Italy

Famous for the villages of Orvieto, Torgiano, and Montefalco, Umbria built a reputation for high quality olive oil, however renown is growing recently for the wines produced here. In the centre of Umbria is the town of Montefalco, here the native Sagrantino grape is cultivated. These dense dark reds are grown on clay soils and ripen well in the intense summer weather. These conditions produce a brambly red wine with a velvet texture and a hint of blackberry jam.

This island off the "toe" of Italy is home to the towering volcanic slopes of Mt. Etna. Sicily is home for many young winemakers who take advantage of the hot sun and mountainous landscape to craft larger more opulent wines. As well as the indigenous white grapes Cataratto and Grenacito, the region makes excellent full bodied Chardonnay. The red wines of this region focus on Cannonau (Grenache), Nero d'Avola, and Frappato (another of the Marsala grapes). These red wines, as with the whites, lean to the plumper style of winemaking.

Puglia is the "heel" or Achilles tendon of the Italian boot. With a long coastline and delightfully hot weather, this region is perfect for growing rich red wines with generous fruit and alcohol. The main red grapes of the region are Uva di Troia, Negroamaro and Primitivo. Primitivo shares the same DNA as Zinfandel and has a lot of the same qualities, producing wines which are fruit forward and big bodied. Thanks to recent government schemes to limit production the overall quality of wine has risen, innovative young winemakers are leading the way with different blends of indigenous grapes and "international" varieties.

In Northwest Italy lies the Piedmont region (Piemonte in Italian.), most famous for the production of Barolo and Barbaresco, the long lived wines from the Nebbiolo grape. The Langhe and Monferrato hills here provide excellent growing conditions for creating the balance of delicate floral notes and tannic structure found in these wines. The grape is named after the fog, or "Nebbia", which shrouds the vineyards in a white veil just before harvest. The wines themselves are intrinsically linked with the food of the region, often having notes of the indigenous white truffles the region is famous for. Recently an upsurge of interest in some of the other local varieties such as Barbera and Dolcetto has taken the U.S. market by storm. Softer than their Barolo and Barbaresco counterparts, and providing more succulent fruit, these wines are priced to be an easier drinking choice with any simple meal.

The Apennines mountain range runs the length of this region and dominates the landscape of the interior. Towards the east is the Adriatic Sea and over one hundred miles of coastline. The Maritime influences dictate the weather here and provide perfect weather for whites in the North, and a warmer clime for plump reds in the South. The main grape for the whites is Verdicchio. Verdicchio grows well around the towns of Jesi and Matelico producing balanced wines with soft herbal notes, flavors of Bosc pear and tart yellow apple. The red wines from the towns of Piceno and Conero are based on the Montepulciano grape. The style leans towards that of a red wine from Chianti, but with a softer more supple feel.

South of Piedmont, commanding glorious beach-front views is Liguria. Famous for the tourist areas of Dolceacqua, Cinque Terre, and of course the olive groves which are planted throughout the region. The mountainous countryside and sea breezes allow the production of light aromatic wines from the Vermentino and Pigato Bianco grapes. These wine make excellent matches with the local food; calamari and white fish are great meals when paired with these wines.

In the Northeast corner of Italy, sandwiched between the borders of Slovenia, Austria, and the Veneto region, lies Friuli. With cold air from the Alps in the North and a more moderate influence from the Adriatic in the South, Friuli has a long cool growing climate particularly suited for producing crisp white wine. Here Pinot Grigio, Friulano, and Malvasia produce lean, yet aromatic whites which pair well with food. The ancient red variety Refosco produces notable reds here; and the gravel soils reminiscent of Bordeaux have produced great success with Merlot since its introduction in the late 1800's. On a warm day in Friuli the local wine is paired with sauerkraut, prosciutto, veal shanks, and pasta.

Campania is a beautiful region visited by many tourists from Italy and abroad. The climate is split between the coastal areas and the inland reaches. By the coast the weather is sunny, Mediterranean and excellent for ripening full fruit forward grapes. Inland the weather is more comparable to the climate of Piedmont, and is better for ripening grapes with higher acidity and tarter fruit flavors. The popular white grapes of the region are Greco di Tufo and Falanghina. Greco di Tufo creates mild mannered wines with subtle aromatics, whereas wines from Falanghina have more zip and freshness to them. The main red grape of the region is Aglianico, a feisty red grape producing concentrated wine with excellent structure and tannins.

In Northwest Italy lies the Piedmont region (Piemonte in Italian.), most famous for the production of Barolo and Barbaresco, the long lived wines from the Nebbiolo grape. The Langhe and Monferrato hills here provide excellent growing conditions for creating the balance of delicate floral notes and tannic structure found in these wines. The grape is named after the fog, or "Nebbia", which shrouds the vineyards in a white veil just before harvest. The wines themselves are intrinsically linked with the food of the region, often having notes of the indigenous white truffles the region is famous for. Recently an upsurge of interest in some of the other local varieties such as Barbera and Dolcetto has taken the U.S. market by storm. Softer than their Barolo and Barbaresco counterparts, and providing more succulent fruit, these wines are priced to be an easier drinking choice with any simple meal.

The Veneto in the Northeast of Italy produces wines of all styles. Far to the east and just North of Venice are the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, the finest Prosecco is produced here, a delicious alternative to Champagne. The wine is known for its softer apple dominated nose and easy drinking style. On the Western boundary of the Veneto is Lake Garda which helps to moderate the growing climate in the nearby Valpolicella region. Here the Corvina and Rondinella grapes are grown, the best of which are put through the "appassimento" process. This process is used to make Amarone by drying the grapes and concentrating the grape sugars, thus creating a larger bodied wine with notes of fig and chocolate. Further south and east is the up and coming region of Colli Euganei. The volcanic hills here are perfect for the growing of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

For over 3,000 years, since the days of the ancient Etruscans, wine making has been a part of the Tuscan civilization. Located just above the "kneecap" of Italy, the Sangiovese grape is the heart and soul of this region. The reputation of this region was smirched in the '70s and early '80s with a glut of over-cropped, thin, insipid Chianti. Modern technological advances and changes to the wine laws have brought the prestige back to this region. Chianti Classico is once again considered to be a top wine on the world stage. These advances and the wine law changes have also benefited the growth of more international style wines: Dubbed "Super-Tuscans" in the 1970s and 1980s, they were some of the highest priced and best wines produced in Italy. They were made outside of the wine laws of the time; mixing in Cabernet Sauvignon with the Sangiovese, using only Bordeaux grape varieties, or aging in French oak barriques, producers created wines which were richer and more structured than Chianti could produce at the time. These modern practices and non-traditional blends continue today under the auspice of the IGT labeling system. Within the Chianti region is the town of Montalcino, famous for the long-lived Brunello di Montalcino wine. This wine is a muscular wine created from Sangiovese and given extended oak aging in barrels to help temper its deep tannic nature.