After more than a decade representing some of Italy’s finest producers we decided to have a go ourselves!  Terra Firma is our first ‘own label’ project - the label has been designed exclusively for Winetraders and I now spend a week in both Sicily and Tuscany early each year tasting my way through dozens of tanks of base wine to decide on a final blend that, in my mind, captures the best of Italy.

Nero d’Avola from its original home near Pachino can often be a little soupy so we’ve enlivened it with about 40% fruit sourced high in the mountains near Palermo; the wine is ripe and full-bodied but it still has a lively lick of acidity.  It’s enticing, plummy but elevated above the ranks of the bland and merely wet by genuine character.  The Inzolia is a bright, zesty white with delicate, peachy fruit.  It does everything that Pinot Grigio can do but with considerably more charisma.  New for 2010 is our Chianti.  It’s sourced from vineyards just outside the Classico zone and is a traditional mix of Sangiovese, Caniolo and Colorino.  18 months in botte has softened it to perfection.