Only a decade ago, most of the conversation surrounding Italian red wine was based on the French-ification of classic varietals. Whether it was adding Cabernet and Merlot to Tuscan Sangiovese for texture, or fleshing out the tannic gripe with a little ripe Syrah, the intent was to make Italian wines more palatable to the global palate. The resulting homogenization of the market created a backlash from Italian wine purists who looked to the past to dictate the future. 

Ten years later, Italy is having something of a renaissance with classic, indigenous grapes. Rather than striving to be something they are not, winemakers are returning to ancient vineyards, hands-off viticulture, and old fashioned country to rusticity to the utter delight of Italian wine drinkers around the globe. 

At Mission, we're 100% on board with this movement.

As lovers of both Italian food and Italian wine, we're constantly overwhelmed by the amount of exciting new wines coming out of Italy and today we're going to tell you about a few of them. While each represents a different varietal from a different region, what bonds these wines is their commitment to classic Italian typicity and the purist expression of what each grape has to offer. 

Barbaresco is a famed region in Italy's northern Piedmonte region that makes wine from Nebbiolo. While Nebbiolo can be light in body and color like a fine Burgundy, its robust tannic structure can be overpowering when the wine is young. That makes finding a young Barbaresco you can drink today a challenging task; hence, when we find one that fits the bill we get excited!

Serio & Battista Borgogno Barbaresco 2019 750ml - $36.99

What makes the Serio & Battista Borgogno estate so exciting is the location of its Nebbiolo vineyards. With 15 hectares along the rolling hillside of Cannubi, the family could sell just its real estate holdings today and retire as multi-millionaires. When the estate was established in 1897, it was one of the only vineyards on Cannubi hill. Today, you'll hear Cannubi mentioned by wine drinkers in the same breath as Grand Cru Burgundy, and Borgogno still farms all its grapes today with the same reverence. 

The Barbaresco from Borgogno needs some decanting but it reveals everything we love about Nebbiolo already at this young stage: violets and rose petal on the nose, dusty tannins, red berries and earth, with a fresh and grippy finish. Try it with grilled meats and be enthralled. 

91 POINTS: ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE - Classic, crisp and compact, the Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno 2019 Barbaresco reveals a traditional approach in which the freshness and purity of the grape is given top priority. The grape's potential power is downplayed, and the wine's texture is quite lean and streamlined. This precise house style is reflected across this flight of new releases. 

While Barolo and Barbaresco get all the attention in Piedmonte, Barbera is a grape that has made huge inroads as an under-the-radar and affordable Italian red wine of quality--particularly Barbera d'Asti. If you're out to eat at an Italian restaurant and you're unsure of what bottle to order, Barbera is a safe and generally value-oriented pick.

The story of Ferraris and its wines is one rooted in California history, as well as Italian. Currently run by winemaker and owner Luca Ferraris, it was his grandfather who traveled to California at the turn of the 20th century and struck it rich while mining for gold. Using that newfound wealth, he purchased the family estate in 1921 and began selling his grapes to cooperatives in the area. Eighty years later, a chance encounter with famed winemaker Randall Graham at a wine festival in California turned into a partnership that allowed Luca to invest further in his family's vineyards. 

The sheer juiciness of Luca's Barbera d'Asti Del Martin is evidence of that investment. The symphony of berries, spices, herbs and textures is something to behold. Try this with just about anything grilled, as well as meat and cheese boards. It's bold enough to pair with a steak, but buoyant enough to drink on its own. 

94 POINTS: WINE ENTHUSIAST - This vibrant and exuberant Barbera opens with aromas of boysenberry, tart blueberry, fresh violets and roasted herbs. The palate is plump with juicy ripe cherries, wildflowers and a distinct minerality giving the wine a balance that is buoyed by crisp acidity on the finish: A top-notch wine.

91 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR - A seductive Barbera, this is silky and charming, featuring violet, blackberry, black currant and mineral aromas and flavors. Easy to enjoy now, yet this should develop over the next 5 years. Drink now through 2028.