Nearly all wine has some sulfites. Big-production wine often has a lot more going on behind the label: added color, sugar, flavor agents. Every bottle below comes from a small Italian family estate we import from directly, made without additives and with only the sulfites the wine needs. These are the seven we open most, ranked, with what to pour them with.
Short on time? Get six of our best-selling Italian reds in one box.
See the Red SamplerThe 7 best low-sulfite red wines we import
1. Chianti Riserva DOCG, Etrusca Organic
Our everyday red. Organic Sangiovese from the Orazzini family near Pisa, bright with sour cherry and dried herbs, made for the dinner table the way Chianti always has been. It's what we open on a Tuesday and what we hand to anyone asking where to start. Pour it with anything tomato: pasta, pizza, a Sunday ragù.
Etrusca / Poggio agli Scalzi · Tuscany
Keep the house red stocked · Free shipping
2. Le Matassine Super Tuscan 2022 IGT
The best value on the list. A Sangiovese-led Super Tuscan from Poggio agli Scalzi, fresh and lightly structured, and it drinks well above its $21.90 price. If you want to taste what "Super Tuscan" means without paying three figures, start here.
Poggio agli Scalzi · Tuscany
3. Bella Vita, Amarone-Style Organic Super Tuscan
The rich one. Etrusca lightly dries the grapes before pressing, the way Amarone is made, so you get dried-fruit depth and a velvety texture at a Tuscan price. Open it with a braise, a roast, or on a cold night.
Etrusca / Poggio agli Scalzi · Tuscany
4. Cisterna d'Asti DOC Superiore 2018, Carlin de Paolo
The one most people haven't heard of. Cisterna d'Asti is a tiny Piedmont appellation built on Croatina, a local grape with dark berry fruit, a savory backbone, and tannins soft enough to open tonight. The Superiore bottling has a little more depth and age behind it. Great with salami and cured meats, braised pork, or mushroom pasta.
Carlin de Paolo · Piemonte
5. Morellino di Scansano DOCG ("Baby Brunello")
Sangiovese grown on the Tuscan coast ripens fuller and rounder than it does inland, which is why Morellino gets called "baby Brunello." Softer tannins and darker fruit. A good next step toward the serious end of Tuscany.
Etrusca / Poggio agli Scalzi · Coastal Tuscany
6. Impetum Super Tuscan 2012
The aged one. Impetum has spent more than a decade in bottle, so the tannins have already softened into something savory and mellow. Open it with a steak. No decanting needed.
Marta Rosa · Tuscany
7. Sofia Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2020
The splurge. Sofia is our own Brunello, 100% Sangiovese Grosso from a small family estate in Montalcino, made only for The Simple Wine. The 2020 is a critically acclaimed vintage, powerful and structured. Drink it now with something special or put it away for a decade. The new 2021 3-pack just arrived too.
The Simple Wine · Montalcino
Can't pick one?
Our Red Sampler puts six of our best-selling Italian reds in one box, including Impetum and Le Matassine from this list.
Shop the Red Sampler