Italy has more native grape varieties than any other country in the world, and one of the most complex and diverse winemaking scenes anywhere. Vines are cultivated from the Alpine far north all the way to the southern islands, across a huge diversity of landscapes and soils. There's a whole generation of new producers bursting to explore Italy's viticultural heritage. And it's not only native varieties; while it's common to associate international (French) grape varieties with the twentieth century, many have been here much longer, at least since Napoleonic times, often developing into unique local clones.
From the nervy and mineral to the ripe and plump, from the tannic, powerful and serious to the generous, open and beckoning, there are reds in Italy for every palate. To help you get to grips with some of the bounty of the Italian wine scene, we've put together a 12-bottle mixed case of red wines with money off and free delivery. /NT
PIEDMONT
2024 Fratelli Alessandria Verduno Pelaverga Speziale
Pelaverga Piccolo is grown almost exclusively around the town of Verduno, in Barolo country. In the deft hands of Barolo producers Fratelli Alessandria, this rare variety has made a fine-bodied cherry-pit red with a lovely sense of freshness and purity.
2023 Ferraris Sant’Eufemia Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato
From Castagnole Monferrato, Ferraris are specialists in Ruchè, a rare and unusual aromatic Piedmontese red. Headily perfumed and light bodied, this is the sort of red that chills beautifully.
2023 Marco Porello Langhe Nebbiolo
Across the Tanaro River from Barolo, the sandy soils of Roero provide for a soft and fragrant style of Nebbiolo. Aromas of red cherry and strawberry are accented by notes white pepper and rose petal; on the palate, fine-grained tannins counterpoint a lively acidity.
2020 Bruna Grimaldi Camilla Barolo
'The King of Wines, the wine of Kings' - Barolo is one of Italy's most famous wines. With fine aromas often allied to powerful tannins, Barolo is typically characterised as 'tar and roses'. Camilla is a regional blend from family winery Bruna Grimaldi, and with riper tannins from the warm 2020 vintage, this is already drinking very well.
VENETO
2023 Corte Sant'Alda Ca Fiui Valpolicella
Just north of Verona, Valpolicella is the 'land of many cellars'. The vineyards of Valpolicella estate Corte Sant'Alda are high in the hills, with a breathtaking backdrop of the Dolomites, and owner Marinella Camerani was named Winemaker of the Year in 2025 by Italian food and wine guide Gambero Rosso. Her Ca Fiui is a fresh, crunchy, sour cherry Valpolicella made from the local blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara.
2022 Inama Più Veneto Carmenère
Inama set out as a Soave producer, but in the 1990s they started making reds in the volcanic Berici hills south of Vicenza. Bordeaux varieties have been planted here for at least 150 years, and Inama have made an unusual success of Carmenère. Più is a vivid, seductive, rich-fruited blend of Carmenère and Merlot.
TUSCANY
2024 Argentiera Poggio ai Ginepri Toscana
Argentiera are based in the Maremma, the Tuscan seaside, where a select group of wineries have demonstrated the remarkable affinity between Tuscan soils and Bordeaux grape varieties. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, that tastes very Tuscan while nevertheless evoking Bordeaux.
2020 Lisini Rosso di Montalcino
Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's most prestigious reds, made from a superior Sangiovese clone; Rosso di Montalcino is a slightly more forward style, given less time in wood. Lisini are one of the oldest producers in Montalcino, and they really know what they're doing. Think cherries and plums and the soft influence of wood, followed by a surprisingly saline tang.
2019 Torre a Cona Badia a Corte Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva
Badia a Corte is a riserva-level Chianti from historic parcels on the Torre a Cona estate, outside Florence. Low yields, long maceration and ageing in oak barrels have created a 100% Sangiovese of depth, complexity and ageing potential.
LAZIO
2023 Cincinnato Polluce Lazio Nero Buono
Lazio co-op Cincinnato specialise in rare local grape varieties. The Roman variety Nero Buono likes higher altitudes and volcanic soils, and in the hills above Cori it gets both. Full, dark notes of cassis and blackberry are cut through by gentle acidity and a thymey, balsamic note.
SARDINIA
2024 Dorgali Tunila Cannonau di Sardegna
Sardinia's emblematic red grape Cannonau is a local variant of Grenache, and it thrives in the rugged terrain (and excellent walking country) of Nuoro province in the central east. Tunila is made from old bush vines on granite soils, and delivers aromas of ripe plum and wild strawberry alongside wild Mediterranean scrub.
SICILY
2024 Pietro Caciorgna Ciauria Etna Rosso
Viticulture has been practised since prehistoric times on the black soils of Europe's largest active volcano. Nerello Mascalese is the most respected native grape on the mountain, and it makes firm but pale reds that can be powerfully aromatic. This is a beautiful example that makes us think of smoked raspberries and dried flowers.
