Grape Collective Online Wine Magazine | Winemakers| Wine News | Wine Reviews | Learn About Wine

The revival of nearly extinct native grape varieties is one of the most exciting developments in Italian wine today, fueled by history, biodiversity efforts, and growing consumer preferences. Many of these forgotten grapes fell out of favor due to shifting agricultural practices and the global rise of high-yield international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. But more and more, wine consumers are seeking bottles that tell the story of where they come from.

In his book, Native Wine Grapes of Italy, Ian D'Agata writes that wines made with local grape varieties are special: "To Italians, they represent Italy just as famous monuments, natural landmarks, or local recipes do."

One producer at the forefront of this rediscovery is San Felice, a historic estate in Chianti Classico with a long track record of research and innovation. In 1968, it helped launch the Super Tuscan movement with Vigorello, a blend that includes Cabernet and Merlot, and later introduced the region’s first single-vineyard Chianti Classico, Poggio Rosso Gran Selezione.

That spirit of experimentation continues today with San Felice’s groundbreaking Vitiarium project, which, in the mid-1980s, began identifying and reintroducing nearly forgotten grape varieties. The collection includes four labels:  Borgo Chianti Classico DOCG, La Pieve Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione, Pugnitello Toscana IGT, and In Avane Chardonnay Toscana IGT. 

Path to Pugnitello

...

Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the dramatic...

Lamberto Frescobaldi thinks long term – really, really long term. He is the 30^th generation of one of Italy’s most storied winemakers, with prominent family roots going back more than 700 years in many endeavors -- economic, political, cultural. So when Frescobaldi, president of his family’s company, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, plants its first flag in the U.S. – specifically, at a small winery in Oregon – it’s worth taking special note. Why did he do this? And why not Napa?

Grape Collective speaks to winemaker Benedetto Alessandro about his experiences on Etna. In addition to his involvement with Generazione Alessandro, he co-owns a winery, Monteleone, on Etna with his wife Giulia Monteleone. 

To many people, the wines from Sancerre are almost synonymous with the word ‘wine’. Sancerre, for all intents and purposes, is the answer: It’s Friday night and you want to relax? Sancerre. Your friend is hosting a dinner party? Sancerre. Your partner is cooking tonight? Sancerre. 

Part of the popularity may be attributable to the easy-to-pronounce name, but it is the generations of families’ and vignerons’ collective experiences that have accumulated to what people enjoy so much from their glasses today. And that is exactly what the Cherrier family are.

Since the 1800s, the Cherrier family has been tending to their land and vines in Sancerre. The entire family, now in its fourth generation, are all involved in wine. Through the knowledge and values learnt from their parents, grandparents, and so forth, they have established a philosophy of applying only the appropriate levels of intervention in the vineyard and cellars. They don’t adhere to any specific regulatory labels, wishing to freely apply techniques that they believe to be in harmony with nature. Even today, they are still growing and changing, adapting to the uncertainties of winemaking. 

Grape Collective talks to Delphine Cherrier about her family’s history, vineyards, and philosophy of winemaking.  

We’ve all had those moments during our wine journeys. Whether we’re new to wine or ...

The contrasting approaches to wine in Athens and Sparta offer a metaphor for their broader cultural differences and ultimate historical trajectories. Athens' balanced approach to wine consumption - enjoying its pleasures while tempering them with moderation and using them as a catalyst for intellectual exchange - created a legacy that transcended its political decline. Sparta's rigid control of wine consumption paralleled a societal inflexibility that brought short-term military success but long-term cultural stagnation.

In the world of wine, few names carry the weight of Biondi-Santi. The estate gave birth to Brunello in 1888, setting the standard for the wines of Montalcino. For over a century, generations of the Biondi-Santi family produced austere, long-lived...

We sat down with Vasso Ligdopoulos and winemaker Panayiotis Papagiannopoulos to explore their family's wine journey.

When we invented Open That Bottle Night in 1999, to persuade people to finally uncork the wine they’ve been saving forever for a special occasion, we had no idea we’d create a worldwide community. Every year, OTBN, on the last Saturday of February, is wonderful. But this year touched people more deeply. For whatever reason, wine lovers truly embraced the concept: There’s no better day than today to celebrate.