This year I have been focusing on a lot of Italian wines. Between virtual tastings, leading virtual seminars, in-person tastings, and more, my weeks always consist of having to taste multiple wines from many different areas of Italy. I absolutely love it, because who doesn’t love Italian wines, right? I decided to compile a few favorites together for you, so when you’re re-stocking your wine, you’ll want to make sure some of these, or all of them, are in your cart!

Casa Paladin- A family owned estate located in Motta di Livenza, near Treviso! A family and winery inspired by traditions and passed down winemaking techniques, producing some absolutely stunning wines! Passion and dedication, combined with quality soils, and determination is what makes their wines undeniably addicting.

Prosecco DOC Millesimato Brut Rosé: 90% Glera and 10% Pinot Nero, this wine is intense with beautiful aromas of strawberry, flowers, and just a ton of freshness. This wine is bright and delicious, because the grapes are vinified separately and in different periods to obtain a perfect balance.

Paladin Pinot Grigio Rosé: Grown in an ideal Pinot Grigio area, the high percentage of clay in the soils gives this wine wonderful freshness and minerality flavors and aromas. A beautiful nose of pear, flowers, and strawberries, this wine is absolutely ideal as an aperitif or with salads, and soft cheeses.

Col d’ Orcia Winery An iconic winery that means the hill overlooking the Orcia river. Located on the South West border of the Brunello di Montalcino territory, their mission is to produce the best possible wines with their exceptional quality soils and winemaking techniques.

2016 Brunello di Montalcino: Tradition means respecting the Sangiovese grape, which has great aging potential. Aged in large barrels, this wine is a nice ruby color with violet hues. It’s just lovely with red fruit, plum jam, and spice. Nice structure, and a full body, this wine is awesome with a lingering finish!

2015 Olmaia Sant’ Antimo Cabernet: Deep ruby with bright reflections, and notes of pepper, and dark berries. Some red pepper spice complimented with vanilla is also present along with good acidity, and a nice lasting finish. This wine I enjoyed with a nice Filet Mignon, but would also be great with other grilled meats such as lamb, bison, and veal.

Agricola San Felice– A beautiful winery located in the Castelnuovo Berardenga area of Chianti Classico. They have a lot of vines, which are plated in two different soil types: clay and sandy/mineral-rich. They produce rich and amazing wines, that are ideal for all types of cuisines, but of course Italian is always a great choice! They grow indigenous varietals like Toscana’s classic Sangiovese, but San Felice also has plantings of international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

2018 Ancherona Chardonnay: Straw yellow with a captivating nose of tropical fruit, flower blossoms, and some vanilla. There is a toastiness that’s delicious and leads to a nice lingering finish; overall a wonderful wine for spring risotto! It’s a crisp wine thats very smooth and has a lot of length which I love. It’s definitely a great afternoon sipper, on a warm spring or dummer day.

2017 San Felice IL Grigio Chianti Classico Riserva: Made from the best Sangiovese grapes selected in the Chianti Classico vineyards. It’s a beautiful blend of traditional winemaking with a touch of modern flare. It spends some time in oak, about 24 months before aging 1 year in bottle, and is a really impressive wine.

If you’re looking for some fantastic wines to sip this season, I recommend the ones above, as well as others in their portfolios. Italian wines are interesting, pairing friendly, and so much fun to drink!

Always remember, eat what you like and drink what you love. Please pair responsibly.