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Prepare to embrace the true breadth and depth of the Italian winescape with our Backroads of Italy curated collection, a testament to the vast diversity of the Italian wine scene. With over 2,000 grape varieties calling Italy their home, this wine box takes you off the beaten path, introducing you to a world of lesser-known wines that are every bit as extraordinary as their mainstream counterparts.
In this collection, you'll get the opportunity to try Ribolla Gialla, an excellent example of how extended skin contact during fermentation can transform the character of a white wine. If you're a fan of Zinfandel, make sure to try the Susumaniello. This Puglian grape variety, whose name translates to "little donkey" in reference to the abundant yield these vines produce, offers a rich, full-bodied taste that pairs excellent with tomato sauces.
The Backroads of Italy collection extends beyond the grapes themselves, offering you aΒ glimpseΒ into often overlooked Italian wine regions. From the warm, sun-kissed vineyards of Puglia in the South, the rolling hills of Le Marche in the center, to the frost-kissed grapevines of Friuli Colli Orientali in the Northβeach region adds its own distinctive story and heritage to each bottle in this collection.
ThisΒ collection truly takes you on an exploration of the wine roads less travelled in Italy, demonstrating that exceptional quality can indeed be found anywhere.
At first smell, this Verdeca transports you immediately to Southern Italy with its intoxicating aroma of gentle lemon blossoms, dried wild herbs, and the Adriatic breeze. Riper orchard and stone fruitsβpear, white peach, honeydewβmeet a kiss of salty sea spray that brings the wine to a refreshing finish.
This Friulano is en route to being an orange wine, but is refreshing and gently enough so that it isnβt quite. A few days of skin contact gives the wine a subtle waxy texture, complemented by flavors of green apple skin, pear, quince, and fresh grass. Watch as this wine transforms in the glass over the course of the evening as it enjoys some air.
This is basically a baby orange wineβa gateway for newbies to the category, or a softer take for amber enthusiasts. A few days of maceration gives the wine a bit more texture and complexity, but it remains approachable and explosively juicy. This Ribolla Gialla tastes of ripe orchard fruitsβyellow apple skin, pear tarte tatin, cantaloupeβalongside more herbaceous flavors of chamomile, sweet sage, and pressed mint. You might call it a white for red drinkers.
This Falerio Pecorino delivers everything there is to love about Italian white wine: mouthwatering freshness, persistent acidity, and the gentlest nibble of bitterness on the finish that adds to the wineβs complexity. Tasting of lemon tarts, ripe green apples, sea salt, and wet stones, the wine is long and refreshing, but also bodied and ageworthy.
The quintessential pizza wine, this Montepulciano tastes of fresh Bing
cherries and red plums, along with a more rustic earthinessβdried oregano, underbrush, and subtle cured meat flavor from the Syrah. Charming and medium-bodied, the wine is approachable, but also features a sandy tannic grip that gives it length and ageability.
A rich, juicy wine that tastes of sun-soaked raisins and roasted plums. Hearty, rustic, and palate-coating, this Susumaniello carries notes of raspberry liqueur, wilted basil, rosemary, blackberry jam, and vanilla bean. A kiss of sweetness brings you straight to the shining summer days of Southern Italy.
Founded in 1937, Tenuta Viglione remains a family-owned operation, run by Giovanni Zullo and his offspring. Nested on some of the highest altitude terroirs in Pugliaβs Gioia del Colle region, Viglioneβs vineyard are certified organic and devoted to the areaβs native and signiature grape varieties, among them Primitivo, Susumaniello, Negroamaro, and Verdeca. Their work has been awarded Gambero Rossoβs prestigious Tre Bicchieri prize.
Founded in 1967 by Giovanbattista Adami, Ronco delle Betulle continues in family hands. First passed onto his daughter Ivana in the 1980s, Ivana is today joined by her son, winemaker Simone Sechi. Located in the Rosazzo subzone of Friuli Colli Orientali, Ronco delle Betulleβs 12 hectares are farmed certified organic. Ivana and Simone focus on native grape varieties, including Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Refosco and the hyperlocal rarity Pignolo.
In 1997, Cristina Fausti's dream of an organic, modern winery alongside her familyβs Marche vineyard gave birth to Fausti. With winemaker Domenico DβAngelo sharing her reverence for the land, they founded the venture. Fausti's home in Fermo, rich with viticultural history, features vineyards beside a medievaltower adorned with the Matteucci familyβs coat of armsβa nod to local grape-growing's heritage. Guided by principles of harmony, biodiversity, and
nature's influence, Cristina and Domenico continue crafting wines that echo the region's story.