August 2025
Between Secretive Umbrian Hills and Sunlit Sicilian Shores
Bacco’s Wine Club
August 2025
Late summer in Italy has its particular gravity. The air hangs heavy, the days are long, and meals spill out into the evening, pulled along by a steady rhythm of conversation and glasses refilled. It’s a season that asks for wines with character—bottles that can refresh, surprise, and still ground you in a sense of place.
This month, we linger in Umbria before catching the wind south to Sicily. Two Umbrian bottles—different in tone but united in their intimacy with the land—showcase the region’s quiet brilliance.
Then, Arianna Occhipinti’s SP68 offers a Sicilian counterpoint, vibrant and declarative. Together, these three wines sketch an arc of Italy that’s at once contemplative, playful, and bold.
Raina
‘Campo di Colonnello’
Umbria Bianco
Montefalco
Umbria,
Italy
Biodynamic, Unfined, | 13% ABV
What it is:
A textured, savory white that shows Trebbiano Spoletino at its most expressive. Orchard fruit, fennel fronds, and a touch of smoke unfold over a saline backbone. It feels generous but never heavy—rustic in spirit, refined in execution.
Who makes it:
Federico Terranova farms biodynamically near Montefalco, treating his vines with patience and precision. His focus is on expressing the depth of native varieties rather than chasing international polish, and “Campo di Colonnello” is his quiet masterpiece.
When to drink it:
Best in the evenings when the day’s heat finally breaks—whether you’re cooking or just catching your breath.
What to pair it with:
Grilled trout, roasted fennel, risotto with herbs, or simply a wedge of pecorino and good bread.
Agri Secretum
‘Cinino’
Pet-Nat
Collazzone,
Umbria
Italy
100% Sangiovese / Organic/ Metodo Ancestrale / Unfiltered / 12%
What it is:
A lightly sparkling rosato with a hazy blush and a burst of red fruit—strawberry, sour cherry, and citrus peel—wrapped in a tangy, refreshing frame. Rustic in the best way, it balances brightness with a hint of grip, adding more dimension than your average carefree fizz.
Who makes it:
Lorenzo and Eileen (a native Bostonian) are the husband and wife behind Agri Secretum (formerly known as La Segreta), a small organic estate in Umbria focused on minimal intervention wines. Their philosophy is rooted in farming first, with “Cinino” as their playful, pét-nat expression of Sangiovese—bottled alive, meant to be shared.
When to drink it:
As soon as the crown cap pops. It’s an immediate wine, perfect for the first glass of the evening or as a midday refresher.
What to pair it with:
Salumi, tomato bruschetta, fried zucchini blossoms, grilled chicken skewers—or whatever’s on the picnic table.
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Arianna Occhipinti
‘SP68 Rosso’
Vittoria,
Sicily,
Italy
Frappato & Nero d’Avola Organic | Biodynamic Practices | ~12.5% ABV
What it is:
A fragrant, energetic red that balances bright berries with wild herbs and a touch of earth. Light enough to chill, structured enough to linger—SP68 is Occhipinti’s signature, a red that speaks of place with clarity and conviction.
Who makes it:
Arianna Occhipinti is one of Sicily’s most influential winemakers, championing native grapes and organic farming in Vittoria. Since founding her estate in her early twenties, she has built a reputation for wines that are both soulful and precise.
When to drink it:
Anytime you want a red that feels both easy and important—this is as suited to pizza night as it is to a thoughtful dinner.
What to pair it with:
Grilled lamb skewers, pasta alla Norma, margherita pizza, or a plate of prosciutto and figs.
In Sum
Together, these bottles convey three distinct moods: Raina’s Bianco, contemplative and textured; La Segreta’s Cinino, playful and alive; and Occhipinti’s SP68, bold and declarative. Different registers, different rhythms, yet each shaped by trust in the land and a refusal to overcomplicate what doesn’t need complicating. They’re wines that move easily between the casual and the thoughtful, carrying with them that unmistakable Italian gift: making the everyday feel extraordinary.