Ahhh, Italy. Does anything get better than the sweet aromas of fresh bread, the rolling hills of Tuscany and the bustling cobblestone streets of Rome? Actually, it does, because that list excludes the copious amount of wine originating from the country. So get ready class, because today’s oenology lesson is all about those fickle – but delicious – Italian wines. (Kinda like those Italian men, am I right?) Oh, and in case you notice a trend, we’re keeping today’s topic focused solely on white Italian wines (sorted by region, since the old world refers wines based on where they’re from). Due to the sheer variety and vast options of wine from Italy, I figured it best to tackle this task one step at a time. To keep rapt attention throughout today’s lesson, I’ve peppered in plenty of mesmerizing pictures from Italy’s famed wine regions. Enjoy the first one below featuring the beautiful region of Tuscany.
Veneto - Northeast Italy and home to two of our favorite white wines
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The picture above is from the wine-growing region of Veneto, Italy. It’s the same region that’s home to Venice and is filled with great wine and medieval villages (see above for reference to what a medieval village might look like).
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Bonus Wine Region: Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà (it’s a doozy, but here’s how to pronounce it: shah-keh-TRAH) The picture above is from what’s known as the Italian Riviera, also called Cinque Terre. The region hosts a collection of five small villages dangling on cliffs with panoramic views like the one above (named Vernazza). So, why is this picture even included? Well, aside from its fairy-tale quaintness, Cinque Terre produces remarkable wines. Due to its steep cliffs, wine growing here is a tricky art. Fortunately, the members of the villages have mastered it with their signature wine, Sciacchetrà. The golden vino works well as a dessert wine, due to its intense sweetness. Since the local villagers have been working for centuries to perfect it, it’d be cruel of us not to indulge in a glass or two, right? Salut! Sources: Wine Folly - article 1, Vine Pair- article 1, Wine for Dummies, Vine Pair - article 2, Epicure and Culture, NY Times, Wine Folly - article 2 |
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Wine 101
