Mamma Mia
Wine Travel Beyond the Socials
I had a 48-hour turnaround between Italy and Livermore, California this week and tried to make up for lost sleep because, when in Rome (I don’t sleep). So, let’s get right to the good stuff. And, there’s a lot of it - and more to come. Italy always delivers, and steals away pieces of me. You’ll find them scattered there. But, it’s a give and take relationship that I’m quite satisfied with. Andiamo.
In My Glass
2023 Produttori Vini Manduria 'Alice' Verdeca Salento IGT
Up your game with an at-home dinner of fresh oysters, fried artichokes, and maybe even some caviar alongside this crisp Italian white wine (pronounced Ah-lee-chay) for a truly OMG pairing. Verdeca is a rare white grape variety from Puglia that when produced as a single-varietal wine (even more uncommon) has significant acidity and minerality. That was definitely the case here. So much marine salinity along with citrus, stone fruit, and green apple notes. The salinity and citrus of the wine bring a brightness to the dishes, and the brininess of the cuisine makes the citrus and tang of the wine absolutely POP! There’s no skin contact in this wine, but ultimately it is not out of the question. Alice is for closers. Mood. $16
2021 Masseria Li Veli “Pezzo Morgana” Riserva Salice Salentino
From one of my favorite wineries in Salice Salentino, Puglia - they’ve got some killer rosatos - is the “Ohh!” worthy Pezzo Morgana, a single-vineyard Negroamaro. This wine is intense, but more in a passionately, academic oratory kind of style, than a hit you over the head bombastic manner. It’s serious, savory and boasts of red fruits, herbs, and smooth tannins. It’s got a lot to say, but in a way that you’ll find yourself listening without having to concentrate too deeply. It simply captivates, and it makes for a phenomenal pairing with Puglian-style orecchiette al pomodoro. The professor. $22
This one will set you back. It’s set me back twice now, and in more ways than one. But omg, it’s worth it. A 100% Cabernet Franc from Italy’s Bolgheri region (aka home of the Super Tuscan) this wine is ethereal and frankly could make me give up Loire CF - sacrilege, I know. It’s everything I love about Cab Franc, but with a distinctly rustic Italian bravado. It’s scintillating with a killer mid-palate explosiveness. It’s herbaceous, spicy, and floral with bold, fresh dark fruits, peppers, olives, sage, graphite….I could go on, but I won’t because ultimately this wine leaves me speechless and without inhibition. Perhaps this is the real closer. Ziggy Stardust. $176
(PS: The 2021 is a Tre Bicchieri recipient - and for good reason - and if you can get your hands on a 1997, holy hell!)
In the Spotlight
Wine region of the Week
The Brindisi DOC covers roughly a third of the Brindisi province in the "heel" of Italy’s boot. It was established in 1979 and is predominantly known for its red wines of Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, and Susumaniello. White wines here are made from Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianca, Fiano, or Sauvignon Blanc, and more recently from Negroamaro too.
Brindisi DOC has around 1,000 acres of vineyards in the region. The climate here, despite the proximity to the Adriatic Sea, is generally hot, and can be dry or humid depending on if the winds are from the north (cool and dry), or the south (hot and humid). It also has around +300 days of sun per year with soils made up of limestone and marine sands on top of heavy clay deposits. As for the wines, I was most drawn to the Negroamaro Biancos (of which I tried two ), the rosatos of Susumaniello, the Negroamaro rossos, and the Fiano passito (dessert wine), many of which I noted to be well-structured, fresh wines with character, depth, longevity, and value.
Winery of the Week
Cantine Due Palme, is a cooperative winery* established in the Brindisi region of Puglia in 1989 by third generation winemaker, Angelo Maci. Maci initially combined his private, family winery with that of 14 others to form the cooperative, becoming a member himself in the process. Today, Due Palme’s membership includes 1,000 growers working 6,175 acres of vineyards across the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce, and Taranto in Puglia. With production at nearly 17 million bottles, it’s one of Puglia’s largest cooperatives, and the largest in the Brindisi DOP.
They produce a diverse range of wines from the region’s typical varieties including Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, Primitivo and Susumaniello. Members of Due Palme are encouraged to be involved at every stage of the winegrowing and production processes. At harvest the group implements rigorous quality controls to determine each batch of grapes’ ultimate wine destination from bulk and bag-in-box wines to the more high-end single vineyard or organic labels, ensuring placement (and ultimately payment) for all. Operating as a “family” business, Due Palme has built a strong reputation in the community and for its widely distributed wines.
Wines of note: 2022 Tinaia Salice Salento Bianco, the 'Corerosa' Susumaniello - Primitivo Rosato Salento IGT, Camarda Brindisi Rosso, as well as winemaker Francesco Maci’s Cuntamé Susumaniello Salento IGP Rosato
*A cooperative winery, or cantina sociale in Italy, is an organization where multiple small vineyard owners pool their resources, grapes, and expertise to produce and market wine under shared labels. These cooperatives allow small-scale farmers to benefit from collective economies of scale and help to sustain local economies by providing stable income to growers. They also promote a sort of community, as members work together to achieve shared goals, ensuring that even the smallest, family-run vineyards can compete in the global wine market.
In Depth
The Negroamaro grape is a deeply colored, thick-skinned red grape variety that thrives in the hot, sun-drenched region of Puglia (in the heel of Italy’s boot). Its name translates to “black bitter” in reference to its dark, almost black skin, and slightly bitter finish. Negroamaro ripens late, making it well-suited for Puglia’s long, warm growing season. Its best expressions are thought to come from the Salento peninsula of Puglia, where the soils are a mix of well-draining clay and limestone. The grape generally retains its acidity despite the heat of the region, contributing to wines with solid structure and notable freshness. Aromatically, Negroamaro offers a wide range of notes from dark berries and plum to subtle earthy, herbal tones, hints of tobacco, leather, or cocoa. These are generally full-bodied red wines with flavors of ripe black fruit, natural acidity, moderate tannins, and a savory, somewhat bitter edge, that can give the wines a slightly rustic character. That said, you’ll also find Negroamaro expressed in sparkling, rosé, dessert, and to a lesser extent, white wine versions. It’s a jack-of-all-trades and arguably does it better than most red wine grapes in my opinion (with the exception of Cab Franc of course!).
In the Moment
This is the first in a new series under the “In the Moment” category: spontaneous, live videos, completed in one take, and under three minutes. Depending on the meeting, the tasting, the person, or the experience, I plan to pose a question about something that captures me about the moment. These exclusive interviews won’t focus on traditional wine topics such as aromas, flavors, but rather, something where I caught a spark in the eye, or where someone seemed most passionate, or even, something that resonated with me throughout the experience as a whole. I hope it will help to capture a bit of the energy and the authenticity of these moments.
For the first interview, here are two minutes with thrill-seeking (he recently did one of the world’s biggest bungee jumps), fourth generation winemaker Francesco Fortunato Maci, of Cantine Due Palme. He also has his own line of wines, Cuntamé, where he is pushing the boundaries of traditional winemaking and packaging to focus on a line of wines targeted to younger generations. Among his newest projects is a Negroamaro Bianco, a white wine made from the region’s dark-skinned grape. This is a relatively new expression for the region and one that Francesco has worked passionately on and is excited to share. Our group was the first to taste this very young wine (aside from his mother, who always tastes first!). Francesco, thank you for sharing and I can’t wait to see where this wine goes!
In the Room Where It Happened
Red carpets, media screens illuminating from the base of the stage to the ceilings overhead, photographers, trophies, proud and grateful speeches, all from a theater in the heart of Rome, this, not unlike the Emmys or Oscars, was the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri Awards 2025.
This year, Gambero Rosso awarded 498 of their highest Tre Bicchieri (or three glass) awards and 12 Special Awards, of which 52 were new entries this year. They also added a new Rare Wines section to highlight small artisan producers, all of which can be found in the 38th edition of the Gambero Rosso Italian Wines Guide, a 1,000-plus page, detailed book of every bicchieri, winery, and wine awarded. This includes 24,772 wines sourced from the approximately 40,000 tasted by the 70-person, expert Gambero Rosso panel this year. The guide is available in English, German, Chinese, and Japanese and includes the 12 Special Award winners listed below:
Red Wine of the Year
Molino degli Innocenti Riserva 2019
Torre a Cona, Chianti Colli Fiorentini
White Wine of the Year
Sauvignon Gran Lafóa Riserva 2021
Colterenzio, Alto Adige
Winery of the Year
Tenuta San Leonardo
Alto Adige
Sparkling of the Year
OP Pinot Nero M. Cl. Pas Dosó Poggio del Duca '19, Calatroni
Rosé of the Year
RGC Valtènesi Chiaretto Antitesi '23, Ciovanni Avanzi
Up & Coming Winery
Maugeri, Etna Bianco Sup. Contrada Volpare '23
Solidarity Award
Lis Neris, Friuli Isonzo Pinot Grigio Gris '22
Best Value
Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro 7Bio '23, Cantina Settecani
Cooperative if the Year
Belisario, Verdicchio di Matelica Cambrugiano Riserva '21
Sustainable Viticulture
Resistenti Nicola Biasi, Vin de la Neu '22
Grower of the Year
Cascina Fontana, Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto '19
Meditation Wine of the Year
Moscato Passito al Governo di Saracena ‘15 - Foudo dei Sanseverino
In the News
The first edition of Vinitaly USA is coming on October 20-21, 2024 to Navy Pier in Chicago and will include the Gambero Rosso and many of this year’s Tre Bicchieri recipients. The event is open to the wine trade only. Tickets can be purchased here.
In the Hopper
Lots to come including more on Gambero Rosso, Puglia, Livermore, Wines of Sicily, Austria, South Africa, and Lebanon, and so much more. I’ll also be traveling to several more regions in November, one domestic and several international, and then the next guide will be ready in time for the holidays - sparkling wines!
Just got back from Italy on Monday! Loved hearing the Italian accent again :-)
Playing catch up on all your articles today! Can't wait to see where you are headed next!