wineries

Nov 26, 2020
2 min

Shipping wine from Italy to the US

Planning a trip to Italy and going on a Tuscan Wine Tour? (with Grape Tours, obviously 😃) One of the things that might cross your mind...

Nov 18, 2020
2 min

Apuan Alps & Vermentino

Marble mountains & lard If you've ever been to Italy and admired the marble that is displayed bountifully in the churches, palaces, and...

Nov 4, 2020
3 min

Le Cinque Terre's heroic winemakers

I want to share a story of a special place that I’m sure many of you have already visited. Paradoxically it was only my second time in Le...

Oct 26, 2020
2 min

Italy's newest DOCG

Terre Alfieri DOCG Not every region in Italy can boast a DOCG certified area, but almost! The most recent addition to the most...

Oct 14, 2020
2 min

29 Mid-Covid Philosophic Photos

Reflection is what this year has given plenty of time for. On ourselves, our fellow planetarians. Memories of a different past, hopes for...

Oct 6, 2020
2 min

Alyson Morgan, a US winemaker in Italy

I met Alyson around 12 years ago when we were both having lunch at Dario Cecchini, the famous butcher in Panzano in Chianti. Those of you...

Sep 8, 2020
3 min

Selvadolce winery on the Ligurian coast

Selvadolce is no ordinary winery, and the owner Aris is no ordinary winemaker. As you drive up the road from Bordighera, a sleepy seaside...

Sep 2, 2020
3 min

Valpolicella - its wines and how to visit

Valpolicella is a region of contrasts. It comprises flat plains and steep hills, ugly industry and farm beauty, cheap wines, and...

Aug 29, 2020
3 min

Uncovering Prosecco

Who doesn’t know Prosecco?! Bubbly, light & fresh…perfect for an aperitif & for mixed drinks. Easy to pronounce and affordable! But few...

Aug 21, 2020
1 min

Bardolino for light reds and some of Italy's best rosé wines

Northern Italy has the country's largest lakes that were created when glaciers retreated from the north at the end of the latest ice age

Jul 25, 2020
2 min

What wine did the Medici's drink?

The magnificent Medici family of Florence was the wealthiest family the World has ever seen. Their rise to power and influence on...

Jun 25, 2020
2 min

Timorasso - Derthona in Colli Tortonesi in Piedmont

One of the up-and-coming grape varieties in Italy at the moment is the white grape Timorasso which originates in the southeastern corner...

Jun 17, 2020
1 min

3 famous fashion brands connected to food & wine in Tuscany

Florence has bred several of Italy's iconic fashion designers, brands that today are internationally recognised for Italian haute...

Jun 13, 2020
3 min

Rufina - to Chianti or not to Chianti?

To the outsider visiting Chianti, no place could be more blessed. The extensive region modestly boasts beautiful countryside with...

Jun 9, 2020
2 min

Ciliegiolo - a grape that (most probably) parented Sangiovese

Even if Sangiovese is the much-celebrated grape of Tuscany, it's in the company of many other lesser-known native grapes. Yet we hear...

Jun 4, 2020
1 min

Single vineyard wines in Chianti Classico with Podere il Palazzino

Chianti, or more precisely Chianti Classico, has been around the block a few times since it’s official birth a little over 300 years ago....

Jun 2, 2020
1 min

The soul of Il Marroneto with Alessandro Mori in Montalcino

Alessandro is the proud owner of the small 6-hectare DOCG Brunello winery, Il Marroneto. It's just outside of the walls of Montalcino, on...

May 31, 2020
1 min

A Brunello Riserva that ages for 10 years!

Montalcino's Brunello is famed for many reasons, and one of the characteristics of the wine is its long ageing of almost 5 years before...

May 23, 2020
1 min

Married vines (sometimes polygamous!)

I've known Francesco and Flavia for around 15 yrs. From when they first got started as a young couple in their 20'ies to take on the life...

May 20, 2020
1 min

Historical families in Tuscan winemaking

There are quite a few "old families" that still have a family estate handed down generation in generation and are at the front of...