Italian Reds Dozen

Start in the North with a deliciously elegant Barbera from Piedmont, and Cantina Negrar’s lovely Bartolomeo Lorenzi, a luscious Veronese drop made in the Valpolicella Ripasso style – it even includes a splash of Amarone! Head to beautiful Tuscany for the great Paolo Masi’s gorgeous Collezione di Paolo Chianti (Paolo is a Chianti master, and it shows in this layered and lovely red). Central Italy’s Romagna and Abruzzo provide the fruit for the luscious Il Basso Merlot, which goes so well with the rich food of these regions (think lasagne, Parma ham and prosciutto and Parmigiano cheese) of these regions. Continue southwards to sun-drenched Puglia in Italy’s boot for the racy, bestselling Corsiero Nero, decadently deep and rich and last, visit Sicily and delight in Dino Taschetta’s wonderful w/o Frappato, full of bright red and cherry fruit. A truly ‘bellissimo’ collection!