"Quick" User's Guide to Drinking Italian Wine

Okay, so first of all, there is nothing quick or easy about Italian wines, so pretty much I just applied the bait-and-switch method of getting you to read this article. In fact, Italian Wines are pretty complex, full of history and a bit intimidating when it comes to the Average Joe's comfort level with varietals and production zones and such. Which is why you clicked on my blog to start with. So, sit down, pour a glass, and get comfy, cause we're about to get into the basics of Italy.

Italian wine production was started by the Greeks, who moved into southern Italy and Sicily, and fell in love with the mild climate perfect for wine production. They called Italy "Oenotria", the land of the trained vines. The Etruscans are credited with wine production in central Italy. Yeah, I know, who the heck are the Etruscans, right?

The origins of the Etruscans is pretty much unknown, as no one has found documentation as to their beginnings as a culture. They are basically believed to be potentially indiginous peoples whom developed as a significant culture as a result of the Iron Age. (If you don't know what the Iron Age is, you really need to spend some serious time with Google and maybe a few history books). Long story short (yes, this is a very BRIEF history here) the Etruscans had a civilization that stretched from north of the Apennines and south into Campania. This is a very large area. A lot of the culture of Rome is attributed to the Etruscans, though they were eventually absorbed by the Roman Empire in 500BC. The Etruscans produced wines throughout the land, but their techniques weren't the best and the wines had a lot of improving to do. If this quip of history doesn't do it for you, research Romulus and Remus and you'll get the full history from the Roman Mythology all the way up to the culture and development of their society. I clearly don't have time to highlight their entire existence here.

The Greeks and Etruscans both needed some work on the quality of their wines, the rise of the Roman Empire saw changes and improving of wine production throughout all of Italy. As Rome grew in population, as did the demand for good wines, and this was a great period of development and growth for wine production. Everyone drank wine, even the slaves, and they had it with every meal. Wine styles here were historically much different from current production styles of wine... The Romans liked it high in alcohol, sweet, and generally preferred white. The most highly sought after wines were produced in Falernia near Naples (this was the northern coast of Campania, and today the most well-known white varietal produced here is Falanghina - which is a lovely little grape that makes excellent white wine).

Romans, as a lot, did some super crazy strange stuff to their wines. They added honey to make a drink called mulsum. They put silly things like chalk to into it reduce acidity. They liked to spice, sweeten, and salt their wines. Crazy, yes. But they also dramatically increased quality and production through technological advancements. Romans established classification of varietals, tracked varietal growth success in each region, and created a system for establishing varietals in the climates they in which they would grow best. They started the experimentation with ageing wine, and learned wine kept in sealed containers aged better than open vats. The were the first documented wine producers to use sealed barrels for wine storage. They are also believed (though its debated widely) to have been the first to use glass bottles and corks specifically for the purpose of ageing. They were historically of a mind that wine from ten to twenty-five years old were the best for drinking.

The Roman wine-making techniques were exported to other places around the world, and while during the fall of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages wine consumption slowed, Roman Catholic Priests continued to make wine. Wine wasn't very popular again until the Renaissance. From then until the 20th century, Italian wines were critisized for poor quality and lack of structure. This resulted in the DOC and DOCG classification zones.

Italy has 20 different regions, and each region has its own laws governing wine production and varietal growth. Here is a quick reference of regions, from north to south, with main varietal production in each region:

Valle d'Osta -

Reds: Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Petit & Gros Rouge
Whites: Blanc de Morgex, Pinot Gris

Alto Adige/Trentino -

Reds: Merlot, Cabernet, Corvina, Rondinella, Marzemino
Whites: Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave, Prosecco, Verduzzo, Gewurztraminer

Friuli -

Reds: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Refosco, Schioppettino
Whites: Tocai Friuliano, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco

Lombardia -

Reds: Barbera, Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo), Pinot Nero
Whites: Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio

Veneto -

Reds: Merlot, Cabernet, Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara
Whites: Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave, Tocai, Prosecco

Piedmont -

Reds: Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Freisa, Brachetto
Whites: Moscato, Arneis, Cortose, Erbaluce

Liguria -

Reds: Dolcetto, Rossese, Sangiovese
White: Albarola, Pigato, Vermentino, Bosco

Emilia-Romagna -

Reds: Lambrusco, Sangiovese di Romagna, Barbarossa
Whites: Albana di Romagna, Trebbiano, Malvasia, Chardonnay

Tuscany -

Reds: Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo
Whites: Trebbiano, Malvasia, Moscadello, Vernaccia

Umbria -

Reds: Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo, Sagrantino
Whites: Procanico (Trebbiano), Grechetto, Verdelho

Marche -

Reds: Sangiovese, Montepuliciano
Whites: Verdicchio, Trebbiano, Malvasia

Sardenia -

Reds: Cannonau (Grenache), Carignano, Monica
Whites: Vermentino, Torbato, Nuragus, Moscato

Lazio -

Reds: Cesanese, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Merlot
Whites: Malvasia, Trebbiano

Abruzzo/Molise -

Reds: Montepulciano, Barbera, Sangiovese
Whites: Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (Bombino)

Campania -

Reds: Aglianico, Piedirosso
Whites: Fiano, Greco di Tufo, Falanghina, Falerno

Puglia -

Reds: Negroamaro, Primitivo, Malvasia Nera
Whites: Verdeca, Bianco d’Alessano, Bombino Bianco

Basilica -

Reds: Aglianico
Whites: Greco, Malvasia, Moscato

Calabria -

Reds: Gaglioppo
Whites: Greco Bianco, Mantonico

Sicily -

Reds: Nero d’Avola, Frapatto, Nerello Mascalese
Whites: Inzolia, Cattarratto

Okay, so with all this history and blah blah blah I'm doing, I think you might be falling asleep over there in your glass. Okay, wake up, I am about to get way more interesting.

The thing with Italian wine is that its created in this gorgeous old world style that a lot of Americans are not accostomed to... which makes them feel confused when they open a highly rated bottle and they don't like how it tastes. Well, here's what you need to know. Italian wine is pretty much the polar opposite of domestic wine. In America, you get spoon fed super concentrated cabs, lush dark fruity zins, and bright cherry cola pinot noir that pops you in the mouth with some serious flavor. Italian wines are a little bit more subtle and take a little more patience. They need ageing, they require decanting, and they like to show you all sorts of different flavors while they quietly open to you. I like to think of it this way... and no, you may not take any kind of offense to this comparison, you may only take it at face value as a generalization created to make a point. American wines are like American men. They come on strong, you have a fast and quick lusty affair, and then just as quickly they're gone and you're left slightly dazzled, slightly irritated, and fully wondering what just happened. Now, Italian men are much more passionate and they move slowly, savoring the moment, a little rustic, rough, hairy, but sensual and romantic. They win you over completely and make you feel like the most beautiful woman on earth. You never forget an Italian. (Men, the same applies, just fill women into the men blank.)

If you're just starting exploring Italian red wines, I recommend starting farther south in Italy and trying things like inexpensive Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from the Abruzzo region; Primitivo (the Italian zinfandel) from Pulia, or get super adventurous and try Aglianico from Compania (especially if you like big huge complex dry reds). For whites, I know you have all had Pinot Grigio. Please, do me a favor and specifically seek out Pinot Grigio from Fruili. Its not an insipid, watered down, nothing white... in fact its lush and gorgeous and has unoaked Chardonnay characteristics. You must also seek out Grillo from Sicily. Its like grilled pineapple with sparkling citrus. MMM!!!

What I hope you really learn from all of this is that Italian wines aren't scary. They're tasty and approachable. And if you think about it, you were completely a novice at one point with domestic wines, too. You just had to find a starting point and move forward from there. I'll always be here, and I will help guide you through their subtle nuances and fun historic stories. Your homework lesson? Go buy a bottle of Italian wine, drink it, and tell me what you think. We'll grow from there.