Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino

Few places in the world demonstrate the endurance of red wine through the ages quite like the village of Montalcino in southern Tuscany. It is only here that you will find the towering, structured and wonderfully complex wines of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, which are made from a unique clone of Sangiovese known as brunello. Not only does this wine frequently express its terroir-based origins, it promotes a zealous obsession among its devotees for vintage character.

However, I'd like to point out two traits to Montalcino that don't often get talked about. One is the community of winemakers, which ranges from large estates with international ambitions to small family affairs where tradition and an intimate connection with the land reign supreme. For a writer like me, Montalcino is flush with stories waiting to be unearthed.

Secondly, there is Rosso di Montalcino DOC, a wine I dearly love. From top producers, this wine can be one of Italy's greatest values — a red wine as versatile and complex as it is delicious and joyous. I only wish there was more of it.

Combine all of these elements together and you have not only one of Italy's most compelling appellations, but one of the world's great wine regions.