Part of the fun of being a wine drinker is getting to know the story behind each bottle. During a time when "whimsy" is social media's favorite buzz word to describe a life fueled by delightful frivolities, who wouldn't want to pop open a bottle of wine grown by a real Italian princess or named after a dog who saved the winemaker's son from drowning?
For a wine appreciator, there's no better way to get that daily dose of whimsy than by uncorking a bottle of wine from a boutique winery.
While there's no official definition, boutique wineries are typically small producers that focus on family ownership and quality over scale. These winemakers are often getting their hands dirty (literally) by hand-harvesting and sorting grapes, fermenting in small batches and bringing a smaller quantity of wines to market that showcase premium craftsmanship, regional character and a whole lot of love.
...And, even better, they show outstanding value for their price points.
In fact, one of the best winemaking regions for finding value boutique wines is in Italy.
To be clear, Italy still boasts its fair share of luxury wines with suitably luxurious price points. However, it's also a region ripe with small, artisanal wine producers making gorgeous wines for affordable prices.
This is for a variety of reasons but mostly has to do with the fact that the Italian government heavily subsidizes the grape growing industry and that there is an abundance of wine growing regions within the country. While most nations may only have a few regions suitable for grape production, Italy has a whopping 20 growing regions, each with their own distinctive growing practices and terroir, or sense of regional taste.1 For these reasons and more, Italy is a playground for wine drinkers who appreciate small-scale production and unmatched quality for approachable prices.
If you're looking to embark on your journey to taste your way through Italy's boutique wineries, here's a handy roadmap of expert-recommended wines to guide your exploration. Salute!
Remember that bit earlier about a wine grown by a real Italian princess? Yeah, we weren't messing around. Conte Collalto Winery in the Prosecco region of Italy has been run by the same family since 1110 and is currently in the masterful hands of the aforementioned Princess Isabella Collalto. They're one of the few producers to bottle a single-vineyard Prosecco of the highest quality AND from the top region in Italy for Prosecco...Prosecco.
In short, if you want one of the best glasses of Prosecco and the right to say, "You know, a princess made this wine," while pouring for your friends, Collalto is the way to go.
The Tessari family has been farming the La Cappuccina estate in Soave, Italy just east of Verona (as in the fair one where Bill Shakes laid his scene) for over 100 years. This red blend is a stand-out offering from the Tessaris for its use of Carmenere grapes and an ancient grape variety called Oseleta, which is seldom seen or tasted. It's organically farmed on a single-vineyard plot for a strong presence of terroir in each sip. This wine's enticing bouquet of berries and spice will pair well with pasta smothered in red sauce or anything off the grill.
Muri-Gries Wine Estate was founded in 1845 by Benedictine monks who relocated from Muri, Switzerland to Gries in Tyrol, Italy, hence the name. The former Augustinian abbey houses the fermentation room, and the stainless-steel tanks used to store white wines, while the reds mature in the old cellar in today's monastery bell tower.
The winemakers clearly apply the same work ethic as their pious forebears, because they've earned the reputation of being one of the most well-respected winemakers in the Italian Alpine region. This pinot grigio is of the highest quality, full-bodied and well-restructured with a refined finish of fresh pear, apple and anise. Pair with your favorite seafood dish and savor every sip.
Cantine Volpi winery has been family-owned for over 100 years in the small Northern Italian town of Tortona. They're a pioneer of the Timorasso grape variety, an ancient grape prized by wine enthusiasts of esoteric wine varietals. For this, they've garnered numerous accolades from top wine critics for their ingenuity and dedication to the craft of winemaking.
Perhaps one of the best examples of this grape in action is their Derthona "La Zerba," a dry, well-balanced white wine that exudes mouthwatering notes of honey, chamomile, nectarines and mangoes. For the adventurous wine drinker who enjoys trying wines that can only be found in specific parts of the world, this is a must-try.
Chianti sometimes gets a bad rap for being unserious, cheap, easy-drinking wine, but this wine smashes those stereotypes with an oak barrel. It's made from 100% estate-grown Sangiovese in the village of Radda in Siena, Italy that exhibits balance, elegance and a medium body with fine tannins and a silky finish. Critics must agree, as it has attained 90+ ratings across multiple vintages. If you're looking for a fruity, authentically Italian wine to pair with homemade pizza fresh from the pizza stone, this is it.
Another red wine made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, Brunello di Montalcino is more robust, tannic and elevated than Chianti, it's brighter, more approachable cousin. This Brunello from La Gerla, a boutique producer in Tuscany, one of the world's most iconic wine regions, enjoys a cult-like following from Brunello drinkers "in the know." Again, critics concur with 90+ ratings across bottlings and vintages. For those looking to add one of the best bottles from Tuscany to their weekly lineup, this is an excellent candidate.
Another wine for the history buffs: this crisp white wine made from an ancient grape variety called Coda di Volpe is farmed from vineyards that rest at the base of Mount Vesuvius. In fact, wine growing in this region dates back at least 2,000 years with evidence showing that this specific wine was made around the time of the infamous volcanic eruption in 79 A.D. If you're looking for a reason to reminisce on your visit to Pompeii last summer, do it while sipping this wine that might taste not unlike what those unfortunate ancient Romans were sipping during the days before the eruption.
Mary Taylor, a former wine auctioneer, merchant, and distributor, fell in love with European “appellation” wines in the 1990s and founded U.S. wine import company Mary Taylor Wines in 2017. Her mission is to bring authentic, regionally distinctive wines from Europe’s classic appellations to the U.S. for under $20 a bottle, reflecting the Old-World view of wine as an everyday luxury.
As such, Mary Taylor only partners with small producers whose wines showcase to perfection the regions they hail from. This red is organically farmed and made from 100% Nero D'Avola, the top red grape in Sicily. This wine is the answer to the comfortable pinot noir drinker's eternal struggle to "change it up" without sacrificing balance and dependability.
This organic red blend marries three ancient grape varities from Southern Italy: Malvasia Nera, Primitivo and Negramaro. If you're a California Zinfandel lover, here's a fun fact: Zinfandel and Primitivo are genetically identical! For decades, they were thought to be unrelated due to different naming and regions of origin, but DNA testing by UC Davis researchers in 1993 confirmed that they are, in fact, twinsies. The real kicker, though? The original grape doesn't come from California or Italy; the parent grape is Croatian, a variety called Tribidrag, also known as Crljenak Kastelanski, which has been growing on the Dalmatian coast for centuries. The more you know!
But that's enough nerdy wine talk for now. Back to basics: this blend is full-bodied and bursting with flavor with scintillating notes of black cherry, violet, plum and licorice. ABC guest KittyKat518 even said in their 5-star review on our website: "Been buying this since I met a member of the family winery at an ABC tasting years ago. It is my go-to whenever I want to impress someone!" Cheers to that!
Looking for more affordable, expert-recommended wines? Check out some of our favorites from Italy and beyond below.
1 https://winedataresearcher.com/five-reasons-wine-in-italy-is-cheaper/
