Category: Italian Wine

Franciacorta, Italy’s ‘Champagne’ region, is bubbling to the surface…

Last week I visited Lombardia’s Franciacorta region accompanied by Edwin Dublin, one of Berry Bros.’ sparkling wine experts, who also works in our No.3 St James’s Street shop. For both of us this was our inaugural visit to the region. Over two days we visited seven cantine: Lantieri di Paratico, Bellavista, Biondelli, Monte Rossa, Cavalleri, Uberti […]

Barolo 2008 update; excessive green-harvesting, the other contagion; and London’s finest, Brooks’s Club, visits the Langhe…

Evviva! Vintage 2008 should be gathered up with open arms by (true) Nebbiolo appassionati around the globe. For 2008 is a classic vintage, that enjoyed a cold winter, a long growing season and a normal October harvest, a month after the much touted 2007. Generally it has yielded more (refreshing) acidity, a marginally lower pH […]

Olek Bondonio: no ordinary Piemontese, no ordinary Barbaresco producer…

Joining Berrys’ impressive line-up of Barbaresco producers (Rivella, Cascina delle Rose, Luisin, Roagna, and Marinacci) at this year’s ‘Grand Tour’ Italian tasting at Lindley Hall, London on September 6th will be one Olek Bondonio, whose first vintage was in 2005. He is just one of the increasing number of exciting Barbaresco producers now emerging from […]

Welcome to the genial world of Barbera d’Asti producer Paolo Laiolo…

When Paolo Laiolo took up the trowel in 1998 and joined his father Guido at the tiny family estate of Laiolo Reginin, it was made clear to him that though he would probably never become rich, he would nonetheless meet many fascinating people along the way. Undeterred, or perhaps spurred on, Paolo responded by spending […]