The impossibly beautiful region of Cinque Terre is probably better know for its sweeping seaside vistas and cliff-side townships than its wine but the regions wines are just a captivating as its scenery. Samuele Heydi Bonanini tends his family's vertiginous vineyard terraces at Possaitara, the Mediterranean seaside cliff into which his family's farm is cut. The grape varieties here may sound unfamiliar - Bosco, Rossese Bianco, Canaiolo and Bonamico but you can expect white wines that are dry, savoury and speak clearly of their Mediterranean origins and reds that resonate with vibrant flavours and the Ligurian landscape.

Alto Adige in Northern Italy is a magical place, in a glacial valley surrounded by mountains. Due to its proximity to Austria & Germany, it is a mish-mash of several cultures and its wines, food and culture reflect these origins. Martin Gojer took over his family vineyard, Pranzegg in 2008 and began converting it over to biodynamic farming. The vineyards are located on terraces above the town of Bolzano; Schiava (called Vernatsch in Alto Adige & Trollinger in Germany), Lagrein, Manzoni Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Viognier are the varieties grown. The results?.... some of the most captivating, exciting wines from the region produced with minimal intervention in the winery. Superb!

Located in the Magra Valley in Eastern Liguria, Santa Caterina lies in the region of Colli di Luni where they farm their 7.5ha holding of Vermentio, Albarola, Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tocai according to organic and biodynamic principles. Andrea Kihlgren is a calm, considered character and as often is the case, these attributes also manifest themselves in the wines that he produces from his beautiful vineyards dotted with small orchards and olive groves. Minimal intervention and very low use of sulphur dioxide are a feature of the wines here... wines made in the most natural way possible, they are calm and composed and seem very comfortable in their own skins.

Stefano Amerighi is a young dynamo of a winemaker producing some of the most remarkable Syrah from a hilly region in Southern Tuscany called Chiuso di Cortona to the west of Siena near the border with Umbria. 8 ha of densely planted biodynamic (Demeter certified) vines lie on the perfect blend of mix of clay, silt & chalk produce some of the most captivating and pure expressions of the Syrah grape we have seen from Italy. Stefano's farm is a complete ecosystem with olive trees, vines, forest, crops and livestock and the Syrah, some de-stemmed, some whole bunch is gently foot pressed and fermented with wild yeast in small concrete vats without the use of pumps, sulphur or temperature control. The wine is then left to clarify naturally in a combination of wood and cement tanks, where they are kept for 14 months before bottling and the results are just mind-blowing — über-pure, elegant, textural wines made with the greatest of care and attention.

The San Guiseppe estate, run by the talented Stella di Campalto is one of the gems of the Montalcino region. The estate was established in 1910, abandoned in the 1940s and purchased by Stella's family in the early 1990s. Planting ensued and it was certified organic in 1996 and then biodynamic in 2002. Attention to detail is the reoccurring theme here with the aim of obtaining the purest expression of both fruit and terroir using gravity in the winery and a combination of large 38hl Austrian oak barrels and French oak barriques to vinify the juice as gently as possible. Rosso di Montalicino that is bright and structured and Brunello's that display profound sense of place and character.

Tessère is a wonderful, small estate located in Noventa di Piave near Venice. Established in 1979 by Ilario Bincoletto , today his daughter Emanuela continues her father's commitment working with local red variety Raboso Piave along with other international varieties. The estate is the perfect blend of tradition and innovation, producing a range of great wines. The Redentor Brut is superb, the indigenous Raboso Piave variety, harvested and vinified as a sparkling wine in the traditional method of the Prosecco region. Think of it as a 'Prosecco Blanc de Noir' and you are on the right track... a rose sparkling wine that is dangerously drinkable and is sure to win the hearts of many wine lovers.

Federica Magrini and Lorenzo Mocchiutti are the passionate people behind the Vignai da Duline estate in the far eastern Italian wine region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. These are soulful wines in the true sense of the word. The vineyards, even the oldest vines going back to the 1930s have never been treated with herbicides and traditional wisdom has been applied to the vineyard practises with spectacular results. Here they work with Pinot Grigio, Malvasia Istriana, Sauvignon Blanc (a very old clone), Tocai Friulano, Schioppettino, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and several international varieties to produce wines that are bright and filigreed, showing impressive clarity, finesse and detail. Beautifully made wines.

Martin Abraham, whose family has grown grapes in the Alto Adige region for five generations is the young vigneron behind the wines at Weingut Abrahams. Weingut Abrahams is located in Appiano,  a commune in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about 8 kilometres southwest of the city of Bolzano. Gentle farming according to organic and biodynamic principles ensures wines that sing brightly of the place in the mountains.  Pinot Bianco, Gewürztraminer, Upupa Bianco, Pinot Noir and Vernatsch are the stars here, sourced from vineyards 500 metres+ up towards the Alps and the wines show stunning clarity and purity.... it's no wonder Slow Wine Italy is speaking so highly of them. A star in the making.