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30 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2016/2017 { importers } THE TERLATO WINEMAKING FAMILY, credited for establishing the luxury Pinot Grigio category, builds on 35 years of success with this varietal with the release of the Terlato 2015 Pinot Grigio, Friuli. The feat was accomplished in collaboration with Winemaking part - ners Marco Simonit and Pierpaolo Sirch, expert viticulturists who applied the Terlato philosophy of pairing the finest grape varieties with the highest quality regions to achieve stunning new expressions of a given wine. (See our August-September 2016 issue for the full story on this collaboration.) The winemakers factored in the estate vineyards' "ponca" soil and proximity to the Alps and Adriatic Sea with their moderate tem - peratures and longer growing season. The result is an expressive fruit and mineral character with a perfectly balanced structure. This Pinot Grigio opens with aromas of white peach, pear and spring flowers. The flavors of ripe peach, apricot and pear make for a mouth-filling texture, finished off with crisp minerality. Terlato also has forged relationships with the best producers from the most important appellations around Italy. Anselmi is situated on 24 acres of hillside vineyards in the Soave growing area (due to owner Roberto Anselmi's frustration with bureaucracy, the wines carry a Veneto IGT appellation). Volcanic soil with grass undergrowth, the south-facing slopes of the Foscarino hill, 1,140 feet above sea level, make the perfect foundation for Anselmi 2014 Capitel Foscarino, characterized by flavors of fresh apples, peach and lime underscored by mineral notes. Sicily's Cusumano, noted for dynamic reds, is well represented with its 2013 Noà, a full-bodied blend with hints of citrus and spice, and 2013 Sàgana, which is 100 percent Nero d'Avola. Nino Franco, founded in 1919, was one of the first producers to export Prosecco outside Italy. It maintains its reputation with the single-vineyard 2012 Vigneto della Riva di San Floriano Prosecco Superiore DOCG, a rich sparkling wine with notes of pear, apple, banana and wisteria covering the nose and palate. Angelo Gaja, "the King of Barbaresco," has made Gaja one of the crowning glories of Piedmont, producing magnificent Barbarescos, Barolos and Langhe wines of striking power and beauty. In Tuscany, the Gaja family purchased Pieve Santa Restituta in 1994;. The estate produces a Brunello di Montalcino as well as two vineyard-designate bottlings: Sugarille and Rennina. In the same region, Tenuta Il Poggione was one of the first wineries to produce Brunello di Montalcino and was a founding member of the Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino. With its breadth and depth, the Terlato Italian portfolio continues to provide U.S. buyers with the best wines Italy has to offer. Dream Team TERLATO BRINGS TOGETHER AN ALL-STAR PORTFOLIO OF ITALIAN WINES by Elyse Glickman PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG Terlato Wines President and CEO Bill Terlato (left) with world-renowned viticulturalists and pruning experts Marco Simonit (center) and Pierpaolo Sirch (right), photographed at restaurant Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City. The Terlato Pinot Grigio from Friuli was made in collaboration with vineyard specialists Marco Simonit and Pierpaolo Sirch. The Cusumano Sàgana is a Nero d'Avola from the Cusumano family's San Giacomo estate. The Anselmi Capitel Foscarino is 90 percent Garganega and 10 percent Chardonnay. Angelo Gaja is known as "the King of Barbaresco."