As owner and producer of Donna Elvira, Tony Fink knows a thing or two about how wine should taste and he’s happy to share his wisdom.
Back when Tony was a twenty-something, living in the beautiful Campania Region, enjoying the fruits of the land (including, of course, wine) he dreamt that he’d one day have his very own winery. Empowered by his love of the land, he resolved to only use the very best grapes, native to the region, to ensure that the end product was nothing less than exceptional.
Fast forward a couple of decades and that’s exactly what Tony is doing. Infact, Tony is now producing his favourite type of wine, Aglianico, using the highest quality grapes, grown at his own original Montemiletto vineyard in Irpinia.
“For people who haven’t tried Aglianico wine, you must try it because it’s something that you won’t forget – a taste you won’t forget. A bit like when you try a really good Malbec, but different…it’s stayed with me since I was a teenager.”
The Aglianico grape is considered one of the three greatest Italian varieties, alongside Sangiovese and Nebbiolo and is favoured for its great structure, superb acidity and depth of flavour. Tony has utilised the many wonderful features of this particular grape variety to create Donna Elvira’s Settemazze, but Tony explains that a reason why he loves the grape is because of the diverse ways it can be used.
“…It’s so versatile. With the Aglianico grape we make our rosato, which is our rosé wine, we make our sparkling rosato…it’s a very good grape, it gives so much in terms of flavour.”
Donna Elvira’s own Aglianico is a fresh, dry red and is deeply concentrated, high in tannin; revealing an abundance of black fruit, tar, and recognisable earthy flavours. It can be purchased via the online shop, for UK delivery.
