October 25, 2024 | italian outskirts

Explore the Italian Countryside!

What comes to mind when you think Italian wine? Is it pinot grigio, Chianti, maybe big bold reds like nebbiolo, sangiovese, or Super Tuscans?

These are all tasty options, but there's an Italy you may not know - one that's existed in the rural regions off the beaten path, where delicious traditions continue as they have (with some modern updates) for hundreds of years.

Today we're opening three wines from areas that are off the tourist track, each with its own distinctive regional character, each offering a chance to experience what would have been familiar historical tastes of those areas as well.

A pinot bianco from the northernmost Alto Adige region, just over the border from Switzerland, demonstrates the melding of Alpine and Mediterranean influences, while a rosato from the rolling hills of Abruzzo might just redefine your preconceived notions of what the montepulciano grape can do (this is a rosé for ALL seasons)! Finally, from the Veneto comes a brambly, table-ready red made from the native refosco grape, which is shared, along with a border, with nearby Slovenia.

Terlano Pinot Bianco Alto Adige DOC 2023

Masciarelli 'Villa Gemma' Rosato Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC 2023

Redentore Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso DOC 2021