©2009, The Birmingham Post
Italy is a wine-producing nation full of superlatives. It's one of the oldest, with an ancestry tracing back to the Ancient Greeks and Etruscans and, alongside France, certainly one of the largest.
Yet, as a single entity, Italy is a bit of an enigma. It's a long, narrow and mountainous country that stretches from the Alps to Sicily, with an enormous range of soils and climate. Factor in more than 100 different grape varieties, it is immediately apparent that Italian wines have a markedly individual character.
Adopting the French model in the early 1960s, Italian wine laws are based on protected place-names, of which there are now 350 recognised DOCs, plus a further 35 superior DOCGs. Below this, there are 120 broader regional districts (IGTs).
That aside, the recent history of Italian wine has seen the contrast between industrial bulk producers on the one hand, and boutique wines produced by a band of dedicated winemakers on the other. The result is that the former can be absurdly cheap and the latter prohibitively expensive.
Viewed as a meal-time accompaniment, Italian wines share a number of common characters. Firstly, they generally have high acidity and the reds firm tannins or astringency; secondly, they are fermented to dryness; and thirdly, the flavours are often subdued. The result is that they cut through fatty or oily foods, can match the acidity of tomato-based dishes, and they never overwhelm a dish.
Paradoxically, despite its history, Italian wine has only come into its own in the last 30 years. More noted for reds, its whites have improved beyond belief, thanks to modern technology. Common to all wine-producing regions, the key to finding quality is to track down a reliable producer or, failing that, buy your wine from a reliable independent or specialist.
In simple terms, Italy can be divided into four great regions. The north-west is dominated by Barolo and Barbaresco from the Nebbiolo grape, but often the best value or most affordable Nebbiolos are from Langhe or d'Alba. The region's workhorse, though, is the high-acid, low-tannin Barbera, superb with everyday Italian cuisine, or the vivacious Beaujolais-like Dolcetto. The most famous whites are from the Cortese grape, such as Gavi di Gavi, or Muscat, the basis for sweet and sparkling Asti Spumanti.
The north-east is too often represented by industrial-scale producers. Trentino is famous for Pinot Grigio, and the Veneto for white Soave, Valpolicella and sparkling Prosecco. Yet the Garganega grape can produce superb Soave and Amarone or Ripasso, using a proportion of dried grapes, are distinctly superior reds.
The most notable grape in Central Italy is Sangiovese, the staple of Chianti, Chianti Classico and Brunello. Lying across the Appenines is Montepulciano, so beloved of Italian restaurants and, further up the Adriatic coast the seriously under-rated Verdicchio, the perfect accompaniment to fritto misto mare.
The red Aglianico grape is arguably Southern Italy's best-kept secret, with the finest from the volcanic soils of Monte Vulture in Basilicata. By contrast, the most rewarding whites are from Fiano and Falanghina, principally from Campania.
Puglia, though, is by far the largest wine-producing region of Southern Italy, rivalling Sicily and Veneto for volume. Look out for the full-bodied brambly Primitivo, a cousin of Zinfandel, and the robust and earthy Negroamaro, the main constituent of Salice Salentino and Copertino.
Nero d'Avola, from Sicily, is particularly satisfying when blended with Syrah, although it can also produce some fascinating inexpensive whites from varieties such as Grillo and Catarratto. Definitely worth a try for something that's a bit different!
Cin Cin!