Learning Italian Wines in One Year?

Gary_York · February 4, 2019, 6:45pm

The Winehouse has a lots of good wines. Prices are OK, especially for the West coast. Just scrolling through the first few pages for Italy shows some nice and interesting choices. Manhattan seems OK also. Seems to have a smaller selection. But it might just be the websites.

Mikael_OB · February 4, 2019, 9:46pm

Excellent breakdown provided by Ian.

Can add a few humble notes about Friuli and Sardinia (for Basilicata look out for aglianico):

Friuli - very interesting wine region (border to Slovenia and influenced by alps and Mediterranean climate) with plenty of good (smaller) winegrowers and interesting grapes - native and international varieties. For red look out for schippettino, pignolo and refosco dal peduncolo, regional high quality grapes. International varieties such as cabernet franc and merlot can be very good as well. For whites fruliano, ribolla gialla (a bit of skin contact gives depth), verduzzo and picolit (sweet wines) are very interesting. Carso area near Trieste have refosco and terrano (similar but not same) reds native to Istria, as is white Malvasia. Vitovska is another native white worth exploring grown in both Italian and Slovenian Karst. Yes many Amber (to various degrees) and “natural” high quality wines.

Sardinia - many interesting native grapes and to me, one of the most beautiful and places in the Mediterranean, diversity in each corner of the island. Among red, Cannonau is widely available and can in the right hands be very good. Dettori perhaps polarizing, and can be profound if to your liking. Argiolas’ Turriga probably the most famous.
Carignano del Sulcis Is another interesting red. For white wines Vermentino from the north (Gallura) is worth a try. Rare and if you like oxidative white wines, try a Malvasia di Bosa. Plenty of lesser known grapes to explore.

Enjoy the journey!

David_Mc · February 4, 2019, 11:20pm

Learning Italian wines in one year is much akin to ‘seeing’ Italy on holiday in a 3 week visit. Yes some famous places will be visited, but the real Italy runs deeper than that.

However in the spirit of learning, I’ve put the regions in ‘an’ order to suggest how the learning might go
• Tuscany & Emilia Romagna & Umbria - explore Sangiovese through very differing interpretations, from the richness of Brunello to the bony structure of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, via Chianti which can go from one extreme to the other. Venture off into Emilia-Romagna and Umbria to taste some less ambitious wines, but also some lesser seen gems. Stay in Tuscany to experience the super-tuscan / international grape wines, plus cleanse the palate with a real Lambrusco and a few slices of salami.

• Veneto - Explore the three (or 4 if you count ripasso) styles of Valpolicella, big Amarone, sweet Recioto and Valpolicella itself. Then hit the whites of Soave, both dry and in their own recioto form. For Soave, Pieropan are a very safe bet, and deserve recognition for carrying the torch through darker times. Personally I prefer Gini, but others will have their own favourites. For the reds, if you see Roccolo Grassi, they’d be my pick for a questing producer with fairly priced wines.

• Piedmont - Yes Barolo and Barbaresco, but don’t ignore Ghemme, Boca, Roero, Gattinara, Langhe Nebbiolo, Lessona etc. (and across the border into Lombardia for Valtellina or up to Donnas/Donnaz in Valle d’Aosta). Many of us find joy in the different styles of Nebbiolo. Then venture out into Barbera, Grignolino, Freisa, Dolcetto, Vespolina, Timorasso, Erbaluce, etc. and you’ll find some under-rated grapes making a fine variety of wines. Too many recommendations on this forum!

• Lombardy - As well as Nebbiolo from Valtellina, the sparklers of Franciacorta hold a lot of interest / prestige. Less so some of the varietal wines of the region, but as ever, there are always great under the radar wines to dig out

• Abruzzo - Primarily Montepulciano (the grape), but there are other good producers of the much maligned Trebbiano slowly emerging. Styles vary from appetising at the cheaper end, to more substantial, but still appetising. Valentini is off the scale, and Pepe seems to be heading there (cheaper in Italy though). Masciarelli are a safe bet, though I’ve not always enjoyed their fancier wines.

• Trentino Alto-Adige - Whites tend to hold sway and there are some great ones, including (remarkably) some very decent Muller-Thurgau. Nosiola from Trentino is rarely seen, but I love it in table wines, dessert wines and grappa form. Pinot Bianco, Moscato Giallo, and plenty more white grapes from a region many see as the home of Italian white wine. Some interesting & different reds including Teroldego, Marzemino and plenty using French grape varieties. Foradori’s basic Teroldego is a great starting point for that grape.

• Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Not solely orange / natural wines, but it’s become what they are best know for. I still find myself intimidated by this region.

• Marche - Try the Verdicchio wines of Metalica / Castelli di Jesi as a start point. Bucci would be a classy place to start

• Puglia - Reds are to the forefront here, from appetising Salice Salentino, to bigger / riper even figgy wines. A personal favourite is Castel Del Monte, with the grape Nero di Troia often to the fore. Some decent whites, but I’ve yet to have anything but dessert wines to excite (e.g. Moscato di Trani). Rivera’s Il Falcone is a wine worth trying, but do also hint out the wines of further south. It’s also a region where blind punts can be very variable but also very successful.

• Lazio - In the words of Manuel of Fawlty Towers “I know nothing!”

• Sicily - Was over-enthused with international wines, and there are still plenty, but only a small number that I find interesting. However interest in the local grapes has been huge over the last 1-2 decades. Etna is the hotbed of interest, but I’d also recommend the Malvasia wines of the Aeolian islands - Hauner is a good producer to start with (and for reds, I love their Hiera - modestly priced, wonderfully appetising and with a hint of the volcanic ground it’s grown on). Cos or Occhipinti might be good starting points

• Sardinia - A huge gap in my knowledge

• Campania - Reds and whites to excite. As a producer, Mastroberardino is a good safe place to start, but do avoid the very cheap wines in their range (e.g. Lacryma Cristi). Taurasi can age brilliantly, but other places also do good aglianico. Don’t ignore the whites, which have surprising freshness and can be wonderful food wines.

• Liguria - In general the wines are off the beaten track. Sciacchetra is a famed ‘mediatation’ wine and Rossese di Dolceacqua and Cinque Terre whites may appeal, but personally I’d file these as ‘try later on the journey’

• Calabria - Again very weak knowledge

• Molise - Tiny, and thus rarely seen. What I’ve tasted has (IIRC) only been various Biferno wines, which at best are brilliantly simple and appetising food wines, but I’ve also had one that slathered cheap oak over it - yuk!

• Basilicata - Little knowledge, but a strong word goes in for Cantina del notaio who makes very interesting and approachable wines, often quite rich in style, but rarely over-blown

• Valle d’Aosta - Very small indeed, but very much worth exploring. Some local grape varieties (and a few french) but for me Fumin is the pick of the bunch (sorry). Stylistically I see it as somewhere between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, but rarely is it made as an ambitious wine. Do try if you see, but the wines can be hit & miss, but the climate (and terrain) is necessarily challenging.

Not only does this not even scratch the surface, it’s not even going to take the protective wrapper off. However it should be a fun and exciting journey.

Regards
Ian

Excellent summary Ian!

I’ve explored Italian wines in depth for 5+ years now and have also barely stretched the surface. I went through Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia in detail and married that up with the wine bible to create the list below. Unfortunately it doesn’t render here but would be happen to send you my spreadsheet.

My additions:

Basilicata - explore Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG producers such as Elena Fucci for aglianico.
Peidmont - add white grape arneis
Sardinia - red grape Cannonau (Cannonau di Sardegna) is granche. Hard to believe the wine is the same as from Rhone (and California) , much lighter in style and has a nice salinity.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Refosco is worth hunting down. But like other non-prestigious regions, availability and quality is sometimes lacking.
Trentino Alto-Adige - look for Elena Walch, endless variety (including a reisling-chardonnay blend!) and Colterenzio

Country Region Leading Sub-Region Type Grape Drink Range
Italy Piedmont * Barbaresco Red Nebbiolo 5-20
Italy Piedmont * Barbera d’Alba Red Barbera 5-12
Italy Piedmont * Barbera d’Asti Red Barbera 3-8
Italy Piedmont * Barolo Red Nebbiolo 8-25
Italy Piedmont * Dolcetto Red Dolcetto 1-5
Italy Piedmont Gattinara Red Nebbiolo (Bonarda, Vespolina) 6-15
Italy Piedmont Ghemme Red Nebbiolo (Bonarda, Vespolina) 4-15
Italy Piedmont Nebbiolo d’Alba Red Nebbiolo 4-10
Italy Piedmont Spanna Red Nebbiolo –
Italy Piedmont * Arneis White Arneis 3-5
Italy Piedmont * Asti White Moscato Upon purchase
Italy Piedmont * Gavi White Cortese 2-3
Italy Piedmont * Moscato d’Asti White Moscato Upon purchase
Italy Lombardy * Valtellina Superiore DOCG Red Nebbiolo 5-15
Italy Lombardy * Valtellina Rosso DOC Red Nebbiolo
Italy Lombardy * Sforzato Red Nebbiolo
Italy Lombardy * Franciacorta DOCG Sparkling Chardonnay, Pinot Noir 2-5
Italy Lombardy Terre di Franciacorta DOC Both International 1-3 white, 3-8 red
Italy Liguria Various DOCs Both Numerous
Italy Valle D’Aosta Various DOCs Both Numerous
Italy Trentino-Alto Adige * Alto Adige Both Teroldego, Schiava, Lagrein, Kerner 2-5 white, 2-10 red, 1-3 sparkling
Italy Trentino-Alto Adige * Trentino Both Teroldego, Lagrein, others
Italy Veneto * Amarone della Valpolicella (DOCG) Red Corvina, Rossignola, Begrara, others
Italy Veneto * Valpolicella (Superiore) Red Corvina, rondinella, molinara Upon purchase, 2-5
Italy Veneto Valpolicella “Ripasso” DOC Red Corvina, rondinella, molinara 6-15
Italy Veneto Bardolino Superiore DOCG Red Corvina, rondinella, molinara
Italy Veneto * Soave Classico DOC White Garganega, others 1-4
Italy Veneto * Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Sparkling White Upon purchase
Italy Friuli-Venezia Giullia * Friuli-Venezia Giullia Red Refosco, Schioppettino, tazzelenghe 3-8
Italy Friuli-Venezia Giullia * Friuli-Venezia Giullia White Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, others 1-3
Italy Tuscany * Chianti Red Sangiovese 3-5 (everyday), 4-8 (mid), 6-20 (classico)
Italy Tuscany Carmignano DOCG Red Sangiovese 4-10
Italy Tuscany * Brunello di Montalcino Red Sangiovese 10-25
Italy Tuscany Rosso di Montalcino Red Sangiovese 5-15
Italy Tuscany * Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Red Sangiovese 6-25
Italy Tuscany Rosso do Montepulciano DOC Red Sangiovese 5-15
Italy Tuscany * Super Tuscan Red Sangiovese, Cabernet, others
Italy Tuscany Toscano IGT Red Sangiovese, Cabernet, others
Italy Umbria Orvieto DOC White Trebbiano Upon purchase
Italy Umbria Torgiano DOC Both Various 1-5 (white), 3-8 (red)
Italy Umbria Torgiano Riserva DOCG Red Various 4-20
Italy Umbria Montefalco Sagrantino DOG Red Sagrantino 3-12
Italy Latium (Lazio) Lazio IGT, other Both Various
Italy Emilia-Romagna Emilia White Lambrusco, trebbiano, albana, others
Italy Emilia-Romagna Romagna Red Sangiovese di Romagna, others 3-7 (sangiovese)
Italy Marche Rosso Conero DOC, Rosso Piceno DOC Red Montepulciano, Sangiovese 6-25 (Conero), 4-10 (Piceno)
Italy Marche Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi White Verdicchio 1-4
Italy Abruzzi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Red Montepulciano 4-8 (cerasuolo), 8-20
Italy Abruzzi Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC, others White Bombino, trebbiano 1-3
Italy Molise Molise Both Various
Italy Campania * Taurasi DOCG Red Aglianico 5-10 (some 20)
Italy Campania Falerno del Massico DOC Both Aglianico, falanghina, fiano, greco 3-7 (red), upon purchase (white)
Italy Puglia Puglia Red Primitivo (zinfandel), Uva di troia
Italy Basilicata Aglianico del Vulture DOC Red Aglianico 6-20
Italy Calabria Calabria Red Gaglioppo, greco di Bianco
Italy Sicily Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, Vittoria DOC Red Nero d’Avola, Nerello (frappato)
Italy Sicily Etna Red Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio
Italy Sicily Sicilia IGT Both Various
Italy Sardinia Sardegna Semidano DOC Red Cannonau
Italy Sardinia Vermentino di Gallura DOCG White Vermentino

Gary_York · February 5, 2019, 5:21am

This a good book for the grapes.

https://www.iandagata.com/en/native-wine-grapes-of-italy/

Gary_York · February 5, 2019, 6:10am

Since you have a interest in Sicily.

https://vinicolabenanti.it/

http://www.vinifranchetti.com/passopisciaro/
http://www.valcerasa.com/

http://www.agricolaocchipinti.it/en/
http://www.centonze-vini.com/
http://www.valledellacate.com/?lang=en

And a good book.

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 3:51pm

Gary—based on the above, would 3 months each in Piedmont, Tuscany, and Veneto, with a month in each of the remaining four be a ‘good’ way to break down a year for me? Again, just trying to get a sense of the wines produced in each region, so I have more of a base than my current knowledge, which is trying to remember a Chianti Classico from a few months back, etc.

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 3:54pm

Thank you Gary—was thinking of starting at The Wine House, K&L, Wine Expo, Manhattan Fine Wines, and perhaps WineX and Wine Exchange.

Finding aged bottles is going to my main challenge, but was planning on looking at K&L auctions, Benchmark, and maybe the Wine House.

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 4:43pm

Brett, I really like your plan. It’s totally reasonable, fun, and a good start on Italy. Of course it’s just a scratching of the surface, but why the heck not? And one wonderful thing about Italy is that you can almost certainly find representative wines from every region for under $50. Not the top handful of obsessed-over producers, but that’s just not a big deal in Italy. My one more bit of advice is to pair Italian wine with food. Italian food is a good choice, but most of what is traditional American food will work well too. Italian wine is meant to be part of a meal!

Since this is a web discussion board, there is an inevitable chorus of haters, nay-sayers and discourages. I’m charmed that you have the fortitude to ignore them.

Probably your biggest challenge is to try wines with age (though many are available still). Don’t be afraid to go back 5 or 10 vintages - there are many great sources in CA that will deliver inexpensively or even free.

Finally if you ever get up to San Francisco let me know. Always happy to share a few bottles over a friendly dinner.

Thank you Rich—really looking forward to trying to learn as much as I can in a year. I agree with the food pairing…when visiting Italy a few years ago, I had one of owners of Isole e Olena say something that really stuck with me…“Italian wines are not conversation wines. You don’t sip on them while chatting. You have them with food. If you need a wine to sip while chatting, try our Vin Santo”

Gary_York · February 5, 2019, 4:47pm

You would be OK with that plan. Although I would shave some time off the Veneto and add it to Piedmont and Tuscany.

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 5:41pm

I think one year of study and tasting is enough to get a very solid foundation of Italian wine knowledge, as long as you stick to it and spend plenty of time actually studying (not just tasting a bunch of wines).

Rory’s list is well thought out, but I think it’s too focused on reds. You need more wines from Alto Adige for even a basic understanding of that region (don’t exclude Kerner), and I’d definitely include Vermentino from Sardegna as well as a couple of other places for contrast (definitely Liguria where it’s commonly called Pigato as well as the Tuscan coast and/or Piedmont where it’s called Favorita).

For reds, I think a good approach would be to start with Piedmont and Tuscany. In particular, various expressions of Nebbiolo and Sangiovese are probably the most important wines of Italy in many ways, and knowing those wines gives a helpful frame of reference on reds from various other parts of the country. This is where I would include the greatest number of wines, since there are quite a few benchmarks of different types for those two grapes and then you have French grapes in Tuscany and several other grapes in Piedmont that you should experience (of course Dolcetto and different styles of Barbera, plus I think it’s worth tasting at least a couple of the less famous grapes as long as it doesn’t make you exclude important categories elsewhere).

For Campania, make sure you get the 3 major white grapes (Greco di Tufo, Falanghina, Fiano) as well as a Taurasi and a less expensive Aglianico (and hopefully a Taurasi Riserva if the budget allows).

I haven’t laid this out systematically, so I might be overcommitting with the number of wines.

Doug—really appreciate the info here. I’m really looking forward to trying the different whites from Italy…I’ve always heard great things, but haven’t really focused on trying/learning about them. I’m getting the sense from a majority of the responses here, if I’m going to stick with my initial thoughts of using a year to start, to focus on the four main regions then venture out occasionally from there. I like your idea of starting in Piedmont and Tuscany, as I’m most familiar with those areas, though still very limited.

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 6:42pm

OH man, that’s a big ask, but I love this. I traveled to Italy to study wine back in 08 (I remember there was a rally in Florence when Obama won the election). For reasons of either poor/limited wines or redundancy with neighboring region, I would skip Molise and Lazio, you could even cut out Liguria and Calabria but I gave them 1 each. Don’t forget Sardinia though! Your 100$ limit won’t be an issue outside of Veneto, Tuscany, or Piedmont. Even 50$ can get you close to the best in most of these regions. Some of my sub-headings are wines and some are regions so sorry if it’s confusing. My favorites are Sicily, Friuli, Tuscany, and Piemonte. Other areas like Valle d’aosta are just plain wonderful, but also quite small and so don’t need many weeks.

Are you actually planning on traveling and exploring these regions over the course of a year? Or just buying and tasting wines over that time period?

Here is my breakdown, not to be read as a ranking however…

Rory–this is extremely helpful! After reading your post, I forgot to add the number of bottles I’m planning on trying/buying per week. I added it to the original post…approx. 3 bottles/week, or 150-160 bottles/year., though I’m sure I’ll taste more per week when I include wines by the glass at restaurants and public tastings at wine shops. I’m hoping I can get a decent sense of the types of wines/varietals in each region…enough to be able to speak somewhat intelligently about wines when seeing them on a wine list, wine store, etc., or find a number of producers/wines to keep for the long haul.

That being said, would your estimates of number of weeks spent in each region still hold? For example, would two cases of wine be enough to get a sense of Tuscany?

Also, there is a small chance of me being to Italy this year, but we’ll be travelling there next year. Perhaps this experiment will help us decide on which regions we want to visit.

Glad to hear it. I absolutely think the numbers stand at 3 per week, and for regions like Tuscany it may be overkill even, depending on how thorough you want to be.

Some further suggestions just as they pop into my head:
Friuli - Ronci di Cialla (lot of diff wines, very representative), try to find a Friulano, Schiopettino, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and even a Picolit if you can find it.
Marche - Villa Bucci, Sartarelli both make superb Verdicchio
Lombardy - Ar.Pe.Pe makes some benchmark Valtellina wine, for Franciacorta I’ve found Bellavista quite solid
Veneto - Masi makes a lot of amarone/Valpo that are not unreasonably priced, this is a tough category with different styles so I’d defer to others on the region. My favorite Soave producer is Pieropan (La Rocca).
Campania - Someone else mentioned the white wines here are not to be missed and i agree, Feudi di San Gregorio is an excellent jumping off point for both reds (Aglianico) and whites as I believe they make pretty much everything. Try Mastroberardino’s Taurasi yes, but also their Fiano if you can find it.
Sicily - C.O.S. and Donnafugata are good to look for (try their Ben Rye Passito!)
Tuscany - you’ve obviously tried some Tuscan wine, but at least 3 different Chianti (including a Riserva or Gran Selezione), at least 3 Brunello (try and spread it out from different sub regions, one from Castelnuove, one from a northerly cru like Montesoli etc) and avoid Riservas unless you find an old one that’s affordable, and make sure you get a Merlot from Bolgheri or Maremma, they’re really worth it.
Basilicata - I love Elena Fucci Aglianico but tough to enjoy young, also Notaio is a good, more modern producer.
Umbria - if you have it in your budget a Paolo Bea is worth a go, Caprai is a benchmark but quite a polished modern style that I don’t love. The Grechetto blends from Orvieto are wonderful whites as well

Also I see you’re in LA, I am as well and am happy to share a bottle or two for ‘educational purposes’ sometime.

Thank you again Rory–this is extremely helpful and appreciate the offer to share a bottle or two…may have to take you up on that!

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 6:43pm

Thank you Gary!

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 7:09pm

Cris—I agree Italy is probably the hardest one to start with, but a region I need to start to understand. Starting with the main regions is probably where I’ll start and see how far I can get in a year. I like your suggestions above and will add in a few of the whites from other regions.

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 7:13pm

Learning Italian wines in one year is much akin to ‘seeing’ Italy on holiday in a 3 week visit. Yes some famous places will be visited, but the real Italy runs deeper than that.

However in the spirit of learning, I’ve put the regions in ‘an’ order to suggest how the learning might go
• Tuscany & Emilia Romagna & Umbria - explore Sangiovese through very differing interpretations, from the richness of Brunello to the bony structure of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, via Chianti which can go from one extreme to the other. Venture off into Emilia-Romagna and Umbria to taste some less ambitious wines, but also some lesser seen gems. Stay in Tuscany to experience the super-tuscan / international grape wines, plus cleanse the palate with a real Lambrusco and a few slices of salami.

• Veneto - Explore the three (or 4 if you count ripasso) styles of Valpolicella, big Amarone, sweet Recioto and Valpolicella itself. Then hit the whites of Soave, both dry and in their own recioto form. For Soave, Pieropan are a very safe bet, and deserve recognition for carrying the torch through darker times. Personally I prefer Gini, but others will have their own favourites. For the reds, if you see Roccolo Grassi, they’d be my pick for a questing producer with fairly priced wines.

• Piedmont - Yes Barolo and Barbaresco, but don’t ignore Ghemme, Boca, Roero, Gattinara, Langhe Nebbiolo, Lessona etc. (and across the border into Lombardia for Valtellina or up to Donnas/Donnaz in Valle d’Aosta). Many of us find joy in the different styles of Nebbiolo. Then venture out into Barbera, Grignolino, Freisa, Dolcetto, Vespolina, Timorasso, Erbaluce, etc. and you’ll find some under-rated grapes making a fine variety of wines. Too many recommendations on this forum!

• Lombardy - As well as Nebbiolo from Valtellina, the sparklers of Franciacorta hold a lot of interest / prestige. Less so some of the varietal wines of the region, but as ever, there are always great under the radar wines to dig out

• Abruzzo - Primarily Montepulciano (the grape), but there are other good producers of the much maligned Trebbiano slowly emerging. Styles vary from appetising at the cheaper end, to more substantial, but still appetising. Valentini is off the scale, and Pepe seems to be heading there (cheaper in Italy though). Masciarelli are a safe bet, though I’ve not always enjoyed their fancier wines.

• Trentino Alto-Adige - Whites tend to hold sway and there are some great ones, including (remarkably) some very decent Muller-Thurgau. Nosiola from Trentino is rarely seen, but I love it in table wines, dessert wines and grappa form. Pinot Bianco, Moscato Giallo, and plenty more white grapes from a region many see as the home of Italian white wine. Some interesting & different reds including Teroldego, Marzemino and plenty using French grape varieties. Foradori’s basic Teroldego is a great starting point for that grape.

• Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Not solely orange / natural wines, but it’s become what they are best know for. I still find myself intimidated by this region.

• Marche - Try the Verdicchio wines of Metalica / Castelli di Jesi as a start point. Bucci would be a classy place to start

• Puglia - Reds are to the forefront here, from appetising Salice Salentino, to bigger / riper even figgy wines. A personal favourite is Castel Del Monte, with the grape Nero di Troia often to the fore. Some decent whites, but I’ve yet to have anything but dessert wines to excite (e.g. Moscato di Trani). Rivera’s Il Falcone is a wine worth trying, but do also hint out the wines of further south. It’s also a region where blind punts can be very variable but also very successful.

• Lazio - In the words of Manuel of Fawlty Towers “I know nothing!”

• Sicily - Was over-enthused with international wines, and there are still plenty, but only a small number that I find interesting. However interest in the local grapes has been huge over the last 1-2 decades. Etna is the hotbed of interest, but I’d also recommend the Malvasia wines of the Aeolian islands - Hauner is a good producer to start with (and for reds, I love their Hiera - modestly priced, wonderfully appetising and with a hint of the volcanic ground it’s grown on). Cos or Occhipinti might be good starting points

• Sardinia - A huge gap in my knowledge

• Campania - Reds and whites to excite. As a producer, Mastroberardino is a good safe place to start, but do avoid the very cheap wines in their range (e.g. Lacryma Cristi). Taurasi can age brilliantly, but other places also do good aglianico. Don’t ignore the whites, which have surprising freshness and can be wonderful food wines.

• Liguria - In general the wines are off the beaten track. Sciacchetra is a famed ‘mediatation’ wine and Rossese di Dolceacqua and Cinque Terre whites may appeal, but personally I’d file these as ‘try later on the journey’

• Calabria - Again very weak knowledge

• Molise - Tiny, and thus rarely seen. What I’ve tasted has (IIRC) only been various Biferno wines, which at best are brilliantly simple and appetising food wines, but I’ve also had one that slathered cheap oak over it - yuk!

• Basilicata - Little knowledge, but a strong word goes in for Cantina del notaio who makes very interesting and approachable wines, often quite rich in style, but rarely over-blown

• Valle d’Aosta - Very small indeed, but very much worth exploring. Some local grape varieties (and a few french) but for me Fumin is the pick of the bunch (sorry). Stylistically I see it as somewhere between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, but rarely is it made as an ambitious wine. Do try if you see, but the wines can be hit & miss, but the climate (and terrain) is necessarily challenging.

Not only does this not even scratch the surface, it’s not even going to take the protective wrapper off. However it should be a fun and exciting journey.

Regards
Ian

Excellent summary Ian!

I’ve explored Italian wines in depth for 5+ years now and have also barely stretched the surface. I went through Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia in detail and married that up with the wine bible to create the list below. Unfortunately it doesn’t render here but would be happen to send you my spreadsheet.

My additions:

Basilicata - explore Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG producers such as Elena Fucci for aglianico.

Peidmont - add white grape arneis

Sardinia - red grape Cannonau (Cannonau di Sardegna) is granche. Hard to believe the wine is the same as from Rhone (and California) , much lighter in style and has a nice salinity.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Refosco is worth hunting down. But like other non-prestigious regions, availability and quality is sometimes lacking.

Trentino Alto-Adige - look for Elena Walch, endless variety (including a reisling-chardonnay blend!) and Colterenzio

Country Region Leading Sub-Region Type Grape Drink Range
Italy Piedmont * Barbaresco Red Nebbiolo 5-20
Italy Piedmont * Barbera d’Alba Red Barbera 5-12
Italy Piedmont * Barbera d’Asti Red Barbera 3-8
Italy Piedmont * Barolo Red Nebbiolo 8-25
Italy Piedmont * Dolcetto Red Dolcetto 1-5
Italy Piedmont Gattinara Red Nebbiolo (Bonarda, Vespolina) 6-15
Italy Piedmont Ghemme Red Nebbiolo (Bonarda, Vespolina) 4-15
Italy Piedmont Nebbiolo d’Alba Red Nebbiolo 4-10
Italy Piedmont Spanna Red Nebbiolo –
Italy Piedmont * Arneis White Arneis 3-5
Italy Piedmont * Asti White Moscato Upon purchase
Italy Piedmont * Gavi White Cortese 2-3
Italy Piedmont * Moscato d’Asti White Moscato Upon purchase
Italy Lombardy * Valtellina Superiore DOCG Red Nebbiolo 5-15
Italy Lombardy * Valtellina Rosso DOC Red Nebbiolo
Italy Lombardy * Sforzato Red Nebbiolo
Italy Lombardy * Franciacorta DOCG Sparkling Chardonnay, Pinot Noir 2-5
Italy Lombardy Terre di Franciacorta DOC Both International 1-3 white, 3-8 red
Italy Liguria Various DOCs Both Numerous
Italy Valle D’Aosta Various DOCs Both Numerous
Italy Trentino-Alto Adige * Alto Adige Both Teroldego, Schiava, Lagrein, Kerner 2-5 white, 2-10 red, 1-3 sparkling
Italy Trentino-Alto Adige * Trentino Both Teroldego, Lagrein, others
Italy Veneto * Amarone della Valpolicella (DOCG) Red Corvina, Rossignola, Begrara, others
Italy Veneto * Valpolicella (Superiore) Red Corvina, rondinella, molinara Upon purchase, 2-5
Italy Veneto Valpolicella “Ripasso” DOC Red Corvina, rondinella, molinara 6-15
Italy Veneto Bardolino Superiore DOCG Red Corvina, rondinella, molinara
Italy Veneto * Soave Classico DOC White Garganega, others 1-4
Italy Veneto * Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Sparkling White Upon purchase
Italy Friuli-Venezia Giullia * Friuli-Venezia Giullia Red Refosco, Schioppettino, tazzelenghe 3-8
Italy Friuli-Venezia Giullia * Friuli-Venezia Giullia White Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, others 1-3
Italy Tuscany * Chianti Red Sangiovese 3-5 (everyday), 4-8 (mid), 6-20 (classico)
Italy Tuscany Carmignano DOCG Red Sangiovese 4-10
Italy Tuscany * Brunello di Montalcino Red Sangiovese 10-25
Italy Tuscany Rosso di Montalcino Red Sangiovese 5-15
Italy Tuscany * Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Red Sangiovese 6-25
Italy Tuscany Rosso do Montepulciano DOC Red Sangiovese 5-15
Italy Tuscany * Super Tuscan Red Sangiovese, Cabernet, others
Italy Tuscany Toscano IGT Red Sangiovese, Cabernet, others
Italy Umbria Orvieto DOC White Trebbiano Upon purchase
Italy Umbria Torgiano DOC Both Various 1-5 (white), 3-8 (red)
Italy Umbria Torgiano Riserva DOCG Red Various 4-20
Italy Umbria Montefalco Sagrantino DOG Red Sagrantino 3-12
Italy Latium (Lazio) Lazio IGT, other Both Various
Italy Emilia-Romagna Emilia White Lambrusco, trebbiano, albana, others
Italy Emilia-Romagna Romagna Red Sangiovese di Romagna, others 3-7 (sangiovese)
Italy Marche Rosso Conero DOC, Rosso Piceno DOC Red Montepulciano, Sangiovese 6-25 (Conero), 4-10 (Piceno)
Italy Marche Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi White Verdicchio 1-4
Italy Abruzzi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Red Montepulciano 4-8 (cerasuolo), 8-20
Italy Abruzzi Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC, others White Bombino, trebbiano 1-3
Italy Molise Molise Both Various
Italy Campania * Taurasi DOCG Red Aglianico 5-10 (some 20)
Italy Campania Falerno del Massico DOC Both Aglianico, falanghina, fiano, greco 3-7 (red), upon purchase (white)
Italy Puglia Puglia Red Primitivo (zinfandel), Uva di troia
Italy Basilicata Aglianico del Vulture DOC Red Aglianico 6-20
Italy Calabria Calabria Red Gaglioppo, greco di Bianco
Italy Sicily Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, Vittoria DOC Red Nero d’Avola, Nerello (frappato)
Italy Sicily Etna Red Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio
Italy Sicily Sicilia IGT Both Various
Italy Sardinia Sardegna Semidano DOC Red Cannonau
Italy Sardinia Vermentino di Gallura DOCG White Vermentino

David—did you have a systematic approach to ‘learning’ about Italy 5 years ago? Seems like the info above is very in-depth, so just curious. I appreciate the drinking windows for each region.

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 7:15pm

• Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Not solely orange / natural wines, but it’s become what they are best know for. I still find myself intimidated by this region.

• Sardinia - A huge gap in my knowledge

Excellent breakdown provided by Ian.

Can add a few humble notes about Friuli and Sardinia (for Basilicata look out for aglianico):

Friuli - very interesting wine region (border to Slovenia and influenced by alps and Mediterranean climate) with plenty of good (smaller) winegrowers and interesting grapes - native and international varieties. For red look out for schippettino, pignolo and refosco dal peduncolo, regional high quality grapes. International varieties such as cabernet franc and merlot can be very good as well. For whites fruliano, ribolla gialla (a bit of skin contact gives depth), verduzzo and picolit (sweet wines) are very interesting. Carso area near Trieste have refosco and terrano (similar but not same) reds native to Istria, as is white Malvasia. Vitovska is another native white worth exploring grown in both Italian and Slovenian Karst. Yes many Amber (to various degrees) and “natural” high quality wines.

Sardinia - many interesting native grapes and to me, one of the most beautiful and places in the Mediterranean, diversity in each corner of the island. Among red, Cannonau is widely available and can in the right hands be very good. Dettori perhaps polarizing, and can be profound if to your liking. Argiolas’ Turriga probably the most famous.
Carignano del Sulcis Is another interesting red. For white wines Vermentino from the north (Gallura) is worth a try. Rare and if you like oxidative white wines, try a Malvasia di Bosa. Plenty of lesser known grapes to explore.

Enjoy the journey!

Thank you Mikael—I will search out your recs. I’m very interested in finding some nice whites from Italy!

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 7:21pm

Thank you David—this will be what I’m most excited about. Finding wines I’ve never heard of and (hopefully) finding something I really like, that I can share with other people less familiar with the wine or region.

BDavis · February 5, 2019, 7:59pm

Kelly—this was the exact region why I chose Italy. Been a few times and have spent time in Chianti Classico, Montalcino, Veneto, etc. and the food/wine culture is so much fun. Will be fun to recreate those experiences as best I can, before heading back there.

Cris_Whetstone · February 5, 2019, 8:47pm

Don’t forget Hi-Times for the OC. (WineX and Wine Exchange are the same place BTW. )

Ian_Sutton · February 5, 2019, 10:37pm

Fully agree that with associated food, many wines really come to life, no more so than Lambrusco with cured (and naturally fatty) cured meats. The sum definitely greater than the parts.

Gary_York · February 5, 2019, 10:43pm

Food is such a big part of Italy. And as much as I love the food in many places in Italy, Piedmont is the best. When combined with the wines, it is a devastating one-two punch.