The Dogajolo Toscano Rosso IGT - Carpineto by Carpineto winery has scored 89 Wine Spectator points , an important reward for an atypical Tuscan red wine which qualifies as a fresh and innovative proposal within a tradition of great vintage and aging wines with an excellent price/quality ratio. Fruity and winy aromas, sided by light vanilla notes provided by the refinement, which add the possibility of aging too, confirming the great job by Carpineto.

When we talk about successful aging in wines, Fontalloro - Felsina is certainly a fitting example. The Fontalloro Fèlsina 2009 vintage, tasted last night, was a real satisfaction, not surprisingly it received high level reviews from some the field major experts such as Wine Advocate and James Suckling (93/100 for both). A pure Sangiovese that shows itself with a red that is as dark as it is intense, as are the notes of licorice, wood and vanilla on both the aromatic and tasting sides combining with aromas of berries and a slight acidic hint, underlining the still remaining longevity of the wine. The tannin is well present, but dosed to the right point, for a balanced structure that does not weigh it down excessively.

Giving yourself a bottle of BARBARESCO DOCG RISERVA PORA - Produttori del Barbaresco by Produttori del Barbaresco, a truly genuine and authentic winery concerning this specific wine, is certainly one of those decisions for which your senses will be thankful. The Barbaresco Riserva Pora is the expression od a winery, or better an agricultural Cooperative, made up of 50 members who don’t accept any compromise when we talk about Nebbiolo, and since 1958 have joined their work, knowledges and experiences to realize bottles of wine having a truly direct and unbreakable bond to the territory. An aspect that is reflected directly in the glass, where the garnet color is intense and lively, as the aromas of red fruits and spices ( licorice and black pepper ). The tannins are perfectly velvety at the palate, accompanied by a light sapidity during the clean and persistent finale together with the vanilla note given by the 36 months of refinement in barrels.

The proposal of the day is Adamo Bio winery Sicilian white wines trilogy. As it is in the cinema field, in this case the wines produced by the wise Vincenzo Adamo are a different interpretation and evolution of the same subjects (the Sicilian organic white wines) in the same reference context, that is to say the territory ( in this case Alcamo area in the west of Sicily). This is the best way to catch all the properties and enologic shades of a territory, in reference both to the wine varieties and local origin denominations as the Grillo and the Alcamo DOC (Italy most ancient DOC), that the international wine varieties as it is in the case of the Sauvignon Costa dell’Ape. The approach in Adamo wines is towards the natural expression of the terroir and the vineyards, without building excessively the wines in the winery in their consistencies and aromas, through the organic certifies agricultures methods without treatments that could damage the ground and the marvelous Valle d’Alcamo.

Today We’re in Friuli, where in the Trieste plateau among the jagged rocks of the coastline Kante has its home. Kante winery is truly harmonized with the territory, so much that the winery itself has been carved in the natural stone. The rock one is a ground as challenging for the grapes and who works with them, as it is generous and unique in the wine making then, due to this Kante wines acquire a peculiar minerality and acidity. In the White Vitovska Kante 2016 We’ve tried (and suggest you too), the mineral and acid notes are well defined and present, allowing a 12 months refinement in barrique, giving wooden and vanilla aromas that round the acidity tips obtaining balance and aromatic intensity at the same time.

It is difficult to define Colterenzio as a traditional winery, where usually the owner family runs and develops the production process following a more or less model making it their own job. But here we’re talking about the union of 300 families, for most of which viticulture isn’t their job, to which they dedicate their own passion, knowledge and time, to the service of what can be defined as an ambitious cooperative, with the aim of a sustainable production of Trentino wines able to transmit their own territory as it is in the case of Cora Pinot Bianco Colterenzio. Colterenzio (Schreckbichl) Cora Pinot Bianco is a straw yellow with greenish shades wine, the main aromas are fruity (green apple and citrus) and light herbaceous evolved from a part of refinement in barrel, a pleasant lightly bitter aftertaste leads to a persistent finale.

The 2019 awards space for Carpineto is back, and now it’s up to Farnito Cabernet Sauvignon IGT - Carpineto, a Cabernet Sauvignon rewarded with 90 points Wine Enthusiast 2019 and 90 points in the Gilbert and Gallard International Challenge 2019, it is the only wine of the winery produced entirely with grapes from an international wine variety. In the Farnito case the company leitmotiv “great wines of Tuscany” has a different interpretation, indeed differently from the other bottles where typical Tuscan wine varieties and denominations are involved, here the focus is on the Tuscan interpretation of an International wine variety. The result is a strong ruby red clolour, the main aromas are very mature fruits but above all spices and licorice. Very energetic and full bodied with pleasant notes of wood and vanilla with a great final persistence.

Casello Bondoni rises in the middle of the Lugana kingdom, on the southern side of Lake Garda, precisely between Desenzano and Sirmione. It is just this denomination deriving from Trebbiano wine variety to which it dedicates a huge part of its production. A line that, as the winery itself, isn’t static bur tries to renew maintaining the territory peculiarities, as the construction of an underground modern cellar testifies. This is an aspect that can be found again in the Lugana DOC Zona Franca, on which the knowledge and the will to experiment have led to test a barrique refinement. After having tried Casello Bondoni Lugana DOC Zonafranca we promptly approve the great idea, the result is a golden yellow wine, whom main aromas are dried fruit, honey and a pleasant sapidity. The barrique Lugana refinement doesn’t overshadow the rest of the bouquet but integrates in it instead, moreover it provides, paired with a good acidity, structure and aging potential.

Today we’re in Friuli, precisely in San Quirino, in the north-western part of the region. It’s here that we find Russolo winery, namesake of the owner family, which has been dealing with the enology world for more than a century, evolving its own activity up to the current dimension of independent winery since 1974. The production give space both to regional wines as Ribolla Gialla and Refosco, but also to international wine varieties like Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot and others, a choice that has given great results in the case of Russolo Rino Doi Raps. Doi Raps is a Friulian white wine that shows a straw yellow limpid color, the main aromas are mature tropical and white pulp fruit, with some honey note. Round and full bodied in relation to the category it belongs to thanks to the late harvest and finally a light acidity to refresh the palate.

If you are fond of Lugana, one of the Garda wines par excellence, our suggestion is trying the Lugana D.O.P. Prestige - Cà Maiol, a bottle which is moreover endowed with a great value for the price. Its color is straw yellow with golden shades as a good pure Turbiana wine, the aromas are tropical fruit, in particular pineapple, citrus and honey. At the palate it is pretty full bodied for a white wine, while the mineral finale helps reaching a great balance for the Lugana Ca' Maiol

Summer has come, and with it the re-styling for the Prosecco La Marca too, which has come back dressed in elegant clothes. The dress changes, but not the substance, what remain are the delicate fruity aromas, the great drinkability and the freshness of a perfect wine for aperitif, these are qualities of this Prosecco recognized by the critics too. Another new entry is the certified BIO Organic wine production for some of the La Marca wines as the La Marca Prosecco D.O.C. Extra Dry Bio.

The Valle d’Aosta wines aren’t always rewarded with the space they would deserve, indeed this region too hides enology specialities and denominations that are worth the best awards by the experts of the sector. Gewürztraminer is a wine variety which found a fertile ground in this region: aromatic and shaped for fresh clime, elements that Le Clocher di Charrère Danilo winery has succeed in exalting, creating a wine amazingly balanced and pleasant, GEWÜRZTRAMINER Vallée d’Aoste dop - LE CLOCHER of which we taste the 2013 vintage. The color is the typical yellow one with golden shades, both on the aromatic and tasting sides it shows a really impressive health for being a six years aged white wine without particular refinement process: the aromas of peach, flowers and aromatic herbs typical of the wine variety are well defined by never excessive, at the palate spices and mineral notes prevail, moreover the unaltered acidity, despite the manu years from the bottling, makes the wine still fresh and intense.

Freshness, the right amount of acidity, delicate but well defined perfumes, this is the portrait of SPUMANTE GARDA ROSE’ “BESPOI” D.O.P. - Podere Dei Folli, Garda DOC rosé sparkling wine by Podere dei Folli. The last one is an organic agricultural company that is specialized in the production of Lake Garda gastronomic excellences, among which it’s impossible to forget wine. From the great tradition of rosé wines typical of the areas adjacent to Lake Garda, among which certainly the Chiaretto (which is produced by this winery too), starting from the local vine variety par excellence as the Groppello is born a lively organic rosé sparkling wine, as its copper color, almost tending to orange, with floral aromas, while at the palate it is quite dry, fresh favoring the drinkability without boring the palate.

Leone de Castris was born in 1665, during a period when revolutions both on the political and scientific sides took place, a winery which have literally seen and participated to historical changes for more than three centuries. On its part it has been the first winery to sell a rosé wine in 1943, whose name, on the alley’s army request, has been anglicized in “Five Roses”, a signature that has directly acquired a place in the Italian and international enology history. Through the centuries, production has been searching for innovation, new challenges, but at the same time keeping on giving space to those which are the original tastes of the land that hosts the winery. In this sense the 50° VENDEMMIA - Salice Salentino Doc Riserva - Leone De Castris is emblematic, both in the name and the content (100% Negroamaro), awarded with three glasses gambero rosso for the 2014 vintage available in our catalogue. A lively red ruby colour, with fruity aromas at first than turning to spices (licorice in particular). A the palate it is soft, velvety and well balanced, with mainly spiced notes tending to vanilla due to the oak barrels refinement, with a lightly sapid finale cleaning the mouth.

For the wine tasting space today is Rosso di Notri - Tua Rita moment, a Tuscan company which this year has celebrated its twenty-fifth production anniversary. Rosso di Notri is the introducing red wine to the winery, the more immediate, a Tuscan wine with elegant fruity aromas and an alcoholic hint, at the palate the fruity notes together with spices and herbs shades and a light tannin presence in the finale, which implies a certain aging potential

When we talk about Primitivo di Manduria and other Apulian wine varieties in general, Cantine San Marzano is a warranty both of quality and variety. The Apulian winery, indeed, not only produces many different varieties of Primitivo di Manduria doc, but it tries to experiment other wines too, always remaining coherent to the use of local grapes. And that’s how Cantine San Marzano Cinquanta Collezione is born, a name deriving from the minimum age of the vines from which the wine made grapes derive, a wine that literally tastes like Apulia. It could only be like this, with a blend of Primitivo and Negroamaro that gives fruit, spices and characteristic liquor aromas, while at the palate the structure is well defined and certainly present, full bodied, soft, but in a smaller dimension compared to the single variety primitivo of the same winery, making it more towards an important table wine (perfect with red meat and roasted meat) than a meditation wine.

The Nobile di Montepulciano has many centuries of history behind, you mustn’t confuse it for the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Tuscans wouldn’t forgive you for that). It is a territory that, as the ancient letters testify, has an enological tradition dating back to the first centuries after Christ, a wine that has always had, and still nowadays preserve, a deeply local character, as the grapes of which is made up of (Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo). Poderi Sanguineto I e II Rosso di Montepulciano is a direct, sincere wine, with spices and tertiary aromas, while at the palate it is dry, with an acidy that makes the tastes clean and a light tannin final sensation.

As every territory endowed with a marked wine vocation, the Valpolicella doesn’t only boasts the pure Amarone quality, but also variety, some of them derived just from this last one. The Ripasso Valpolicella DOC, indeed, is an Amarone descendant, whose pomace are used during the wine drying. Zenato winery, authentic ambassador of the typical Garda and Valpolicella wines, has made the Ripasso one of its points of strength with the Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Superiore, appreciated both by the critic (95 points James Suckling, Silver Decanter Awards) and the public (recently among the most voted in Vivino). The colour is intense red, almost garnet, the main aromas are red fruit (cherry above all) with a light alcoholic note. At the palate it takes out the best of the drying: full bodied, well defined tastes, sweet but not boring, funny on the contrary, to taste in a very direct way.

If you’re searching for rare interesting price performance wines, adding Morellino di Scansano DOCG Bellamarsilia - PoggioargentierA will give you great satisfactions. A Prestigious denomination as Morellino di Scansano together with the seriousness and commitment of the company guarantee great results, which have been spontaneously followed by many awards. Two Glasses by Gambero Rosso, 91/100 James Suckling, these are only few of the great reviews obtained, the result of a work towards the research of the best expression of a high value territory, with which, despite the relatively young age, PoggioargentierA winery has immediately searched (and found) great harmony. Bellamarsilia presents itself with an intense dark red color, the aromas are cherries and delicately balsamic. At the palate instead acidity balances pleasantly the intensity of the fruit note, with a velvety tannin sensation and a remarkable final persistence.

It is normal that when you here Franciacorta word, your mind immediately links with the great Franciacorta DOCG wines, which are considered among the best sparkling wines of Italy. But, for people who know it, this territory has can offer different stuff too concerning enology: both as white and red wine the Curtefranca DOC is a denomination that has acquired a space in the personal wine cellar of the wine lovers, and today we’re talking right about one of these. Uberti Curtefranca Bianco shows up with a straw yellow color, the main aromas are tropical fruits and peach, while acidity and minerality at the palate bring to a great ease in drinking.

Spices and aromas are perfect alleys for recipes, and it is always good, when it is possible, to have them as fresh as possible. From our side we try to encourage this aspect giving the chance to purchase from our web store practical pot plants from Italy by Orto Mio in Forlì, fit for every house. As it is for the Calabria hot pepper, a variety coming from the Italian region of hot taste par excellence, one of those spices that give their best when they’re as fresh as possible. Thanks to the use directly successive to the harvest, the tastes keep more intense, moreover the pot plants as Hot Pepper Calabrese VERY HOT diavolicchio Italico Pot Plant - Orto mio are pretty home decorations too.

If you want to try a truly different wine from your average sparkling wines experience, SOTTOSOPRA -Tenute del Garda is unlikely to unnoticed. The differences start from the bottle label, which is upside down (Sottosopra), and the crown stopper, ideal choices in order to sustain the philosophy behind this Garda Lake wine. That is to say a classic method with 18-24 months of refinement, that continues in the bottle as the second fermentation yeasts are maintained, allowing a continuous evolution. Tenute del Garda in this case wants to highlight the energetic, joyous part of the territory and wine making in general. The result is a persistent perlage, with a stable and full bodied presence, a colour that certainly doesn’t aspire to perfect clearness, but to a vivacity that it reaches in the bright yellow tone. The main aromas are bread crust and citrus, the citrus note then comes back at the palate accompanied by a great acidity giving a fresh, pleasant and uncommon result.

When we talk about Sicilian wines one of the first associations that we think of is Nero d’Avola, a vineyard arrived from Greece more than two thousand years ago, finding in the island its ideal habitat. As many of the southern Italy wines at the beginning it wasn’t correctly enhanced, mostly proposed as a blend wine, in the last decades the progressive turn to a qualitative production instead of the quantitative one has highlighted its personal and interesting characteristics, bringing it among the most valuable Sicilian red wines. Perciata - Nero D'avola IGP Terre Siciliane Da Agricoltura Biologica - Az. Agricola Biologica Adamo, is a pure Nero d’Avola endowed with a strictly typical connotation, in this case the refinement in steel ( which requires a more consume compared with the barrique one) exalts the fruity aromas of black cherries, berries, with a pleasant acidity that leans the alcoholic structure typical of the wine variety.

The Chardonnay is one of the most interpreted wine variety throughout the world, a wine spread most of the area of the planet, of which it is possible to find many different versions depending on the ground, the clime, the methods in vineyard and winery. The Sicilian winery Mandrarossa proposes a variant that conciliates the internationality and the island peculiarities, it is a chardonnay more aromatic and fresher than the average, moreover endowed with a great alcoholic structure. The main aromas are floral and citrusy, while at the palate the citrus tastes stand out again sided by a minerality that gives body and persistency for a great balance in the final result.

The visual impression is enough to understand the high quality of the PASTRY SHEETS / LASAGNE - PASTIFICIO CAPONI. The craft pasta processing at environmental temperature helps to preserve the best properties and aromas of durum wheat and eggs, 26 yolks per kg of flour, both exclusively from Italy. Moreover the hand working, differently from the industrial one, increases the absorbing power of the other ingredients and the consistency during the biting is better too. The final result is an exceptional product, as it is the implicit pasta Caponi message, showing us how personal knowledges and manual skills are, in some processes, still an irreplaceable added value in the food field.

Urlari has been one of the emerging Tuscan wineries in the last years, within a wine panorama where, due to the presence of many high level wine producers, is not so simple to stand out. This success is caused by many different factors, among which the enologist Jean-Philippe Fort, one of the most renowned names within the Bordeaux wine making scene in France, motivated by the particular characteristics of the Tuscan terroir and the possibility to look after the project from the beginning. The rewards have soon arrived, from the Gambero Rosso glasses to the great reviews by Wine Enthusiast, particularly for the pure Merlot of the winery, the MERLOT L'URLO URLARI, which has been so much appreciated by the consumers to have been the most voted in the last week with an average rate of 4.2/5 on the app Vivino The color is intense dark red, red fruits (black berries in particular), spices and tobacco are the main aromas. At the palate you can immediately feel an impressive full velvety sensation, with intense spices notes (cinnamon and cloves) and vanilla due to the 12 months refinement in French oak barrels, great persistence too.

Cartagho Nero d'Avola - Mandrarossa is a Sicilian wine that doesn’t leave indifferent, starting from the name, deriving from the historical Carthage. A city, or better a population that in the ancient times widely influenced the cultural development of Sicily. Indeed, to underline the historical to the territory, the wine is a pure Nero d’Avola, which is one of the Sicilian wine varieties par excellence. In the past it was seen as a blended wine, with the passing of time it has shown more and more potential, personal and pleasant shades when in selective or careful wine making conditions. Cartagho Mandrarossa has been awarded with three glasses by gambero rosso, a further testament of the quality offered by the Sicilian winery. Intense red ruby color, the 12 months of barrique exalt the characteristics that the Nero d’Avola acquires during the refinement: mature fruit and spices aromas, while at the palate the 14% alcoholic volume are perfectly integrated in the aromatic range that goes from the vanilla to an almost floral note (very uncommon), maintaining a well velvety and direct tannin structure.

The South Italy wines, due to the temperatures that swing from temperate to hot all year long, turn out to be particularly intense in the floral and fruity aromas, and the Malvasia reflects that too. Telling the truth it is a wine variety subject to 18 different variations, and for this reason it is able to convey a clear idea of the differences between the terroir. The Malvasia Nera Salento IGP - Notte Rossa is a clear example of this attitude, an intese red ruby at the sight, evident red fruit fragrances, while at the palate it is soft, structured, with a return to the wild berries and a velvety tannin in the finale.

When it comes to Garda white wines, the thought, as a normal consequence, moves immediately to the #Lugana, a great typical wine from the southern shore. But today we’re talking about Serai Bianco Veronese IGT - Le Morette, a cuvée of the wine cellar Le Morette, and what’s better than an exclusive cuvée to represent a wine cellar? An assembly including the local vine variety Turbiana and two international as Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, the result at the sight is a straw yellow with green shades, at the nose the main aromas tend to flowers and tropical fruit. It is at the palate where the Serai Bianco gives its distinctive trait: freshness and great acidity side a light pleasant hot sensation that exalt all the aromas.

Colterenzio is a very particular casa in the Italian enology panorama, indeed it wasn’t created from a single family project, but from the will of 300, for most of them wine production is the main passion and not the effective job. The wines produced in turn are someway infected by this uniqueness, the same changes itself through the years, because wine, as the wine cellar dynamism represents well, is constantly evolving. Colterenzio (Schreckbichl) Pfefferer is a very direct Trentino wine, that certainly doesn’t go unnoticed, one of the characteristic it owes its success in the public to. From moscato grapes, it is straw yellow colored, the aromatic side is very intense with flowers, fruity and lightly spiced aromas. At the palate it is fresh, with the right acidity level, with tropical fruit and citrus notes, characteristics that make them ideal as an aperitif, mainly in the summer period.

The Cantina Lazzari’s, from Capriano del Colle (Brescia), is a story of passion and redress. The Capriano del Colle DOC denomination, where the company vineyards and the wine cellar are places, was known only for low quality wines for the local market, but the Lazzari family knew that this territory was endowed with truly enviable potential and qualities out of ordinary. So it was born a project with the aim of enhancing the terroir, to present a wine not elaborated in the wine cellar, but a wine that reflected the qualities of the territory itself. A company philosophy that consequently treats the ground with the highest respect, relying on clean, renewable energy as the photovoltaic, and eliminating the use of pesticides obtaining the organic certification too. The results have proved Lazzari family work right, with has its flagship in the many international recognitions obtained by Capriano del Colle DOC Rosso Riserva degli Angeli -Lazzari. Intense red ruby color, mature red fruits and spices aromas. At the palate it is very soft, round and gentle despite the 15% alcoholic volume, there the spices come back, accompanied by a really pleasant vanilla note.

The ancient durum wheat varieties have recently been doing a comeback, once they were abandoned for their poor yield, nowadays they’ve been reconsidered for their extraordinary organoleptic properties and the characteristic aromas that distinguish themselves from the most common ones. The Russulidda is part of this category, a Sicilian ancient durum wheat which is a truly unique variety as benefits on health (low gluten content, facilitation of digestion, high lignin content that favours the circulatory system) and the aromatic typicalness. Fastuchera Azienda Agricola is a small Sicilian reality, starting from the ancient wheats cultivation to the transformation in hand made pasta, obtaining a Sicilian ancient wheat pasta from organic agriculture. Yesterday some new products have been presented, among which the Paccheri di Russulidda - Fastuchera Azienda Agricola, a typical format of the southern Italy gastronomic tradition which finds in this variety an original aromatic mark and inviting toasted perfumes.

The Valdobbiadene is the mother land of the Prosecco par excellence, a hill area dedicated to the viticulture for more than a thousand years as some ancient scripts dating to the middle age testify. It is in the heart of the DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene area that in 1968 nine small wine cellars united their resources to create the highest quality possible wines, it’s here that the Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG - La Marca is born. A wine that has been rewarded with many prizes as the 90/100 score by Wine Spectator, and represents the most sincere expression of the Prosecco DOCG and its territory. The color is straw yellow with some golden shades, aromas are mainly floral and a little fruity, at the palate it prove to be very balanced, soft, with some interesting citrus notes and a pleasant mineral finale. Certainly the ideal as an aperitif, great paired with fish or appetizers too.

When you don’t live near the sea, it’s not always easy to find the products reminding its original aromas and flavors. Mare Puro (La Bottarga di Tonno Group) is placed in Custonaci, on the western side of Sicily, a stone’s throw away from the Mount Cofano marine reserve and the Bonagia tonnara, realities far away from the industrial fishing that influenced the company in turn. The products are obtained working the fresh fish, just fished following sustainable criteria in the Sicilian open sea (and in the case of the red tuna following the acquisition of official quotations), through craft techniques and the use of high quality ingredients, ad the Trapani sea salt, local excellence that contributes to elevate the quality of the fish which is great itself. Tuna bottarga, anchovy fillets, Bluefin tuna belly fillets - Ventresca di Tonno Rosso - Mare Puro are only some of the products to try, able to reproduce the sea authenticity .

Maybe everybody don’t know that extra virgin olive oil, as it is for wine, is subject to good and bad vintages, low or high in quantity, according to the different area too. This year for the Garda olive trees have produced evo oil in great quantity, that hasn’t altered the quality though, on the contrary the latter one is truly exceptional this year and it is proved by the acidity level (which is normally low in the Garda evo oil yet) at the lowest levels in its history. Leali Monte Acuto has been one those who benefitted from this great vintage, the company olive trees in Puegnago del Garda have rewarded the a work based on natural techniques without any chemical intervention. Garda Casaliva Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Leali is a monovarietal Garda DOP evo Oil, obtained by the namesake local olive typical of the Garda area, the color is a very intense green, in the mouth it is very soft due to the low acidity, lightly bitter with artichoke and almond aromas and a final light hot note.

Do you know what does agricultural beer mean? The COBI disciplinary (Italian Consortium of Barley and Beer Producers) in Italy is clear and strict concerning this subject: the producers must use at least 51% of own produced raw materials, while the rest must come from members of the Consortium who respects the standards, with the aim of maintaining high the quality of the registered products. The Birrificio OI has joined the COBI Consortium, but it stands out producing the 100% of the raw materials used in the craft beer making, creating almost an unicum in Italy. Indeed OI, registered trademark and therefore a guarantee, means “Italian Origin”, so barley, yeasts but also the hop plants are cultivated and produced within the Oglio River park, in the province of Brescia. The result is a complex Italian craft beer, nor filtered or pasteurized, amber colored, endowed with a persistent foam which gives creaminess during the tasting. The bubbles are very thin, from the moment that Birra OI producer is a Franciacorta wine producers too, he wanted to transfer the typical perlage of the wine in the beer. The aromas are mainly of coffee and toasting, fresh and fragrant at the palate with a lightly bitter finale.

In Pozzolengo, a little hamlet in the Middle of the Lugana production area, Cobue wine cellar, funded in 1971. The vinification is mainly oriented towards wines which are typically linked to the territory as Lugana DOC, San Martino della Battaglia, Garda Classico Rosso Doc, but with some sparks towards a research of new flavours compared to the habits of the local production, as the Brut ZERO Chardonnay metodo classico - Cobue, and the Passito di San Martino. The wine tasting of the Lugana Monte Lupo 2017 - Cobue was a real surprise, that made us consider it among the best of its denomination. Made up of 100% Trebbiano di Lugana grapes, its color is light yellow with some green shades, while the aromas are floral, fruity (peach above all) with a light citrus note. A the palate the acidity gives it freshness and match with a pleasant sweetness (and not filling as it often happens), softness and full body make it enjoyable and persistent sustaining a powerful alcoholic structure (14%) which isn’t invasive at all.

The area of Bardolino was one of the first in the Northern Italy to be a reference point in the enology, already from the IX century under the Lombardic reign as a parchment of the 853 testifies. The secret of this zone is the geological cross of three different terroir (morenic, glacial and carbonated), whose combination, together with precise climatical characteristics, giving the Bardolino wines a strictly personal character. As it is for the Chiaretto Bardolino d.o.c. - Cavalchina by the wine cellar Cavalchina, typical Chiaretto wine of the area, pale pink colored with floral, aromatic herbs and almond aromas. At the palate it is perfectly balanced, round with a pleasant sapid finale.

The Chianti Classico denomination is reserved only to those who commit themselves not only to the production of this typical Tuscan wine following well defined standards, but also to the safeguard of this precious territory, becoming a custodian. Tenuta Orsumella is located in the heart of the marvelous region of Chianti, where it has obtained the official organic producer certification not long ago, another recognized proof of the bond with the territory, which gratifies the wine cellar giving an excellent Chianti Classico DOCG, direct and intense as is traditional. Orsumella, Chianti Classico DOCG - Tenuta Orsumella is a 100% Sangiovese grapes wine, intense red ruby colour, the main aromas are red fruits and a little vanilla shade. The entrance at the palate is sapid, wide and enveloping, with further fruity notes but spicy too (tea and black pepper) and the velvety of the tannin balances perfectly the acidity. Not to underestimate the excellent price performance of this wine.

It’s never the wrong moment for a new wine tasting, yesterday it was Mandrarossa turn. A Sicilian wine cellar with vineyards sprinkled in the southern area of Sicily, precisely in Menfi, in the province of Agrigento. It is an area endowed with a constant sun exposure and particular environmental conditions: the vineyards directly overlook the sea, absorbing both its air and ground properties, from the moment that the soil is partly sandy. We tried a local monovarietal, the COSTADUNE GRECANICO - Mandrarossa, a typical Sicilian wine. The color is straw yellow with greenish glares, it immediately stands out flower perfumes, reached by citrus aromas and a light apricot fragrance. The proximity to the sea gives a pleasant minerality , accompanied by citrus notes and an almond finale confirming its freshness and quaffable.

The strictly personal peculiarities have curbed the possibilities and pairings of the Lambrusco. It is often considered a wine to pair only with Emilia specialities as tigelle or gnocco fritto with cold cuts, the Lambrusco di Sorbara is a vine variety that can be developed in many different ways with many different shades according to the methods used in the vineyard and in the wine cellar. Cantina Paltrinieri was one of the first entity to sustain the versatility of this Italian wine, introducing different processes for the same vine variety obtaining excellent results. As it is for the GROSSO Lambrusco di sorbara metodo cl.2013 - Cantina Paltrinieri, where the choice of a metodo classico, with 24 months of initial refinement and 6 months of refinement in the bottle, has been able to reconsider a wine diversifying it from its stereotype. Indeed the result is particular starting from the color, in this case a copper ancient rosè, the perfumes are floral, fruity but accompanied by a light citrus note, which anticipate a freshness that we find again at the palate, where a good acidity make the wine pleasantly fresh paired with sapidity, sensations that combine at their best with the typical red fruit aromas. Great as aperitif, paired with fish, fried food and naturally Emilia specialities.

Podere dei Folli is a familiar conduced agricultural company at the fourth generation now, placed in the Valtènesi area, adjacent to the Brescia shore of Lake of Garda. The changes have been many and different, thanks to the dedication to research and innovations during the years brought to the company production, but the authenticity of the flavors has remained the lowest common denominator. The choice has been focalizing uniquely on BIO DOP certified products, with the aim of offering truly genuine, natural, healthy, good DOP lake of Garda wines and evo oil without the use of any chemical additive. When I first tried the Sofaì Valtènesi D.O.P. organic wine - Podere dei Folli, it immediately brought my mind back to its native territory, thanks to the prevalence of the local vine variety groppello: the main aromas are red fruits with a lightly spices notes, at the palate it is soft, velvety , with a well balanced tannin by the 12 months in barrique and a light almond aftertaste.

During the week end, many times it happens to taste new wines, some of these leave a sign in the senses and mind of the people who taste them, and this is our case as it concerns Grano delle Formiche IGT rosso - Podere Spazzavento. Produced and bottled by the wine cellar Podere Spazzavento, a Tuscan agricultural company dedicated to the production of organic wines both typical as the Chianti Superiore DOCG, the Chianti Riserva DOCG and other more personal character wines as the IGT red wine mentioned before. Grano delle Formiche has been rewarded ad one of the best five red Tuscan IGT wines during the IX edition of the Tuscan wines selection. Produced with 70% San Giovese and 30% Colorino, the prevailing aromas are red fruits, while at the palate the twelve months in barrique stands out, making the tannin pleasant and velvety, with species and tertiary notes as vanilla and cocoa, mid body and great resistance. It is also possible to order it from our shop through the vivino platform.

Pecorino is one of the most well known and appreciated cheese in Italy, indeed it has a millennial history as the ancient Greek and Roman manuscripts testify, and there are many interpretations of this product according to the region where it is realized. Today we're introducing you the Pecorino Siciliano. The milk is obtained only from sheeps that are feed naturally gazing in order to preserve the real local aromas, than it ages in osier baskets at least 4 months. The result is a cheese with a very rough crust given by the osier baskets where it ages, while inside it is white or straw yellow compact without many holes. What distinguishes the Pecorino Siciliano DOP from the other regional varieties is the lightly hot taste and the strong perfume, you will completely find these characteristics the Sicilian Pecorino del pastore produced the the Sicilian bio organic agricultural company Adamo.

CONTESSA VIOLANTE - CONTE DE QUIRRA is a Vermentino di Sardegna DOC that certainly encloses the characteristics of the typical denomination, but it is endowed with personal peculiarities that gives it a strong personal connotation too. The motivations at the base are the proximity to the sea, but above all the tardive grape harvest, that, contrary to the classic Vermentino is near the drying. As a consequence the refinement will be longer to, from the average 3 months to 8-10 months. The result is a strong yellow pale with green shades wine, with great acidity and freshness despite the tardive harvest, that encloses not only the typical aromas of a Vermentino Sardo that is to say floral, citrusy and exotic, but also more complex shades as the licorice final and the balanced alcoholic presence (14% vol). Food pairing: crustaceans, grilled fish, cheeses.

In the hot summer nights the white wines, thanks to their characteristics, help to refresh the palate and make the dinner more tasty. LE TENUTE Riesling Garda D.O.P. - Tenute del Garda is a wine mostly made up of riesling grapes, a semi-aromatic vine variety, a peculiarities that makes it particularly perfumed and consequently adapt to the current season. At the sight it turns out to be pale yellow with some golden shades, the typical aromaticity suggests floral and exotic fruit notes. At the palate the aromas perceived at the sense of smell are found again, an alcoholic but not invasive note (13% vol) and a lightly sapid final. Ideal pairing: appetizers, first courses, fish main courses.

Agricultural Company Cobue: Not only Lugana among the wonderful vineyards on like of Garda. Yesterday we were lucky to visit the Agricultural Company Cobue, located in the southern area of Lake of Garda. The vineyards extend for 17 hectares, surrounding the wine cellar with a mangnificent panorama of the Lake. The wine cellar is modern and innovative, specifically dug under the ground level to maintain constant temperature and humidity in the most natural way all year long. What makes the company different is the choice to not produce only Lugana (as it happens in the 90% of the cases in the area), but make wines with other local traditional grape varieties, each one in the way that fit the best to the vine variety. We had the occasion to taste Monte Olivi San Martino della Battaglia 2015 - Cobue, a white wine 100% made up of historic Tuchi (former Tocai) grapes. Straw yellow color with golden shades, the main aromas are white flowers with a particular chamomile note; a the palate the freshness exalts the aromas which are find again in the mouth with a balance light almond final. Ideal pairing with appetizers, pasta dishes, risotto and fish main courses.

Agricultural Company Cobue: Not only Lugana among the wonderful vineyards on like of Garda. Yesterday we were lucky to visit the Agricultural Company Cobue, located in the southern area of Lake of Garda. The vineyards extend for 17 hectares, surrounding the wine cellar with a mangnificent panorama of the Lake. The wine cellar is modern and innovative, specifically dug under the ground level to maintain constant temperature and humidity in the most natural way all year long. What makes the company different is the choice to not produce only Lugana (as it happens in the 90% of the cases in the area), but make wines with other local traditional grape varieties, each one in the way that fit the best to the vine variety. We had the occasion to taste S.Martino della Battaglia, a white wine 100% made up of historic Tuchi (former Tocai) grapes. Straw yellow color with golden shades, the main aromas are white flowers with a particular chamomile note; a the palate the freshness exalts the aromas which are find again in the mouth with a balance light almond final. Ideal pairing with appetizers, pasta dishes, risotto and fish main courses.

The Chiaretto is a rosé wine rigorously produced in the Lake of Garda area. Once considered a waste of the red wine vinification, this kind of wine has been acquiring more and more importance with the passing of the years, improving itself and acquiring precise qualitative characteristics and identity. The result is a wine with strong chromatic tones, a great acidity and overall more near to a red than a white wine. The Valtènesi Chiaretto D.O.P. “Preaféte” BIO organic - Podere dei Folli is a product that expresses all the tradition, but also the progressive research for innovation during the years, linked to the Chiaretto vinification. Made up of Groppello ( a local vine variety), it has the typical strong cerasuol pink color, feeling floral and fruity aromas. At the palate stands out the typical sapidity of rosé, paired with a light almond final aftertaste.

Sicily has a territory endowed with a strong wine making vocation, the region historically is among the five best producers in Italy. A quantity characterized by great quality and variety, indeed there are 14 types of Sicilian local vineyards (the most well known Nero d'Avola, Perricone, Grillo, Cataratto, Zibibbo), have been added some international vineyards like Chardonnay e Syrah, which have received new peculiarities from the Sicilian ground. Today we will talk you about Cataratto IGP Terre di Sicilia - Az. Agricola Biologica Adamo, an organic wine, that represents perfectly the territory from which it comes from. It is born 100% from Catarratto white grapes, at the nose you can feel evident herbaceous and floral aromas. At the palate the primary tastes are citrus, on a second time tropical fruit with an alcoholic note, showing anyway an excellent balance and a pleasant sapid aftertaste.

The production area of the Lugana doc is located in the southern shore of the Lake of Garda, uniting the provinces of Brescia and Verona. Both the cities have wine-making tradition and vocation well known throughout the world, from the meeting of these two realities a wine appreciated for its quality and refinement is born. Lugana doc Montunal - Az. Agricola Montonale is straw yellow coloured, when you smell it you can notice immediately floral aromas, exotic fruits and spices. At the palate the exotic fruit note is predominant (pineapple overall), but it is also possible to taste spices which are balanced by a honey lightly sweet note, at the right point in oder not to get bored by the wine and make you feel like drinking another glass of it.

The period of truffles has already ended, but you aren't obliged to renounce to their taste for that, indeed the Cream with 50% white truffle - I Peccati Di Ciacco is a worthy substitute in lack of fresh truffle. It can be deduced from the fact that, differently from what normally happens in product derived from truffle, you can feel not only the typical aromas, but the taste is lively and persistent too. This is possible thanks to the high percentage of white truffle rigorously from the Piedmontese Langhe (50%). The truffle cream is the ideal on some toasted bread as an appetizer or during the creaming of a risotto

For the people who, sometimes, have no time for cooking, the frozen pizza can be a convenient solution. Even if the products that can be found in the supermarkets are often not high quality ones. We've selected for you PIZZA MARGHERITA - M.E.G.I.C. PIZZA. A pizza sealed in modified atmosphere, so not frozen, that preserves, thanks to this method, all the taste and organoleptic properties, as it has been just made without the use of any preservative. The ingredients are high quality ones, from the durum wheat flour 0 type, to the tomato and the fior di latte mozzarella (not always used in the pizzerias yet) 100% Made in Italy. It keeps for 20 days, it is also possible to frozen it in order to make it keep longer. To bring out the flavours and aromas during baking, preheat the oven at 250°C and place the pizza directly on the oven grill. Thereafter bring the oven temperature down to 220°C and let it cook for 6 to 8 minutes depending on whether you prefer a soft or crispier pizza base. As an alternative, you can place it in a pan for 8 to 10 minutes maximum.

Yesterday evening , in occasion of a Costata (Entrecôte) made from Fassona beef from Piedmont - Macelleria Mastra Alebardi grilled dinner with some friends, we've tried Amor Costante IGT TOSCANA - Gianni Brunelli - Le Chiuse di Sotto. A wine that has amazed and satisfied every dining companion's palate, an IGT certified Tuscan wine that has absolutely to envy compared to the most prestigious wine of that region. At the sight the limpid ruby red stands out immediately, the aromas are mainly of wild berries, at the palate it is soft, endowed with strong tannins and persistence exalting an important structure that confers the wine a strong and decise character. Grapes varieties: San Gives 80%, Merlot 20%. Alcohol: 14% vol Ideal food pairing: grilled red meat.

During these days Flos Olei 2018, which is one of the most important international EVO oil guides, will be released. We're glad to reveal you in advance that Extra Virgin Olive Oil Casaliva Comincioli has been ranked second (tie with other 5 EVO oils) with a score of 99/100. A great result achieved by an excellent product, just watching the package it is presented as a fine fragrance, giving the idea of the extreme care and quality of the product. Its taste is the typical of the Lake of Garda EVO oil: complex, decise and intense; characterized by particular bitter and hot shades with aromas of green clover

What's better than a mixed platter of selected high quality cold cuts to start your Christmas lunch? We're going to suggest you the best among the Italian cold cuts to give you and you family or friends an unforgettable taste experience. Salame punta di coltello - Salumificio Lovison: 100% no GMO Firulian pork meats, secret mix of natural spices, hand chopping of the meat in 2cm square pieces and then a 3 months seasoning. The result is a salami with rough grain that will exalt and make you feel the real taste of the meats. Prosciutto San Daniele DOP (raw ham) on piece - Il Camarin: "Il Camarin" is a small artisanal reality that produces only few thousands of pieces per year, these are very accurately selected and then most of them are destined to the selling to the finest butcheries and high restaurants. We're talking about raw hams endowed with exceptional piebald marking and aging, that distinguish themselves for their sweetness that can be guaranteed only by a well measured use of salt. Guanciale (jowl bacon) - La Cinta di Guido: it is made from the meat of an indigenous breed of pigs, the so-called Cinta Senese. The meat of these pigs is much tastier than of the other races, as in the rearing and feeding of these animals, great emphasis is placed on high-quality forage. The fat is less consistent and more fluid, so more pleasant at the palate, this allows the cold cuts obtained to have a faster spread of the aromas used for spicing it, assuring the product optimal aromatic characteristics. CULATELLO DI ZIBELLO DOP ORO SPIGAROLI - SLOW FOOD- GOLD: an institution in the Italian gastronomic culture. Words aren't enough to describe such a masterpiece, just try it.

During the last years the artisanal beer producers have been multiplying in all the peninsula, because the industrial beer, subject to filtering and pasteurization, don't preserve all the beer natural aromas and tastes. Italy is a nation in which water quality is very high, so, starting from the prerequisite that beer is 90% made by water, Italian beer starts form a great base. Historically the Italian territory hasn't been dedicated to production of beer, ad it has always been focused on the wine production. Cultivations as the barley, hops and yeasts production have never been developed, as a consequence almost all the producers import the raw materials from foreign countries. The OI project has the aim to realize a 100% Italian and artisanal beer. The beginning was very difficult, the supplier insisted that it would be impossible to cultivate an high quality barley but especially hops in Italy. But ,after 3 years of experiments and territory analysis, 3 hops and a barley (Spring Barley Prestige Variety) perfect for the production of an agricultural beer have been selected. The beer has been called OI because this acronym is the dialect word to indicate the Oglio river, in whose park the raw materials which give birth to this beer are cultivated; moreover Oi stands for Italian Barley (Orzo Italiano) and Italian Origin (Origine Italiana). The result is an harmonious, genuine and high quality beer. In order to make it as pure as possible and exalt its aromas it is nor filtered or pasteurized, its amber color that mends of the sunset will amaze your sight; it has a fragrant taste of toasted malt; It has a fresh and elegant taste, with a perfectly balanced bitter shade. OI Beer: inspired by our traditions, produced using advanced technologies, dedicated to the lovers of the Italian "buon gusto".

Another great result obtained by Orsumella, Chianti Classico DOCG - Tenuta Orsumella, the specialized magazine Gilbert & Gaill ha reviewed Orsumella, Chianti Classico DOCG - Tenuta Orsumella with a score of 87\100. Tasting notes: Deep garnet. Subtle nose of cherry with some faint toasted oak in the background. Ample, rich, lively palate displaying a lovely velvety texture and shy aromas followed by upfront herbal presence. Precisely delineated, allow to mature. A real chianti classic DOCG which, in spite of it needs further aging, it has already impressed positively many famous sommeliers.

CORTE RINIERI - Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. Riserva - Tenuta Orsumella has recente been reviewed by the wine specialized magazine Gilbert & Gaillard with a rate of 87\100. These are the tasting notes: Bright, clear garnet. Shy nose offering up fine mocha, spice and herb notes with stone fruit undercurrents. A silky attack leads into a lively palate with medium concentration, quite backward aromas and oak influence mid-palate. Still disjointed, keep waiting for further evolution. This confirms the meticulous research and knowledge both in the vineyard and in the cellar made by the Tuscan company producing a wine of great value recognized both by the consumers and the sector's experts.

Sassicaia 2013 is a wine part of an exceptional vintage. Even if it is still young you can sense elegant aromas like blackberries, vanilla and tobacco. In the same way the taste is promising for the future with some wooden notes, full bodied, vivid acidity and a decise final. It is better to drink it after 2020. Scores: Jemes Suckling 98\100; Parker 96\100; Gambero Rosso 3 glasses 100\100.

The dry, hot year and the early grape harvest could have damaged Sassicaia 2007 which instead has had a strong great reaction during the next years. In fact its aromas are full and mature, the taste is very wide until an hot ending with a little durmast to stop the taste.

Sassicaia 2002 has been too criticized too much in the past years because of a vintage which wasn't that brilliant. But this wine, also thanks to the years of aging, is nowadays a fine ands pleasant wine. Its aromas alternates shades of orange skin and eastern spices, while its taste is, even if it is a fine wine, doesn't lack of depth and a salty final.

The Bresaola made from Fassona Piedmontese has an unique taste thanks to the fine Fassona beef, it is massaged during the dry salt with natural aromas. Moreover it stands out from the other bresaola also thanks to the low content of fats which is less than 1%.

Spring has already come,what's better than a wine that reflects the perfume of this season? The Dama Nera by Conte de Quirra represents perfectly springs thanks to its friuty and floral aromas and it's fresh taste: definitely a well done #Vermentino

Review by International wine report: Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo 2010 has been rated with 95\100 thanks to its aromas of fresh dark cherries, sweet spices, floral and mineral. It is full bodied and balanced showing excellent depth and focus.

The producers say that it's time to promote the Sicilian Almonds. Compared to the concurrency they have a better in taste, aromas, visual impact and organoleptic properties. They also don't need any anti parasitic thanks to their hard peel.