Special Awards 2027

So let’s start with our best wines by category.

Wine Awards: Red, White, Rosé

The Red Wine of the Year is the Podere Forte’s Toscana Guardiavigna 2022, a 100% Cabernet Franc from a single vineyard at an altitude of over 500 meters in Val d’Orcia. A red wine with great personality, combining depth, elegance, and a strong sense of terroir, the result of particularly rigorous organic and biodynamic viticulture.

For the White Wine of the Year we head to Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with the Friuli Colli Orientali Bianco Riserva Tricûr 2020 from Monviert. A highly original wine with a strong personality, it impressed us with its complexity and its technical and organoleptic approach—almost Alsatian in style—which demonstrates just how expressive great Friulian whites can become with age.

Rosé Wine of the Year comes from the Murgia region near Bari, and it is the Puglia Gioia Rosa 2025 from Terrecarsiche, made from Primitivo and Aleatico. A fragrant and approachable rosé, yet anything but ordinary, in which floral and fruity aromas are accompanied by a subtle, taut, and briny palate. A beautiful contemporary interpretation of the region’s Mediterranean character.

Wine Awards: Sparkling and Sweet Wines

The award for the Sparkling Wine of the Year goes to one of the iconic names in Lombardy’s sparkling wine industry: the Franciacorta Riserva Dosaggio Zero Annamaria Clementi 2017 from Ca’ del Bosco. It is the winery’s most prestigious cuvée, produced only in the best vintages with grapes from numerous organic vineyards and aged on the lees for an average of eight years. A Franciacorta of extraordinary complexity and precision, in which the zero dosage helps to enhance its purity and integrity.

For the Sweet Wine of the Year , we head to the heart of the Pollino National Park, in Saracena, to honor the Calabra Passito Luigi Viola Saracena 2021 from Cantine Viola. Here we are faced not only with a great wine, but also with the revival of a tradition that was in danger of disappearing. It was Luigi Viola who brought the ancient Moscato di Saracena back to life, preserving a production method passed down orally for generations and transforming it into one of Italy’s most original sweet wines.

Wine awards: Newcomer prize, best Quality/Price, widespread quality

The Newcomer Prize, dedicated to a wine making its market debut and immediately achieving outstanding results, goes to the Trentodoc Riserva Blanc de Blancs Montis Arcentarie 2017 from Moncalisse. Not only is the wine a new release, but the winery itself is making its debut, even though the owners are well known to wine enthusiasts: the Walch family from South Tyrol. This sparkling wine is made from Chardonnay grapes grown on old vines in a plot of just one hectare at an altitude of 560 meters and spends 80 months on the lees. An ambitious debut, but above all a compelling one, thanks to its elegance, depth, and mineral tension.

And now we come to one of the awards most cherished by the public: the award for Best Quality/Price Award, which this year goes to the Bigi’s Orvieto Classico 2025. A fresh, balanced white wine that’s immediately pleasing and representative of its appellation, offered at an extremely affordable price: 5 euros. It is precisely this ability to offer a well-made, terroir-driven, and readily available wine at a reasonable price that makes it a particularly apt example of what this award stands for.

The Award for Widespread Quality goes to the Allegrini’s Verona Palazzo della Torre 2023. It is one of the best-known labels from this historic Veronese winery and one of the wines that has most contributed to its international success. Produced using a unique technique that involves blending wine made from fresh grapes with wine made from dried grapes. It combines structure, richness, balance, and drinkability. Above all, it manages to maintain a high level of quality despite significant production volumes and a widespread market presence.

Awards to companies

The Winery of the Year is Tua Rita, a winery founded in 1984 in Suvereto by Rita Tua and Virgilio Bisti, which has become one of the leading names in Tuscan winemaking over the years. Starting as a small estate, it has grown to achieve international recognition, without losing the almost artisanal attention to detail and the strong connection to the local territory that have been the keys to its success. The wines presented this year were simply stunning.

The up-and-coming producer is, on the other hand, Tenute Gregu, a young winery in Gallura that is rapidly gaining attention thanks to wines deeply rooted in the granite soils and climate of northeastern Sardinia. Vermentino di Gallura is at the heart of their production, which is carried out with an artisanal approach focused on sustainability, in pursuit of freshness, savory notes, and elegance. Although still a relatively young winery, it has already established a distinct identity.

The Cooperation Award goes to Arnaldo Rivera of Terre del Barolo. This line exemplifies how a cooperative can achieve the highest standards of quality when it successfully highlights. With precision, the individual terroirs and the work of its members. The name pays homage to Arnaldo Rivera, who founded Terre del Barolo in 1958 with a vision rooted in rural solidarity and the protection of winegrowers. Today, that same legacy is embodied in the line dedicated to the grand cru wines of the Langhe and Barolo.

For Sustainable Viticulture we have chosen the Cantina Castello di Torre in Pietra in Lazio. The winery has been cultivating its vineyards organically since the early 2000s and is certified organic. With a philosophy focused on minimizing interventions, avoiding synthetic herbicides and pesticides, and limiting the use of sulfur dioxide. This is now a well-established practice, part of a broader project to respect and enhance a historic area of the Roman countryside.

Awards to people

For the Winemaker of the Year we have, exceptionally, chosen two names. Tonino Guzzo and Alessandro Cellai. Two professionals with different backgrounds, yet united by their ability to profoundly influence the growth of the companies they work with. For many years, Guzzo has been a leading figure in Sicily’s quality renaissance, particularly committed to promoting native grape varieties, from Catarratto to Nero d’Avola. Cellai, on the other hand, has led the winemaking division of the Domini Castellare group for decades—and beyond—overseeing various operations in Tuscany and Sicily and contributing to the creation of highly prestigious projects. These are two different approaches to the craft of winemaking, both characterized by expertise, consistency, and an ability to understand the terroir.

The Award A Life for Wine honors Donatella Cinelli Colombini.  One of the figures who has contributed most to transforming the world of Italian wine in recent decades. A winemaker in Montalcino and Trequanda, she has been, above all, a pioneer of wine tourism: in 1993, she founded the Wine Tourism Movement and conceived “Cantine Aperte,” an initiative that played a decisive role in bringing the general public closer to wineries. Added to this is her commitment to Donne del Vino, to teaching, and to promoting the region. A career that goes far beyond the mere production of wine.

Serving as a sort of counterpart to this award is the Next Generationaward, dedicated to young people who are taking on increasingly important roles in family-owned businesses. This year, it goes to Giulia Cataldi Madonna, a fourth-generation member of the historic company in Ofena, Abruzzo, which she inherited following the recent passing of her father, Luigi. This inevitable generational transition carries forward the work begun by the family in 1920 and developed by her father, with a particular focus on promoting mountain viticulture and traditional Abruzzo grape varieties.

The Quality Project, the Most Beautiful Label and Passion Wine Tourism

For the Quality Project Award we have chosen Signorvino.  A concept that over the years has succeeded in creating a unique blend of wine shop, dining, and educational outreach. With a selection of over 1,500 wines and an ever-expanding network of locations, Signorvino has helped make Italian wine more accessible to a broad audience. While keeping the focus on the selection of producers, the stories of the regions, and the balance between quality and value. It is, of course, a commercial venture, but one with a strong focus on promoting wine culture.

The award for the Most Beautiful Label goes to the Alto Adige Appius 2021 from San Michele Appiano. Appius is a unique project from a visual standpoint as well. Each vintage is different and is presented with a specific design, consistent with the idea of a wine that changes with every harvest while maintaining a distinct identity. The 2021 vintage captures this philosophy well, with a label that is visually striking, elegant, and instantly recognizable.

We’ll wrap up with the award Passin For Wine Tourism Award, which this year goes to Tenuta Santa Caterina. In Piedmont. In the heart of Monferrato, the winery has developed a project where wine, the local territory, hospitality, and sustainability coexist organically. The promotion of historic grape varieties such as Grignolino and Freisa is complemented by a hospitality experience that effectively conveys the culture and landscape of Monferrato. This is an example of how wine tourism can become an integral part of a winery’s identity—rather than merely an ancillary service.

Let’s not forget, however, the selection of single-varietal winesthat we presented to you yesterday. Among them are some of the cornerstones of our country’s winemaking excellence.

Special awards at a glance

• RED Toscana Guardiavigna 2022 Podere Forte, Tuscany
• WHITE Friuli Colli Orientali Bianco Riserva Tricûr 2020 Monviert, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
• ROSÉ Puglia Rosato Gioia Rosa 2025 Terrecarsiche, Puglia
• SPARKLING Franciacorta Riserva Dosaggio Zero Annamaria Clementi 2017 Ca’ del Bosco, Lombardy
• SWEET Calabria Luigi Viola Saracena Passito 2021 Cantine Viola, Calabria
• NEWCOMER PRIZE Trentodoc Riserva Blanc de Blancs Montis Arcentarie 2017 Moncalisse, Trentino
• BEST QUALITY/PRICE VALUE Orvieto Classico 2025 Bigi, Umbria
• WIDESPREAD QUALITY AWARD Verona Palazzo della Torre 2023 Allegrini, Veneto
• WINERY OF THE YEAR Tua Rita, Tuscany
• UP-AND-COMING PRODUCER Tenute Gregu, Sardinia
• COOPERATION AWARDArnaldo Rivera of Terre del Barolo, Piedmont
• SUSTAINABLE WINEMAKING Cantina di Torre in Pietra, Lazio
• WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR Tonino Guzzo and Alessandro Cellai
• A LIFE FOR WINEDonatella Cinelli Colombini
• NEXT GENERATIONGiulia Cataldi Madonna
• QUALITY PROJECT AWARD Signorvino
• BEST LABEL AWARD Alto Adige Appius 2021 San Michele Appiano, South Tyrol
• PASSION FOR WINE TOURISM AWARDTenuta Santa Caterina, Piedmont

And that’s not all: below is the link to pre-order your copy of the The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2027and to register for the launchin Milan and Rome:

• The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2027
• Presentation of The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2027 – Milan
• Presentation of The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2027 – Rome

Don’t miss out on the chance to always have the DoctorWine guide in your pocket: download the app now—it’s free!

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Starting October 3 , an update will be available featuring the new 2027 edition, available in both Italian and English.