Meet Three Italian Wines
SEPTEMBER 2025
Mount Vesuviu / photo credit>
The Italian Ministry of Agriculture officially recognizes 350 indigenous grape varieties grown in the country, but local experts and certainly the farmers and winemakers claim a number closer to 2000. At any rate, Italy has way more varieties than you have ever heard of and as is often the case, one of your wines is known by the region not the grape.
Your club features Fiano from Campania (Mount Vesuvius pictured above), Conero from Marche, and a Susumaniello from Puglia (vineyards pictured top). Hope these are fun introductions!
2-BOTTLE CLUB
Mount Vesuvius / photo credit>
Fiano
Campania
The wine region of Campania surrounds the city of Naples, located on the west coast of Italy with Mount Vesuvius just to the southeast of the city. The grapes that grow in the area thrive in the volcanic minerality. They grow red grapes – Aglianico, Piedrosso, and more – but they are known for their higher-end, minerally whites: Falanghina, Greco, and Fiano. Fiano di Avellino DOCG produces the crème de la crème of Fiano, known for its flavor complexity and long, minerally finish.
Rocca del Principe
Campania
The husband/wife team of Ercole Zarrella & Aurelia Fabrizio run this winery (located an hour due east of Naples) and have dedicated their professional lives (30+ years) to the cultivation of Fiano di Avellino. They originally farmed the grapes and sold them to other producers, but in their life's pursuit of extraordinary Fiano, they built a winery in 2004 and began making their own estate wines. They cultivate 7.5 hectares of vines, 6 in Fiano di Avellino and 1.5 of the red grape Aglianico in neighboring vineyards. Their land is hilly with Mount Tuoro (1400 meters) located nearby. Their adult daughters, Maria Rita Simona and Martina, have joined them in the running of the estate.
Rocca del Principe 2022 Fiano di Avellino • Campania, Italy • Reg $28.99 | Mixed Case $23.19
100% Fiano from Fiano di Avellino, a DOCG designation that produces the finest examples of this white grape. Aged in steel on fine lees for 10 months and then in bottle for at least 4-6 months before release. That's a big time investment for a white wine!
Floral nose with soft, smoky fruit — grilled peach. Peach, yellow plums, yellow apples, citrus on the palate. It’s a symphony. Luscious in style. Minerals & salinity on the long finish. Good acidity. No oak. It’s all fruit. Amazing wine.
Conero
Marche
The wine traditionally known as Conero (with no mention of grapes on the label) is actually a DOCG region in Marche (central Italy on the Adriatic coast). The grape is usually Montepulciano but the blend can include up to 15% Sangiovese. The DOCG Conero is only produced as a Riserva which includes 2 years of aging in barrel. The wine is known for having rich, smooth, dark fruit flavors.
Note: In the last years, producers have started including the grape varietals on the US labels to help buyers find something.... anything... that they can recognize on the label to encourage them to try the wine!
Lanari
Marche
Leardo Lanari founded the Lanari estate about 30 years ago, and today it is run by his son, Luca (pictured) and his wife, Paola. The 8 hectare estate is located southeast of Ancona (within the Conero Natural Park) on the hills overlooking the Adriatic Sea. They have a long collaboration with oenologist Giancarlo Soverchia, and Lanari has many accolades through this partnership.
A little about Marche [mar-Kay]: The region is in central Italy with Tuscany on the west coast, Umbria landlocked in the middle, and Marche on the Adriatic. Ancone, the capital of Marche, is due east of Florence as the bird flies, but because of the Apennine Mountains, you have to drive down through Perugia to get there.
Marche's cuisine emphasizes seafood but includes a lot of different fare: Moscioli (a local wild mussel), Vincisgrassi (a local lasagna-like pasta dish), Olive all'ascolana (a stuffed, battered & deep-fried local olives), Brodetto (fish stew), Ciauscolo (spreadable salami - pictured above) & more>
Lanari 2018 Fibbio Conero Riserva • Marche, Italy • Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
100% Montepulciano from fertile, sandy, limestone soils in the DOCG Conero. Dried herbs, cedar, red & black plums, dark cherries. Medium-bodied. Great, mouth-watering acidity (but not tart), pretty smooth from the age. The finish is so pleasant. Notes of cedar, minerality, plums and then cherries. Such a beautiful wine. Jens: Freakin' awesome!! Drink now. Absolutely perfect. Won't get better.
3-BOTTLE CLUB
Susmaniello
Puglia
Susumaniello is an ancient red grape that until a few years ago was rarely to be found. Starting in 2003, the Puglian government has supported local efforts to increase production, and subsequently, it is on the rise, primarily in the regions of Salento and Brindisi. Susumaniello is known as a friendly red, deep in color with rich flavors of plums and red fruits with spicy, peppery notes on the finish and sometimes a hint of chocolate.
Masseria Li Veli
Salento, Puglia
Located in Salento, a flat region within Puglia between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas (near, but not touching either) in the middle of the "heel of the boot". The 58-hectare estate is currently owned by brothers Edoardo and Alfredo Falvo. Salento enjoys a classic Mediterranean climate of mild winters and hot, dry summers, with cool night, ocean breezes managing the heat of the day.
The soil is made up of sand, loam & clay and is "karstic, permeable and abundant in water thanks to the large underground water reserves present in the area which build up during the winter in the deeper layers, ideal for the cultivation of vines." The estate cultivates Primitivo, Negroamaro, Susumaniello, Aleatico, and the white grape Verdeca. We carry both their Primitivo & Negroamaro if you are curious.
Masseria Li Veli 2023 Susumaniello • Puglia, Italy • Reg $31.99 | Mixed Case $25.59
100% Susumaniello from vineyards in Salento. Juniper (which is a rich, deep, earthy smell like walking through an evergreen forest), huckleberries, blackberries on the nose. Rich and full of fruit with fantastic acidity. Blackberries, blueberries, dark spicy plums, with a pleasant earthiness. Jens: "If you don't like that wine, something is wrong in your brain!" Drink now to 2 years. Wonderful sipper or enjoy with a range of dinners from grilled salmon to roasted chicken to pasta dishes with meats and eggplant. The winery suggests the simple salumi plate below.
Masseria Li Veli harvest
A Note from Jens:
Your wine club pick-up tasting is always the 2nd Saturday of the month. Hope you can join us for this wonderful jaunt through the southern half of Italy, meeting little known wines from lesser-known parts of the country.
As well, you'll be able to taste the Portalis EXPLORES club wines. September theme is Washington State, featuring a Pinot Gris/Viognier from the Columbia Valley & a red blend (Cab/Syrah/Cab Franc) from Yakima, celebrating the great work of our local producers. Hope you can join.
Cheers,
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop
If you are here because you’re curious about our wine clubs: Here’s more general info & online sign-up. You can also peruse the last 12 months of both clubs to get a feel for the themes we pick and the wines we showcase: Portalis EXPLORES (our everyday wine club) & Portalis FLAGSHIP (our signature club).