There has never been a more exciting time for Italian wines, with previously unknown varieties and sub-regions coming onto the wine map time all the time. At present, Italy has some 350 authorized varieties (and at least 150 more that are documented, but not widely commercialized) and this has allowed enthusiastic—and knowledgeable—wine sellers across the U.S. to expand their Italian offerings from the classics to the esoteric.
Here are seven Italian-savvy independent wine shops across the country where you can discover both the traditional and trendy.
Amanti Vino – Montclair and Morristown, New Jersey
The name of her store—“wine lover” in English—reflects Sharon Sevrens’ long love affair with all things Italian, especially wine. Between her two stores, set 20 miles apart in the New Jersey suburbs outside of Manhattan, Sevrens estimates about 30 percent of her inventory is Italian. “We have all price points, from high end to table wine, but everything is just really high quality and good value,” she says.
Sevrens is a longtime advocate for small-production wines and varieties, such as Sicily’s Nerello Mascalese, and yearly she attends Vinitaly, the major wine fair held in Verona, in search of new varieties and subregions. Instead of ratings in her store, Sevrens features comprehensive cards for each wine, detailing region, style, variety, and the staff’s personal tasting notes. Amanti Vino also holds weekly wine tastings, and is authorized for introductory-through-advanced certifications from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. All staff is educated through the advanced level. amantivino.com
Amanti Vino
Italian Wine Merchants – New York, New York
Since 1999, this has been Manhattan’s destination for both serious collectors and more casual lovers of Italian wine. Offering about 1,000 SKUs, the high-polish shop covers all of Italy’s 20 official wine regions—resulting in a boggling array of gems—and holds themed tastings for the public every Saturday. Other paid events include white truffle dinners and comparative tastings of Italian icons.
In keeping with its connoisseur clientele, Francesco Vigorito, vice president of sales, says the store is strong in collectables; think Barolo, Baberesco, Brunello and Super Tuscans. But he’s seeing more interest in atypical regions, such as Alto Piemonte, Campagna, and Sicily’s Mt. Etna. Vigorito is also particularly well versed in vintage wines—an area that still contains “a lot of mystery,” he notes. “That’s the fun and fascinating part of Italian wine market right now.” italianwinemerchants.com
IWM Vintage Tasting Room
Monarch Wine Merchants – Charleston, South Carolina
Established by Justin Coleman, a former sommelier at Manhattan’s A-list Balthazar and Jean-Georges restaurants, the two-year-old Monarch specializes in small-production wines mostly from Europe. Italy comprises about one-third of the inventory, from both classic and off the beaten path regions such Lazio and Abruzzo. “Everything on the shelf is something I would want to drink, and is made in a thoughtful way (that) expresses their place,” says Coleman.
Out-of-the-box bottles includes wines made from lesser-known grapes such as Trebbiano and Pecorino. And, even in Abruzzo—a region known for everyday wines—Coleman says he can find “a tasty and thought-provoking Montepulciano that offers a fine drinking experience.” Monarch holds consumer tastings and classes on a weekly basis, and also often hosts producers for on-site tastings. monarchwinemerchants.com
Monarch
Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe – Northbrook, Illinois
Since 1986, this Chicagoland mainstay has offered rare bottles for serious oenophiles. “We have a pretty knowledgeable collector base, but also people wanting every-day bottles of rosso,” says wine director Matt Gundlach. The store is especially strong in Nebbiolo-based wines from Piedmont, as well as Super Tuscans— the latter, Gundlach says, are in high demand due to the excellent vintages of 2015 and 2016.
As Gundlach notes, the store is also “having a really successful time turning people onto Italian white wines [because] there are so many indigenous varieties and interesting producers.” To help customers discover new bottles, a least once a month. the store hosts “Knight School,” 45-minute themed classes that include a guided tasting of five wines. knightsbridgewine.com
Knightsbridge
Red Wagon Wine Shoppe – Rochester Hills and Troy, Michigan
Red Wagon Wine Shoppe has served greater Detroit since 1965, with two locations set about 15 miles north of the city. Though deep into the classics—from iconic producers such as Bruno Giacosa, Aldo Conterno and Antinori—wine director Mick Deschamps has increased the store’s Italian inventory, which he now estimates stands at about 850 SKUs.
Among the items Deschamps has introduced is a significant swathe of Italian white wines—so that customers wanting, say, a Pinot Grigio will find something more substantial than the standard—as well as wines that offer a bridge into other high-quality areas such as Trentino and Lombardy. The stores host tastings nearly every Friday, and “more randomly” on Saturdays. redwagonshoppe.com
The Red Wagon Shoppe - Rochester
Biondivino – San Francisco, California
Named for her Italian great grandfather, Settimio Biondi, Biondivino was founded by Ceri Smith in 2006, and has since become San Francisco’s leading Italian-driven shop, earning Smith tops sommelier nods from national magazines. While the stock covers all 20 of Italy’s official wine regions, the shop boasts a particular focus on traditional small producers, and features selections from the new wave of organic and biodynamic wines, as well as some more obscure cult wines. To introduce customers to some of these great finds, Biondivino hosts producer-focused, in-store tastings and often participates in local-food pop-up events. biondivino.com
Biondivino
DeLaurenti Food & Wine – Seattle, Washington
Italian food and wine emporium DeLaurenti Food & Wine has operated out of Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market since 1946, and, until 2001, was overseen by three generations of the DeLaurenti family. Wine buyer Tom Drake estimates that today, the store offers 300 to 400 unique Italian wines. “I definitely took on a personal mission to bring out other regions that weren’t highlighted as much,” he says, noting the addition of bottles from areas like Sicily, Umbria, Val d’Aosta, Alto Piemonte and Friuli.
Having gourmet Italian food stuffs available in the market also helps the DeLaurenti team with selection and sales. “The easiest way to complete somebody’s basket is to suggest an Italian wine that comes from the same village [as their food] does,” he notes. The store hosts weekly tastings on Saturday afternoons, at which you can sample a flight of four wines for $5. delaurenti.com
DeLaurenti Food & Wine