🎁 December Sips & Celebrations

Twinkling lights on every street corner, holiday movies playing in the background, and a bottle of something comforting within arm’s reach. December marks the start of winter and the moment we celebrate the year behind us while looking toward the next with excitement and optimism. It is the season of crackling fireplaces, festive music drifting through every store, and the quiet thrill of finding the perfect gift for someone you love. It is when friends and family you haven’t seen all year gather around the same table and pick up right where you left off. It is the joy of planning a holiday feast, hunting for those special ingredients, and realizing that the meal is meaningful whether everything goes perfectly or not. Here’s what we’re sipping, savoring, and celebrating this month.

🎉 Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Tereesa on winning our first-ever Grapestained giveaway! 🥳🍷 She’ll be enjoying six bottles from six amazing small producers, just in time for the holidays. Thank you to everyone who joined in on the fun! Your curiosity, enthusiasm, and love for wine, food, and culture make this community what it is. Don’t worry if you didn’t win this time; more giveaways are coming soon, from wines to local treats, events, and even a tour. Stay tuned!

🍷 Wine of the Month: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Contucci

December is a month that practically asks for a sentimental bottle. For our family, the holidays are never quite complete without opening a Contucci wine. Contucci has been part of our story since 2019, when Andrea Contucci and the magic of Montepulciano helped spark the first baby steps of Grapestained. Those early visits and bottles lit our curiosity and passion for wine, culture, and storytelling, and to this day Andrea remains one of our dearest friends.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Contucci is made in the traditional way, a craft the family has been honing for over 1,000 years across 40 generations of winemakers, and they show no signs of slowing down. Every December, we pour a bottle or two, raise our glasses, and celebrate where we are today, as do they.

What is your holiday wine tradition? The bottle that means joy, memory, or home. Reply and let us know. We love hearing your stories.

🍽️ Dish of the Month: Tortellini in Brodo

Winter truly begins when the first bowl of tortellini in brodo hits the table. The smell alone is its own kind of therapy. Warm broth. Handmade pasta. A sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano. Steam rising in your face like a spa day made entirely of tortellini.

This is the dish that instantly transports you to a feeling. Wool socks, snowfall outside the window, crackling fireplaces, and that first true moment of holiday coziness.

Make it this month. Trust me. Your soul will thank you.

Looking for the recipe? Scarpetta Club Members get exclusive access to monthly Grapestained recipes. And yes, we will be posting this one this month, so get ready to dive in ;)

🛒 Monthly Buy: Olio Nuovo

There’s nothing quite like extra virgin olive oil straight from the source. The new Olio Nuovo season is here, and we couldn’t be more excited. From the rolling hills of Montepulciano and Montefollonico, this Olio Nuovo comes from the same family-run farm where we stay during our Val d’Orcia tours, a place that embodies small-batch, organic, local tradition.

Hand-picked from 600 olive trees and cold-pressed within 24 hours, this oil preserves every drop of flavor, aroma, and nutrients. With a mix of Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo, and Pendolino olives, it’s fruity, vibrant, and layered, sometimes bitter or peppery, perfect for drizzling over fresh pasta, roasted vegetables, or a holiday favorite.

Shipped directly from Sabrina at Agriturismo Pescaia, it arrives at your door within 7-10 days, fresh, flavorful, and ready to elevate every dish. 

Reply directly to this email to order your Olio Nuovo in time for the holidays!!!

• 1L – €20 (+€51 shipping)

• 2L – €40 (+€55 shipping)

• 3L – €60 (+€60 shipping)

• 4L – €80 (+€64 shipping)

• 5L - €100 (67€ shipping)

• And so on!

🧑‍🌾 Small Business Spotlight: Giada Mattioli

Italian food is about more than what’s on the plate; it’s about the people, the laughter, and the stories shared between bites. That’s exactly what you get with Giada Mattioli, chef, teacher, and one of the most joyful people to cook with or watch in action while enjoying incredible food and a glass of wine.

Giada’s cooking is steeped in tradition. Many of her recipes were passed down from her Nonna and scribbled into the pages of an old planner, a treasure trove of flavors, family stories, and little kitchen secrets. Scarpetta Club members have direct access to some of these one-of-a-kind handwritten recipes, giving you a true taste of Tuscan heritage at home.

To read more about Giada, her kitchen, and her passion for teaching Tuscan cooking, check out the full story here.
https://spill.grapestained.com/p/cooking-with-giada-tuscan-family-recipes-you-can-make-at-home

🍇 Producer Spotlight: Iviti

Nestled in the rolling hills of Cortona, Iviti is a small, family-owned winery that continues to capture hearts with every bottle. Run by Luca and Elisa, the couple has been crafting exceptional wines together for nearly 12 years, building on Luca’s family legacy while pushing the winery to new heights since its first vintage in 2013. Focused on quality rather than quantity, Iviti produces less than 15,000 bottles a year, with a completely hands-on, organic approach to winemaking.

Iviti specializes in international grape varieties with precision and triumph. Syrah has found a natural home in Cortona, full of depth and character. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is bold and expressive, while their Cabernet Franc is uniquely elegant, powerful, and utterly captivating. Every bottle is a reflection of the land, the family, and their philosophy: make wine that speaks for itself.

They’ll be coming to Pittsburgh soon, so keep reading for event details, and get ready to experience these incredible wines firsthand.

Look for Iviti as our next full Producer Spotlight, coming soon for the complete story.

🗓️ Upcoming Events

A very exciting start to the new year is just around the corner. Two incredible producers, two unforgettable tastings, and zero excuses to miss them if you are nearby. These are the moments where wine, stories, and friends come together in the most delicious way.

TENUTA DI FREDDANO - ORVIETO, UMBRIA  
Thursday, January 15 & Friday, January 16

IVITI - CORTONA, TUSCANY
Friday, March 6 & Saturday, March 7

All Scarpetta Club members are welcome to attend free of charge. Invitations will be landing in your inbox soon, and trust us, these events always fill quickly. Keep your calendar handy, and get ready to taste, learn, and celebrate with some of Italy’s finest small producers for a memorable night!

🌍 Wine Region of the Month: Franciacorta

Toasts. Bubbles. Celebrations. The countdown to midnight. December belongs to Franciacorta.

Nestled in the glacial hills near Lake Iseo in Lombardy, Franciacorta is Italy’s answer to Champagne. Its wines are made using the traditional method, where secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle. Hand‑harvested grapes, gentle pressing, and long aging on the lees create elegant, persistent bubbles and wines of finesse and depth. DOCG rules require minimum aging of 18 months for non‑vintage and 30 months for vintage wines, ensuring every bottle is crafted with care. 

This month we will be celebrating with a few bottles from Pietraluce, a small family‑run estate producing mostly Chardonnay. Their wines are fresh, elegant, and precise, reflecting the land and their philosophy of respect for nature, tradition, and joy. 

We will be welcoming the new year with a Pietraluce Franciacorta in hand and you should too. Add it to your table, celebrate with guests, and savor the season.

✈️ Travel Tip of the Month: European Christmas Markets

People often overlook this, but winter is ACTUALLY one of the best times to visit Europe. Fewer crowds. Better prices. And the glow of Christmas markets that turns entire cities into a fairytale. The smell of mulled wine and glögg, gingerbread, roasted chestnuts, and festival treats drifting through the air makes every stroll feel magical.

Here is our personal list of favorites, the places that feel extra special and full of holiday cheer:

• Tallinn, Estonia

• Wroclaw, Poland

• Nurnberg, Germany

• Budapest, Hungary

• Montepulciano and Arezzo, Tuscany

• Strasbourg, France

• Prague, Czech Republic

• Krakow, Poland

• Brussels, Belgium

• Leipzig, Germany

For hidden gems, a previously written article for Untraveled that you can check out here - https://untraveled.com/best-christmas-markets-in-europe-hidden-gems/

For a photographic look at Christmas markets, sharing some shots from a Christmas Market adventure back in 2019, which somehow feels like yesterday…

https://ryantinglephotography.pixieset.com/europeanchristmasmarkets/ 

📢 News

Spring is calling, and we have new tours launching in April and May. Perfect weather. Perfect wine regions. Perfect excuse to start planning your Tuscan getaway. 

Even better, we’ll be dropping a special Travel Tuesday deal tomorrow... This is your chance to lock in a spring adventure you won’t forget; a little early Christmas gift to yourself ;) Keep your eyes on your inbox because this offer will only be around until Christmas.

In the meantime, you can peek at our tours page and start dreaming about vineyards, sunshine, and Tuscan table memories. https://www.grapestained.com/tours

🎥 Video of the Month

A short drone journey through some of our favorite corners of Italy. If this doesn’t spark a little wanderlust and make you reach for a plane ticket, nothing will. Let the views and the spirit of Italy inspire your next adventure.

🧠 Fun Fact

December is the busiest month for sparkling wine in Italy, and it’s not just for New Year’s Eve. Italians sip bubbles at family lunches, aperitivo, dinners, and even breakfast around the holidays. One of the most beloved holiday pairings is panettone and Moscato d’Asti. This traditional sweet bread originated in Milan, but every region has its own festive variation. Light, airy, and dotted with candied fruits, panettone finds its perfect match in the gentle fizz and sweetness of Moscato d’Asti, turning every holiday bite into a small celebration.

📖 Word of the Month: Auguri

Auguri (pronounced ow-GOO-ree) is the universal Italian expression of good wishes. It’s used to say joy, luck, health, and happiness to everyone around you. You’ll hear it everywhere this time of year. At the bakery, at dinner with friends, while wandering through Christmas markets, when clinking glasses, or even when the guy on the Vespa almost crashed into you while screaming at someone else. It’s short, simple, and full of heart. So from us to you, Auguri. May your holidays be bright, your table full, your glasses never empty, and cheers to a joyful end of the year and exciting beginnings ahead.

👀 What’s Coming Next

Next week we are dropping the full Grapestained guide on how to taste wine like a pro. We’ll take you step by step in a fun and approachable way so you can enjoy wine in every sense, from smelling and swirling to sipping and savoring.

The guide comes with a brand new video featuring Gabriele from Tuscany Uncorked, a WSET4 wine educator. Together we’ll show you how to explore wines with confidence, whether you are picking a bottle to enjoy at home, pairing it with dinner, or simply having fun with friends.

We’ll also include our Grapestained tasting sheets, perfect for practicing and experimenting at home. Get ready for a hands-on and utterly delicious dive into the world of wine.

AUGURI !!! 💫🍷
The Grapestained Team