Looking to help a customer and educate myself at the same time if possible with this one. I have been using ‘The New Italy’ as my go-to for a while, mostly because our store bought all three of the ‘The New …’ series when they came out, but also because it’s served most of my purposes. Wanted to know if there were any newer compilations or older books that aren’t out of print and difficult to track down. Browsed Barnes and Noble’s web site and didn’t see anything that jumped out. Emphasis on Italy as a whole, not just a Tuscan/Piedmont promotion, with good info on the more obscure varieties. Good historical perspective a plus.
Just received a copy of “Vino Italiano - The Regional Wines of Italy” by Joseph Bastianich & David Lynch (2002) today, based on a recommendation. Looks excellent, from the browsing I’ve done.
+1. i bought one about a year ago. covers the basic and highlights quality producers in many, relatively unknown regions in Italy. Definetely a good book for a novice looking for a broad overview of Italy. Should be available at Amazon, also in the US although i bought mine from UK.
I really enjoyed the Brunello book by Kerrin O’keefe. She tries to highlight all of the more traditionally styled producers and some interesting, “work in progress”, up and comers. Not all of her suggestions have been to my liking but I’m pretty in sync with her.
I think David Lynch’s book gives a very good flavor of the individual regions. The Dummy’s Guide to Italian Wine is excellent but a bit dated, I think it came out in '01 (written by Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW).
I second the recommendation of Kerin O’Keefe’s Brunello book, excellent overview.
There’s a new book on the Wines of Sicily from UC Press, just started it but looks detailed and intriguing, by Bill Nesto.
Just to second the endorsement of “Vino Italiano” by Bastianich & Lynch. Should be widely available. Great introduction and overview, very good story-telling. I came across the book at a point in my life when I was already something of a seasoned appassionato, but I still enjoyed it immensely.
The Bill Nesto book that Oliver mentions is indeed very detailed: not at all a “general interest” book, I would think. You need to be really into Sicily. If you are, though, it is a thorough, impassioned, engrossing, and generally really well-written study of the island and its wines.
If you disregard specific producer/wine recommendations at the end of each chapter (a really minor and inessential part of the book anyway), the rest would hold up really well, I should imagine. Most of it is about the local cultures and wine geography across Italy. Don’t think that has changed very much over the last ten or so years.
I finally got around to reading Nicolas Belfrage’s ‘Barolo to Valpolicella’ book published in 1999. My overview is that its good, but dated, and organized in a way that is very strange to me. For whatever reasons, its organized partially by regions, and then mostly by grape varietals. So one ends bouncing around referring back to producers if they have a wide lineup.
Perhaps its a more academic way of considering Northern Italy’s wines, but I find it confusing as a reader, and consumer. Belfrage is a good writer, full of knowledge, with a voice that is enjoyable to read so I’ll save the book on my shelf. There’s certainly maps and information that makes it reference material worthy, but I can’t recommend it for purchase/reading today. It’s a dense 400 pages.
I was going to pick up his old Brunello book too, but if its the same format/style, I would not be able to chew through it.
At least it motivated me to try an Altare and reconnect with a ripasso style Allegrini.
At least in my view the reference book for Italian wines must be Native Wine Grapes of Italy by Ian D’Agata.
Incredible wealth of information about grapes, regions, as well as benchmark producers. This book is terrific, a real treasure which also sorts out misunderstandings about various varieties.