Marzemino was called "Mozart's wine", since the musician mentioned it prominently in his opera Don Juan. But this is giving short shrift to one of the oldest wines of Italy, since it would be more proper to call it "the emperors' wine" or "the doges' wine", as it was present on the noble's tables.

The Battistotti winery was founded by Emilio Battistotti in the early 1940s and is currently run by his grandsons: Luciano, Elio and Enzo. Under their father Riccardo's supervision, the three brothers, have earned a high reputation as growers. The winery is located in Nomi in Vallagarina and the vineyards, which have a history going back to the 1400s, are situated in the surrounding areas at Volano and Isera. The main variety grown is the local Marzemino.
 
Marzemino Gentile is a purple-red vibrant wine with a distinctive nose of flowers, black cherry and spice that leads to a lively and supple palate, with very little tannin and plenty of flavor. Ideal foods are pasta dishes with duck and sausage with pecorino cheese. This would also pair well with white meat or poultry, and with mushroom based dishes.
 
This is one of those wines that make you wonder where it has been all your life. Why don't more restaurants serve it? Easy to drink, but never sloppy or insipid. Great for the barbeque!! A serious candidate for fun dinner parties, this is a classic Italian wine.
$49 for 3 bottles

Since the Roman era Alto Adige has been one of Europe's most prosperous regions and even before that time it was highly regarded for its wines. The region lies on the southern slopes of the Alps, where during the ripening period the central valleys become filled with warm, Mediterranean air and where most mountains and hillsides are south facing.

In recent years international markets and opinion leaders have focused on Alto Adige premium wines. The region's more innovative wine producers responded, triggering off a major quality revolution. One of its main protagonists has turned out to be Elena Walch, a former architect who became a wine producer in 1985 after marrying into one of the oldest established wine families at Tramin. Tramin and Kaltern (Caldaro) are Alto Adige's best-known wine villages.

Elena Walch took over two magnificent estates: Castel Ringberg overlooking the Lake of Kalteren and Kastelaz, a steep, south-facing hillside dotted with cypress trees which tower above the village center of Tramin. Not surprisingly, the latter is highly regarded for its white wine made from the Gewürztraminer grape, which took its name from the village Tramin.

I met Elena Walch a year ago and I absolutely love her wines, they are some of the best that I have tasted from Alto Adige. I have always been of two minds regarding Gewürztraminer, however. On one hand, I love it. The aromatics and flavors are some of the most compelling of all grape varieties. Talk about smells and aromas that send you off to a distant paradise! On the other hand, many Gewürztraminers are so big and powerful that I can only drink a third of a glass and I am quickly ready to move on to something else. When I tasted this one, I was stunned. This is everything that I could want in a Gewürztraminer. Rich, concentrated and deliciously aromatic with a clear, full golden yellow color. It is incredibly light and elegant, aromatic and flowery, reminiscent of lychees and rose petals. Fresh, mellow and mouth filling but dry on the finish.

An elegant and fresh Gewürztraminer that would be perfect as a full-flavored aperitif or as an accompaniment to a range of dishes, including grilled fish. Perfect for summertime drinking.
$67.5 for 3 bottles

The Giulio Grasso family has been in the wine-growing business since 1880, a tradition handed down over time from father to son. Most of the vineyards are located in Valgrande, in the village of Treiso. Ca del Baio is a producer that often seems to be below the radar of most Italian wine drinkers. But this producer consistently makes wines that are terrific values, offering early accessibility, some complexity and wonderful warm Italian flavors.
 
This 2002 Barbaresco is a perfect example of what we mean by a great value wine. It has everything you could want in a nebbiolo based wine, but at half the price of what you would pay for many wines from Barbaresco that are not nearly as good. 

This wine has a nose of plums, chocolate, tar, and vanilla, and its powerful, elegant flavors combine nicely with supple tannins, and a velvety texture. Another wine that's would benefit from short term cellaring. Drink a bottle now and hold the rest for six months and check in with it every few months after that until perfection is attained.
$19.5

You may have been one of the lucky ones that purchased some of Molino's great Barolo that we were selling a couple of months ago. Here is another great Molino value - an incredibly delicious Barbera.

Founded in 1953, the Azienda Agricola Molino is located near the ancient abbey of S. Martino di Marcenasco and includes one of the most famous cru of the Langhe, "Vigna Conca", among its vineyards.

Mauro Molino needs a PR guy and he needs him fast! It mystifies us as to why his wines, some of the best and highest-scoring wines in Piedmont year after year, have not gained the level of popularity that other producers enjoy.

This wine is deeply colored. The nose is deep showing plums and black cherry. It has a round and full palate that shows high-toned fruit with good acidity and tannin. The nose is fruity, featuring bright berries, tar, and minerals. The overall impression is that of a dry, full-bodied wine with fresh acidity, and a persistent finish. Quite tasty right now, but if you can hold on to it for a couple of years, you'll be glad you did.
$46.95 for 3 bottles

Produttori del Barbaresco was founded in 1958 as a cooperative of growers that presently includes 60 members and more than 250 acres of Nebbiolo vineyards in the village of Barbaresco. Each family is in full control of its land, growing Nebbiolo grapes with centuries old skill and dedication.

If you live in Portland and drink Italian wine, you are probably familiar with this producer. Produttori del Barbaresco produces some of the most consistent, delicious Nebbiolo based wines in the market at completely reasonable prices. These days, with so many great wines from Italy flooding our area, it is easy to overlook Produttori - but that would be a mistake.

The 1999 Barbaresco "Normale" is a case in point. The 1999 received the "Three Glasses" (Tre Bichieri) award and "Top Value Red Wine of the Year from Gambero Rosso Magazine in 2004. That is about as good as it gets in Piemonte wine. This is a great vintage and the wine shows full body and intense concentration of fruit and aromas with firm, ripe tannins. Probably Produttori's most balanced Barbaresco yet plus it will age well for 20 years. It would be a crime not to buy a few bottles of this wine. It is completely approachable now - and will only improve with time.

Cannonau or cannonao, is the Sardinian name for grenache, the second most widely planted grape variety in the world. It was the Spanish who were responsible for this grape's appearance on the island. The Sella & Mosca property in Sardinia is one of Italy's most impressive and progressive wine estates. Immaculately maintained, this 1,600-acre estate is credited with bringing Sardinian wines to the attention of wine lovers everywhere.  With good reason, they are delicious.

This 100% grenache bottling shows an intense burgundy red color with brick red tinges.  It is a dense, compact wine. Its spicy bouquet has notes of roasted almonds, raisins, cinnamon and vanilla. Its unmistakably warm, but simultaneously spicy taste with hints of vanilla, is pleasantly tannic, strong and robust but fruity as well. It matches with roasted meats, game stews, pork dishes and mature cheeses. Uncorking it an hour before pouring will allow its fragrance to permeate. (My drinking partner was visibly impressed by how the wine improved after about 45 minutes.)

I have loved the Cannonau from Sella & Mosca for many years now, since I first encountered it when I was working for a chef who was from Alghero in the northwest corner of Sardinia. It is one of those wines that seem to make everything you eat taste better - especially Italian dishes. Wines from Sardinia tend to age moderately well. I think this one is perfect right now, but will probably hold for another 3 to 5 years, and really improve in six months to a year.
$47.85 for 3 bottles

Ca' Maiöl Lugana is produced from trebbiano grapes and takes its name from Cascina Maiölo, the vineyard founded in 1710. The grapes used in this wine are taken from vines averaging 20 years old. The soil is made up of layers of calcareous clay created during the post-glacial era of Lake Garda. It gives the wine its straw color with green highlights, its delicate bouquet of almonds and its very slightly salty, sappy flavor. This wine has ripe aromas and flavors of pears and lemon. Lugana Ca' Maiöl is absolutely perfect for warm weather drinking. Fresh, lively, crisp and easy to drink and it has an easy price to match.
$31.95 for 3 bottles

If you ever find yourself in Alto Adige (Südtirol in German) you will probably think you must be lost. It can't be Italy. German is the language spoken everywhere, with Italian a polite afterthought. But you are not lost - you are just in a place where people ignore unimportant details - like political borders. Alto Adige only legally became part of Italy after World War I - psychologically, they never left Austria.

Alto Adige is one of the most beautiful wine regions on earth. The steep vineyards rise almost vertically to the sky with the snowcapped Alps as a backdrop. The wines produced in this alpine climate are incredibly aromatic and balanced.

Two old producers, the Gries winery and the Santa Magdalena, joined forces in the early 1990s. Like many properties in Italy's Alto Adige, the place has a couple of names, just to keep us guessing. As a result, you'll find wines sold as "St. Magdelana-Gries" and some labeled Cantina Produttori Bolzano. Why make things easy, after all?

Santa Magdalena has been recognized as a leading producer of the Alto Adige, and its wines have garnered Tre Bicchieri awards by Italy's Gambero Rosso in every vintage for the past ten years. Pinot Grigio from Santa Magdalena is the result of steep, hillside vineyards located above the picturesque city of Bolzano with the rugged snow capped Dolomites as a backdrop. Small parcels on steep mountainside vineyards lead to the quintessential Alto Adige white - a wine that is delicate, yet detailed in aroma and particularly vibrant and lengthy on the palate. This showcases Italy's leaner and crisper version of Pinot Grigio, with floral fruit character and a citrus, straw-like delicacy.
$39.75 for 3 bottles

I Campetti, Castruccio, Tuscany, Italy 2001
This little Italian gem comes from the warm and lush countryside of the Maremma in Tuscany, just a few miles from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Castruccio, is a blend of Sangiovese (80%) Ciliegiolo (10%) Canaiolo (10%). It has earthy, intense aromatics that are well integrated, with supple and rich flavors. The color is a dark ruby with violet hues. Dark and meaty with forest floor scents along with pronounced dark cherry and tobacco on the nose. This wine is surprisingly graceful and shows tremendous character for such an inexpensive wine. It finishes with smooth, sweet tannins.

You should drink this wine while its young when all those delicious aromas are at their peak. It will pair wonderfully with all kinds of traditional Italian foods. A real steal!
6 bottles $54.00

Montevertine, Pian del Ciampolo, Tuscany 1999
90% Sangiovese - 10% Canaiolo
We think that Pian del Ciampolo falls into the soulful category of wine, even at this easily affordable price. Montevertine in Tuscany produces it. Their flagship wine is Le Pergole Torte, a wine that has enjoyed so many superlatives already that there's no need for more here. Once Montevertine chooses the best Sangiovese and Canaiolo for their stellar Le Pergole Torte, the remaining fruit (still a quality bunch, if you pardon the pun) is used to make this deliciously soft wine. The light and supple texture yields a lot of flavor from a small red space. It is round, persistent and fresh. There's baked raspberry roundness and a filigreed structure to the wine. It is a very versatile wine that pairs well with all types of food. It reminds me of the great Chianti's from twenty or thirty years ago. Unmistakably Italian with clean, pure fruit.
6 bottles $134.00