Italian Red Wines - Other

We have thousands of wines. Although we carry many national brands, that is not our focus. The following are well made and generally more interesting wines that we are proud to recommend.

DeAngelis Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, 2021 ($13.99) - Although there are a few expensive and truly exciting Montepulciano d’Abruzzos, most are everyday wines that offer a lot of flavor for a little price. The Zaccagnini (the twig wine - actually a grapevine cutting) is the best known, but others offer better bang for the buck. And this is amazing, one of the best of the “bunch.” The bottle we tried still showed a post-bottling fizz, so we just held our finger over the opening and shook it vigorously a few times. It improved dramatically with a little airing. Nothing complicated here, but it’s a delicious mouthful of fruit!

Brigaldara Valpolicella, 2021 ($16.99) - If you are looking for an alternative to Pinot Noir, this is just the wine. It’s a lighter red with very nice aromatics, bright and straightforward with cherry and plum character. Perfect for salmon, chicken, pizza, or simple pasta with tomato sauce and grated Parmigiano. The blend is 55% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, and 20% Rondinella. Winemaking is in stainless steel only. Brigaldara is located immediately outside a 16th-century villa in San Floriano; viticulture in this area dates back to the 12th century. The estate farms 25 acres of Valpolicella Classico as well as fruit trees and olives. Stefano Cesari recently welcomed his oldest son, Lamberto, to work along with his brother, Antonio. Soave and a wonderful Amarone are also produced.

De Stefani Redentore Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Venezie-Italy, 2021 ($19.99) - Another lighter red that’s a fine alternative to Pinot Noir. Alessandro De Stefani, his family’s 4th generation winemaker, makes a highly regarded, powerful Refosco (Kreda) under the De Stefani label. The Redentore label is a less expensive, lighter version that comes from his younger vines (15 years). It’s quite attractive with a spicy character that begs for rustic Italian fare. The alcohol is only 12.5%, and the wine was aged for 12 months in used (no more than three years old) French barrels (Allier and Tronçais). Farming is organic, and there are no added sulfites. The Refosco family of grapes contains four distinct varietals. Named for its striking red stems, the Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso produces the most complex wines.

Scuola Grande Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, 2020 ($18.99) - The Fabiano Ripasso that we featured in October was our best-selling Wine of the Month in some time. It deservedly continues to sell well, but we thought it would be interesting to introduce an alternative. The Scuola Grande is somewhat different in style but equally delicious. It has more intense and truly wonderful aromatics and great character, even though it is a bit less rich on the palate. Although a year older, it has more aging potential. Ripasso is a production method whereby Valpolicella wine is repassed (hence the name) over Amarone pomace (pulpy grape residue), picking up more richnesss and some Amarone character. Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara are the grapes. A gorgeous aroma of toasted hazelnuts and tobacco is followed by juicy red fruit and cherry jam.

Pietrantonj Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 2021 ($19.99) - We have several charming, flavorful, and great value Montepulciano d'Abruzzos, but this is clearly a step up. Deep and rich in flavor, it is not at all overripe, and it has more class and balance than one usually finds here. Just delicious!

Le Vigne di Zamò Refosco del Peduncolo Rosso, Colli Orientali del Friuli, 2016 ($29.99) - This is the most impressive of the two Refoscos we carry. It’s a big, rich red wine with a lovely bouquet. Tullio Zamò began this operation with the purchase of a five-hectare vineyard on Rocca Bernarda Hill. His sons, Pierluigi and Silvano, expanded the operation by renting vineyards around Rosazzo Abbey. Further purchases and rentals have brought the family’s total vineyards to 35 hectares (86.5 acres). Friuli, in northern Italy, is best known for its white wines, but Merlot and the local Pignolo and Refosco red grapes have been gaining in reputation. For this wine, destemmed and crushed Refosco grapes (the Refosco del Peduncolo Rosso clone, named for its red stems) macerate in stainless steel vats for 10-12 days. During fermentation, cap punch downs, rack and returns, and pump over are alternated. The wine is then racked and pressed. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is again racked into 25-hl oak barrels for twelve months of aging before bottling. 

Sandy Giovese Vino Rosso ($32/3-liter box) - A recent New York Times article by Eric Asimov focused on boxed wines. There’s no reason why good wine can’t be put in these handy packages, except for the question of whether the consumer will pay the higher price. Still, when you consider that this very pleasant wine sells for the equivalent of $8 per bottle, it’s not a bad deal. Keep it in the fridge, take it on a picnic or to the shore. Either way, even when opened, the remaining wine in the box will stay good for about a month. Soft entry, dry finish, very pleasant. Great with a light chill. Asimov recommends it: “Here is the archetypal boxed wine: juicy, simple and fresh, made for drinking, not thinking. It comes from Italy, from a winery based in Le Marche. It’s mostly made from Sangiovese, with 15% Trebbiano, a white grape, to lighten it up. The website says they are grown organically, but the box says merely that the farmers are ‘earth friendly,’ whatever that means. Those who care only about how it tastes will enjoy it.”

Graci Etna Rosso, 2021 and 2022 ($34.99) - If you haven't tried the wonderful red and white wines coming from Mount Etna in Sicily, you really must. These wines have come a long way in a short time. The 2022: Wine Spectator 91 $45 "Textbook Etna for its appealing flavors of plumped cherry and raspberry fruit, with fragrant herb and spice accents. Offers a baseline of minerally tar and stone, plus fine, lightly chalky tannins. Fresh and balanced, with a creamy finish. Drink now through 2032." We have several others to try.

Elena Fucci Aglianico del Vulture "Titolo," 2020 ($37.99) - The Aglianico grape from Basilicata is one of our favorite obscure grapes; it deserves to be better known. We have a few inexpensive versions, and then we have this one. A joy! Wine Spectator: 91 $49 "A well-knit red, with expressive notes of ripe yet tangy blackberry and mulberry fruit, this structured version is fresh and chewy on the palate. Shows a minerally streak of ashy smoke, iron, and medicinal herbs that linger on the finish. Best from 2025 through 2030."

San Marzano Primitivodo Manduria Riserva 62 Anniversario, 2018 ($41.99) - This wine has won mass appeal in Puglia. It is ubiquitous in local wine bars and restaurants. The 2018 Primitivo di Manduria Riserva 62 Anniversario offers easy appeal and irresistible characteristics for those who like the soft and voluptuous side of oak-aged red wines. It reminds me of the extracted wines prized ten years ago or more. If you are keen to identify territory or variety-driven typicity, this wine offers less on those two fronts. However, there is a lot to say here. The wine is plump and ripe with bold cherry and cinnamon that are harmoniously fused. The wine might evoke a moment of nostalgia in you as it did in me. 

Once known as Feudi di San Marzano, this winery has changed its name to Cantine San Marzano to avoid conflict with another wine brand. The label simply reads "San Marzano" and that's how I have recorded these wines here. San Marzano is a savvy and dynamic co-operative with some 1,200 members who provide fruit. The company is heavily marketed and branded and its efforts are paying off. Its wines are immensely popular among younger generations in Puglia and I was impressed by how often I saw these wines at local wine bars and restaurants. San Marzano is changing the Puglia winescape and is a force to be reckoned with.

Vaona Amarone della Valpolicella Classico “Pegrandi,” 2016 ($49.99) - Alberto Vaona farms in the Classico zone towns of Marano, San Pietro in Cariano, and Negrar di Valpolicella. His vineyards cover 10 hectares with various soil types, some of volcanic origin with calcareous clay. The estate switched over to organic farming in 2020. Wine Advocate: 94+ “The Vaona 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Pegrandi is really quite pretty and nicely defined. It shows lifted aromas of dark plum and candied cherry with plenty of balanced smoke, licorice, and tar at the back to flesh it out. The wine is densely concentrated and powerful but not in a heavy or overdone fashion. It maintains that lifted and bright character on the long finish. This is a breakout vintage for Vaona, made with 35% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, and 5% Molinara. Production is 500 cases. Drink 2021-2033” 

Masseria Frattasi Aglianico "Kapnios," Beneventano IGT, 2018 ($54.99) - We couldn't find any reviews for this wine, but we hope you will trust us when we say that it is something special. It's one of the few big, extracted, full-throttle reds that is still light on its feet, balanced, and refined. Just delicious!