This “baby Amarone” is a single-vineyard blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Sangiovese. Thirty percent of the harvest is dried until December and then blended with the rest of the batch, which gives the wine a touch of Amarone’s density and deep notes of dried berry, while keeping a lively brightness.

THE MISSING BOTTLE

Sardinia’s wine tradition stems from the era of Spanish control of the island. The Spanish brought the Grenache grape to Sardinia and it took hold. Called Cannonau, it’s prevelant throughout Sardinia and is the sole grape in the Costera. Here, it’s lean yet lush with extracted berry and redolent of herbs.

The Gudarrà is brimming with flavors, well-balanced and smooth-drinking. Its full body carries notes of prune and tar. Despite its depth, it's lively in the glass with a long, lingering and warm finish that hints at the volcanic soils of Mount Vulture, where the vineyards bask in the Basilicata sun.

The Grimaldi family is known for their Barolo. Their Barbera, which comes from a single vineyard in Diano d'Alba, is surprisingly well-rounded and lush, with an eye catching garnet hue. It's full bodied, with layers of flavor and a long and pleasing finish of citrus peel and thyme.
$22.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Rabbit, Pancetta and Green Olive Skewers.

The name Melissa is derived from the Greek term for sweetness, and the wine (75 percent Gaglioppo) has strong notes of chocolate, carob and berry on the nose. This might strike some as an unusual wine, but its unique flavors are truly pleasing, reminiscent of North African spices.

This Schiava comes from the best Schiava vineyard, Bischofsleiten (Bishop's Slope), on the shore of Lake Caldaro, where vineyards benefit from the lake's microclimate. It can be served slightly chilled and has a vibrant ruby hue with a hint of nectarine and plum, good acidity and a clean finish.
$18.00 

Recipe pairing: Try it with Fontina Filled Pastry Puffs in Brodo

The Contini family has been making wine from their vineyards in northwestern Sardinia for over a century. Their experience shows in this well-crafted and distinctive wine that showcases the Cannonau grape. You get desert sage on the nose, with rich flavors of cherries and raisin.

Selim spells Miles, from Miles Davis, backwards, and the De Conciliis family does justice to the jazz great. The nose is as rich as a still wine, with notes of oregano and peach, and the body is a full spectrum of mineral, allspice and fruit. Its lively bubbles make a perfect foil for a notable hint of honey.
$20.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Sea Bass Crudo with Lemon Pesto. 

Monticino's winemaker, Giancarlo Soverchia, keeps his production lean, putting out only 5,000 bottles of this wine per year. Its palate is remarkably nuanced, but you can't miss the notes of peach. It's not often you find a DOCG wine for $12, not to mention a wine with this level of complexity.
$12.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Tangerine Tart and Marinated Duck.

The Frescobadli motto, "let the land express itself," shows through in this estate bottled wine. There are herbal notes along with its length, with eucalyptus on the nose, a lean body fragrant of fennel and lavender, and a spicy finish if red peppercorn.
$21.00

Recipe paring: Try it with Lardo-Studded Roast Beef.

Forget everything you know about Pinot Grigio. The folks at Livon have reimagined what this grape can do and have crafted a complex Pinot Grigio. The body has a unique density, with vibrant aromatics, followed by a hint of smokiness and allspice that opens up for an elegant, lengthy finish.
$23.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Little Lasagnas with Tomato, Burrata and Pesto

You hear people talk about wine being lush. This is as lush as it gets, with an unusually deep purple color. The nose is floral yet earthy with balanced notes of tar, tobacco and red meat. It’s an elegant bruiser and deceivingly light on its
feet as it finishes with rosemary blossom and white pepper.
$14.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Roast Lamb Shoulder. 

Like Muscadet wines, this Torre di Giano is left on the lees until just before bottling. Lees are the yeast residue left over after fermentation, and leaving a white wine on the lees imparts a rich and creamy texture, aromatic bouquet and, in this case, a pleasing palate of crisp, green apple and citrus. Like Muscadet wines, this Torre di Giano is left on the lees until just before bottling. Lees are the yeast residue left over after fermentation, and leaving a white wine on the lees imparts a rich and creamy texture, aromatic bouquet and, in this case, a pleasing palate of crisp, green apple and citrus.
$17.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Rabbit Raviolini. 

This rosato accounts for half the winery’s production. There’s an enticing nose of raisin and bay leaf on the nose, with a surprising and lingering note of watermelon. It highlights the Puglia grape Negroamaro. With an aggressive acidity, this wine happily accompanies a range of summer dishes from the grill.
$20.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Sausage-Stuffed Roast Quail with Potato Cakes.

In this small production blend dominated by the local Petit Rouge from family vineyards, there's an enticing aroma of fruit preserves. But there's a lot more going on here, with notes of leather and spicy menthol battling for the upper hand. The wine's firm tannins make it optimal for rich food such as braised rabbit or roasted game. 

This wine's Alpine roots shine through in its clean cedar scent, It comes from 100 percent Prié Blanc vineyards perched almost 4,000 feet high in the Val d'Aosta, not far from the French and Swiss borders. It has a bright acidity that carries notes of mountain flowers and herbs. 

If you haven’t tried the red sparkling wine Lambrusco, start with this one. It’s the perfect sparkling wine for a summer evening. Serve it around cellar temperature (50°) or only slightly chilled so that you will fully experience the balanced notes of plum and fennel, and the refreshing acidity.
$20.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Spicy Smoked Chicken with Berry Sauce.

The narrow Valtellina valley enjoys a microclimate on a sun-drenched stretch of the Italian Alps. A prime Nebbiolo region, the grapes from here tend to be a bit brighter and livelier than their brothers in Piedmont, and Plozza captures Nebbiolo’s spirit in this lean but textured wine with hints of cranberry and sage.
$20.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Risotto with Bresaola and  Valtellina Casera.

This is a restrained wine. But if you give it some time in the glass, it opens as it breathes, and takes on elegant and bright aromatics of rose hips and thyme. Its firm tannins are great for pairing with food. It's not easy to find Vino Nobile di Montepulciano for under $25, but this one is a great option. 

This remarkable Dolcetto is from our longtime favorite producers, the family behind the unassailable Barbaresco Crichet Pajé. These grapes come from their vineyards in Barbaresco and have a full and juicy body and a dark berry color. There are hints of bacon, blackberry and rose hips with a warming finish.
$15.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Pork Loin Saltimbocca with Pancetta.

This 100 percent Garganega Soave has a fragrant nose of apple blossom and an unmistakeable hint of melon. The light blonde straw color carries with it an underlying spiciness balanced by a supple fruitiness. This is a unique Soave, complex and nuanced, unlike many of its compatriots.

Here’s a light-bodied, easy-drinking Pinot Noir. The grape seems to do quite well in Veneto, and Sartori delivers it at a great price. It has a fragrant bouquet of dried cherry and hibiscus. Despite the wine’s light body, there’s a suprisingly aggressive palate of herbs and wild berry.

This 100 percent Greco di Tufo is aged on its lees like Lungarotti’s Torre di Giano. The wine is aged entirely in stainless steel, which captures the essence of the grapes. There is good body and notes of star anise, clove and stonefruit with a solid mineral streak running through it.
$22.00

Recipe pairing: Try it with Adriatic Fish Soup.

This blend of the local Grillo and Insolia grapes produces a rich nose of honeysuckle and the namesake zagra, or citrus flower. A deceivingly light straw color belies a full extraction and a full body. There is vibrant grapefruit balanced by the typical mineral notes drawn from the estate’s calcerous sandstone and clay soil.

This is a 100 percent Trebbiano di Lugana from the San Benedetto vineyard on the shores of Lake Garda. The microclimate makes for a unique terroir, which shines through in this well structured white wine. It's fruit-forward with a broad and floral palate that hints of honey and apricot.