WINE GUILD 2026
South of tuscany
October 13 & 16
Brunello … Barolo … Chianti Classico … Amarone … are iconic names that headline most conversations about fine Italian wines. Hailing from the peninsula’s northern and central regions, they dominate Italian sections of international markets and restaurant wine lists.
But it was much further south where ancient Greek explorers discovered stunning coastline vistas and fertile hillsides covered with grapevines. They named the place “Oenotria” meaning the land of wine. The Greeks brought the first cultivation techniques and formal production methods, right around the time Rome was founded.
Today, sun-drenched Italy south of Tuscany is experiencing a new winemaking renaissance. As with the nation’s other regions the role of wine is shifting from providing calories in rural villages to pleasure (and profits) in cities, both at home and elsewhere.
Southern Italian wines are fruity, full-bodied and concentrated. A new generation of winemakers is taking advantage of the warm Mediterranean climate, rich volcanic soils and rolling hills to produce high-quality wines from indigenous – often ancient – grapes.
These wines connect us to the varied cuisine and communities where they’re from – the places that sourced vast waves of Italian immigration to America in the 19th and 20th centuries, including my paternal grandparents.
Campania … Puglia … Umbria … Abruzzo … Basilicata … Calabria … You see, Italy isn’t really a single nation (except during soccer tournaments) as much as a loose collection of regional tribes with distinct cultures, dialects and wine. It’s said loyalty there isn’t to country as much as to the local belltower.
These are the wines the Holly Hill Wine Guild will explore this month in SOUTH OF TUSCANY. The dates are Tuesday, October 13 and Friday, October 16.
We’ll taste six wines from southern Italy, two whites and four reds:
Fiano an ancient, acid-first white grape varietal that thrives in the volcanic soil of Avellino, northeast of Mount Vesuvius
Falanghina, a flavorful white varietal that arrived with Greek explorers. It’s thought to be the ancestor of Falernum, the most prized wine in Ancient Rome.
Aglianico from Campania, a red variety and basis for the south’s most famous red wine
Montefalco Rosso from Umbria, a terrific blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino and Merlot
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a complex, rustic wine from dry, hilly terrain and coastal breezes off the Adriatic Sea
Primitivo the Italian Zinfandel from sunny Puglia, home to olive trees more than a thousand years
Holly Hill Wine Guild tastings take place in the Pavilion Bar at Fasig-Tipton, home to North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction company. Tastings begin at 7 pm and last one hour. The cost is $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers. When registering, please select the date you want to attend and indicate your status as a HHWG member or non-member. We also offer an optional $27 dinner buffet served at 6:15 pm.
Click on the button below to make reservations.
2026 schedule of Monthly tastings
Holly Hill Wine Guild tastings take place in the Pavilion Bar at Fasig-Tipton. Each month we have two seatings, usually one on a Tuesday and the other on Friday. They begin at 7 pm and last an hour. We also offer optional buffets that start at 6:15 pm. Here is the 2026 program schedule.
SONOMA UNBOUND | JANUARY 13 & 16
From windswept West Sonoma Coast to aptly named Rockpile, from Sonoma Valley’s old vine Zinfandel to Pinot Noir from foggy Russian River vineyards, the winemakers of Sonoma don’t play second fiddle to their celebrated Napa neighbors. We’ll explore their work from Sonoma’s diverse patchwork of valleys, mountains, riverbeds and benchlands.
PIEDMONT: NOT JUST BAROLO | FEBRUARY 17 & 20
Barolo has earned its top billing among Piedmont’s delicious wines. Yet, the region’s talented winemakers produce other terrific sips made from Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Arneis and other varietals. We’ll cast the spotlight on those worthy alternatives to Barolo, exploring fruit-forward reds, aromatic whites and expressive, ageworthy Barbaresco.
SULTRY SOUTHERN FRANCE | MARCH 10 & 13
The French Mediterranean – the sunny arc from Provence to the Pyrenes – is home to world-famous resorts and delicious red wine. It’s where long, warm, dry growing seasons produce luscious flavors. We’ll taste how Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and other grapes translate to wines of special-occasion quality at everyday-drinking prices.
REIMAGINING RIOJA | APRIL 14 & 17
Lengthy oak aging of Tempranillo, often in American barrels, is the traditional practice in Rioja. Wines there are classified – Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva – based on that factor alone. But as consumer tastes evolve, Rioja’s producers are instead beginning to emphasize fruit and terroir. We’ll look at the changing identity of an iconic wine region.
AUSTRIA’S GRü-V WINES | MAY 22 & 26
We know the hills are alive in Austria. So are the nation’s acclaimed vineyards. Nestled in the Danube’s historic terraces and those fertile Alpine foothills, Austrian producers craft riveting wines of both power and elegance. We’ll see how purity is their prime aspiration, especially with mouthwatering Grüner Veltliner, one of the world’s great white grapes.
PINK REVOLUTION | JUNE 23 & 26
Ah, rosé. Versatile. Broad appeal. Fast-growing segment of the wine industry. Graduated from trendy to trusted. Provence sets the global standard, but serious, evocative rosé is made across the world. We’ll investigate how different grape varieties, winemaking methods and climate produce compelling wines in beautiful shades of pink.
PEAK PERFORMANCE | JULY 28 & 31
As Argentina’s wine producers plant vineyards farther up the Andes, not only have altitudes hit greater heights, so has the quality of their wine. It turns out, sun intensity and day-night temperature swings produce grapes of concentrated flavor and zesty acidity. We’ll experience these stunning wines from the world’s fifth-most winemaking nation.
WHITE WINES YOU NEED TO KNOW AND PROBABLY DON’T | AUGUST 25 & 28
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin, Pinot Grigio – you know the lineup of usual suspects. Beyond those is a world of less familiar but thrilling white wines from tiny corners of the world. They are shaped by centuries of viticulture, each reflecting a long-lived – and delicious – partnership of grape and origin. We’ll sample six, so you’ll know.
PINOT AND PLACE | SEPTEMBER 22 & 25
Oregon and New Zealand share similar cool climates, the kind recognized as nurturing the world’s best Pinot Noir. Each of these places showcases the grape’s signature bright red fruit, lip-smacking acidity and sensual texture. Still, as we’ll discover, misty Willamette Valley and temperate Central Otago do bear out that subtle differences in terroir matter.
SOUTH OF TUSCANY | OCTOBER 13 & 16
The ancient Greeks didn’t underestimate southern Italy; neither will we. They named the area Oenotria, the land of wine, for its great number of new and fascinating grape varieties. 3,000 years later, the sun-drenched vineyards of Campania, Umbria and Puglia still produce bold, vibrant wines, from crisp, aromatic whites to lush, structured reds.
NAPA VALLEY VISIONARIES | NOVEMBER
The story of Napa Valley wine is part American Dream, part American Eden. Taking advantage of an agricultural paradise, Napa visionaries transformed Prohibition’s basement beverage to global benchmark. From those early trailblazing days to the cutting-edge present, Napa’s producers have pushed boundaries with tasty success.
GRAND FINALE | DECEMBER
We’ll conclude our 2026 program with a tasting of the year’s top wines.
The Holly Hill Wine Guild was founded in 2008 and is directed by Steve Mancuso.
The Holly Hill Inn wine list features owner Chris Michel’s thoughtfully chosen selections and has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2002. Chris is dedicated to finding the best and most interesting wines possible to pair with our seasonal cuisine, and our wine list features stalwarts and upstarts from the Old World and New!