On October 16, 2025, New York-based fine wine importer Maze Row Wine Merchant, in cooperation with leading wine and spirits marketing agency Colangelo & Partners, gave members of the wine media and trade the opportunity to meet some of the world’s top Italian winemakers during a portfolio tasting at Bond 45 in Times Square. A delectable buffet of Italian regional hot and cold specialties were served to pair with the selections. The wineries in attendance from Maze Row Wine Merchant’s portfolio included:
Francesco Allegrini of Allegrini
Winery: Allegrini
Location: Valpolicella, Lugana, and Soave
Soil: About 150 hectares of calcareous, limestone, clay, and gravel-rich vineyards
Background: Francesco and Matteo Allegrini, and cousins Silvia and Giovanni, are jointly at the helm of this family-owned winery.
Varietals: Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara, and Oseleta
Wines:
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico: Rich and refined, with firm tannins, and a concentrated dark stone fruit, fig, cinnamon, clove, espresso, and earth flavor profile
Palazzo della Torre IGT 2023: Full-bodied and multi-layered, with a ripe blackberry, plum, cherry, chocolate, and warm spice flavor profile
La Poja IGT 2012: Refined and structured, with well-integrated tannins, and a dark flower petal, ripe blackberry and plum, pepper, balsamic, and tobacco flavor profile
Amarone Classico DOCG 2020: Complex and dense, with velvety tannins, and a crushed dark flower petal, and candied mixed berry, maraschino cherry, espresso, and herb flavor profile
Bernardino Sani of Argiano
Winery: Argiano
Location: Montalcino
Soil: About 57 hectares of predominantly calcareous, clay, and limestone-rich vineyards
Background: Bernardino Sani is the winemaker at Argiano, a certified-organic winery dating back to 1580 with an updated focus on making wines that reflect the local heritage and traditions using sustainable, carbon neutral, and minimal-waste winemaking techniques, and small-plot vineyard specialization. The wines are expressive of both the grape and the terroir.
Varietals: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Syrah
Wines:
Brunello di Montalcino 2020: Vibrant, with balanced acidity and tannins, and a dark flower, fresh citrus, sweet raspberry and blackberry jam, sour cherry, fragrant herb, balsamic, and licorice flavor profile
Rosso di Montalcino 2023: Medium-bodied, with bright acidity, smooth tannins, and a red and purple flower petal, mixed berry, cherry, fresh herb, and tobacco flavor profile
Solengo IGT Toscana 2018: Full-bodied, with fresh acidity, bright tannins, and a blackcurrant and berry, and mixed nut and spice flavor profile
Barbara Widmer of Brancaia
Winery: Brancaia
Location: Tuscany
Soil: Around 80 hectares of clay, sand, and loam-rich vineyards
Background: Proprietor Barbara Widmer is the second generation of this family-operated winery. Widmer has created a 9-wine portfolio that exemplifies the purest natural expression of every varietal that thrives on the Tuscan terroir. The wines are organically and sustainably produced from grapes that are harvested late to maximize flavor, and stored in lighter bottles that minimize waste.
Varietals: Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon
Wines:
Brancaia Chianti Classico DOCG 2015: Bright and medium-bodied, with balanced acidity, velvety tannins, and a juicy berry and dark stone fruit, black spice, scented wood, and forest floor flavor profile
Brancaia Chianti Classico DOCG 2021: Medium-bodied and fresh, with vibrant tannins, and a violet, and ripe cherry and plum flavor profile
Brancaia Chianti Classico DOCG 2023 Riserva: Balanced and structured, with lively acidity and minerality, fine tannins, and a dark flower petal, raspberry, cherry, plum, and delicate spice and herb flavor profile
Felix Jermann of Jermann Estate Winery
Winery: Jermann Estate Winery
Location: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Soil: Around 170-200 hectares of marl and sandstone-rich vineyards
Background: Winemaker Felix Jermann represents the sixth-generation of this family-owned CasaClimaWine-certified winery. The Estate adopts a combination of traditional and innovative methods of wine production to make fresh and elegant white wines from indigenous and international varietals that are emblematic of the region. The family’s Austrian roots are also reflected in some of the wines, including the Vintage Tunina, a blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, and Malvasia. The winery uses environmentally-conscious, organic, pesticide-free, and sustainable winemaking practices that encourage biodiversity and preserve nature’s inherent equilibrium.
Varietals: Ribolla Gialla, Picolit, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Noir
Wines:
Pinot Grigio 2023: Crisp and elegant, with vibrant acidity, and minerality, and a soft white flower, summer and orchard fruit, and fresh almond flavor profile
Jermann Where Dreams 2023: Rich, vibrant, and full-bodied, with fresh acidity, and a balanced floral, citrus and tropical fruit, cream, and honey flavor profile
Pietro Ratti of Cantina Ratti
Winery: Cantina Ratti
Location: La Morra
Soil: Around 50 hectares of clay, calcareous, sandy, and silt-rich vineyards
Background: Pietro Ratti is the second generation of the 35-hectare, family-operated, environmentally-conscious, and gravity-vinified Ratti winery, known for producing refined and complex white wines and single-vineyard Barolo using classic winemaking methods like extended cooler temperature fermentation to create structure, maximize complexity, and enhance tannins. The Ratti portfolio is defined by unique wines that are expressive of both the varietals and the vineyards. Ratti is credited with having pioneered the production of single-vineyard Barolo, further elevating the status of this full-bodied and elegant, age-worthy wine.
Varietals: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc
Wines:
Ratti Ochetti Langhe Nebbiolo DOC: Refined, textured, and supple, with balanced acidity, well-integrated tannins, and a rose petal, mixed berry, cherry, soft spice, herb, and wood flavor profile
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