BIWA 2017

The Best Italian Wine Award is a prize that brings together a select jury of top experts from different countries who must evaluate hundreds of Italy’s best wines in just three days. The winner of the 2017 edition was Oreno 2015 Sette Ponti. 

From the beginning I have been a member of the jury of the Best Italian Wine Award (BIWA) which this year was sponsored by The Winesider, a company that creates and manages wine cellars for restaurants. The brainchild of Luca Gardini and Andrea Grignaffini has been incredibly successful and the jury today, in my view, is the most authoritative so far while the wines that make up the list of the Top 50 are truly representative of Italian production.

Aside from the award’s two creators and yours truly, this year’s jury was composed of Tim Atkin, Christy Canterbury, Kenichi Ohashi, Amaya Cervera, Antonio Paolini, Pier Bergonzi, Luciano Ferrara and Marco Tonelli. They are all accomplished experts, some are even Masters of Wine, who for three days evaluated over 300 samples of wine in a strictly ‘blind’ tasting.

This year’s results are listed below.

The winner of the 2017 BIWA was Oreno 2015 from Tenuta Setteponti, which will also receive the DoctorWine Special Prize dedicated to the BIWA in our Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine, which will be presented in Milan on October 1.

In the following list you will find many great Italian wines including runners-up Terlaner Rarity 1991 from Cantina Terlaner and Trentodoc Giulio Ferrari 2006.

1. Oreno 2015 Tenuta Sette Ponti - Toscana
2. Terlaner Rarity 1991 Cantina Terlano - Alto Adige
3. Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore Trentodoc 2006 Ferrari F.lli Lunelli - Trentino
4. Barolo Ravera 2013 Elvio Cogno - Piemonte
5. Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2012 Casanova di Neri - Toscana
6. Valtellina Superiore Rocce Rosse Sassella Riserva 2007 AR.PE.PE. - Lombardia
7. Bolgheri Sassicaia 2014 Tenuta San Guido - Toscana
8. Gewürztraminer Epokale Spätlese 2009 Tramin - Alto Adige
9. Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2013 Valentini - Abruzzo
10. Barolo Monprivato 2012 Giuseppe Mascarello e figlio - Piemonte
11. Brunello di Montalcino Poggio di Sotto Riserva 2011 Poggio di Sotto- Toscana
12. Furore Bianco Fiorduva 2015 Marisa Cuomo - Campania
13. Vin Santo di Vigoleno 2007 Alberto Lusignani - Emilia Romagna
14. Vecchio Samperi Marco de Bartoli - Sicilia
15. Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 2012 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona - Toscana
16. Brunello di Montalcino 2012 Biondi Santi - Toscana
17. Il Caberlot 2014 Podere il Carnasciale - Toscana
18. Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 1991 Attilio Contini - Sardegna
19. Barolo Monvigliero 2013 Comm. G.B. Burlotto - Piemonte
20. Barolo Ciabot Tanasio 2013 Francesco Sobrero - Piemonte
21. Barolo Parussi 2013 Massolino Vigna Rionda - Piemonte
22. Taurasi Riserva Vigna Quintodecimo 2012 Quintodecimo - Campania
23. Barolo Margheria 2013 Azelia - Piemonte
24. Mossone 2015 Santa Barbara - Marche
25. Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2011 Le Potazzine - Toscana
26. Morellino di Scansano Riserva Calestaia 2011 Roccapesta - Toscana
27. Gattinara Pietro 2013 Paride Iaretti - Piemonte
28. Montevetrano 2015 Montevetrano - Campania
29. Nathan 2014 Ermes Pavese - Valle d’Aosta
30. Barolo Parafada 2013 Palladino - Piemonte
31. Barbaresco Rabajà 2014 Giuseppe Cortese - Piemonte
32. Barolo Bricco delle Viole 2013 Mario Marengo - Piemonte
33. Barolo Gramolere 2013 Fratelli Alessandria - Piemonte
34. Brunello di Montalcino 2012 Col d’Orcia - Toscana
35. Arcurìa Etna Rosso 2014 Graci - Sicilia
36. Barolo Vigna Rionda Ester Canale 2013 Giovanni Rosso - Piemonte
37. Faro 2012 Palari - Sicilia
38. Barbaresco Pora 2014 Musso - Piemonte
39. Romagna Sangiovese Riserva Vigna 1922 2013 Torre San Martino - Emilia Romagna
40. San Leonardo 2011 Tenuta San Leonardo - Trentino
41. Turriga 2013 Argiolas - Sardegna
42. Amarone della Valpolicella Ca’ del Lupo 2013 Rizzi Luigino e Claudio - Veneto
43. Franciacorta Cabochon Brut 2012 Monte Rossa - Lombardia
44. Private Cuvée Andreas Huber 2015 Pacherhof - Alto Adige
45. Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva La Mattonara 2006 Zýmē - Veneto
46. Franciacorta Berlucchi Palazzo Lana Riserva Satèn 2008 Guido Berlucchi - Lombardia
47. Malvasia 2015 Skerk - Friuli Venezia Giulia
48. Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Classico Riserva San Paolo 2015 Pievalta - Marche
49. Vintage Tunina 2015 Jermann - Friuli Venezia Giulia
50. Kamen Pietra 2015 Zidarich - Friuli Venezia Giulia