Giuseppe Quintarelli was a trailblazer in the Veneto region of Italy, where until his death in 2012 he led one of Italy’s most respected wine estates. By the 1970s his Valpolicellas and other wines had attained cult status.

Clos Fourtet is a 45-acre estate owned by Philippe Cuvelier, who also owns Chateau Poujeaux. Robert M. Parker Jr. notes that the estate “has been resurrected” by Cuvelier and is producing wines with “striking richness.”

The Ponnelle family has made wine since 1870, using the best fruit from Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. Their “Chevre Noire” label comes from the story of a local goat with the good taste to eat the tender vine buds rather than the nearby weeds.