VOLCANIC VESPIOLA🐝

Source note: This post is adapted from Parched's October 1, 2026 newsletter

Hey,

It’s October already. What. I’m still recovering from visiting 20 Italian winemakers in just over a week. The lengths I go to in order to bring you the finest liquid on earth. Of all the visits, stopping by to see Marco Turco might be the most memorable.

Less of a formal tour, this visit felt more like a visit to an old friend's house. It was a rainy morning when we stopped by the lo-fi cellar just as the harvest had wrapped up. Ferments were healthy and spirits were high. There is not much fancy equipment here, but this is real proof that to make soulful wine, very little is needed outside of high-quality grapes. A press, some fermenting bins, something to age in, and some bottles for the wine to go in. Sounds simple, defo isn't.

We were keen to get to lunch, as the previous day he'd sent us a picture of three trout he'd illegally caught,  so we had a quick supernova apéro before heading to the family home. We were greeted by his dad, Sevelino, and I could write a whole email on this man alone. Seriously get this guy a movie deal. He has lived a hell of a life. As a young man, he escaped Italy after being chased by the bank. He found himself in Australia for a few years working with the postal service before jet setting across the world. He had so many stories. How did an Italian end up in the middle of Afghanistan in the early 80s? Mysterious tales of espionage quickly turned to tips to find the most potent marijuana in India. This isn’t half of what he shared… All this before returning home to settle down and plant some vines in his native Breganze in central Veneto. He now gets up at 5am, tends his rather large vegetable garden and vines, whilst keeping up with BBC news to make sure his English is in good shape, all before a leisurely lunch and a quick nap. He is currently overseeing about 10 kittens too… Don’t ask. It is a thoroughly deserved retirement, and a life I'm rather jealous of.

It was pretty hard to keep up as we tasted through the range to a backdrop of one of the most colourful personal histories I've ever heard. As a man nearly in his 90s, his quick wit, energy and humour were infectious. Or perhaps it was the magnum of his own personal wine that he greeted us with. Who knows? What I do know is that the wines are just as vibrant as Seve himself, and spending a long lunch before his mid-afternoon snooze was something that will stay with me forever. Those trout too…

This was a region originally famed for sweet passito wine, all traditionally made with the local Vespaiola, named after the wasps that were attracted to its glorious juice. It's a grape that was prized for its ability to get super ripe without losing acidity. Marco is now leading the charge in showing this grape in its best, bone-dry form. It has a really wonderful spectrum of fruit and herbs. When tasting, I noticed a mango thing running right throughout the range, starting almost underripe, building to something glorious, golden and juicy as the wines grew in stature. A saline minerality and a cooling nature also characterised the range. Do not let the Austin Powers-like labels fool you. These are serious, clean and compelling wines.

We start with Supernova 2024. In my mind the best vintage to date. So hyrdating and crisp. The bottle went in the blink of an eye. The fruit is all green mango with these gin-and-tonic-like bitters woven throughout. I drank a lot of Col Fondo in my 10 days in Italy, and this was right at the top. Clean enough to appease more classical drinkers, but with enough energy to make the more naturally inclined order a second bottle after the first is gone. A must-taste.

Vespasi is the first of the dry whites. 2023 was a stunning vintage here too. From the volcanic hills of Breganze, a very short maceration coaxes out flavour not colour. Then pressed to fibreglass and concrete to keep things perfectly pure: it's golden in the glass but wickedly dry, full of mango, spring blossom and saffron spices. A delight.

Vecchie Vigne sees concentration dialled up, but drinkability unmatched. Old vines doing what they do best. Things go all crystalline, whilst the palate remains laser-like and layered. With air, things just got better and better. There is this so much wild Italian herb and a piercing minerality that grounds everything in a very very long finish. Bellissimo!

Seve is affectionately named after the great man himself. The fruit here comes from the vineyard planted in his backyard to ensure there would always be wine on hand. Legend. Thankfully, Marco is now sharing the family's personal supply. Again, aromatics off the charts. Hard to put into words how special this is. This is so mineral, with a delightful herbal component and an almost amaro-like savoury complexity in a really long finish. The soft bubbles carry everything along in perfect harmony, whilst some subtle tannin helps drinkability even further. You’d think a magnum at lunch would be overkill, not this. I wish you could taste his sweet wine and Nebbiolo that he opened for us. Sadly, those are strictly for personal consumption but maybe one day…

Finally, Lucifer! A  devilish and moreish red. We managed a vertical of every vintage despite half the wines having the same label, oh the joys of the chaotic Italian vignaiolo! Working out each one by taste alone, this was a personal favourite. Ignore the varieties; this is just insanely good. Sanguine and seductive, with lots of cherry and spice. Another iconic label too.

An amazing visit, one that deeply resonated due to the sheer beauty of both the wines and the hospitality. Show ‘em some love pls.

Outside of Italy? Small amounts from Georges Comte. Always special wines, they don’t need words. IYKYK. If you don’t buy em then more for me as we only received 2…

Likewise for Paul Lewakowski, Michigan born, but firmly in the Jura now. He learned under the tutelage of the Labets for 4 years. He then aged his first vintage for 36 months in barrel before releasing. Madman. I tasted at a Salon last year in France and was eagerly awaiting their UK arrival. Worth the wait. The eagle-eyed amongst you have already snapped up one of his cuvées. There are just 3 left of this. Trust me, future unicorns. Act now or regret it later.

Finally, our Big Beaujolais Party is moving fast. Half the tickets gone in one day. You lot are clearly thirsty. Act now whilst you still have a chance.

Bisou, Fionn
xoxo