Italian Wine between $50 and $75

Lower ABV Founded in 1908, forty families contribute the fruit from their tiny plots of Nebbiolo to this very traditional co-op winery in northern Piedmont. The bright, fresh, fruit ferments and macerates 30 days with native yeast... Read More

From the masters of Alto Adige’s traditional “Terlaner” blend – Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and a little Sauvignon Blanc – this is one of Italy’s benchmark whites. It’s from the co-op’s... Read More

Organic/Bio Since its debut in the 2003 vintage, Ciacci’s Brunello “Normale” has established itself as one of Montalcino’s greatest values – and finest wines! The fruit for this bottling comes from... Read More

Organic/Bio A traditional, richer, Vin Santo that Vinous describes well in the 90 point review, Rum-soaked raisins combine with cedar spice box, clove and candied apples as the 2009 Vin Santo del Chianti emerges from the glass.... Read More

One of the great stories in Alto Piemonte as new owners purchased a semi-abandoned Nebbiolo vineyard in 2004 and nursed it back to life. This 2016 is ready to roar. As Vinous says in the 95 point rave, “The 2016 Bramaterra... Read More

From one of Barbaresco’s best sites, this is super elegant and even Burgundian Nebbiolo redolent of sweet red fruits and loads of complex earth and spice accents. A cool ferment and relatively short stay in large cask –... Read More

It's tempting to market this with a Gaja connection - Giordano shares the amphitheater-sharped Cavanna vineyard with Gaja, who blends the wine into its normale Barbaresco. But the style here is kind of anti-Gaja, all about... Read More

Organic/Bio Only from Etna do you get this captivating combination of smoky volcanic rock and crunchy-ripe strawberry/sweet cherry fruit with mouthcoating tannins that give shape and elevate the flavors without drying you out... Read More

Since being purchased by Francesco and Riccardo Illy of Italy’s leading coffee company in 2008, this estate has moved from strength-to-strength. As Vinous says, “Classicism reigns supreme at the Mastrojanni estate.”... Read More

Lower ABV Winegrowing in the tiny valley of Crema between Valle d'Aosta and the rest of Italy dates from Roman times when the legions posted there terrace the valley walls and built stone and wood pergolas to hold the precariously... Read More

Organic/Bio Barbaresco's Serraboella vineyard – along with Montestefano – produces very “Barolo-like” wines, and here Paitin captures that power and tames it with a layer of finesses. From certified... Read More

The best-known slice of Alto-Piemonte nestles up against the Alps and delivers a lighter, perfumed take on Barolo's Nebbiolo. This is from 50 year-old Nebbiolo vines and finished with 36 months in French oak tonneaux. Classic... Read More

Organic/Bio Someday I'll go to Le Contrade dell'Etna and taste wines from every important contrade on the volcano. Until then, though, my position is clear and absolute: Guardiola is my favorite and, arguably, the best.... Read More

Organic/Bio This is from a tiny, tiny, plot of vines Andrea Franchetti planted in the Passochianche contrada around 3,000 feet done in large oak. Maybe “Puligny Montrachet meets the Santa Cruz Mountains” suggests the... Read More

Nicola Argamante was born in Tuscany, grew up in Piemonte, and was a well respected consulting winemaker there for years before he and his wife, Loredana, founded their own winery. Over 30 acres of vines, they make around 7,000... Read More

Organic/Bio Aglianico is Campania’s most important red grape and examples from the Taurasi region show so much power, intensity, and cellar potential they’ve come to be called “the Barolo of the south.”... Read More

Organic/Bio As Wine Advocate wrote a few years ago, “Quintodecimo Irpinia Falanghina Via del Campo is the result of 20 years of research and experimentation, I am told.” Like Greco and Fiano, Falanghina came to Italy... Read More

Organic/Bio This is a terrific example of the heights reached by the very old Fiano grape grow on the hillsides near the little town of Avellino in Campania. It’s an old grape, grown in Campania for hundreds of years and... Read More

Greco di Tufo came to Italy’s Campania before the rise of Rome, brought by colonizing Pelasgians, an ancient people from Thessaly in Greece. For a few thousand years now, it’s been recognized as one of Italy’s... Read More

This big, dark, extracted Brunello that's still showing a bit of spice from it's 24 months in small, mostly new, French oak. And you should probably wait a year or two before digging in...but, wow! Is it ever impressive... Read More

From the warmer southern part of the zone and a dry, hot, year, this should be a bruiser. And it is plenty big and muscular, but ridgetop vineyards open to cooling breezes deliver elegance, too. Vinous captures it well in the... Read More

Sure, let’s sell a $60 wine from a place most don’t know and a winery NO ONE has ever heard of! But it’s just so very, very, good. The place is Valtellina in the Alpine mountains of northern Lombardy, the grape... Read More

Organic/Bio With San Lorenzo, one of Terre Nere’s three Grande Terroir Ellittico wines, so designated because of their very rare and pure volcanic sand soils from the Ellittico eruptions dating from 15,000 to 60,000 years... Read More

A relatively new winery (first vintage 2014) from a family with 100+ years on Etna, the Tornetore style runs less extracted and powerful than most, but still very delicious! This is from Contrada Trimarchisa, on the lowest slopes... Read More

We ran across a post on the web asking, “Villa Papiano’s Terra Bitter Bianco: the best Italian bitter?” Seems probable to us! It’s wildly aromatic and flavorful, with plenty of wormwood bite matched by... Read More