| Italy |
Makes nearly as much wine as France, but lags behind in their classification system. As a result, Italian wine isn’t taken as seriously as French wine. Most Italian wine is made from native grape varieties that don’t grow well elsewhere, such as Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. The most important regions are Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco dominate, Tuscany, home to Chianti, Montepulciano, and the Super-Tuscans (a collection of relatively new reds), and the Northeastern region, where you’ll find Soave, Valpolicella, and Bardolino. Italy’s soils and climates are varied and ideally suited for viticulture, from the Alpine foothills in the north to the Mediterranean coast in the South. Its hilly landscape provides sun and cooler temperatures, even in the warmest regions. Italy has two categories of fine wines. DOCG, which means regulated and guaranteed place name, refers to a small group of elite wines. DOB wines are those with regulated (but not guaranteed) place names. A lower tier of table wines are grouped into IGT wines, which indicate the location on the label, and ordinary table wines, which carry no geographical indication except, “Italy.” |
| Venezie |
Venezie is the region which encompasses three regions; Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, Fruili-Venezia Giulia. The climate in this region is influenced by the Alps which the Venezie vineyards are on the sunny side. Growing conditions in the region range from cool at high altitudes to warm near the Adriatic Sea and along the valley of the rivers that flow though it. Although the culture of the Venezie, like the name, was determined by the ancient Venetian Republic, strong influences can be felt other nations that have come and gone from the area. This resulted is an assortment of domestic and imported grape varieties. This array of vines allow for fine whites and reds ranging from the young and simple to the aged and complex. |