“I’ve been in this business a long time and I have so many friends, vignerons, who are small producers with beautiful vineyards, but don’t have the resources in the cellar or the network for sales and communications. My idea was to give them the opportunity to sell their wines in the US market,” says Giorgio Rivetti, owner of Indigenous Selections.
The concept behind the Indigenous private label is simple: real wines produced from some of Italy’s most interesting and extraordinary local grape varieties. These wines remain faithful to the same philosophy that Indigenous Selections embraces for all the products in its portfolio – quality above quantity, always and without exceptions.
Giorgio explains, “We have wine from Sicily (Nero d’Avola), from Marche (il Verdicchio), Pinot Grigio from Venezia, wine from Piedmont (Barbera, Nebbiolo and Langhe Bianco), and wine from Tuscany as well. All great, authentic wines, beautiful wines, but not too expensive. I always say you should drink great wines every day, including wines at an affordable price, but the quality MUST be present. This is how the Indigenous label was started and these are the same principles on which this company was built. Quality over quantity always, no exceptions.”
Indeed, the Indigenous lineup includes wines from all over Italy, from crisp, sparkling Prosecco from Veneto to rich, peppery Nero d’Avola, each wine an ideal choice for an aperitivo or happy hour as well as an accompaniment to any meal. Authentic, high-quality wines at an accessible price point, perfect for every day.
Each Indigenous wine is personally selected by Giorgio Rivetti and the producers are small, family-owned vineyards, expressions of genuine character and terroir. This combination ensures that each wine conveys its own unique identity and sense of place, following the same prinicples in the vineyards and cellars as all Indigenous Selections’ producers: no chemicals, no herbicides, no pesticides.
Giorgio says, “I like wines with identity. The same philosophy for Ciacci Piccolomini, La Spinetta or any other wine in the Indigenous Selections portfolio is behind this label. We are all going in the same direction, working in respect of the environment, the land and doing our best in the vineyards and cellar.”
The Indigenous label design reflects the fundamental idea behind the wines as well – where herbicides aren’t used, the dandelion is the first flower to bloom in the vineyard. Giorgio explains, “There is a very important philosophy behind the label. We chose the label because the dendelion flower means something to us. If you’re a farmer you know that. This is the first flower to bloom if you don’t use pesticides and other chemicals.”
100% Estate grown and vintage! 100% Glera from 17 year old vines grown in high hillside vineyards between Conegliano and Farra di Soligo, on the border of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene D.O.C.G. appellation. A Prosecco with noticeably more depth of flavor than your average one, thanks to its high quality vineyard sites giving extra complexity. Classically floral in aroma with a creamy richness to support the palate fruit, albeit with lightness of touch.
100% Pinot Grigio from 20-year-old vines planted on a western exposure in rocky and calcareous clay soil at an elevation of 1000-1500 feet. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for 3 months on lees. A delightfully aromatic, nuanced and crisp Pinot Grigio with notes of white flowers, mineral, green pear, white peach and a hint of saltiness that leads to a pallet of abundant, fresh fruit that mirrors the aromas and a zesty finish.
100% Barbera from 20-year-old vines planted on a Southwest exposure in calcareous clay soil at an elevation of 820 feet. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak for 12 months with additional bottle rest for 12 months.
100% Nebbiolo from 12-year-old vines planted on a southwest exposure in sandy calcareous clay soils mixed with seashells at 980 feet in altitude. Fermented in stainless steel and aged 12 months in medium-toasted used French oak. Then transferred back to stainless steel for 6 months, bottled and rested in bottle for 12 months.
100% Sangiovese from 10-year-old vines planted on a Southern exposure in marine deposit and travertine soil in Terricciola, Tuscany. Fermented and aged in stainless steel – no oak – and then bottle rested for 2 years prior to release.
100% Primitvio from 20-year-old vines planted on a Northern exposure in calcareous soil at an elevation of 330 feet. Fermented and aged in stainless steel – no use of oak. Primitivo traces back to the ancient Phoenicians who settled in Apulia (Puglia). Legend says it was the wine served at the Last Supper.
100% Nero d’Avola from from 18-year-old vines planted on a Southern exposure in chalky soil in Saleni, Sicilia. Fermented and aged in stainless steel – no oak.
100% Nero di Troia from 15-year-old vines planted on a southern exposure in clay soil at an elevation of 150 meters. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for 3 months. No oak. Troia translates as “Troy” and lies in northern Puglia. Legend has it that the town was founded by Diomedes, a hero of Virgil’s Aeneid, who was among the Greeks holed up inside the Trojan horse. The grape is now scarce. Difficult to grow, vines were uprooted mainly by growers lacking passion, patience and resources to produce quality fruit.
Produced exclusively from the indigenous Piedmontese grape Cortese, this Gavi di Gavi comes from three different vineyard sites within the comune (town) of Gavi, positioned in the Val Lemme area of Piedmont, on the border with Liguria. This fortunate location boasts a nearly ideal climate, a temperate hillside landscape with the cooling breeze of the nearby Ligurian Sea, not too hot, but with sunshine all year-round. Here the soil, temperature, altitude and morphology combine to yield a distinctive wine that is intense straw yellow in color with shimmering golden reflections, like the sun. Grapes from the three different vineyard sites, each with unique attributes, are vinified separately followed by a selection of the finest results to create the base wine. This blend of terroir yields a wine of important structure, capable of aging, that expresses strong, yet elegant, perfumes of apricot and citrus on a delicate mineral and almost rusty backdrop. Warm, savory and harmonious in the mouth, this juicy white pairs well with vegetables, white meat, seafood and lighter dishes like salad, pasta or appetizers. Incredibly drinkable, and undeniably enjoyable, the Gavi di Gavi exhibits all the personality typical of this small, yet distinctive, wine district.
