This just in

A new release just landed at Vinmonopolet, and a few bottles caught my eye. Not a full rundown of everything on the shelf — just what I’d actually reach for.

Francesco Versio, Dogliani 2025

This one’s personal. Francesco makes one of my all-time favorite Dolcettos, and if I ever see his name on a wine list, I order it without thinking twice — most recently at Babbo in New York, half a world away from Piemonte. There’s something about finding a familiar producer that far from home that makes the wine taste even better.

His Dogliani is Dolcetto at its most expressive — the region Dogliani is actually named after the grape’s best expression, and Francesco’s version is exactly why. If you’ve only ever had Dolcetto as the “easy” wine in a lineup, this is the bottle that changes your mind.

Cristian Boffa, Barbera d’Alba 2023

I’ve written about Cristian before, so I’ll keep this one short — his Barbera is genuinely top notch. Cristian loves culture and art as much as he loves winemaking, and if you’re lucky enough to visit him in Santa Maria, he’ll sometimes let you taste straight from the steel tanks before the wine’s even been bottled. That’s the kind of thing that stays with you.

San Barnaba, Langhe Freisa 2025

I’ve never actually met the people behind this label, but I’ve had their wines on more than one occasion. And that’s thanks to the wonderful staff at Cantina Comunale in La Morra, whose recommendations I genuinely trust. That’s good enough for me.

Freisa is worth knowing if you haven’t come across it — it’s a red grape native to Piemonte, distinct from Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto, with a lighter, more aromatic character and occasionally a touch of natural sparkle. It’s a grape most people outside the region have never heard of, which makes it exactly the kind of thing worth trying.