Category Archives: Gambero Rosso

The Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri tasting is held annually at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC.   It is one of the best ways I know to taste a range of the best Italian wines, meet with the producers, and catch up with friends in the wine industry.

The Three Glasses (Tre Bicchieri) Award was presented this year to 508 elite Italian wines, showcasing high-quality producers to importers and restaurateurs at the event on March 5th, 2026. Tre Bicchieri is the highest award The Gambero Rosso Guide to Italian Wines, a very important guide, can give to a wine.

While the primary Tre Bicchieri awards are reserved for exceptional wines, Gambero Rosso also announced its Top Italian Restaurant 2026 awards for NYC-based establishments during the event.

My favorite pizzeria,  Kestè, was once again one named as one of the top New York restairants, recognized for the third consecutive year with Due Spicchi (two slices) for its excellence in pizza. (Due Spicchi della Guida Pizzerie d’Italia del Gambero Rosso.)

Pizzaiolo Roberto Caporuscio, 0wner of Kesté Pizza e Vino in Wall Street (NYC) holding his award.

Here are just some of the wines I tasted at the event:

Falanghina Del Sannio “Biondo Re” DOP made from 100% Falanghina FontanAvecchia.  The vineyard is at 350 meters and the soil is argillaceous with lime rich marlstone outcrops. The training system is guyot and harvest is the third week of September. Vinification with direct pressing of the grapes at a controlled temperature. Fermentation lasts for 7 days. The wine is aged in steel before it is bottled. It has hints of citrus fruit, lemon, lime, melon with a touch of green apple. I visited this winery a few years ago on a press trip with Campania Stories and I am a big fan of Falanghina. 

This is a family run winery under the direction of Libero Rillo. I have know Libero for a number of years and I always order this wine when I am in restaurant Al Pompiere in Roma.

Pecorino Abruzzo DOC Tenuta I Fauri Abruzzo Pecorino DOC  made from 100% Pecorino. The soil is clay calcareous and the training and pruning methods are tendone, single curtain/rows (spur training). There are 1,600/3,000 vines per hectare. Static decanting of the must takes place, followed by a soft pressing. Fermentation is in stainless steel at a controlled temperature and the wine is aged in stainless steel. The wine is bottled at the end of February. The wine has hints of apple and honey and a touch of mint.

Valentina Di Camillo, a member of the family that owns the winery, and the Managing Director, was at the event. I met Valentina a few years ago when I visited the winery.

T Friulano 2023 Eugenio Collavini made from 100% Collio Friulano The training system is Guyot and Cappuccino and there are 4,200 to 4,800 plants per hectare. Harvest takes place in September. Traditional white wine vinification with gentle crushing of the berries in pneumatic presses of modern design. Fermentation and aging in stainless steel. The wine has hints of pears, white flowers, fresh herbs and a distinctive almond finish. The T is for Tocai, the “old” name for the grape and wine.

Ribolla Gialla Riserva  DOC Collio Primosic made from 100% Collio Ribolla Gialla. The soil is Ponca–marl sandstone. Training system is double arch cane system.  The overripe grapes, hand picked in crates, are destemmed and placed in open vats, where fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts, without sulfates, and with frequent punching down. The must remains in contact with the skins for about 4 weeks without temperature control. The must is then separated from the skins and placed in 600 L barrels where it completes the malolactic fermentation. When the rest on the fine lees is ended, the wine will be transferred to large barrels for more than 1 year, depending on the vintage. After the bottling, which takes place without sterile filtration, the wine is aged in bottle until the right balance of skin to wine is reached. The wine has as intense amber color with hints of apricot, green tea, orange rind, candied tangerine and dried fruit. It was a very interesting wine.

Collio Pinot Grigio Ramato “ Clas’ Livon made from 100% Pinot Grigio. This distinctive copper hued (ramato) white wine is produced in the Collio region of Friuli-Venezia- Giulia. It is a premium selection from the winery. The wine is produced by letting the grayish pinkish skins of the Pinot Grigio grapes macerate with their juice for a short period of time which is about 8 hours. Fermentation is in a combination of stainless steel and Allier barriques. Aging is in stainless steel for about 8 months and then 6 months of bottle aging before release. This is a full bodied wine with hints of ripe pears, apricots, strawberries, a touch of spice and a note of beeswax. Organic farming. I visited the estate a few times over the years. The last  time was 3 years ago with Federica Schir, Head of the Collio Consortium’s Press Office.

Fontefico 2024 Pecorino Superiore Abruzzo DOC “la Canaglia” (Nic Tartaglia is the owner) Azienda Agricola Fontefico.  Made from 100% Pecorino from a vineyard at 120 meters. The training system is guyot and there are 4,000 plants per hectare with an eastern exposure. The soil is iron, sand and clay. It is a single vineyard wine and is estate bottled and the farm is organic. This is a full bodied, crisp white wine with high minerality and hints of grapefruit, sage, and white flowers with a touch of almonds. It is called La Canaglia, the rascal, of Fontefico because the yields are very low. There is a different label on the bottle very year because every wine has its own personality.

lL Colombia di Santachiara  Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2023 “Campo della Pieve”made from 100% Vernaccia. The 1.5 hectare vineyard is at 360 to 400 meters and there are 5,500 vines per hectare. The soil is old Pilocene, which is sand and clay, and the training system is spurred cordon. Harvest by hand is the end of September and beginning of October. There is a soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature. Maturation is on the lees in cement vats with periodic batonnage for 18/20 months. This is a complex and aromatic wine with hints of ripe yellow stone fruit, citrus, white flowers and toasted almonds and a very nice finish. $21

Etna Rosso DOC 21 Palmento Costanzo made from 80% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello Cappuccio from Contrada Santo Spirito, Passopisciaro.  Mineral rich volcanic soil. The grapes are hand-harvest in second half of October. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation is completely carried out. 50% of the wine is aged for 12 months in stainless steel tanks, 50% ages for 12 months in 50 HL oak barrels, then for  12 months in the bottle before release.The wine has hints of blackberries, blueberries, cherries and a note of dried flowers.

Etna Rosso DOC “Alta Mora: 2022 Cusumano made from 100% Nerello Mascalese from Castiglione di Sicily, in the contradas of Verzella, Pietramarina, Feudo di Mezzo and Solicchiata. The vineyard is 12 hectares at 600/800 meters, the training system is free standing espalier and the average age of the vines is 20 years. Manual harvest. There is a light pressing and destemming, maceration at 28 degrees C for 12 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and successive fining in 25 hl barrels. This is a fruity aromatic red wine with hints of red fruit, currants and raspberries. It is an easy drinking wine.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2022 DOCG Boscarelli.  Usually 86% Prugnolo Gentile, 10% Merlot and 4% Colorino. Rolling hills at 300 meters going down to the River Chiana. Soil is silt and clay. The vines are 6 to 35 years old and are selected from clones from their own vineyards. There are 6,000 plants per hectare, selection at harvest by hand into small crates 2/3 of capacity and another selection in the cellar. Fermentation is with the stalks and after a soft pressing the grapes ferment in little vats of steel and oak filled only to 3/4 of capacity. Fermentation lasts for one week at 28/30º C. Maceration for 5 to 8 days. Only natural yeasts are used. Aging is in 350/2,000 liter barrels of Slovenian oak or French Allier. A little filtration is carried out before bottling if necessary. The wine has hints of violets, blackberries and blueberries, with a note of tobacco.

Chianti Classico Riserva Vigneti La Selvanella made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso. The training system is guyot and cordone speronato and the vineyard is at 1,300 ft with a southwestern exposure. The terroir is a mixture of soils dominated by alberese and weathered sandstone. Harvest is in early to mid-October and only the healthiest bunches are picked. Traditional vinification with a long cool maceration over a period of 20 days with frequent pumping over. Fermentation tales place at no more than 81 F and is followed by malolactic fermentation. Aging is in French oak casks for 30 months and in bottle for 12 months before release. The wine has hints of raspberries, strawberries, irises, toasted almonds and a touch of vanilla.

Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore Caparra & Siciliana made from 100% Gaglioppo from vineyards around Cirò Marona in Calabria.  They combine the use of temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, cement vats and large botti (oak) in their winemaking process. This is a complex and in some ways rustic wine with hints of cherry, licorice, plum and a touch of dry earth.

It was an excellent event and I enjoyed tasting the wines and seeing the participants.