Grower of the Month // G.D. VAJRA

Photo: via The Real Review

G.D. Vajra is a family-run wine grower nestled in Vergne, the highest village in the Barolo region of Piedmont, Italy. The Vajra family tends 40 hectares of high-elevation vineyards, where breezy conditions produce complex and beautifully aromatic wines that are still distinctly Piedmontese in nature.

Aldo Vajra knew winemaking was for him from a very young age. In 1968, Aldo took over his grandfather's estate, putting his dreams of grapes and vines into action and bottling his first vintage in 1978. Since then, he has secured his place in the ranks of top tier Barolo winemakers, earned the region's first organic certification, and raised a humble and wine-loving family with his wife Milena.

The Vajra family believes in simply guiding (rather than forcing) the grapes into their full and truest expression in the wine bottle, and their respect for the land and sustainable farming practices are crucial features of this philosphy. Aldo personally derives great joy from dreaming up a...

Italian Wine: A Beginner's Guide

Photo: Emily Rentsch

Italian wine is both beloved and kind of daunting. Italian wine makers are proud of the many indigenous grapes that thrive in their country, but with over 580 grapes in use across the land, there's a lot to sift through (and discover!) in this ancient gastronomical paradise. 

We're here to make things a little simpler! Below, we'll run through some of the main wine-producing regions in Italy—from North to South—and highlight the most prominent grapes from each region. You'll get to know the grapes' basic flavor profiles and gain a bit more insight on how to choose a bottle of Italian juice the next time you're strolling the wine shop aisles. Let's dig in!

HOW TO READ ITALIAN WINE LABELS

First—how the heck do you decipher an Italian wine label?!

One of the big things to remember is that Italian wines are filed into one of four different classifications. These classifications (or appellations) indicate how well-controlled the production and quality of each wine is:

• DOGC (Denominazione...

Women's History Month: 5 Fantastic Female Winemakers

Photo: Ana Gabriel via Unsplash

To celebrate Women's History Month, we're highlighting a few exceptional women winemakers we love.

Isn't it silly that we have to put the word woman before the word winemaker, like it's an alien concept? But truthfully, the wine making business continues to be dominated by men, from farming to production to marketing to selling. A woman hoping to succeed in the field has to work much harder for the same recognition, and it helps if she's born into a family that's already established in the industry. It's more important than ever to recognize women succeeding in wine making, so that one day it won't seem so remarkable. It will just make sense.

MARTA CASAS + MARIA ELENA JIMENEZ
of Parés Baltá

Parés Baltá—just east of Barcelona, Spain—has been in the business of making cavas (and more) for over 200 years. For the last 20 years, the winery has been managed by brothers Joan and Josep Cusiné Carol. But the wine is up to their wives, Maria Elena Jimenez and Marta Casas. 

Marta grew up playing...