Grape Varietals
A complete guide to Barbera, Piedmont's great everyday red wine — its flavor profile, the difference between Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d'Asti, how it compares to Barolo, and why it pairs so naturally with the Japanese table.
Grenache — known as Garnacha in Spain and Cannonau in Sardinia — is one of the world's most widely planted wine grapes. Here's why it's far more than just a rosé grape, from Châteauneuf-du-Pape to Sardinia's Blue Zone centenarians.
Pignatello (aka Perricone) is one of Sicily's oldest indigenous red grapes, once the backbone of Marsala Rubino. Discover its history, dry-style character, and how it pairs with Japanese cuisine.
A complete guide to Refosco, one of Italy's oldest grape varieties — from the osmizza farmhouse wine tradition of the Carso plateau to Bosco del Merlo's Roggio dei Roveri, available at Swirl.
A plain-language guide to Dolcetto: its character, flavor, and food pairings. A soft, easy-drinking dry Piedmont red enjoyed daily, with a recommended bottle.
A plain-language guide to Barbera: its character, flavor, and food pairings. Piedmont's friendly, food-loving everyday red, full of fruit, with a recommended bottle.