When Alberto was a little boy, he would often go on walks with his father through the family's vineyards and observe his grandparents as they worked. The reverential movements, the earthy smell – in Alberto's eyes, these had something ritualistic, almost magical about them. His fascination with the earth hasn't loosened its hold over him. However, this never stopped him from dreaming of the infinite. As a result, he ultimately moved to Milan to study space technology.

As an engineer with a doctorate, Alberto's wife Olympia is also involved in astronautics. As a child of Greek-Polish immigrants, she grew up in a high-rise in Darmstadt. «I spent hours observing the sky and asked a lot of questions about the universe. While my friends adored the Backstreet Boys, I was a fan of Neil Armstrong.» Like the first man on the moon, Olympia and Alberto want to leave behind a footprint that will stand the test of time. They were very aware of this when their daughter Stella was born. The time had come to make their long-cherished dream of owning their own vineyard a reality: «It's unbelievable how tangible memories and dreams can become if we resolutely pursue them and if the people we love share them with us», says Alberto. Today, Le Stadère family vineyard in the Maremma is a place of connectedness, a personal anchor point where the young family can live peacefully.

In both the Sestile and Effemeridi wines, a fascination with the heavens meets a fascination with the earth. Sestile – «sextile» in English – refers to a 60-degree angle between two planets and the Earth. In olden times, this constellation was considered a good omen if it appeared when a person was born. «We're not sure if the heavens influence an individual's personality. However, we have no doubt that the Meremma's clear and sunny skies shape the character of our wine», say Alberto and Olympia.

The turquoise sea rushes, the citrus groves refresh the hot air with their aromas. The food is heavenly. The eye meets colorful ceramics at every turn. From the bustle of Palermo to the sublime tranquility of the ancient temples of Agrigento, Sicily has so much to offer. Founded in 2015 by star oenologist Mario Ercolino, Compagnia Siciliana 1921 manages to beautifully intertwine tradition, modernity and culture in its wines. Mario spent his childhood on his parents' vineyard. Even as a young boy, he was fascinated by how his father depicted nature in the bottle. Mario went on to study enology and worked for many years as a cellar master at San Marzano. With wines like the Primitivo «Sessantanni» he contributed significantly to usher in a new era of top quality products. Today «Super Mario» is one of the most influential oenologists in southern Italy, artfully depicting the origin in a wine has always remained his guiding principle. «Every wine must be a sensory journey», he claims. With his «Compagnia Siciliana 1921» he succeeds perfectly. Visually, these wines are inspired by Sicilian lace, which you still see mostly on wedding dresses today. This fits perfectly, because there is so much richness and sweetness in these wines that one immediately feels transported to a debauched Sicilian wedding celebration. The lushness is balanced by a cheerful freshness. Typical Sicily.

The winery Valtravieso is located at about 950m above sea level, making it the highest winery in the D.O. Ribera del Duero. It is located on a barren plateau with nutrient-poor soils and extreme climatic conditions. In late August, it's common here for the thermometer to climb to 35°C at noon and drop to 5°C at night. While we would probably sour here, there is nothing better for grapes to stay healthy and fully ripen aromatically. Moreover, winemaker Ricardo Velasco is often confronted with a rough wind during his work. But the daily challenge excites the young oenologist – and with a lot of patience he wrings first-class wines out of the terroir. At the age of just 26, Ricardo became the oenologist in charge at Bodegas y Viñedos Valtravieso. Under his leadership, Valtravieso has established itself as one of the most established itself as one of the wineries to which the region owes its international popularity. Due to its particular location, Valtravieso wines have a unique profile with mineral and fresh notes. The terroir is undoubtedly the basis of the success, but the decisive factor is the meticulous approach of Ricardo and his team: «We work our vineyards with maximum respect and minimum intervention, which is why we don't use herbicides or insecticides.» Conclusion: a posh top wine!