“Everything is given in Italy to take wine: the beauty of the landscape, the mild climate, and the joy of its inhabitants“
Italy is one of two countries where the most wine is produced and where more wine is taken; the other is France. The Italians take wine naturally, i.e. without planning it. They take the wine alone or with meals. They are accustomed to this drink and take it every day; It is considered as part of the meal and not an alcoholic beverage. This custom originated from the Greeks settled in the South of the peninsula, and Etruscans in the northern part, which was baptized with the name Enotria (wine country).
The worship of the Greek God of wine, Dyonisos, went to Italy and only the name of the God changed into Bacchus. Great festivities to honor Bacchus, the Bacchanals, were very popular among men and women, soon wine abuse and sexual promiscuity led wine to be banned by 186 BC, although they continued in secret, above all by the enthusiasm of the feminine element. Also, in the North of the peninsula, the Etruscan ladies were lavish in the consumption of wine and it was not uncommon for the servants to carry them home, in quality of bales.
Everything is given in Italy to take wine: the beauty of the landscape, the mild climate, sympathetic joy of its inhabitants… While in other countries there are specific regions for the cultivation of the vine, in Italy, in all and each of its regions there is this crop, although it could be called “mixed” in the sense that, in its vineyards, there are other types of crops (corn, vegetables) and not exclusively the vine. Trellises are frequently used for its cultivation and stairs are used to carry out the collection of grape.
As up to half of the 19th century there was no Italy as a nation, but that there were a number of principalities, Duchies and City-States, the methods for planting vines and making wine were varied and typical of each region. So it is not surprising that after the “Risorgimento” were these same customs and that even now there are different ways of cultivation and vinification in the various Italian provinces.
While Naples is the land of beauty and songs – or ‘ belo paese d’o sole – the wines of this region and the South of Italy, outside of some exceptions such as the Taurasi, Greco di Tufo and others, do not have the quality and personality of the wines from the North. Sicily, however, is producing very good wines.
In the PIEDMONT we find one of the most popular sparkling wines in the world, from Muscat strain, made in the town of Asti sparkling: Asti Spumante. Near this place, in Turin, the Vermouth are manufactured, which are wines with a blend of herbs, prized as aperitifs . The thick fog that regularly covers the hills of Piedmont has given name to the grape noble of the region, the Nebbiolo (of fog), responsible for the best red wines Piedmont as the robust Barolo which spends years in oak barrels and has a long life, a full-bodied and intensely flavored, wine to accompany game meats and dishes with concentrated flavors; Barbaresco, from the same grape, less body but with more fragrance and finesse, and more. These wines are now made for drinking young and no longer have the characteristics of the past. Lower quality Barbera grape also produces interesting wines like Barbera of Asti or Alba Barbera, lighter and more fruity than previous ones. The Freisa and the Gattinara are red wines that they are worth.
In the region of VENETO, near the city of Verona, famous for the love of Romeo and Juliet, are white and red wines, wines that are widely known. Soave, one of the best white wines of Italy, is cool and pleasant in its youth. Among reds, Bardolino and Valpolicella, made with a mix of local grapes such as Corvina, the Molinara and Rondinella giving them flavors of cherry and almond. The Valpolicella Amarone is one of the great Italian red wines.
In the neighbouring area of the TRENTINO-ALTO – ADIGE, an Alpine region, you will find very good white wines, fresh and aromatic, often with itching, or “needle”, that feeling so nice to us about a newly bottled wine and even with remains of active fermentation. The grapes of this region, for a time belonging to Austria, are the same that are grown in that country and its wines are named on the grapes with which are made: thus we have Riesling wines, Traminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio, the latter originating in still wines and sparkling wines. Prosecco of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano is a sparkling which is popular not only in Italy if not in many other places such as the United States and Mexico.
The other region, perhaps with the greater fame at present, is Tuscany where the variety Sangiovese is grown, which together with the Canaiolo and two white grapes, the Trebbiano and Malvasia, give origin to the best known wine in Italy, easy to identify by the shape of its bottle covered with straw: Chianti. It is a light wine and acid, ideal with pasta and pizza. The best of the Chianti comes from the central part of the area of cultivation of the Sangiovese and is called Chianti Classico; This wine uses bordelaise bottle and has achieved its quality for a better soil and a careful and prolonged aging. If you are demanding and want the best from this strain, purchase a bottle of Brunello of Montalcino and Vino Nobile of Montepulciano (do not confuse with the Abruzzo Montepulciano) which are wines from dark and good structure. Currently the Maremma Tuscany has carved a reputation as a producer of wine.
Close to Siena is the ancient walled town of San Gimignano. Its high medieval towers remind us of the richness of its inhabitants at the time of the struggle waged by the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. A white grape that produces a wine with straw yellow colour,with lemon and nutty flavor, which is called Vernaccia of San Gimignano is grown in this place.
The modernization of the vineyards has come to coastal areas, where the wine was not more than a modest place. Currently the Bolgheri area come two called ” Supertuscans“ wines: the Sassicaia and the Ornellaia. The first of these wines of excellence was the Tignanello, drawn up in the cellar of the Marquis of Antinori Sangiovese and Cabernet sauvignon.These wines have the DOC for employing foreign grapes and are sold simply as wines of tavola, or IGC even though they are wines that have given fame to Italy in the international arena.
Italy, the land of the wine