If you’ve ever fantasised about ditching real life, moving to Italy, restoring a crumbling biodynamic farm and making your own wine… James Hird and Annie Conley actually did it. Post-lockdown, they packed up, bought Beulah Violetta — a centuries-old Umbrian estate named after their grandmothers — and started crafting wines with the sort of breezy confidence only dream-chasers possess. Stesso Stesso (‘same same’) is their debut red: a single-vineyard field blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and a splash of Sagrantino, handpicked, given a cheeky three-day carbonic maceration, and bottled with almost nothing added. The result? A bright, zippy, wildly drinkable red that tastes like Umbrian summer in motion: brambly berries, violets, wild herbs and a whisper of baking spice, gliding along on a cool, crunchy, feather-light frame. It’s light and ethereal, but there’s a rustic Italian heartbeat in there too — a little depth, a little grit, a touch of wilderness. Think Beaujolais gone backpacking in central Italy. This is heartfelt Umbrian wine with a joyful, natural swagger — the first chapter of a story we’ll be following closely. 12.5% alc. Drink now - 2028.

Organic & biodynamically farmed.