It’s often said that you could spend your entire life exploring the wines of Italy and still not get to everything. In many ways, that’s true: Though the country’s wine firmament is divided into a seemingly approachable 20 different regions, there are countless appellations within them. And each of those is comprised of a lifetime’s worth of distinct wine-producing towns and villages and vineyards.

I bring this up because I’ve recently been tasting wines from a region that, though perhaps less famous than some of its neighbors, is nonetheless a place of deep accomplishment, serious historical and contemporary importance, and outstanding value.