Wine tastings are a celebration. It seems we've forgotten that, perhaps in the rush to organize more events or in the blind pursuit of discovering new labels. But some people remind us that tastings are, in fact, a celebration. Sometimes it's lavishly hedonistic, like the events Maksym Demchenko arranges with his Fine & Rare (1) (2). And sometimes, the celebration lies in beautiful simplicity—tables set up right on the pavement, joined together and decorated exquisitely; in simple and delicious snacks, and in wines that transport you to the calm and joy of unhurried moments. There's a certain perfection in that. And you know what? Vasyl deserves praise for creating a little corner of Piedmont amidst the fragmented urban landscape, gathering us for a true celebration of life.

Our gathering's theme was Tenuta Grillo, founded in 2002 in Monferrato (Piedmont) by Guido Zampaglione, originally from Campania. His plan was simple—to start small and gradually increase yearly production to 80,000 bottles. But somewhere along the way, Guido realised he couldn't and didn't want to pursue that goal. For him, being fully involved in the winemaking process, including growing the grapes, to create uncompromisingly high-quality wines with strong ageing potential, was the priority. Considering that he enjoys drinking mature wines himself, he releases them onto the market after some decent ageing in bottles.

Production Processes: The vineyards are located in the Monferrato region, near a small village called Gamalero. The vines grow in sandy, quick-draining soil on a gently sloping upland about 350 meters above sea level. The continental climate is characterised by great heat during the day, while the nights are cooler. Wine production is based on low yields and a meticulous selection of the grapes. Winemaking features long macerations (often several weeks), indigenous yeasts, minimal use of sulfur dioxide, and the exclusion of other additives. Ageing primarily occurs in large wooden barrels.

Wine	Place	wavg Weighted average score for the wine, where each participant's rating is adjusted for their wine assessment expertise.	sdev Standard deviation measures the controversy of a wine's reception. A lower value signifies greater consensus among participants.	price Price of the wine, if available.	volume Volume of the bottle in litres.	QPR Quality-price ratio, indicating value for money. A higher number denotes better value. Available when price is known.
Solleone 2018 Tenuta Grillo	🏅 4th	4.0805	0.0024	UAH 1,766.00	0.75 L	0.8584
Baccabianca 2008 Tenuta Grillo	🥇 1st	4.4537	0.0136	UAH 1,855.00	0.75 L	1.8350
Pratoasciutto 2007 Tenuta Grillo	🥉 3rd	4.2512	0.0104	UAH 1,766.00	0.75 L	1.2235
Pecoranera 2005 Tenuta Grillo	🥈 2nd	4.2671	0.0284	UAH 1,766.00	0.75 L	1.2649
Tornasole 2005 Tenuta Grillo	🏅 5th	3.9927	0.0040	UAH 1,766.00	0.75 L	0.7175

Tenuta Grillo Solleone 2018

Region

Italy » Vino

Type

white still, dry

Producer

Tenuta Grillo

Wine

Solleone

Vintage

2018

Grapes

Sauvignon Blanc

Alcohol

13

Volume

750 mL

Find at

This wine secured the 🏅 4th place in our wine tasting lineup.

Solleone was born from the idea of using an international grape variety to showcase the strong Piedmont territorial imprint. It's 100% Sauvignon Blanc from 25-year-old vines; like all white wines produced by Guido Zampaglione, it undergoes long maceration. In this case, we are talking about 60 days of skin contact with native yeasts, spontaneous fermentation, 12 months of ageing in steel tanks, 5 years in bottles, with no filtration. Annual production is about 5000 bottles.

A bit perfumed bouquet of apricot jam, dried herbs, dried flowers, nuts, and a hint of canned tuna. On the palate, it's not super tannic but round and well-structured, with a long, flavourful, and delicate aftertaste. A beautiful and quaffable wine.

Tenuta Grillo Baccabianca 2008

Region

Italy » Vino

Type

white still, dry

Producer

Tenuta Grillo

Wine

Baccabianca

Vintage

2008

Grapes

Cortese

Alcohol

12

Volume

750 mL

Find at

This wine secured the 🥇 1st place in our wine tasting lineup.

Baccabianca is a unique 100% Cortese skin-contact wine. It comes from vines that are 40 and 15 years old. It undergoes 60 days of skin contact with native yeasts, spontaneous fermentation, 12 months of ageing in steel tanks, and 5 years in bottles. Around 6000 bottles are produced annually.

Wow. A serious, sophisticated, and non-vulgar skin-contact wine. Notes of apricot jam, dried herbs, dried apricot, cherry plum, and nuts, with some cognac-like hints. But what stands out is how balanced and seamless it is, while still maintaining intensity—tannins are powerful, but mature and integrated. Quaffable.

Tenuta Grillo Pratoasciutto 2007

Region

Italy » Vino

Type

red still, dry

Producer

Tenuta Grillo

Wine

Pratoasciutto

Vintage

2007

Grapes

Dolcetto

Alcohol

13.5

Volume

750 mL

Find at

This wine secured the 🥉 3rd place in our wine tasting lineup.

Pratoasciutto is named after the old field from which the grapes for this wine are sourced. It undergoes 60 days of skin contact with native yeasts, spontaneous fermentation, 12 months of ageing in steel tanks, and 5 years in bottles. Around 6000 bottles are produced annually.

Notes of dried banana, fig, eucalyptus, pine, tobacco, dried blackberries, and dry earth. An interesting, developed wine that’s hard to drink solo. Harsh, drying yet mature tannins, and unexpected acidity. But there are multiple layers—very engaging to drink. It combines rusticity and finesse at the same time. Flavours of black olives mixed with dark berries and tobacco.

Tenuta Grillo Pecoranera 2005

Region

Italy » Vino

Type

red still, dry

Producer

Tenuta Grillo

Wine

Pecoranera

Vintage

2005

Grapes

Freisa, Barbera, Dolcetto, Merlot

Alcohol

13.5

Volume

750 mL

Find at

This wine secured the 🥈 2nd place in our wine tasting lineup.

A literal "black sheep," Pecoranera is a blend of Freisa, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Merlot. It undergoes 40 days of skin contact with native yeasts, spontaneous fermentation, 12 months of ageing in steel tanks and oak barrels, and 8 years in bottles. Around 15,000 bottles are produced annually.

Notes of autumn forest floor, raspberry, herbaceous tones like dried cooking herbs, tobacco, and fruits. On the palate, it offers dry tannins, but despite the intensity, they are well integrated and balanced by higher acidity and overall juiciness with neat fruit quality. Still feels insanely young. Great wine.

Tenuta Grillo Tornasole 2005

Region

Italy » Vino

Type

red still, dry

Producer

Tenuta Grillo

Wine

Tornasole

Vintage

2005

Grapes

Merlot

Alcohol

14.5

Volume

750 mL

This wine secured the 🏅 5th place in our wine tasting lineup.

Tornasole is named after the litmus paper used to measure acidity. The wine was born from the idea of using a great international grape variety to showcase the strong Piedmont territorial imprint. It's 100% Merlot from 25-year-old vines. It undergoes 40-60 days of skin contact with native yeasts, spontaneous fermentation, 12 months of ageing in steel tanks and oak barrels, and 8 years in bottles. Around 6000 bottles are produced annually.

Notes of aged bai mudan cake, forest floor, brine, BBQ or Worcestershire sauce, and ashtray. A bit warm and sweet on the nose. Syrupy on the palate, delicate and mature, but without much potential left. Long aftertaste—not simple, but not fascinating either. Just an interesting matured wine.

Resources

• https://www.vinisudshop.com/en/brands/tenuta-grillo-en/
• https://zampaglionevino.it/

Raw scores

Wine	Julia K	Stanislav G	Dany	Vasyl V	Boris B
Solleone 2018 Tenuta Grillo	4.10	4.00	4.00	4.10	4.10
Baccabianca 2008 Tenuta Grillo	4.60	4.30	4.60	4.50	4.40
Pratoasciutto 2007 Tenuta Grillo	4.30	4.10	4.40	4.30	4.20
Pecoranera 2005 Tenuta Grillo	4.55	4.40	4.60	4.20	4.20
Tornasole 2005 Tenuta Grillo	4.10	4.00	3.90	4.00	4.00