October 17, 2022
A pocket-size Italian wine guide
You’d expect liquid thrills from the country nicknamed Oenetria (The Land of Wine) by the ancient Greeks – and Italy doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it’s the world’s leading wine producer, with each of its 20 geographical regions producing standout wine. According to Native Wine Grapes of Italy by Ian D’Agata, the country cultivates roughly 2,000 native grape varieties (including more than 350 authorised varieties), totalling more native grape varieties than France, Spain and Greece put together.
Many Italian grapes are household names – Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Pinot Grigio and Vermentino, for example. And, or course, Prosecco (starring Glera grapes, produced primarily in Veneto, Northern Italy), which enjoyed an explosive revival in the early 2000s, when the financial crash created a trend for toasting weddings and parties with Champagne’s more affordable alternative. Boundary-pushing producers such as Della Vite continue to bring added sparkle to this perennial favourite.
Many modern Italian vintners are proudly returning to their roots and bringing the emphasis back to native grapes, with lesser-known stars such as crisp, dry Pigato, delicate Petite Arvine, black-skinned Freisa and spicy Frappato providing rich fruit for inspiration and innovation.
Rewards for wine-lovers in Italy include a bouquet of epic wine routes, promising ravishing scenery and equally desirable sips. Five favourites include: the Prosecco Route (Strada del Prosecco, Veneto); the Barolo Route (Strada del Barolo e Grande Vini di Langa, Piedmont); the Chianti Classico Route (Strada del Vino e dell' Olio Chianti Classico, Tuscany); the Etruscan Roman Wine Route (Strada dei Vini Etrusco Romana, Umbria); and the Etna Wine Route (Strada del Vino dell'Etna, Sicily).
In honour of this big-hitting wine country, let’s zoom in on five hero regions and The Wine Flyer’s favourite Italian wines they produce.
TUSCANY
One of Italy’s biggest hitters when it comes to world-class wine, the prolific central region of Tuscany has yielded subregions that stand proudly in their own right. Chianti, for example, is the most famous region for Sangiovese. Other regional highlights include a sweet wine called Vin Santo and, for lovers of bianco, Trebbiano (Italy’s most produced white grape) and Vermentino, which draws comparisons with the flavour profile of Sauvignon Blanc. Bonus fact: in the 1970s, the term ‘Super Tuscan’ was developed to describe a wine from Toscana produced with the other noble grapes (Cabernet and Merlot) that didn’t meet appellation law (DOC and DOCG).
The Wine Flyer suggests: Cara Brancaia Ilatraia Maremma 2017, Il Borro Toscana, Viticcio Chianti Classico, Castellani Vernaccia di San Gimignano
VALDARNO DI SOPRA
Introduced in the summer of 2011, this is one of Italy’s smaller, newer DOC titles. The Valdarno di Sopra covers a section of the Arno valley in the Arezzo province of eastern Tuscany.
Petrolo is the most famous producer: its Gallatrona cuvée has won particular acclaim among Tuscany’s Merlots. A wide array of wine styles are permitted, but complex rules apply to each variety. For example, a standard bianco blend must feature 40-80 percent Chardonnay, up to 30 percent Malvasia Bianca Lunga and 20 percent Trebbiano Toscano. The region’s yield is small, with just 11,000 bottles produced in 2017. It’s on the up, though; watch this space.
The Wine Flyer suggests: Petruna Anfora, Il Borrigiano Valdarno di Sopra
SICILY
Over in sun-baked Sicily, the Mediterranean’s largest island, wine production centres around dark, rich, fruity wines that benefit from the warm climate. Sicily has a longstanding reputation for its fortified wines such as Marsala and sweeter dessert wines such as Moscato di Pantelleria.
In response to this tradition, modern winemakers are beginning to favour a drier style of table wine using grapes such as Nero d’Avola, Syrah and Frappato, which earned Sicily its first and only DOCG designation in 2005.
The Wine Flyer suggests: Planeta Plumbago Nero d'Avola, Scrimaglio Gavi del Comune, Planeta Rosé Sicilia, Planeta La Segreta Grillo, La Cacciatora Nero d’Avola
PIEDMONT
Famous for its precious, earthy white Alba truffles as well as its incredible wines, Piedmont lies beneath the Aosta Valley in Northwest Italy. The smallest of the country’s wine regions packs a powerful punch, with its famed Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes starring in Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
Three provinces – Cuneo, Alessandria, and Asti – produce most of the wines. Asti is a household name on account of its eponymous sparkling wine, made with Moscato grapes. Also worth a try is dark-purple Dolcetto (‘the little sweet one’).
The Wine Flyer suggests: Ascheri Langhe Nebbiolo, Ascheri Gavi di Gavi, Fontanafredda Gavi di Gavi, Scrimaglio Barbera d’Asti Superiore
VENETO
Offering plenty of choice, Veneto’s highlights include sherbet-y Prosecco made from the green-skinned Glera grape, noteworthy reds, including Rossignola, which is native to the area, and a crisp white wine called Soave. Veneto’s Valpolicella region deserves mention for its Amarone (‘the Great Bitter’), a dry red wine made with Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, as well as several Merlot-based IGT wines. If it’s white wine you’re thirsting for, Garganega is the white grape used for Soave, a wine whose richness has seen it likened to Chardonnay.
The Wine Flyer suggests: Della Vite Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Bottega Rose Gold NV, Bottega Gold Prosecco, Ruggeri Prosecco Rosé Argeo