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It had been a while since I’d tasted this old favourite from Campania but its exuberance and freshness made it the perfect start to the evening. After the initial citrusy zing, the palate evolved into a rich cornucopia of stone fruits, almonds and steely minerality on the finish.

Castore is 100% Bellone from south-facing vineyards and sports a lively nose of stone fruit and citrus which, on a good day, has a similarly Burgundian character.  It’s ideal with fresh fish, shellfish, and pasta.

Situated in the cru of Lugana di Sirmione and nestled up against the Veneto border, Nunzio Ghiraldi’s vineyards are exceptionally close to Lake Garda in the very best part of this now-sprawling DOC.  In the thick clay soils that line in the ‘golden mile’ immediately south of the lake, Turbiana (previously known as Trebbiano di Lugana) picks up huge concentration even if the soil makes for hard work in the vineyard.  The winery is just up the road from the medieval farmhouse and bristles with stainless steel (this sees no oak whatsoever).  The harvest is entirely manual and it’s always whole-bunch press and then into tank with very little skin contact.
Nunzio is vehemently opposed to blending in any other grapes and the complex notes of peach, apricot, melon, hazelnut and white flowers suggest that Turbiana doesn’t need to lean on any other variety for support. 

Soave Classico, “Campo di Tovi” Inama

Normally £17.59 mixed 6 price £15.83

Giuseppe Inama – Stefano’s father – began shrewdly acquiring parcels of vineyards in the heart of Soave Classico in the 1960s.  Back then it was possible to do this out of one’s savings, such was the terrible reputation of Soave.  Of course times change and through the pioneering work of Stefano, and others, the quality of Soave is no longer in question. 

Abi’s favourite wine of the night. As far as white grapes are concerned, Vermentino is Sardinia’s stand-out star of the show, and this unoaked version from Ledda is the best.  The vineyard is planted on weathered granite where the vines struggle to survive and produce such a meagre crop that the resulting wine is rich, oily and coats the mouth with notes of tinned peaches, lychee, tangerine and a herbal twist. This will age well but is drinking a treat at the moment.

Organic. 100% Nuragus. 'Arkìmia' is a term of Latin origin for alchemic practices meant to change 'vile metals' into gold. Schirru chose this name because the native variety Nuragus has often been mistreated; in the past it was called 's’axina de is pobrusu,' or 'the grape of the poor,' since for many farmers it had the function of a being a commodity, debt-paying crop due to its high yields. Arkìmia is Schirru's intention to transform the misunderstood Nuragus into gold.
It sees about 24 hours skin contact which lends it a slightly tannic edge and an almost aloof, austere quality but try it with goat’s cheese or white meats and it opens up beautifully.

Unquestionably the star of the night, this gorgeous Piemontese is made from Timorasso – a variety that was, until Phylloxera, the backbone of Gavi but by 1999 was all but extinct – just 6ha left in production and all owned by Walter Massa. Enter a Canadian Master of Wine who fell in love with it, introduced it to a few friends and customers and the rest is history.
Stylistically it’s a bit like really good, unoaked Chardonnay.  Think Macon but better than Macon can (almost) ever be.  Richly textured with a buttery note and stone fruit on the palate, it ages forever and takes on complexity through the years.  An unsung hero if ever there were one.

Every time I taste this I’m blown away by just how much it delivers at the price. Gorgeous, beautifully balanced Grenache from a co-operative at the top of its game. Wonderfully juicy and supple with red berry fruits to the fore.

A Latin pastinum was a hoe and, by derivation, a place where vines grew. Which rather makes one wonder why more wineries don’t have this name. But I digress. The Pástini vineyards comprise 15 hectares managed by the Carparelli family. They make wines from the ancient grape varieties found in the Valle d’Itria, whose winemaking history dates back to before Roman times when the Greeks first landed here 3000 years ago.
Textbook Primitivo full of cherries and dark spice.

It had been a while since I’d tasted this when I was reacquainted with it last year and regretted having ignored it for so long. The talented young Marco Porello is something of an evangelist for the potential of his native Roero region which has always been somewhat overshadowed by Piemonte's more illustrious appellations like Barolo and Barbaresco. His Barbera is beautifully fresh and lively, cherry scented and with more sleek, bright cherry/damson fruit on the palate with just enough refreshing acidity and a slightly herbal, savoury finish.

Nicely placed in the Conca d'Oro the 40 Ha estate of Masseria Cuturi dates back to the 1880s and lies in the fertile palm of the Chidro river. Camilla heads up both estates, in Puglia and in Valpolicella ... somehow managing to keep a careful eye and produce amazing wines from both. We particularly like the Cuturi wines offering immense freshness from this hot, hot part of Italy as well as finesse and grandeur from the esteemed Mandurian DOC.
Gutsy, tannic and herbal this cries out for hearty autumn stews but could work equally well alongside a barbecue.

Cuturi’s top wine, this sees rather more time in wood and has a real intensity of cassis and black cherry.

This is still a little young and a couple of years more bottle-ageing (at least) would serve it well but it’s a fascinating field blend, dominated by the indigenous Monica with support from Barbera, Cannonau, Giro, Tintillu and Bovalleddu. This minimum intervention winery was only established in 2015 and is committed to the recovery and enhancement of the historic vineyards of Sarcidano.