Our new shop 'Buon Vino' in Settle, North Yorkshire

Just before Christmas we opened up our new shop in Settle, North Yorkshire. Great fun, but lots of hard work. Pam did the honours cutting the ribbon, but we must thank all family and friends who chipped in to get the shop open, Thanks ! 

We have been trading successfully online for over two years as Good Italian Wine, supplying fine wines from artisan producers across the whole of Italy, great fun seeking these out. Usually small family business, a lot of them organic with a real passion for producing quality distinctive wines. They survive because they care about their wines, they want people to enjoy their hard work and to savour individual, charasmatic wines that have a tale to tell as to where they have come from. By definition you will rarely find these wines in the supermarkets or the national off licences.

With the new shop we are building on this idea to supply wine with the same character and quality but from across the world. The idea is passion and quality, uniqueness and not mass produced and bland. We have called the new shop 'Buon Vino' to reflect our stock of world wide wines, we hope you will enjoy these new wines as well as the Italian wines we stock, If you dont, tell us ! 

At GoodItalianWine.com we are passionate about our product. Our aim is to find the best and most exciting of Italy’s wines and get them to our customers at a competitive price. We also aim to search out the smaller producers in the lesser known areas, those who respect tradition, the land and are deeply attached to their vines. Quite simply we are looking for farmers, not businessmen! It is only in these producers that the real character of Italian wine can be found with all its flavour, complexity and sense of place.

We will be putting our new selection of wines from the world on the website soon, (come on Kevan get a move on) but if you would like something different then give Rob a ring on 01729 823 885 and we can have a chat about what wines you may find interesting.

Rob Bagot and Wine

Unfortunately for me I was born with a love of good food and (as I got older) wine! I say unfortunately because I think it means that a big red nose and a large belly are inevitable in the future!

I also have a passion for Languages and studied French and Italian at the University of Exeter which really led to my long and very enjoyable relationship with Italy!

Studying (of sorts) in Sicily for a year was fantastic! My usual day started with a cycle ride along the coast to a small fishing village just outside of Catania called Stazzo. Here I would stop for half an hour, sip espresso and munch on warm Cornetti alla Crema whilst watching the sun come up, it was truly Paradise! Whilst sitting I would normally decide to skip the day's lecture on the films of Pietro Germi and plan lunch!

Lunch was drawn out! It started in the huge Market just off Via Etnea where I would source fresh ripe tomatoes, Provalone Dolce and Salami Calabrese to go with my just baked bread and virgin oil from a friends Olive grove in San Michele di Ganzaria about 50km inland. After another espresso in the sun and a stroll back to my apartment, I would find my lunch partner Lawrence (in Sicily to do even less than me) and we would sit down on the balcony and watch the kids scoot by on their 'Motorini' on their way home to lunch with the family! School finishes at 1pm in Sicily! We would eat slowly and methodically basking in the March sunshine and sipping cold Moretti out of Litre bottles that cost us 1500 lire, (about 50p). About 2.30pm we would idle down to the local bar for another espresso, chat with Giuseppe the 'Barista' about his gambling problem and then go home for a nap.

Dinner was a more lively affair, 4 or 5 of us would sit down at 8pm to a Mixing bowl each full of Pasta and salad with Octopus and garlic or Aubergine and Tomatoes, 'alla norma!' We would eat a good half kilo of Parmesan between us and wash it down with very cheap and very cold white wine made I think from Inzolia! I went to bed early so as to speed up the arrival of the following day! What a life!

Occasionally I'd interrupt this regime and do some studying and so I scraped through University and got my degree! The experience of life in Italy has stayed with me and informed my own life ever since. It taught me to appreciate the important things, not just food and wine but taking time for family and friends and looking after each other!

Since leaving University I have searched for years for my 'ideal career' and have worked in the building trade, mortgages, restaurant kitchens, bars and finally tried my hand at language teaching. Nothing worked out for me and I ended up at age 28 at Majestic wine in Wilmslow!

10 hours a day on the retail floor is as good start as any in the wine trade and I learnt a great deal from 3 years at Majestic wine. I also studied for the WSET diploma which gave me great insight and background knowledge into the technical side of wine production. Steadily the palate has improved and my passion for the diverse and esoteric wines of the world has developed too!

Italian wine reflects a culture and way of life as well as being delicious and fascinatingly diverse! Working with the producers and other enthusiasts it takes me back to the lazy days of Sicily and discovering the country through its wine and great wine makers is a constant joy! I feel very lucky to be now doing this for my job and I hope to be able to bring some of the Italian experience to my customers thorough these fabulous and unique wines! All the best and happy drinking!

Robert Bagot