Freisa
If you like fragrant, spicy reds with structure and personality, you’ll love the dry varietal wines made with native grape Freisa.
Cellar Gems and Fails #5
Brunello di Montalcino and Toscana IGT 2004: Twenty years On (or Gone)?
Cellar Gems and Fails #4
Are your precious bottles of Italian wine holding up or not?
FIVI: Trust in Italy’s Grower-Producer Wines
As a wine critic, I’ve long noted that some of my highest-scoring wines across the denominations bear the FIVI logo
Cellar Gems and Fails #3
When should you drink your old precious bottles of Italian wine?
Top 100 Italian Wines of 2023
2023 proved to be an amazing year for Italian wines: it was incredibly hard to choose only 100, but here are the best of the best.
Cellar Gems and Fails #2
When should you drink your old precious bottles of Italian wine?
Cellar Gems and Fails
When should you drink your old precious bottles of Italian wine?
Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Vintage Report
Brunello di Montalcino 2019: Everything you need to know about the vintage and the wines
Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo d’Alba: What’s the Difference?
Here’s everything you need to know about Nebbiolo d’Alba and Langhe Nebbiolo.
Three Decades of Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello Pianrosso
A riveting, age-worthy Brunello with class, energy and longevity.
The Raddest producers in Radda
Here are two of the best Chianti Classico producers from Radda that should be on every wine lover’s radar.
Etna Bianco: Stunning Whites forged on the slopes of Europe’s highest active volcano
Etna Bianco: Here’s everything you need to know about these exciting whites.
Riesling Rising in the Langhe
Although Piedmont’s ancient varieties steal the limelight, one outsider has shown impressive results in the Langhe: Riesling.
Pieropan Soave Classico Calvarino 2021-1987
Pieropan Calvarino is without a doubt one of Italy’s most exceptional whites
Valle d’Aosta’s Savory Secrets
Italy’s smallest region in terms of size and population, mountainous Valle d’Aosta turns out high quality, delicious wines, mainly reds...
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2017
Vintage report on Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2017 Here you find my vintage evaluation of Brunello di Montalcino 2018, updated with new...
Top Italian Wines of 2022
Picking my top 50 was extremely difficult as I tried so many extraordinary wines, but here they are: 30 reds, 10 whites and 10 sparklers that excelled in 2022 and that showcase the class, stellar quality and unrivaled diversity of Italian wine. Enjoy!
Brunello di Montalcino 2018 vintage report
Brunello di Montalcino 2018: here’s everything you need to know about the vintage and the wines.
Alta Langa: The Classy Sparkler from the Piedmont Hills
Italy makes world-class bottle-fermented sparklers, aka Metodo Classico, and some of the very best come from the hilly slopes of Piedmont...
Alto Adige: Italy’s White Wine Wonderland
Italy’s northernmost wine producing region, Alto Adige makes some of best white wines in the country. Part of the Trentino-Alto Adige...
Brunello di Montalcino 2017: concentrazione, alcol ed alcune stelle lucenti
Il 2017 è stato uno degli anni più caldi e secchi mai registrati, e questo si riflette chiaramente nella maggior parte dei Brunello di...
Brunello di Montalcino 2016: finezza, longevità e…l’elefante nella stanza
Dopo l’incredibile successo del Barolo 2016 che ha debuttato lo scorso anno, la frenesia intorno ai Brunello 2016 appena usciti è...
Brunello di Montalcino 2015: il buono, il brutto e il cattivo (e il grande)
Per fortuna, nonostante le sfide, un buon numero di produttori hanno azzeccato tutte le mosse ed hanno realizzato Brunelli 2015 eccezionali con frutta succosa, freschezza ed equilibrio. Mentre alcuni mostrano un buon potenziale di invecchiamento, la maggior parte dei migliori vini avrà bisogno solo di qualche anno per arrivare al momento ideale per essere goduti, ma dovrebbero mantenersi bene per ulteriori 8-10 anni.
Col Fondo: il nebuloso caso del vino torbido
Se sei un appassionato del Prosecco Col Fondo, il tradizionale Prosecco che subisce una seconda fermentazione in bottiglia ma invece di...
Col Fondo: The Murky Case of the Cloudy Wine
If you’re a fan of Prosecco Col Fondo – the traditional Prosecco that undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle but instead of...
Brunello di Montalcino 2014: un’annata dall’eleganza facilmente approcciabile
La 2014 è stata una delle annate più fredde e piovose della memoria recente in Italia e Montalcino non ha fatto eccezione. Tuttavia, grazie alla competenza dei produttori più dedicati, ci sono alcuni deliziosi Brunelli di questa annata appena rilasciata, vibranti e carichi di finezza, con poche eccezioni si possono già godere ora e nei prossimi anni. Offriranno puro piacere e bevibilità mentre si aspetta che i 2013 si sviluppino pienamente.
Gianfranco Soldera, grande produttore di Brunello, muore a 82 anni
Gianfranco Soldera, uno dei vignaioli simbolo di Montalcino – noto per la produzione di eccezionali vini di notevole finezza ed...
Brunello di Montalcino 2013: un’annata classica e splendente, da mettere in cantina
Se volete sperimentare l’energia, l’eleganza e la struttura che per secoli ha attratto appassionati e collezionisti al vino di...
2013: Radiant, cool climate Brunellos for the cellar
If you want to experience the energy, elegance and age-worthy structure that first drew wine lovers and collectors to Brunello di...
The Volcanic Wines of Italy
What sets apart some of the most exhilarating Italian wines today? New benchmarks for complexity and longevity have one thing in common:...
I Vini vulcanici d’Italia
Alcuni dei vini Italiani più interessanti e intriganti hanno una cosa in comune: le origini vulcaniche dei loro terreni. Mentre i vini...
Traveling Back in Time With Nebbiolo
On November 18th, I traveled in a virtual time machine: a vertical tasting of 8 Nebbiolo-based wines from Alto Piemonte from 1842 to 1970....
Alto Piemonte: the “Other” Nebbiolo
If you’re a fan of Nebbiolo – the sole grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco – you’ll love the radiant, mineral-driven Nebbiolos and...
2012 Brunello: a return to finesse and age-worthy structure
If you love wines with elegance, fragrance and longevity, then you’ll love the just-released 2012 Brunellos. And even though I’m one of...
The Terroir-Driven Food of Italy
Terroir isn’t just about wine. Chefs in Italy are looking local for their ingredients, from Caffè Cibrèo in Florence to Osteria...
The wine writer (by Jessica Bordoni)
Passion and knowledge. These are the keys to the success of Kerin O’Keefe, one of the world’s most influential wine critics. Born near...
Scrivere di vini (di Jessica Bordoni)
Passione e competenza. Sono queste le chiavi del successo di Kerin O’Keefe, tra le firme più autorevoli e influenti del giornalismo...
Producers Strike Down Piemonte Nebbiolo DOC
After a meeting between producers and their consortia of the Piedmont region that lasted for more than four hours yesterday (September 12),...
Why You Should Be Worried About Piemonte Nebbiolo
If you love Barolo, Barbaresco and other wines made with Nebbiolo, brace yourself for the worst proposal I’ve heard in years, and one...
Italy’s Amphora Wines: Back to the Future
Searching for the best way to make pure, terroir-driven wines, a few brave producers in Italy have traded in their temperature-controlled...
Italy’s Great Pinot Grigios
Wine snobs may look down upon Pinot Grigio, but I’m proud to say that I like it—as long as it’s the good stuff. There are extremely...
Trentodoc: Italy’s Mountain Sparkler
I’ve written a lot about Italian bubbles over the last few years, and with good reason: They just keep getting better and better. And the...
Make it a Double in Montalcino: 2011 Brunello and 2010 Riserva
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage facing the just-released 2011 Brunello vintage – awarded four out five stars by the Consorzio – is...
Italian Legend Giacomo Tachis Dies
The wine world is mourning the loss of Giacomo Tachis, one of Italy’s most celebrated enologists, who passed away on Saturday, February...
Discover Italy’s Old Vine Wines
You’ve no doubt seen the term “old vines” on many wine labels (think Old Vine Zinfandel) but in Italy, the term takes on a whole...
Walter Massa Timorasso 1990–2012: The most famous unknown wine
Kerin O’Keefe explores the recovery and rise of Timorasso, the indigenous varietal that has achieved eminence in obscurity thanks to the...
The Superiority of Prosecco Superiore
Discover Conegliano Valdobbiadene, home to Prosecco’s most celebrated vineyards. I’m not a big fan of slogans, but after a recent...
Tasting the native wines of Sardinia
The idyllic island is not just a vacation destination: Consider it your new go-to region for compelling Italian wines. Situated off the...
The Great Debate: To Decant or Not?
Forget about arguments for or against trendy topics like Natural Wines and the existence of terroir, because nothing causes more debate...
Hot Italian Wines: Is 15% abv the New 14%?
No one can deny that Italian wine has benefitted from a great string of very good and outstanding vintages over the last fifteen years....
Brunello 2010. Some fantastic wines alongside under performers
After the wild success of the 2010 vintage in Barolo and Barbaresco, Bolgheri and Chianti Classico, all eyes are on Montalcino. Although...
Italy’s long-lived whites
It’s generally assumed that Italian white wines are cheerful and made to be consumed during the first year after the harvest. And while...
Making sense of Montalcino
Forget recent debates over new oak, excessively low yields and native grapes versus international varieties. Today, the hottest topic in...
Tradition Rules at Giuseppe Quintarelli (by Paolo Tenti)
This hard-to-find Valpolicella estate is worth discovering, explains Paolo Tenti. When wine lovers hear the name “Quintarelli,”...
2009 Brunello di Montalcino: Enjoy Soon
My tasting of the 2009 vintage revealed that it was another challenging year in Montalcino, and the main problem was weather. Scorching...
Antonio Mastroberardino, Father for Campania Wine, Dies
Antonio Mastroberardino, the visionary behind the successful wines from southern Italy’s Campania region, died on January 28 from natural...
Gianfranco Soldera – Case Basse (by Paolo Tenti)
Paolo Tenti catches up with the Brunello di Montalcino producer who lost most of six vintages when his cellar was vandalized. Gianfranco...
Whole-Bunch Fermentation Spreads to Piedmont
The technique already divides growers in Burgundy, and now producers in Barolo and Barbaresco are arguing over it, too. While the debate...
Moscato d’Asti: Rappers’ delight
Moscato’s rapid accession to the drink of choice for the hip hop crowd has propelled this delicate light sparkler into the spotlight....
COS: A Sicilian Success Story
A young trio who started making wine during a long summer break, spurred a viticultural renaissance in southeastern Sicily. Kerin...
Addio Franco Biondi Santi
The Italian wine world lost an icon when Brunello legend Franco Biondi Santi, dubbed “The Gentleman of Brunello,” died over the...
Biondi Santi
Drunk by the Queen, hidden from view during WWII: the wines of Biondi Santi. (The head of the renowned estate, Franco Biondi Santi, died...
Interview with Piero Antinori
There was little sign of the celebrated Tuscan sun in late February as I made my way through the rain-swept narrow streets of Florence...
Harnessing the Power of Mt. Etna
Harnessing the Power of Mt. Etna His unorthodox winemaking methods and gripping wines have made him the area’s most talked-about...
Brunello di Montalcino 2008 and 2007 Riserva
The latest releases from Montalcino’s cellars have had their first outing and they’re a mixed bag. The 2008 Brunellos and 2007...
Col d’Orcia
The first thing to do was to pull up tobacco and wheat; after that it was years of studying Sangiovese. All that work has paid off, says...
Ornellaia and Masseto: A Tale Of Two Wines
Kerin O’Keefe delves into the background of the famed Italian wines Ornellaia and Masseto. When Lodovico Antinori founded his estate...
Giuseppe Sesti: Brunello Written in the Stars
A medieval Montalcino castle inspires a stargazer to make his own wine. When Giuseppe Sesti, a historian of astronomy, purchased an ancient...
Police arrest suspect in Soldera wine sabotage
Police have arrested a former employee of Brunello producer Soldera in connection with the destruction of thousands of litres of wine. As...
Tenuta San Guido
Sassicaia is the Italian wine world’s rock star, and not just because of the unusual rocky soils where the wine’s grapes are...
Montalcino rallies round as Soldera’s Brunellos are destroyed
Vandals have destroyed thousands of litres of ageing Brunello in the cellars of cult producer Gianfranco Soldera. The cellars at...
Italy and the American palate: debunking the myth
Wine drinkers in the United States have long been pigeonholed as obsessed with dark, oaky, powerful wines, and this perceived preference...
Modest maestros
From the shadows of Italy’s famous consultant winemakers, who drove the country into the spotlight with cult bottlings from international...
Montalcino: time to get in the zone
Forget blending scandals and infighting over the make-up of Rosso – the biggest issue facing Brunello di Montalcino is the creation of...
Lugana. World Class White with Finesse
Lugana is one of the most exciting white wines made in Italy thanks to its unique growing conditions, very old vines and native grape...
Meet the mavericks
They’re wild, they’re wacky, they have unconventional ideas – and they make some of Italy’s finest reds and whites....
US love affair with Italy
Why the US can’t get enough of Italian wine. Food and wine have always been important for Italian Americans, and today many star US...
A Rosso by any other name
Rosso di Montalcino used to be a light, simple quaffer, not a rich powerhouse like its big brother, Brunello. So why are so many Rossos now...
Brunello: 2005 now, 2004 Later
The tail-end of the vintage was a washout, leading some to write it off. Yet many smaller estates have made impressive Brunellos in 2005,...
Chianti Classico divorce papers come through
The Chianti Classico Consorzio has confirmed that after 78 years of distancing itself from the Chianti denomination, the divorce is now...
The Quiet Revolution
From its high as Italy’s flagship white, to its mass-produced, dilute low, Soave has improved quality, rebuilt its image and earned a...
Rebels without a cause? The demise of Super-Tuscans
Once considered the future of Italian winemaking, Super-Tuscans might finally have run their course. Kerin O’Keefe considers the past,...
Brunello: no change in the rules, producers vote
Brunello di Montalcino producers have voted by a landslide to leave the wine 100% Sangiovese. In yesterday’s highly publicised assembly...
Brunello: Image or substance, truth or dare?
“By law, Brunello di Montalcino can be made only with 100 percent Sangiovese cultivated in Montalcino. Otherwise, it’s not...
Brunello on the brink
An overhyped 2003 vintage, a fraud scandal, and the threat of a US ban has left Brunello in crisis. Could subregions be the answer, asks...
The Great Escape
It is rare today to find vines that have not been grafted to American rootstock to counter phylloxera, which destroyed so many of the...
Kerin O’Keefe racconta Franco Biondi Santi, il gentleman del Brunello (di Franco Ziliani)
Kerin, che vive in Italia e ha sposato un italiano, è una wine writer che a differenza di tanti altri suoi colleghi di lingua inglese non ha abboccato alle sirene dell’ineluttabilità dell’internazionalizzazione del vino italiano, e dei vini italiani sa apprezzare e raccontare, con intelligenza, buon gusto e garbo, l’originalità e quella diversità che ne contribuisce a creare il fascino e la grandezza.
Italian wine culture in danger of outsiders and ‘vultures’: Tachis
Giacomo Tachis, the most celebrated Italian winemaker, has outlined a bleak future for corporate-owned Italian wines – and says those who...
Pioneer Luigi Veronelli dies
Italy’s most celebrated wine and food critic Luigi Veronelli died at his home in Bergamo yesterday after a long illness. He was 78....
Trend vs. Tradition. Italian wine styles under siege
A modern-day war is being waged in Italy’s most renowned and treasured wine regions. Of course there are no real battlefields and no...
Nebbiolo is viognier cousin, conference hears
Nebbiolo, one of Italy’s most famous black grape varieties, is related to the aromatic viognier, DNA boffins have found. The noble...