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Why Friuli Sets the Bar with Pinot Grigio - A Tasting Note on Ca' del Sarto
The warm weather is in full swing and I am personally reaching for many of my Italian white wines, rosé, sparkling wines. This week I tasted the 2023 Ca’ del Sarto Pinot Grigio from the Fr iuli DOC of northeastern Italy. If you’ve been following along my journey you already know that I love the white wines of northern Italy, but after my trip a few years back to the Friuli wine region I have a deeper respect for what the producers are doing in this tiny nook of It aly. Yes Pinot Grigio is probably one of Italy’s most popular white grapes, but Pinot Grigio isn’t just Pinot Grigio if you’ve had the quality and variety of Pinot Grigio produced in the northeastern part of Italy. You can take a look back at my tasting of Pinot Grigio in Friuli and you’ll see just from the color of the Pinot Grigi o in the glass that producers can produce many different styles of Pinot Grigio. If you break outside the mold of the all mass marketed Pinot Grigio sold on the marke
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The Perfect Dip: Vin Santo & Cantucci
Vin Santo, translating to “holy wine ”, is Tuscany’s beloved dessert wine . It’s a wine that takes patience throughout it s lengthy production and aging process . It's not completely known as to how this wine got its name . One assumption is that it was always a wine pressed during Holy Week and another assumption is that it was a wine used for religious purposes . Regardless of its origin, its unique process and limited production make this a special wine worth seeking out to experience. I had been sitting on some wine notes from a Vin Santo I tasted years back from Montefioralle that I apparently had never shared . Since Vino Travels celebrates its 13th anniversary this month and sadly I’ve never written about Vin Santo in all these years, I figured there is no better time like the present . What is Vin Santo? Vin Santo is a dessert wines that is traditionally known for its production in Tuscany . It can be made in
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Bollicine di Primavera: Italy's Finest Sparkling Wines
Italian sparkling wines at one point in time may have been remem bered and enjoyed as being something sweet and sparkling to be enjoyed during a celebrato ry event . The Prosecco of the past was something fizzy that didn’t maybe spark much interest and don't even get me started on Lambrusco and what that was known for. Italy’s history of Italian bubbly was nowhere what it is today. The game has changed! The many sparkling wines of Italy Today, Italian sparkling wines are som e of the most exciting wines in the bubbly world of wine. From the bone dry Franciacortas of Lombardy that rival some of the best champagnes of France , to the variety of Lambrusco from Emilia Romagna , to the prestigious destinations for Prosecco including Asolo and Conegliano Valdobbiadene . Don’t forget about some of the others to include Trento DOC from the Trentino region, Alta Langa from Piedmont, those from the Oltrepo Pavese in Lombardy to name a few. In
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Sparkling Springtime with Italy’s Finest Sparkling Wines
We are well into springtime and our Italian Food, Wine, and Travel group (#ItalianFWT) will be taking you this week on a journey through a number of Italian regions and the variety of sparkling wines produced throughout Italy. Our writers will be featuring several sparkling wines from a variety of producers and some will even include some food pairings to goes with their bubbly. The types of sparkling wines in Italy There is no doubt that when one talks about the sparkling wines of Italy that Prosecco is probably one of the first wines that come to mind, but that is such a limited scope into what is available. Especially since there are a number of appellations producing different types of Prosecco from some high quality like Asolo and Valdobbiadene Conegliano to name a couple. Photo by Karol Chomka on Unsplash If you’re a lover of French champagne have you ever discovered the sparkling wines of Franciacorta in the Lombardy region? The wines of this region will give s
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Twig & Terroir: Discovering Cantina Zaccagnini's Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Recently I wrote about Poderi dal Nespoli , one of the winer ies that fall s under Argea , the l argest private wine group in Italy . Today I’m highlighting the Cantina Zaccagnini winer y , also a part of Argea , that is located in Italy’s 5th largest region in area, Abruzzo. The virtual tasting I attended online walked through several Zaccagnini wines led by Italian wine expert, Fili ppo Barto letta . Let’s discover more about the Abruzzo wine region , its most produced grape, Montepulciano, and the many expressions that Zaccagnini produces under their Tralcetto line of wines today . The Abruzzo wine region The Abruzzo region is “wild....and one of the greenest regions in Europe ”, as Filippo described . It’s rather small in size with about 1.3 million inhabitants. To give you some perspective, the city of Manhattan, NY is larger in size. That’s because a lot of the terrain of Abruzzo is dominated by mountains, hills and forests,
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A Value at Trader Joe's: Villa Molino Soave Classico
At one point in time the Soave wine territory faced overproduction with an expanded territory that weakened the reputation with a flood of lower quality to mediocre wines produced and introduced to the market. Thankfully, times have changed , and the wines of Soave have elevated. Let today’s blog on Soave introduce you to the wines of this region that will reward you in your glass for your exploration. The Soave wine territory Set in the hills and valleys of the Lessini Mountains , northeast of Verona, is the Soave wine appellation . Named after the medieval town, Soave , that is surrounded by walls and crowned with a castle on the hillside. The Classico zone, which is the historical part of the territory set between the town of Soave ad Monteforte d’Alpone , is home to some of the classic , historic wines of the region with the truest expression of these wines that show complexity and structure with age. Per the Consorzio, th
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Hidden Gems of Emilia-Romagna: The Wines of Poderi dal Nespoli
Let’s start the weekend on an exploration of the wines of the Emilia-Romagna wine region in north central Italy with a focus on the Poderi dal Nespoli winery. Recently I attended a virtual wine tasting led by wine educator, Fili ppo Bartolott a, and the winemaker of Poderi dal Nespoli, Scipione Giuliani . Despite the reputation of of its surrounding neighbors, Emilia-Romagna is one of Italy's underappreciated wine regions so lets change that one bottle at a time starting with Poderi dal Nespoli. All About the Poderi dal Nespoli winery The Poderi dal Nespoli winery is tucked into the rolling hills in the Romagna part of the region. Even though Emilia-Romagna is technically one region, they associate as two separate regions. If you’ve traveled throughout Italy you understand that each region has its own wi ne, cuisines and even dialect so these differences can be noticeable as you journey throughout th e country . Romagna is about an hour drive north from
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Valentine’s Day Amore: Sharing Luigi Righetti Amarone della Valpolicella
Valentine’s Day doesn’t always mean red roses and candlelit dinners with that special someone. For me, this year, I celebrated an early Valentine’s Day in a very special way , with the woman who taught me what love was all about , my mom. My family and I surpris ed her for her birthday, bringing dinner and dessert while enjoying a special bottle of a 2004 Luigi Righetti Amarone Della Valpolicella . As we pulled the cork on this 20-year-old bottle, I couldn’t help but think of all the memories we shared over the years including our travels to this special region of the Veneto where Amarone Della Valpolicella is produced, although this wasn‘t one of the bottles that we brought back with us . I’m actually still sitting on those and it’s been quite a while since we traveled there together. More to come on those gems. Luigi Righetti winery Luigi Righetti winery is located in Valgatara , within the Valpolicella Classico zone , just ou
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Light Meets Hearty: Schiava Paired with Ham and Lentil Soup
Nestled in the northeastern part of Italy, the Alto Adige produces some of Italy’s most underappreciated wines . It’s a beautiful, serene environment with t he Alpine backdrop looming over the sun-drenched valleys . The Alto Adige, also known as Sudtirol due to its Germanic influences, provides a bicultural experience between Italian and German that is experienced in both the language, food and wines of the region . What I can appreciate about the wines being produced in the Alto Adige is the purity found in the wines . Many of the wines of the region are produced as single varietals, and the winemaker s make efforts to let the grapes shine and to lend that sense of place. The merger of two historic cooperatives that took place in 2001 to form Cantina Bozen shapes the view of how cooperatives can produce world-class wine . With over 200 small local wine growing families all contributing to growing quality grapes to demonstrate the capabi
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Where Italy's Largest Lake Meets the Vineyards: Discovering Garda DOC
As we welcome a new year it’s always important to think about what goals one has in mind to start the year . I myself am always looking ot broaden my horizon in the wine world and that includes exploring new wine regions, wineries and grape varieties . That is exactly the theme of our wine writers group this month led by Lynn a t Savor the Harvest this month . E ach one o f us explores something new or different to share with all our readers as well as ourselves . For me personally, I decided to share some wines that I explored recently from the Garda DOC . I recently attended a virtual tasting led by one of our writers Susannah and the VP of the Garda DOC Consorzio and owner of P e rla del Garda, Giovanna Andrea . Although visiting Lake Garda is not new to me as I have been fortunate to make it there once before, learning more about the Garda D OC and what it encompasses was newer to me . Copyright of Consorzio Garda
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Top 5 Italian Wine Blogs of 2025
It's hard to believe I wrapped up my 12th year of blogging in 2025! As always, I want to thank all my readers and followers staying with me throughout my wine blog journey. Although things were a little slower for me this year balancing work, family and my own personal interests, I look to share more Italian food, wine and travels into the new year. Here were my top 5 Italian wine blogs of 2025! #1: Blaufränkisch of Upstate New York's Finger Lakes Region #2: The Alcohol Removed Wines of Starla #3: Kellerei Bozen Lagrein Pairing with a One Pot Sausage and Farro Dish #4: Torcolato: The Prized Dessert Wine of Breganze with Maculan #5: Women's History Month: Featuring Cristina Scarpellini of Tenuta Scerscé in Valtellina I'd love to hear from my readers if there is more you'd like to see in 2026 so please don't hesitate to drop me an email at vinotravels at hotmail dot com. Here's to my 13th year of wine blogging in 2026! Happy Ne
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A Classic Tuscan Pairing: Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico Riserva with Ribollita
Le Mie Cose Preferite , "my favorite things", is the theme of this month's Italian Food, Wine & Tasting group hosted by Camilla . The focus this month is to highlight our favorite Italian wines, along with a pairing or travel tale. Picking a favorite Italian wine is not an easy task for someone like myself . I honestly have so many favorites ! When my hand is twisted, though, I must turn to one of my favorite grapes, Sangiovese. This is a grape produced throughout many of Italy's wine regions, mostly central Italy, but it finds it s true home in the region of Tuscany. Sangiovese throughout Italy With that, Tuscany holds a special place in my heart as it's where I first came to fall in love with the country many moons ago when studying abroad in college. It was a life-changing experience for me, and although I didn't enjoy wine at that time, I have truly come to appreciate the Sangiovese grape and its many
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From Gorgo's Vineyards: Uncovering the Veneto's Overlooked White Wine Appellation
While many winelovers and visitors to the Veneto are attracted to the wines of Valpolicella, Amarone, Bardolino and even Soave, when visiting that part of the region there is another DOC of this area that doesn’t share the same spotlight that deserves the attention, the Custoza DOC. Nestled between Verona and Lake Garda, this white wine dominated appellation shows the uniqueness of it’s mineral driven soils and Azienda Agricola Gorgo’s Custoza DOC that I’m sharing today is a great bottle to experience what this area is all about. map of Custoza DOC territory - copyright of Consorzio Custoza The Gorgo Winery This family owned estates was Founded in 1973 by Roberto and Alberta Bricolo, the Gorgo winery is located in Sommacampagna, nearby to the village of Custoza in the southeastern part of Lake Garda within the Veneto region. Today Roberto and Alberta’s daughter, Roberta, leads the operations of the winery to carry on her parents dream. What started as about a 5
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The Silver Lining of Bolgheri: The Wines of Tenuta Argentiera
In the heart of southern Tuscany is one of o ne of Italy and Tuscany’s prestigious wine regions, Bolgheri . Wine lovers may be most familiar with this territory for the innovate “Super Tuscan” reds that hit the scene in the late 20 th century. I was introduced to these wines via a virtual tasting hosted by Argentiera and Studio Cru and led by Argentiera’s winemaker, Nicoló Carrara, whom has been their winemaker wince 2009. Nicoló Carrara In this article I feature the wines of Argentiera , a winery that takes pride in its distinctive reds made from Bordeaux grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot . Where is Bolgheri ? Bolgheri sits in the southwestern part of Tuscany covering over 3,700 acres of land . The area is in the shape of an amphitheater that hugs the Tuscan coastline for 8 miles . T he vineyards slowly slope down wards towards the Tyrrhenian Sea while being backed by hills and surrounde
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Donnachiara Fiano di Avellino: The Perfect Italian Campanian White Wine
Campania is one of Italy’s rich historic wine region s located in southern Italy and is home to some of Italy’s greatest wines from native grapes including Aglianico , Greco di Tufo and Fiano. Most tourists will travel to the coastal side of Campania including the Amalfi Coast, Naples and Mt. Vesuvius . Although if you branch out and head inland you will find the province of Avellino and today’s feature on the Donnachiara winery and t he native grape, Fiano. Winemaking in Avellino Winemaking has existed in Campania since the Greeks planted vineyards there over 2,500 years ago . Avellino is an inland, mountainous area that is situated about 1 hour east of Napoli that grows ancient grape varieties on volcanic soils , that are rich in minerals which lend structure and depth to the wines. The wine territory spans from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Apennines with the coast featuring Mediterranean climates and the more inland provinces, such as Avellin
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Moris Farms: Exploring the Maremma and Morellino di Scansano
You may be most familiar with the Sangiovese from Tuscany used in the esteemed Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines, but what about Sangiovese from southern Tuscany? If you’re a lover of Sangiovese like I am, than the Maremma of southern Tusca ny is a must try and visit. Where is the Maremma ? The Maremma is located in the southwestern part of Tuscany in the province of Grosseto . If yo u’re a lover of unspoiled beauty and nature , the Maremma covers a vast landscape with an abundance of forests and hills . If it also filled with a sunshine drenched coastline for those that adore the beaches and relaxation in the sun. Copyright of Moris Farms All about Morellino di Scansano Sangiovese produced in the Maremma is also called Morellino . The Morellino di Scansano appellation is named after the medieval town itself in which the grape is primarily grown, in Scansano . It was granted DOC stat
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Bubbles and Bites: Prosecco and Frittata to Please your Palate
Prosecco is one of Italy’s greatest sparkling wines. Found in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, Prosecco is a palate pleaser offering a variety of styles with versatility allowing it to be paired with several cuisines . This month the wine writer’s group that I’m a part of, Wine Pairing Weekend, decided to go with a theme of pairing wines with classic summer fare . The hot days of summer call for easy food preparation with flavorful meals to please the palate and summery wines to match . Over the years I have grown increasingly accustomed to appreciating sparkling wines. It’s not so much that I didn’t enjoy the wines, but I’ve never been a fan of bubbles in anything I drink. This summer I’ve been on a bellini kick on those warm summer days. If you’re not familiar with Bellinis they are made with Prosecco and peach juice. All about Prosecco Prosecco comes in a wide array of sweetness levels st
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Torcolato: The Prized Dessert Wine of Breganze with Maculan
Earlier this year I attended a virtual tasting hosted by Studio Cru featuring the wines of the Maculan winery located in the Veneto wine region of northeastern Italy. Angela Maculan , 4 th generation operating the winery today, walked us through several wines that the winery produces with a fantastic overview of the territory. I want to focus on a special dessert wine, Torcolato , that I had been unfamiliar with prior to the tasting. Torcolato is not only a special wine that Maculan produces , but it is also unique to this particular area of the Ve neto , with in the territory of Breganze . About the Maculan winery The Maculan family ’s wine beginnings started with the great grandfather , Gaetano, whom used to sell wine that he made at his little osteria in the 20’s and 40’s. During World War II his son, Giovanni, started to make wine with his father to provide it for the army station . In 1947 Giovanni decided to start and build the wi
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The Sweetness of Moscato d'Asti with Ca'd'Gal Wines
A week ago, on May 9 th , was National Moscato Day. Whether you'r e a follow er of these national wine days or not , it provide s the perfect opportunity to have a reason to explore wine grapes or wine regions and try something new or that you haven’ t had in some time . In my house we are lovers of dessert wines , especially the lighter, less unctuous styles that are refreshing like Moscato d’Ast i can be. About Ca’d ’Gal Winery I attended a virtual tasting some months ago hosted by Studio Cru and was led by the owner of the Ca’d’Gal winery, Alessandro Varagnolo . Alessandro Varagnolo - copyright of Cadgal The Ca’d’Gal brand has 2 wineries in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. One is Tenuta Valdivilla , s et in the hills of the Langhe wine region in the town of Santo Stefano Belbo covering 6 hectares. A few kilometers away , in the gentle hills of the Monferrato area in Calamandrana , is the other property , Tenuta La Cova . &
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Blaufränkisch of Upstate New York's Finger Lakes Region
The Finger Lakes wine region of upstate New York has always held a special place in my heart. It’s the reason why I first started to get into wine from my annual visits I use to take to the region many years ago. Sadly, I haven’t been back since my first born was just a baby so I’m long overdue considering he is about to be 9 in a couple months. A friend and local fellow wine lover, Alison Miller of Artisan Wine Group , recently had a wine tasting girls' night at her house with Laura of the Wine Travelista , where our theme was the Finger Lakes wine region. We were also joined by our other wine loving friend, Laura of the WineTravelista. I was thrilled to revisit this beloved region. When our World Wine Travel writer's group’s theme this month was featuring lesser known regions, I immediately thought of the Finger Lakes for a couple reasons. One, because I’ve always been a big fan of this region, and two because of my recent wine tasting of the Blau
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Kellerei Bozen Lagrein Pairing with a One Pot Sausage and Farro Dish
It’s amazing how fast the years go by and as I reflect on the anniversary of Vino Travels this month as it has been 12 years since I started my blogging and wine journey . I’ve come a long way and still have a long way to go, but that’s why they call it a journey right?! There is no better way to celebrate my blogiversary than with our Italian Food, Wine & Travel gro up as we celebrate alpine red and white wines of Italy this month . It’s been an educational experience learning and writing alongside many of the writers of this group throughout these 12 years . What’s even better is that the wines that I'm sharing today from Kellerei Bozen were enjoyed amongst many of the members of this wine group since one of the writers, Susannah of Vigneto Communications , invited us to a virtual tasting with the Winery Director , Matthias Messner, to learn all about Kel lerei Bo zen . Matthias Messner - copyright of Kellerei Bozen The Alto Adige
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Women's History Month: Featuring Cristina Scarpellini of Tenuta Scerscé in Valtellina
When one thinks of the Nebbiolo grape and wines produced from Nebbiolo what region of Italy immediately comes to mind? My guess is that most consumers would immediately think of the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. What if I told you that the Lombardy region right next door also produces Nebbiolo? In continuation of honoring Women’s History Month , I interviewed with Cristina Scarpellini of Tenuta Scerscé whose winery is situated in the Valtellina wine region of northern Lombardy . Cristina works exclusively with Nebbiolo, which is locally known there as Chiavennasca . Cristina Scarpellini Cristina ’s winery, Tenuta Scerscé (pronounced “shaer-shay), is set in Lombardy’s northernmost part, Valtellina, bordering Switzerland . This landscape is a valley that was carved out by glaciers during the last Ice Age with the Adda River that runs east out to Lake Como . Back in 2018 this area was deemed a UNESCO World