New arrivals

We spent a couple of weeks earlier in the year scouting for wines in the far south of Italy. At last they are here, a range of wines perfect for autumn and winter drinking.

We visited Basilicata for the first time, much to the amusement of the locals some of whom said they had never met anyone from the UK before. Rionero in Vulture is not on the tourist trail - although the countryside, dominated by the extinct volcano that is Mont Vulture (yes, there are some scary looking birds flying around) - but it should be on every wine lover's radar.

We are lucky to have wines from Paternoster which is celebrating its centenary this year. Their range includes two absolutely gorgeous reds from Aglianico, rightly considered every bit as good as Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, and a beguiling white made with Falanghina which makes an incredibly citrusy wine. It takes you aback slightly at first but within a couple of mouthfeels, expect to be hooked.

From the wilds of Basilicata, we went to neighbouring Puglia, a region known to most wine enthusiasts for excellent value wines that don't pull any punches. Wines like that are easy to find there, certainly, but we were looking for something rather more special. Enter Tentute Rubinoin Brindisi. The tour and tasting there is worth the detour, wherever you are starting out. Puglian wines rarely have such elegance as these. Luigi Rubino has championed the revival of Susumaniello ("Little Donkey", a wine for Christmas, perhaps?) but also uses Negroamaro and Primitivo. Everyday wines from Puglia come from Masseria Surani in Manduria where Fiano and Primitivo are the main grape varieties.

Of course, a trip to the south of Italy requires a drive back to the north so we are happy to be offering wines from Podere Casisano in Tuscany's Montalcino where excellent and very drinkable Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino are produced and, to complete the new range, from Tommasi in Veneto, a selection of white Lugana and red Valpolicella wines.