, their "table wine" does the trick for almost any dinner one can imagine.