We Americans are raised almost from birth with an intimate knowledge of our country’s various fast food selections. Even small details like the difference between a Wendy’s, McDonalds, and White Castle burger—square, $1, guaranteed stomachache, respectively—are ingrained in our cultural food knowledge.
That’s how Italians are with wine. A native Italian does not drink cocktails or beer or soda for dinner, he drinks wine—or so boasted my hosts on a recent trip to three-Michelin-star restaurant La Pergola, located at the top of the Rome Cavalieri Hotel.
La Pergola’s chief sommelier Marco Reitano—who this year received the title of best sommelier from Italy’s gourmet guide Identità Golose—is an expert among experts. The La Pergola cellar is home to 3,000 labels—all of which has been tasted and then purchased either by his staff or Reitano himself.
“Our selection has representation from each Italian region, representation from every type of Italian grape, and it’s also representative of world wines,” Reitano explains.
We asked Reitano for the 10 best Italian wines, and we gave him a catch: They all had to be available for purchase in the United States either in a wine shop or by mail order. (You’re welcome.) Here are his picks.