Portfolio Wine & Spirits

Italy produces more quality wines than ever before, with regions such as Piemonte and Tuscany leading the way, followed by Veneto, Lazio, Campania and Sicily. Our aim is to bring to you treasures from each of these regions as we discover their amazing wines.

• Azienda Agricola Rocche Costamagna www.rocchecostamagna.it/RoccheCostamagna/index_en.asp In the late 1960s, Claudia Ferraresi, together with her husband Giorgio Locatelli, restarted the commercial winemaking activity, planted new vineyards and modernised the old winery. Since the mid 1980s their son Alessandro Locatelli has been managing the winery with the help of agronomist Gian Piero Romana and enologist Giuseppe Caviola. Alessandro has improved the vineyards and wine-making techniques, he has been developing customer sales all over the world, and so carrying on the family tradition with passion and drawing on the wealth of experience gathered by the family. Posted at 12:03pm on Thu, Aug 27 2009

• Azienda Agricola Paolo Avezza www.paoloavezza.com/ A family winery of several generations in Asti, Paolo Avezza now runs the small estate producing several quality wines, ranging from Moscato d'Asti, Dolcetto, and Barbera d'Asti wines. The property, which was started in 1893, was acquired by Paolo's father in 1956, which is now under the capable hands of Paolo. Posted at 12:11pm on Thu, Aug 27 2009

• Agrilandia SRL. www.agrilandia.eu/fortulla/index.html One of the most picturesque vineyards in Tuscany, overlooking the Mediterranean. Fortulla was born from vines growing on the hills bordering the Spianate plateau that slopes slowly down to the Tyrrhenian Sea at Castiglioncello. Posted at 12:14pm on Thu, Aug 27 2009

• Tenuta Sant' Isidoro, Lazio www.santisidoro.net/inglese/home_en.htm The "S. Isidoro s.r.l." estate was founded in the late 30's, along the Maremma Laziale coast, 90 km north of Rome and some 25 km from the border of Tuscany, the farm covers approximately 817 hectares. Giovanni Palombi runs the property, with his childhood friend, Riccardo Cotarella as the consultant winemaker. Posted at 12:32pm on Thu, Aug 27 2009

• Azienda Vitivinicola Maurizio Marconi www.vinoearte.it/home_en.htm Marconi is a respected wine producer in the Jesi area where he makes superb Verdicchio Castelli dei Jesi on the San Marcello area. Several of his wines have won medals at Vinitaly and top recognitions from several wine journals Posted at 12:47pm on Thu, Aug 27 2009

France has had many challenges over the years due to drop in quality, especially in Bordeaux. Thankfully, there seems to be a renaissance in some regions where young, maverick winemakers are fine-tuning their techniques to deliver truly impressive wines that still respect each region's terroir.

• Chateau Marquis de Vauban www.lecone.com/index.asp?id=4893 Throughout the gastronomic world, the Grands Vins de Bordeaux create an atmosphere of great conviviality.Ch Posted at 12:06pm on Fri, Aug 28 2009

Since the late 90s, Austrian wines have started catching the attention of many wine afficionados with the introduction of their indigenous grape varietal, Gruner Veltliner. Suddenly, Austria is hot, once again, thanks to to this exciting grape that makes a superb white wine that is uniquely Austrian.

Some of you many know that Portfolio has rarely imported wines from Chile due to its rather commercial nature in making wines. Lo and behold, I discovered a young winery in Roncagua called Valle Secreto - a winery to watch, as the wines are outstanding!

South Africa is one of the oldest wine regions outside of Continental Europe, thanks mainly to the Huguenots who arrived there after being driven from Catholic France in the 17th century. Blaauwklippen is one of the oldest wine farm in South Africa.

• Blaauwklippen Vineyards www.blaauwklippen.co.za The vineyards here at Blaauwklippen are tended with care by people with an intimate knowledge of local conditions - some from families who have been on the estate for three generations. They are careful and thorough because they know they have a special responsibility, grown from the Blaauwklippen belief that quality wine is created in the vineyard, not the cellar. Posted at 12:00pm on Thu, Aug 27 2009