{"title":"Sensuous Pleasure of Italian Whites 7.10.2025","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"villa-sparina-gavi-2020","title":"Villa Sparina Gavi Green Label 2021","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThere are a couple of wines that started my love affair with wine, and Gavi is one of them…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDown a dirty alleyway, inside a 12-seat Italian restaurant, out came a chef pouring glasses of Gavi. Crisp, refreshing, vibrant, chasing-the-blues-away good – Gavi. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eI had no idea what it was, but no matter, its joie de vivre got to me.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThen he brought a portable burner tableside with a large block of Sicilian pink salt right on top of the flame. Once the salt was burning hot, he seared a tuna loin on it. Next came a splash of ultra-fresh olive oil, a squeeze of blood orange and Meyer lemon, and a dusting of shaved scallion. Voila! Straight onto the table for a family-style meal. And, of course, evermore Gavi.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe two combined – Gavi and salt-seared tuna – I can still taste to this day. And nothing I’ve had since duplicates the romantic interplay of those two ingredients. In fact, I have spent my life trying to duplicate it – seeking out the Gavi that made it so great. And I finally found it – Villa Sparina’s Gavi.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis Gavi opens with notes of red pears, followed by a sense of bracing refreshment, like cool mountain air running down a ski slope. There are deep layers of flavor and expression here, to a level that will leave you savoring it for 20 years or more, just as I have been. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe palate is full and luxurious with a fantastic combination of sea brine, lemon, hints of roasted hazelnuts, and savory herbs. It finishes with a return to green apple-tinged minerality, with a stunning length to the back of the palate. This is Villa Sparina’s plot of 100-year-old vines—some of the oldest in the region—and its concentration and power, balanced with elegance and finesse, is simply breathtaking. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWine Spectator has compared Gavi to Chablis, but I don’t think that does Gavi justice. All of the dry concentrated minerality of Chablis is here, yet it is something entirely unto itself. Further, when I think of the best Grand Cru Chablis, from its finest producer, the price per bottle soars. Here is Gavi’s grand cru, from its greatest practitioner, at a price where I would almost be willing to serve it to my in-laws. Don’t miss this highly sought-after wine!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAnd yep – Villa Sparina bottles all of its Gavi in a custom bottle shape that comes from a 200-year-old bottle found at the winery. The 750 mls. look a little like an old-time hand grenade. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Johnson\/Phillips","offers":[{"title":"750ml","offer_id":45318296142057,"sku":"1624790","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/files\/IMG-1984.png?v=1756313611"},{"product_id":"cavalchina-custoza-2020","title":"Cavalchina Bianco Custoza","description":"","brand":"Select Sellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45689697599721,"sku":"803201","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/products\/image_2548b769-8d4a-4753-a8e6-e0378edb47e0.png?v=1634053107"},{"product_id":"colli-di-lapio-2019","title":"Colli di Lapio Romano Fiano di Avellino 2024","description":"","brand":"Select Sellars","offers":[{"title":"750 ml","offer_id":45451293491433,"sku":"811501","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1.5 L","offer_id":43993965166825,"sku":"811501M","price":69.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3.0 L","offer_id":50939175010537,"sku":"811501J","price":239.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5.0 L","offer_id":43993965199593,"sku":"","price":319.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/products\/image_637e9ea5-c27d-4112-b8c8-cbef13a6ed39.png?v=1634060503"},{"product_id":"grosjean-petite-arvine-2019","title":"Grosjean Petite Arvine \"Vigne Rovettaz\"","description":"","brand":"Vino Veritas","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44468323909865,"sku":"","price":43.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/products\/image_fa99a844-48b7-474f-86c4-4a9060806576.png?v=1634061477"},{"product_id":"abbazia-praepositus-2018","title":"Abbazia di Novacella Praepositus Kerner","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ehere are parts of Europe where open windows, long walks and clean mountain air are everyday priorities, not merely wellness trends. The Alps are full of these high valleys, where spring is felt first in the lungs, then in the legs and only later at the table. That is the world that shaped Kerner at Abbazia di Novacella, and you can taste it in the glass.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eKerner Praepositus shows that alpine edge from the first pour. Aromatically, it offers alpine flowers—lilac, primrose, a hint of wild peony—alongside white apricot, underripe strawberry and the tart snap of rhubarb. The cool tone feels rooted in elevation, not just winemaking choices. On the palate, that impression tightens into clear structure: crisp acidity, a fine stony undercurrent and a gentle tension that keeps everything moving. It is invigorating without turning severe, expressive without feeling loud.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1068\" data-end=\"1584\"\u003eKerner itself is often misunderstood. Created in Germany as a crossing of Riesling and Schiava Grossa, it is sometimes treated as an academic curiosity. In the high vineyards of Alto Adige, particularly around Novacella, it shows a different side. Here it links mountain light to real drinkability. The Praepositus bottling, drawn from the abbey’s highest, coolest sites, emphasizes that role. Ripeness is kept in check, brightness stays at the center and the overall impression is of spring arriving late and clean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1586\" data-end=\"2190\"\u003eThat restraint mirrors the place. Kloster Neustift—Abbazia di Novacella—has anchored this alpine valley for nearly 900 years as a working monastery in the full sense. Pilgrims once passed through on their way south to Rome; today, vineyards ring the abbey walls and are farmed with the same steady purpose. Wine has been made here since 1142 as part of daily life and support for the surrounding community, not as ornament. It's one of the rare historic estates in Europe that still operates on its original terms: spiritually grounded, agriculturally self-supporting, tied closely to its region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2192\" data-end=\"2729\"\u003eThe continuity comes through in the glass. Nothing feels forced or hurried. Kerner Praepositus is the kind of wine that fits naturally after a long spring walk, when the air is still cool but the sun has (at last!) begun to linger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2192\" data-end=\"2729\"\u003eAt the table, it shines with simple, seasonal food—green asparagus with lemon butter, raw or lightly seared white fish with citrus, pea soup that still tastes of the garden or chicken sauteed and finished with spring vegetables. The pairings feel straightforward and intuitive, as they often do with good mountain wines.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Select Sellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46699936809193,"sku":"841005","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/products\/image_a09b167c-793c-42de-992b-fe7134727acd.png?v=1634586693"},{"product_id":"the-sensuous-pleasures-of-italian-white-wines","title":"The Sensuous Pleasures of Italian White Wines","description":"\u003cp\u003eItaly is exploding with indigenous grape varieties, new growing regions, better farming methods, and creative experimentation.  Those of you who thought you had found your summer beverage of choice, think again – Italy’s white wine Renaissance will astound you!\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCan’t you just imagine their sensuality? Fancy the taut and fine-woven structure beneath the wines' sumptuous fruit? Don't they invade your waking thoughts? Holding you in their thrall... leading you to intense reverie? \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey’re like icons of Italian art. Like Sophia, and Marcello, and Claudia. Like the David, and the Mona Lisa, and the Birth of Venus. As mysterious as the rites of the temples of Bacchus, as carnal as the heat of a midsummer day. And like the glory of Italian art, the variety and pleasure of Italian white wine flourishes in every region of the ancient peninsula. From Prié Blanc of the Alpine hills of the Valle d’Aosta to Zibbibo and Albanello of the Mediterranean island of Sicily.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a tasting you’ll remember. These are wines that will light your body with fever as they soothe your soul with its cure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWines to be tasted: \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTBA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll prices listed shown are regular retail. Significant discounts offered on all wines at the tasting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDue to the their highly allocated nature, some wines may change without notice.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Waterford Wine and Spirits","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43223806902505,"sku":"","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/products\/Sensous-Italian_1.png?v=1655131722"},{"product_id":"tre-monti-vigna-rocco-albana-2022","title":"Tre Monti Vigna Rocca Albana","description":"","brand":"Select Sellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46729904881897,"sku":"891002","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"gini-soave-classico-salvarenza-2019","title":"Gini Soave Classico Salvarenza","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"362\"\u003eIn the hills east of Verona, where morning light moves slowly across terraced slopes of dark volcanic rock, Soave shows its best side not in simplicity but in quiet, layered depth. This is not the easy, breezy white many remember from decades past. In the right hands and from the right sites, Soave becomes more enduring, with texture, detail and staying power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"364\" data-end=\"753\"\u003eFew families illustrate that better than the Ginis. Farming in Monteforte d’Alpone since the 1500s, they have preserved parcels of ungrafted Garganega rooted in basalt soils for well over a century. These vineyards survived phylloxera and decades of shifting fashion. Today they offer something increasingly rare: old vines, original material and a long continuity of farming in one place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"755\" data-end=\"1136\"\u003eSalvarenza sits at the center of the estate’s work. A single contrada within the Classico zone, it is defined by altitude, fractured volcanic soils and, above all, old vines. Here Garganega behaves differently. Yields run lower, skins are thicker and the fruit is more concentrated without turning heavy. The focus is less on overt aromatics and more on texture and mineral detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1138\" data-end=\"1415\"\u003eThe 2020 Contrada Salvarenza Vecchie Vigne opens gradually. Acacia and chamomile flowers present first, then lead into lemon oil, almond skins and a gentle honeyed note that suggests early maturity. There’s a subtle savory edge too, a whisper of crushed stone and saline air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1417\" data-end=\"1767\"\u003eOn the palate, the wine is broad but not heavy. Acidity lends structure without sharpness, carrying pear, quince and a touch of baked apple into a marzipan richness that often shows up in Garganega from these soils. The finish is mineral, lightly gripping and lengthy, with a faint phenolic tug and hint of bitterness that carries it even further.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1769\" data-end=\"1945\"\u003eGini Soave is open and complete, drinking beautifully now, but will develop further in the bottle. This is serious Soave shaped by site, old vines and careful work in the cellar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1769\" data-end=\"1945\"\u003eIn a lineup that already leans into the soulful, it may seem indulgent to include a second Tuscan or Italian white in this month's Terroir Club selections. But that's precisely the point. As we inch toward spring—with those first meals that feature fresh greens, olive oil, herbs and the brightness of the season—this is the kind of wine that doesn’t just accompany food, it completes it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2098\" data-end=\"2190\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Select Sellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46729934962921,"sku":"803804","price":53.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/files\/IMG-0852.png?v=1738361284"},{"product_id":"movia-sauvignon-brda","title":"Movia Sauvignon Brda 2022","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"\" data-turn-id-container=\"faef8170-536a-4a4b-b251-4ec44ad4b87e\" data-is-intersecting=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"relative w-full overflow-visible\"\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none [\u0026amp;:has([data-writing-block])\u0026gt;*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-(--header-height)\" dir=\"auto\" data-turn-id=\"faef8170-536a-4a4b-b251-4ec44ad4b87e\" data-turn-id-container=\"faef8170-536a-4a4b-b251-4ec44ad4b87e\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-1\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"user\"\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\" data-turn-id-container=\"request-WEB:5a8aa339-9340-4eaf-ad2d-5510b6024f36-28\" data-is-intersecting=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"relative w-full overflow-visible\"\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none [\u0026amp;:has([data-writing-block])\u0026gt;*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" data-turn-id=\"request-WEB:5a8aa339-9340-4eaf-ad2d-5510b6024f36-28\" data-turn-id-container=\"request-WEB:5a8aa339-9340-4eaf-ad2d-5510b6024f36-28\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-2\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-xs,calc(var(--spacing)*4))] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-sm,calc(var(--spacing)*6))] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-lg,calc(var(--spacing)*16))] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col gap-4 grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"db677fed-c5ab-486b-b6a7-2f69849ec38d\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-5\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal outline-none keyboard-focused:focus-ring [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" data-turn-start-message=\"true\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert wrap-break-word w-full light markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"576\"\u003e2021 Movia Sauvignon is not a wine that walks in a straight line — and thank goodness for that. One glass leans toward warm brioche and leesy richness, another flashes with electric citrus and mountain herbs, and somewhere in between you suddenly catch walnut, salt, bruised apple, or that faintly oxidative edge that makes great old-school whites feel thrillingly alive rather than polished into submission. It changes constantly. The wine almost seems to argue with itself from pour to pour, which is exactly why people who love Movia become borderline evangelical about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"578\" data-end=\"623\"\u003eYou do, however, need to let it do its thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"625\" data-end=\"1253\"\u003eThis is not Sauvignon Blanc built for easy checkbox drinking or simple varietal familiarity. If you come expecting loud tropical fruit and sharp grassy precision, you may find yourself confused at first. But if you give the wine air, time, temperature shifts, and a little patience, it starts opening doors everywhere. Every return to the glass reveals another detour — and that sense of movement is part of the experience. For some drinkers, it becomes one of the most unforgettable white wines they’ve ever had. Others may find it challenging, even strange. Both reactions are understandable. Movia has never chased consensus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1255\" data-end=\"1295\"\u003eAnd that is precisely why Movia matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1297\" data-end=\"1773\"\u003eArguably Slovenia’s greatest producer, Movia occupies a rare place in the wine world: deeply traditional, fiercely individual, and entirely unconcerned with fashion. These wines are alive in the truest sense — textured, evolving, occasionally untamed, but always compelling. The 2021 Sauvignon feels less like a polished product and more like a conversation with a restless mind, constantly shifting between tension and generosity, brightness and savoriness, energy and depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1775\" data-end=\"1868\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eSome wines are easy to understand in thirty seconds. This one rewards you for staying longer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Johnson\/Phillips","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48390491472105,"sku":"1427233","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/files\/IMG-1454_ff3c4663-759f-4f0b-b580-10da695e2103.png?v=1751399851"}],"url":"https:\/\/waterfordwine.com\/collections\/sensuous-pleasure-of-italian-whites-7-10-2025.oembed?page=2","provider":"Waterford Wine and Spirits","version":"1.0","type":"link"}