Doug decants: Etnella Villa Petrosa, Sicily
Davide Bentivegna, Etnella's founder, having worked for the German company Siemens, left his position to follow his dream to make wine. He had no previous experience or inherited land, so…
Les Caves discovers…Calabria!
Sometimes known as Italy’s toe, and divided from Sicily by the narrow Strait of Messina, Calabria juts out between the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian Seas. Its northern border with Basilicata,…
Doug Decants: Monte dall’Ora, Vino Nato Disobbediente
When Alessandra and Carlo Venturini first discovered Monte dall’Ora it was love at first sight. As children of farmers, they were excited and challenged by the hard work it was…
Doug Decants: Etnella from Etna
Davide Bentivegna, Etnella's founder, used to work for Siemans in Germany, but one day decided to abandon his office job and realise a dream to make wine. Without any…
Doug decants: The Wines of Cascina Iuli
Fabrizio Iuli grew up (literally) in his mother’s restaurant and used to help out from a very early age. His grandfather had planted some Barbera in the fields behind the…
How Do You Like Them Appellations?
Not a lot! We recently received communication from our friends at Il Paradiso di Manfredi in Montalcino. Another example of appellations falling a long way from the tree of sanity: On…
30 years of Fatalone Primitivo Riserva: A Report
The History of Fatalone The Fatalone name originated with Filippo Petrera (2nd generation), Nicola’s son, who was, in his time, nicknamed Il Fatalone. It quickly caught on becoming the family…
Doug Decants: Rabasco Wines, Abruzzo
The Not-so-Full Montes Iole Rabasco inherited her family’s small vineyard and olive grove, neither of which have ever been treated with chemicals. And she’s taken that blessing and run with it.…
Another natural wine imbroglio
--Doug Wregg. A few months ago a some officers from the Italian agriculture ministry paid a surprise visit to the Rome-based wine shop, Enoteca Bulzoni. They slapped them with a…