Revelations From Italy
by Tom Wolf
2023 Erbaluce di Caluso “Le Chiusure”
Italy | Piedmont
This was my wine revelation of 2024 and I spent every opportunity last year, both in public and in private, proselytizing for it. Hailing from the base of the Italian Alps, Erbaluce achieves a balance, vitality, and texture that you find only in that country’s greatest white wines, and it proves that Piemonte, long known for its world-class red wines, is also capable of producing gorgeous whites. With its chiseled, cool-climate frame and notes of mouthwatering citrus and generous orchard fruit, it is perfect for seafood, but also pretty much any white-wine-friendly dish.
2022 Rosso di Salina
Italy | Sicily
A few weeks ago, my two-year-old son discovered volcanoes for the first time via an illustration in a library book. He was mesmerized, so I did what I do every time something seems to grab him: we consumed all the volcano content I could find until he moved on to the next mind-blowing phenomenon.
As a total coincidence, during this time our second-ever shipment from the Aeolian Islands arrived. A volcanic archipelago, the Aeolian Islands are a cluster of seven pinpricks on the map just north of Sicily. Salina stands at their center and serves as the home island of Nino Caravaglio and his new project, Vignedimare. An extinct volcano, Salina is a relatively untrodden paradise teeming with native fauna and flora, including the wild caper bushes where Nino sources his other main export.
As far as viticulture goes, Nino is the region’s icon and he proves why in this beautiful Salina rosso. Balancing a peppery, smoky essence that evokes its terroir, with an unexpected vibrance and freshness, this highly welcome new red wine will pair exquisitely with grilled tuna or a summery pasta.