Many times have I found myself on a narrow back road in Italy, surrounded by hills, trees and vineyards, to see nothing else but a little country winery in the distance. Eventually I would end up stopping by that wine producer, not knowing what to expect, to see if I could taste their wines and hear their story.

Sometimes I would taste wines that had a legendary status in the area, but many times, the libations that stayed with me, deep within my heart, were the ones that the farmers bottled and drank for themselves during family dinners. Many times I am hesitantly offered this type of drink by wine producers as a New York City wine writer… but it is the drink that I cherish above all others.