Italians are big on all things family and wine is an intimate part of that picture. Defined by a history of centuries dating back to the Roman Empire, Italy has been making and drinking wine passionately and that holds truer every day. For a country, the size of an Indian state, the number of regions, varieties and styles is beyond remarkable.
Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto and Sicily are among Italy’s most significant regions for the sheer quality and multitude of styles. Tuscany, home to the Sangiovese grape, can turn out easy drinking quaff and raise the bar with Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Veneto makes the superlative Amarone Della Valpolicella apart from copious amounts of sparkling wine Prosecco and easy drinking Pinot Grigio.
Piedmont is the embodiment of Italy’s potential for sheer elegance that it deftly coaxes out from Nebbiolo to make the Barolo and Barbaresco. International varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon have also bled into the Italian grape repository, making their impact most felt in Tuscany at the premium end and the rest of the country for affordable plonk. There is still so much of Italy’s vinous landscape to be covered so immerse yourself further into the European nerve center of wine and it will be more than worth it.
key regions
key regions
Tuscany – Tuscany is far and away Italy’s most famous wine region and given the competition from seriously good neighbours, that says a lot . Located in Central Italy, Tuscany exemplifies the Italian potential for making sublime red wines of many styles.
Sangiovese is the dominant local grape but has been effectively coaxed by Tuscan wine makers to yield a number of distinct expressions be it Chianti, Brunello Di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or the Super Tuscan blends which drove a revolution in Italian wine.
Piedmont – Piedmont is a mountainous realm that is best known as the land of Barolo and Barbaresco. Bordering France and Switzerland, Piedmont’s wine production is concentrated around the villages of Barolo, Barbaresco, Asti and Alba along the Langhe hills. Nebbiolo is Piedmont’s primary red grape followed by Barbera and Dolcetto.
Significantly, Piedmont has the largest concentration of DOCG (highest quality denomination) for any Italian region, thanks to the world famous styles of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera d’Asti. These wine of austere notes and firm tannins are complimented by the delectably fruity sparkling wines, Moscato d’Asti.
Veneto – Veneto is an Italian wine region almost as significant as Tuscany and its star rises with every vintage. Situated in northeastern Italy, corner of Italy, Veneto has uniquely earned its popularity with a balance of red, white and sparkling wines. Some of Italy’s crown jewels are to be found here, namely Valpolicella, Amarone, Soave and Prosecco.
With elegant Valpolicella complementing its intense Amarone and sweet Recioto counterparts, Corvina,,Rondinella & Molinara blend together to given Veneto its highly rated red wine credentials. Glera is another massively important grape, making Italy’s hugely popular sparkling wine, Prosecco. There’s a lot to taste and like in Veneto across a vast spectrum of red, white and sparkling.
Sicily – Sicily is Italy’s southernmost region and also the best beneficiary of its Mediterranean climate that has played a big hand in shaping all Italian wine. The island moved on from a long history of making the fortified wine Marsala but today has an impressive cache of local grapes. The wines of Sicily’s sub region, Etna, are especially something of a minor miracle given that these are produced under the eye of Europe’s most active volcano from local grapes Nerello Mascalese and Nero d’Avola.
Alto Adige – Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost wine region, bordering Germany. With a prestigious neighbour like Veneto, Alto Adige’s winemakers do their best to stretch the region’s immense potential to make splendid white wines, helped in no small part by vines planted on steep hills. Schiava and Lagrein are the two local, dominant varieties but there is firm Germanic influence in the form of Gewurztraminer and Muller-Thurgau while international grapes, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc are also widely produced.
key grapes
key grapesSangiovese is Italy’s premier red wine grape and that’s saying something given just how many great reds the Mediterranean country is home to. This thin-skinned grape has a proven history dating back to the 16th century and literally built the region of Tuscany to which it is indigenous. It’s roster of styles reads like a greatest hits album – Chianti, Brunello Di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and adventurous Super Tuscan blends and more.
Nebbiolo hails from the Northwest Italian region of Piedmont where it rules the roost with a slew of staggeringly good red wines. Don’t let its thin skin fool you into thinking it’s a lightweight. This grape is all about power of fruit, alcohol and tannins, balanced by elegant character, best expressed by Barolo and Barbaresco wines (produced in the sub region of Langhe) it is best known for.
Barbera is another famed Piedmont resident which locals call “the people’s wine”. That’s because Barbera grew easily and produced light bodied ‘drink now wines’ for centuries. However in the late 20th century, the grape underwent a renaissance that saw the creation of two epic styles Barbera d’Alba and Barbera d’Asti that Barbera the bonafide star it is today.
Corvina is a native of Veneto and is an indispensable ingredient in Italy’s finest red wine blend, Amarone Della Valpolicella. This powerful and hedonistic blend is led by Corvina that brings intense fruit and character to Amarone Della Valpolicella that is described pervasively as pure vinous art. Corvina is also widely produced as an IGT wine across Veneto.
So the Italians imported a French grape and loved it so much, they renamed it Pinot Grigio. This classic summery aperitif has all the makings of a popular white wine. At its best, Pinot Grigio is zesty and acidic, teeming with citrus and peach flavours.
key styles
Chianti is the most revered of Tuscany’s sub regions and that is simply because the wines are simply stunning, straddling intense fruit and elegant character with great ageing potential.
Brunello Di Montalcino rolls off the tongue almost as stylishly as it charms the palate with a remarkable depth of fruit and tannins. Produced from vineyards near the medieval town of Montalcino, Brunello can age and get better for decades.
Super Tuscans represent the world’s most exciting wine revolution and winemakers ‘legally’ break from tradition blending Sangiovese with noble French grapes to create sublime ferments.
Langhe’s two vilages of Barolo and Barbaresco that sit in proximity to each other make the most sought after of Nebbiolo expressions. Barolo is revered and priced at a premium for sheer intensity of flavour and balance between tannic power and elegance. Barbaresco on the other hand is softer around the edges and relatively lighter on the tannins albeit it has bested Barolo in many recent vintages.
The most top of mind Corvina style is the religiously sought out Amarone Della Valpolicella. Corvina along with two other grapes are set aside to dry for up to four months to concentrate flavour and sugar, resulting in a wine bearing opulent fruit, high alcohol and silky tannins.
Prosecco is Italy’s premiere sparkling wine style, regarded and loved worldwide as fun and approachable. Produced from Veneto’s local grape Glera using the ‘tank’ method, Prosecco has widely known and consumed the world over, loved for its crisp tropical fruit flavours and clean finish.
Our Key Wineries
Our Key Wines
