Drink Better is a drinks agency inspired by the family farm.
We celebrate the works of generations of committed grape growers, winemakers, distillers, botanists, and agronomists – and we share their work with you.
Drink Better is a drinks agency inspired by the family farm.
We celebrate the works of generations of committed grape growers, winemakers, distillers, botanists, and agronomists – and we share their work with you.
CALALTA | Mussolente, Veneto
Nicola Brunetti and Giulia Zanesco in the barrel cellar.
In their own words:
Calalta is a small winery located on the hills at the foot of Monte Grappa at an altitude of 150-200 metres. The winery is sited in a 16-hectare property where woods, olive trees, fruit trees and a pond promote a wide biodiversity with an advantageous microclimate. Our work is respectful and delicate. We carefully take care of our winery humbly and patiently, but having fun too.
The winery belongs to the Brunetti family. In the past, the grapes were sold and wine was made for friends and family. In 2009, after a very careful evaluation of the soil and the sun exposure, and in order to obtain the highest possible quality, the vineyards have been replanted. Since 2017 the winery is led by Nicola Brunetti who personally takes care of the production process, from the field to the cellar, with a special focus on respecting the ecosystem and preserving the authentic characteristics of Calalta’s terroir.
DIRUPI | Ponte in Valtellina, Lombardia
Davide and Pierpaolo of Dirupi.
Dirupi was founded in 2004 in the mountainous region of Valtellina in Lombardy just south of the Swiss border. The founders, Pierpaolo Di Franco and Davide Fasolini, are childhood friends who crossed paths once again when they both were completing oenology degrees in university. Neither had inherited land to work after graduation so the two combined what little resources they had upon completion of their degrees and rented 15 different terraced sites in Valtellina devoted to Chiavennasca (the local name for Nebbiolo). Dirupi employs sustainable practices and strives to farm organically, but the humid climate of Valtellina makes organic certification difficult. So it is all the more impressive that three of their wines achieved organic certification with the 2015 vintage.
Above the cellar housed in a sixteenth century building in Sondrio, the vineyards are scattered across Sondrio, Montagna, Poggiridenti, Grumello and Inferno. Typical to the region, all sites vary in some degree when it comes to exposure and altitude, but the terraces are predominantly sandy and poor. Organic fertilizers are used, wild ground cover is trimmed back with scythes, and naturally all harvesting is done by hand. Plots are harvested as individual lots and brought down the slope to be vinified together based on the altitude of the vineyards the fruit came from. Valtellina, centred around the province of Sondrio, produces high-quality and some of the most appreciated wines in the region. They are considered two of the best young winemakers in Italy.
FATTORIA DI BACCHERETO | Carmignano, Tuscany
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TENUTA FORESTO | Asti, Piemonte
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CASE PAOLIN | Montello, Veneto
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