Winemakers Olivier and Bruno Bererd know that the secret to the finest Beaujolais is all about location. The village of Le Perréon shares much of the same rugged, mineral-rich soils, high-altitude vineyards, and older, low-yielding vines as its cru neighbors.
Marie-Ange represents the fourth generation of vine growers in the family. It was her father Guy who slowly, parcel by parcel, purchased vineyards in the 1960s; yet it is Marie-Ange who has brought the winery to a level of greatness for which it was always destined. Simply put, there are few other Chablis estates with such a rich collection of older vines and as a result, few other estates that deliver Chablis wines of such character and complexity.
Carso, or the Karst region, is a formidable limestone plateau that reaches from northeastern Italy into southwestern Slovenia. In this breathtaking yet rustic corner of Italy, grape vines share space with wild forest and family farms. The Skerlj (scare-lee) family for generations has worked the land here, raising pigs and grain, and crafting natural wines that capture the region’s indomitable spirit.
The appellation of Graves de Vayres is historically renowned for its silky, full-flavored wines. The region’s unique, sandy terroir is what gives wines their fine-grained texture, a characteristic that is expressed fully in Pontête Bellgrave’s elegant, silky blend.
Domaine de la Pousse d’Or has for decades been the collector’s choice for expressive and memorable wines from Burgundy’s most hallowed terroirs. This historic estate is one of the Burgundian elite, in a similar realm of such exclusive wineries like Romanée-Conti and Comte de Vogüé, with its strict selection and seamless winemaking.
Azienda Agricola Ca’Vittoria is a small Prosecco estate that has earned its spot at the top of Italy’s finest, with its mountain vineyards, estate-grown grapes and peerless quality in each bottle. All hand-harvested grapes used to craft Ca’Vittoria Prosecco are estate grown—a unique situation that few other Prosecco estates can match.
The history of the Ricasoli-Firidolfi family in Tuscany is a rich tapestry of kings and statesmen, its fabric woven together with the vine. For more than 37 generations, this ancient family has cultivated grapes and crafted wines in Monti in Chianti, the “very best area” of Chianti Classico, according to Antonio Galloni.
Oftentimes discovering one’s true calling requires a leap of faith. Stella di Campalto found hers in an abandoned farm and winery in Montalcino, land that she restored to vibrant life with her own hands.
For more than 100 years, the Scammacca del Murgo family has cultivated vines and olives under the fiery gaze of Mount Etna in Sicily. More than once this active volcano has destroyed vineyard plots and covered their family home under ash—events that would rattle the nerves of even the most daredevil winemakers. Yet for the Scammacca del Murgo clan, it’s just the price one pays for the privilege of growing vines in one of the more dynamic and breathtaking wine regions on earth.
The history of artisanal winemaking in the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily essentially begins with five Spanish families, one of which is Caravaglio. These noble pioneers were invited to travel to these wild, volcanic islands in the early 1500s to develop agriculture. Thus for more than 500 years, the Caravaglios have cultivated wine grapes on Salina and Lipari, establishing early on the traditions and practices that would be followed for generations.