Italian Wine has been grown in since the 2nd Century B.C. In fact, the Romans pioneered large-scale wine
production techniques in Italy, learning to use barrels and bottles to store and age wine. Almost 2,000 years later, Italy is still at the forefront of wine production, accounting for a fifth of all wine produced in the world. It even bested France as the leading producer in 2008. That’s a good thing, of course, since Italians drink more wine than anyone else, consuming 15 1/2 gallons per capita. In comparison, Americans only drink a little more than 2 gallons of wine per year.
In Italy you’ll find more than one million vineyards being cultivated in almost every part of the country. Two of the most well known regions are Veneto and Tuscany.
Veneto is home to some of the country’s best wines, include Soave and Valpolicella. Along with Rentino Alto Adige and Fruili Venezia Giuli, Veneto is part of the Tre Venezie, which offers ideal growing conditions, thanks in large part to its high altitude, cool summers and warm sea currents from the Adriatic. The grapes in Veneto are big in flavor and the wines very distinctive.
Tuscany is famous for its Chiantis, but you’ll also find some very nice upscale reds and whites, including Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mammolo, Gamay, Barbera and Vernaccia. If you’re fortunate enough to visit Tuscany stop in at some of the small wine shops and pick up one of the many no-name bottles that are crafted by local growers.
For a long time, Italy seemed to rest on its winemaking laurels. But in recent years, winemakers have become re-energized, creating new wines that are really remarkable in terms of their complex flavor and attention to detail. The quality is astounding, thanks in large part to a new generation of younger winemakers who are learning to bring out the best in the country’s unique grapes and flavor profiles.
The market, as a result, has changed dramatically, becoming more receptive to Italian wines that once went largely ignored. For a time, Italy saturated the market with economy-sized bottles of lackluster Italian wines. But now, the emphasis on quality, not quantity. Rather than cave in to industry standardization, Italy continued to emphasize diversity, rediscovering local vines in the process. As such, the new wines coming out of Italy are a real adventure and a true joy to explore.
Increasingly, Italy’s premier wines are being considered some of the finest in the world. Adventurous wine drinkers are starting to discover some of the lesser known vineyards and grape varieties, moving away from Chianti and Valpolicella. Italy has also been fortunate to have some terrific years of perfect weather combined with great harvests. Perhaps never before have Italian wines been so delicious and rich as they have been in the past decade or so. Let’s hope this trend continues so we can continue to enjoy the wonders of Italian wines.