The beauty of Italy, among its incredible food, architecture, and history, is the vast number of grape varieties grown throughout the country, ranging from light and ethereal to big, bold, and robust. From one end of the boot to the other, along with its Sardian and Sicilian islands, Italy delivers every style of wine to fit the palate of every consumer, many with very affordable price points. Though the names may sometimes be hard to pronounce and the regions may be rather unknown, each of these Italian wines is perfect for sipping any time of year. #Cheers

From the island of Sicily, Donnafugata showcases one of the signature white varieties of the country with its Lighea white wine. Made from the Zibibbio grape, also known as Muscat of Alexandria, the historic variety has been grown for over 5000 years and was first brought to Sicily by the Egyptians. With a focus on sustainability and working with environmental consciousness, Donnafugata Lighea is bright, fresh, and highly aromatic, layering citrus blossom, stone fruit, and jasmine. The wine’s palate is rich with ripe apricots, oranges, peaches, and crushed almonds, perfect for pairing with summer salads, fresh shellfish, or grilled white fish.

From the Trentino region of Italy in the Northwestern part of the country, Cà Montini showcases the fruity, juicy, lively Pinot Grigio variety with its Terre di Valfredda Pinot Grigio. As Pinot Grigio has become a well-known international variety, it has lost some of its authentic character, conforming to a style that is easily enjoyed by the masses; however, it often lacks its own individuality. Cà Montin reclaims the variety’s essence, revealing a luscious, fruit-forward but dry palate of golden citrus, white flowers, star fruit, marzipan, and a hint of crushed stone. Pair this beauty with grilled vegetables, summer salads with grilled peaches or nectarines, or freshly poached white fish. 

From the heart of Maremma, near the coast, within the Tuscany region, Val Delle Rose captures sunshine in the glass with its Litorale Vermentino. While the star of the region is Sangiovese, the hot, sunshine-filled days and close proximity to the water allow for expressive Vermentino to thrive in the area. The white wine is extremely food friendly, matching well with light pasta dishes, vegetables, chicken, or fish, with bright, fresh acidity and layers of citrus and orchard fruit to pair well with anything green while having enough acidity to balance the richness of a butter or cream sauce. This is a wine to enjoy all summer long.

VOGA is shaking up the world of Prosecco by drawing inspiration from the 1800s when the wines from the Prosecco region within Veneto were still wines and not the popular sparkling wines of today. Though the tranquillo, or still, production of Prosecco is not as common today, some producers, like VOGA, are finding using a single fermentation method for the Glera fruit creates a lovely white wine. VOGA Prosecco Tranquillo offers fresh floral, honey, wildflower, and golden fruit notes with a soft, creamy texture.

From Puglia, in southern Italy, a surprising blend of Primitivo and Malbec produces a soft, supple, easy-to-drink red blend from Ronco di Sassi. The wine has luscious layers of wild strawberries, red cherries, woody herb, and subtle spice, with a lovely, bright acidity to meld the tannin and juicy, fruit-forward notes. Though the alcohol is high, the wine has balance, easily enjoyed with poultry, game, or meat dishes, like simple grilled chicken or steak.