| What Nebbiolo is to Piemonte, Aglianico is to Campania. Often called the "Nebbiolo of the south," this big, brooding variety demands patience, on the vine and in the bottle. It's hard work crafting a truly good wine, something Fattoria Galardi knows well and puts into every bottle of the Terra di Lavoro.
Often called a "cult" wine, the Terra di Lavoro has a devoted following, placing the Galardi winery in the upper echelon of Italian producers. The estate has earned this status because of the cousins behind it-Maria Luisa Murena, Arturo and Dora Celentano and Francesco Catello. They've done something that few Italian producers would ever consider. They don't grow a sundry of varieties. Instead, they grow only the indigenous Aglianico and Piedirosso. Unlike most producers, Galardi does not have a collection of wines, just one, Terra di Lavoro, a beautiful, dark red that can last for decades.
Along with oenologist Riccardo Cotarella, the family works to extract the complete characteristics of the Aglianico and Piedirosso with meticulous vineyard management that requires cultivating extremely low yields so that the grapes can truly flourish within their five-acre parcel. As a result, the family produces only a few thousand bottles of wine per year.
For any true Italian wine lover, the Terra di Lavoro is not to be missed. Please inquire about some of our older Galardi vintages.
 Galardi Terra di Lavoro 2008, 750ml, $80.00
Galardi Terra di Lavoro 2008, 1.5L, $176.00
Galardi Terra di Lavoro 2008, 3.0L, $352.00^
Its name means "the land of labor," and nothing is so true when thinking of the hard work that goes into the development of the Terra di Lavoro. Galardi's rocky vineyard soils, along the high hills of Sessa Aurunca, are extremely difficult to cultivate. The Aglianico also needs more time to ripen, sometimes staying on the vine as late as November. Premiered in 1994, this wine ages for one year in French oak and then rests another seven months in bottle before release. It's an 80-20-blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso, which is of similar characteristic to the Aglianico but softer on the tannins; the grape also heightens the wine's acidity and imparts more of the dark, wild berries on the palate. Bursting with layers of finely-grained tannins, dark fruits and chocolate on the palate with hints of tar and smoke, this wine is intense. It needs time in bottle before it can be fully discovered and will drink through 2031.
^Available in limited quantities and subject to availability.
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Featured Everyday Wines Under $50
 Vietti
Roero Arneis 2008, 750ml, $23.04
In the 1970s, the indigenous white grape, Arneis, was on the brink of extinction in Piemonte. Only two producers, Vietti and Bruno Giacosa, were using the variety until a demand for more Piemonte white in the '80s brought Arneis back. Today, total production is approximately 1,500 acres in Piemonte. Vietti has stood by the grape since the beginning. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, the wine is an elegant white that represents the Arneis' orange peel aroma and crisp acidity on the palate. This wine is best paired with creamy or soft cheeses like Taleggio and Tuma 'd Trausela, antipasto, carne di melezet and other salted meats.
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 Fantinel
Celebrate Life Merlot 2007, 750ml, $12.99
Celebrate Life Merlot powerfully conveys its Italian roots, maintaining its identity with an ode to the Friulian terroir where it was conceived. For every bottle of Celebrate Life purchased, $1 will be donated to the United Nation's IIMSAM foundation to help end world hunger. "In Italy and, increasingly, around the world, enjoying wine is about sharing with family and friends," said Marco Fantinel, president of Fantinel. "Celebrate Life Merlot was created as a means for sharing our family's good fortune as a wine producer with the world and encouraging generosity on a global scale." The cool, Friulian climate gives this wine great structure with notes of raspberries, currants and fresh herbs on the nose while black cherries, dried figs and chocolate are all integrated with soft tannins on the palate. This is a great wine to have readily at hand as it is designed to be consumed young.
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