Ognostro White, an Italian wine imported by NARA CELLAR (Chairman Ma Seung-cheol), received Best of 2026 at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards after recording the highest score in the natural wine category.
The Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is Korea's representative alcoholic beverage competition, now in its 13th year. With the goal of "discovering good domestic alcohols, promoting them widely, and supporting the formation of a sound drinking culture," ChosunBiz has hosted it annually since 2014.
This year's event saw 260 companies submit a total of 1,118 brands. It is the largest among domestic competitions that cover general alcoholic beverages. Of these, 449 brands received the grand prize.
Ognostro, meaning "ink" in the Neapolitan dialect, is a brand created by winemaker Marco Tinessa with the aspiration of bottling the natural environment and grapes themselves from the hometown of Campania. The award-winning Ognostro White is made from 100% Fiano harvested from vines 30 to 60 years old. It offers both the vibrancy and depth characteristic of natural wine.
After malolactic fermentation, this wine undergoes at least seven months of aging in concrete and ceramic amphorae. Through a winemaking method that preserves the grape's inherent flavors without oak interference, it achieves a delicate balance of ripe apricot and yellow fruit aromas with balsamic and spicy notes. In particular, the smoky mineral finish derived from volcanic soils is cited as a distinctive appeal that is hard to find in other white wines.
Ognostro has been named to the "Top 100 Wineries in Italy" selected by the influential Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, and it has already built a solid fan base among natural wine enthusiasts worldwide. This award is especially meaningful in that it once again proves its outstanding quality and broad appeal in Korea's natural wine market.
A NARA CELLAR official said, "We are very pleased that Ognostro White was selected as the best natural wine at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards," and added, "We hope this wine, pure in that it contains no additives during fermentation and vinification, will become a new milestone in the domestic natural wine market." Ognostro White is available in limited quantities at NARA CELLAR's directly managed stores (NARA CELLAR Reserve, Wine Picks) and major department stores nationwide.