Mid Valley Wine & Liquor

Introduction to the Wines of Italy

INTRODUCTION TO THE WINES OF ITALY

Geography, Part 1 (General)
Pre-History of Italy
History of Wine in Italy
How to figure out what's in the bottle: help from the labels
How the wines are named
Wine label legal terms (and others terms)
What makes a wine taste 'Italian'?
Geography, Part 2 (cultural associations)
Unique wines and wine styles
Resources: Books and other sources of information

Geography: Part 1 (General)

Italy's land area is about 115,000 sq mi (compared to Spain & France, each roughly 200,000 sq mi) but each year it's always first or second in quantity production, battling it out with France- not Spain) Italy's lattitude ranges from about 37°N (southern tip of Sicily and isle of Pantelleria) to about 47° N (northern extreme of Alto Adige). Like Spain, Switzerland, etc, much of Italy is hilly or mountainous.

These are the great mountain ranges which delimit the regions:
The Alps (northern part forming the border between Italy and various countries of northern Europe)
The Apennines (the 'spine' of the peninsula).

         Italy is bounded on the east by the Adriatic Sea and on the west by the Tyrrhennian Sea (both are parts of the Mediterranean). The section of the Mediterranean which lies to the southeast is called the Ionian Sea. Three large islands lie in the Tyrrhennian Sea; two of them belong to Italy, Sicily and Sardinia. [The third, Corsica, is governed by France.] Italy's mainland consists of the peninsula and the northern part.
      The peninsula is narrow, roughly 75-200 miles across, but quite long (almost 600 miles). Although it has a narrow width, because of the central mountains and the layout of the regions, none of the regions have both a Tyrrhenian and an Adriatic coast. But there also is only one 'landlocked' peninsular region (no coast): Umbria
      Above Liguria (on the west) and above the Veneto (on the east), lies the northern part of Italy- this is not considered part of the peninsula. There are more landlocked regions here. There are 20 regions (Italian 'regioni') in all.
Most of low-lying land is along the coasts (exceptions: Po River valley in Emilia-Romagna/Veneto, and the Salento peninsula in Apulia) Sicily and Sardinia are also mountainous except along their coasts.

Pre-History of Italy

Geologically-speaking, Italy is thought to have been previously part of the African plate. The Alps are believed to have formed when this plate approached the Eurasian plate:
Italy was then probably a low-elevation peninsula (like modern-day Florida) and was pushed into the southern part of the Eurasian plate.
[The Apennines probably were formed after the Alps. Current thinking is that they formed as a result of the formation of the Alps.]
Italy's south and center are geologically active: volcanos (Vesuvius, Etna, the Vulture, Stromboli) + frequent earthquakes are indicators of this. The shallow part of the Mediterranean between Sicily and Africa was probably a land bridge when previous ice age(s) lowered sea levels, allowing human migration from Africa to Eurasia before boats were invented.

Theory of origin of wine in the Mediterranean basin

At the end of the last major ice age (ended about 8,000-10,000BC) almost all European & western Asian species of grapes had become extinct except Vitis Vinifera (the 'wine grape' species, indigeneous and adapted to 'terroir' of Mediterranean basin). Species living north of east-west running mountain chains (Alps, etc) died out from the cold. Today there are no other grape vine species in this part of the world that are 'wild' and indigenous.
Around approximately 4000-5000BC, viticulture was first developed in the Trans-Caucasus region (between the Black and Caspian Seas). Wine and grape culture moved south and later (mostly) west from there. The Greeks are usually given credit for bringing wine culture to Italy. But there is some evidence that the Etruscan civilization in central Italy was already making wine when the Greeks arrived in Italy's south. About 2000BC Phoenicians trading in what is now Apulia found native people involved in primitive winemaking there.

History of Wine in Italy

The "Broad Sweep" of Italian history
Etruscans (beginning unknown, probably before 800BC; their civilization ended by assimilation into Roman culture about 500BC.
Their language is probably NOT Indo-European). They lived in central Italy and Corsica, gave their name to Tuscany, made wine, and traded as far away as France
Greeks "Magna Graecia" is the name given to Greek settlements collectively in southern Italy, during the period from about 800BC until about 400BC. They first traded with parts of Italy, then settled in Sicily and other parts of Italy's south (Apulia, Calabria). Phocaeans founded the town of Massalia (Marseilles) about 700-600BC.
Romans The republic dates from about 500BC; the 'empire' from about 27BC. Romans developed wine production and refined wine drinking (the world's first "wine snobs"?) Once convinced that wine was a good thing, they spread wine culture and grape growing through conquest and trade (especially WEST & NORTH of Italy). By about 125BC, they had taken control of the city of Massilia (Marseilles) in France.
They are responsible for the selection of many of the best viticultural sites in Europe TODAY (Italy, France, Spain, etc). Initially the Cult of Bacchus/Dionysius was resisted by the Romans, then later accepted it as it became intertwined with Christianity.
Post-Roman invaders
This is a short and probably incomplete list of the groups that controlled all or parts of Italy after the fall or decline of Rome: Goths (Visigoths or 'western Goths'), Vandals, Huns, Lombards, Franks, Saxons, Moslems, Magyars, Normans, Germans (esp Frederich Barbarossa), Spaniards (Catalans). Many of these invaders left their stamp on Italy's wines, especially including its 'fragmentation'/diversity. (More about this in Geography: Part 2)
Church & Christianity
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the church retained much of the Roman wine expertise. Italy was not really a united nation until much later.
Modern times
Foreign visitors, the need to sell wine in the world market, and financial assistance from the EU have all moved Italy's wine forward along the road to modern quality. It has somehow managed to maintain a lot of its unique traditions and individuality in spite of modernization.

How to Figure out what's in the bottle:

Help from labels: What makes the wines of Italy so difficult to grasp is a combination of their extreme diversity and the different ways in which they are named.

Varietal names: Example- Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, etc.

Regional names: (some blends, others single-varietal):
Example- Chianti (usually a blend); Gavi (single-varietal made from grape variety Cortese) & Barolo (single-varietal made from grape variety Nebbiolo)

Proprietary names: Example- Tignanello, Pescovino, Centine, etc (like California's "Opus One", Champagne's Dom Perignon, etc)

Combination names;
(variety or 'type' + region): Example- Greco di Tufo, Bianco di Custoza (see below). Greco is a varietal, Bianco is a 'type' (means "white").

The labels can help you, but there is no substitute for a little bit of knowledge

Figuring out what it is from the label: Combination names
Tip:
____________ di ___________ (IGT, DOC, DOCG, etc)
The preposition "di" (or d' or del, dei, degli, dello, della, delle or dell' etc) term:
Generally "of" or, even better in this usage, "from" (its place of origin) del = "from the"
First word /"di"/ Last word
Type
[could be varietal] / of or from / Place (geographical region, village, etc)
Examples
Greco di Tufo, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, Aglianico del Vulture,
Amarone della Valpolicella, Dolcetto delle Langhe, Cortese dell' Alto Monferrato
Confusion (Don't abandon the above "formula")
Bianco di Custoza; Greco di Bianco (first example, Bianco is a 'type'; second example, Bianco is the name of a town!)
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano; Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (first example, Montepulciano is a town; 2nd example, it's a grape variety)
[This formula also helps with some French wines (Picpoul de Pinet, Pineau de la Loire, Rosé d'Anjou, etc)]
(But it can't help with Chianti / Barolo / Carmignano / Soave / etc- these are regional names, not combination names)

Wine Label Legal Terms:
Italy has adopted a system of legal controls on the wines it produces similar to the "AOC" system of France, DO system in Spain, etc. In Italy the top wines are not called AOC, but "DOC". Many, but not all of the controls are the same. Italy has an additional level of quality wines called DOCG, which have even tighter governmental scrutiny (see below):

Legal quality classifications:

VdT (Vino da Tavola): Literally "Table Wines", from anywhere in Italy (no indication of region of origin), usually a simple wine, but also could be a great (and expensive) wine which doesn't conform to the rules of a DOC (such as varietal content). Technically it cannot specify grape variety, vintage, or origin.
IGT (Indicazione Geografico Tipica): From a prescribed (large) geographical area. Can list a varietal name if it meets requirements for mininum varietal content.
For both of the above categories, the producer is the best guarantee of quality!
DOC (Denominazione de Origine Controllata): Wine from a specific geographical area (usually not too large), and made to a specific production formula (grape varieties, ageing, etc)
DOCG (as above + 'Garantita'): Wine from a top DOC that has beeen awarded this designation when it meets certain criteria. These wines have an extra level of governmental scrutiny.

Italy's Trade Commission Website (www.ItalianMade.com) states for DOCG wines
* Lower yields (per acre) vs DOC wines
* In-depth chemical analysis of wines submitted for consideration
* Wines which fulfill above requirements must pass sensory evaluations by expert tasters
* Wines which are approved receive seals which usually wrap over cork and under the capsule

Other legal quality classifications:

Riserva: Used with DOC & DOCG wines that meet an ageing requirement which exceeds that of "non-Riserva" (sometimes referred to as Normale) wines from the same Denominazione. Example: Chianti 6-12 months ageing (varies by subregion); Riserva 2 years. (Normale roughly means "regular", and also can refer to a wine made from a blend of vineyards, especially when the same winery produces one or more single-vineyard wines.)
Classico: An historic or 'original' vineyard region within a larger Denominazione. Sometimes the viticultural and winemaking requirements are more restrictive than in the rest of the DOC/DOCG. (Ex: Soave Classico, Chianti Classico)
Superiore: Adheres to a "higher standard", (almost always just alcohol content)
Other Terms
Azienda Agricola: An estate winery where a minimum of half the fruit comes from the estate.
Consorzio: An association of producers (eg: Gallo Nero in Chianti Classico)
Metodo Classico: Previously Methode Champenoise [This is the traditional method for making Champagne and other premium sparkling wines.]

What makes a wine taste "Italian"
All of the 20 regions make wine. Generally, the styles vary with the lattitude:
North: lighter wines with higher acidity (lots of exceptions)
South: heavier, lower-acid wines (lots of exceptions)
Vineyard elevation plays a key role in the style of Italian wines, especially in the southern regions' wines.
National characteristics of the wines of Italy:
Extreme diversity (wine styles, varietals used, etc)
"food-compatibility" earthiness (reds) & minerality (whites, reds)
"structure": especially acidity of wine, also tannin levels
Acid and tannin in a wine help remove the fatty feel that some food leaves on the palate.

Geography: Part 2-General Cultural Associations

Remember the adjacent regions, countries, and past and present political/cultural influences:
[The many post-Roman era invaders caused local people to be reclusive, and may have led to the diversity of their cuisine, wine styles, grapes varieties, etc. Of course, the geography and terrain have also led to isolation of small groups of people. There is not a lot of flat land in Italy.]
Friuli adjoins Austria and Slovenia [previously part of "Yugoslavia"]. High-quality wines were historically demanded by Austrian nobililty.
North-central & Northeastern regions adjoin "Germanic" (Tyrolean) countries (Austria, Switzerland)
Northwestern regions adjoin French Alps and French Riviera and were previously governed by French kingdoms.
The south and Sicily were among the territories first settled by Greeks
Sicily is close to Africa and was Muslim-controlled for a long period of time
Sardinia was ruled by Spain for a long period of time
Grape generalizations:
Northwest: Nebbiolo is the red wine quality king. There is some French influence in the wines and cuisine.
North-central: Many varieties typically associated with German wines are used (Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Gewurztraminer, etc)
Northeast: mostly varietally-labeled wines
many are familiar (Pinot Grigio, Merlot, etc); some are not (Teroldego, Lagrein, Ribolla Gialla; the first 2 are red, the last is white)
Central: Sangiovese rules (11% of total Italian vineyards); Trebbiano (7%)
South-central: Sangiovese fades into Montepulciano
South: Aglianico ("Ah-llee-AHN-ee-ko"), Negroamaro, Primitivo (Zinfandel), Gaglioppo (all 3 are red-skinned); Greco (white)
Sicily: Nero d'Avola, Inzolia, Grillo, other indigenous grapes
Sardinia: (was once politically part of Catalonia, or northeastern Spain)
Cannonau (Sardinia) = Garnacha (Spain)
Carignano (Sardinia) = Cariñena (Spain), etc

Unique Wines and Wine Styles:
Some of the many unique wines of Italy include the following:

Amarone, Recioto della Valpolicella, Sfursat, etc (red wines made from semi-dried grapes)*
Ripasso/Ripassa (wines influenced by semi-dried grapes)
Vin Santo, Recioto di Soave, etc (white wines made from semi-dried grapes) Wine-making style known as "Passito"
Unique varietals (Ruché, Nebbiolo, Erbaluce, Falanghina, Refosco (Cagnina), Sagrantino, etc) (to name just a VERY few!)
Sparkling sweet wines (Muscat and Brachetto, Freisa, Lambrusco, etc)
Herb-infused wines (Vermouth, Barolo Chinato, etc)
Marsala (made by the same Solera method used in Spain to make Sherry)
Organic/Biodynamic wines
[As is true in many parts of Europe, producers often use these 'sustainable' grape-growing techniques because they believe that the long-term health of the vineyard is benefitted, not because they perceive a market for organic wines. Many producers use organic viticulture but either are not certified, or don't claim their certification on the label

Some personal observations:
Some of our most facinating discoveries (and maybe yours in the future) are wines made from grapes we had never previously heard of!
This category might include brachetto, sagrantino, grechetto, lacrima di morro, ruché, teroldego, and many more.
Some of the most exciting white wines in the world come from Italy (but this has only happened in the last 20-30 years!) Among our favorites are falanghina, ribolla gialla, and vernaccia.
Don't get hung up on DOC wines. It's actually more helpful in providing hints as to the provenance of the wine than as a guarantee of superior quality.
If the wines don't impress you at first taste, try them with food. It changes everything.
A great example of food-wine synergy is the use of white truffles in various dishes that are then paired with Barolo or Barbaresco, two wines made from the grape Nebbiolo. Plain pasta with butter pairs well with many soft white wines, but the addition of shaved white truffles changes the dish so radically that a strong red wine is needed to keep the food from overwhelming the taste of the wine. The same factors that led to the diversity of wine styles and grape varieties has also led to diversity in foodstuffs, cooking methods, and ingredient combinations. We think that it's a fascinating pursuit to delve into these regional dishes, and to see the synergy between those foods and the wines that are paired with them. The top combinations are too numerous to mention, but a few of our favorites include melon, figs, or peaches with Moscato d'Asti, pizzocheri with the red wines of Valtellina, and an unusual but satisfying dish, farotto (the grain farro is cooked in the manner of risotto and flavored with dried porcini mushrooms) paired with Brunello di Montalcino or Supertuscan wines. Another great combination is the Lombardian veal-shank specialty Ossobuco Milanese (a slow-braised, winter-weather dish) that is especially delicious with Amarone della Valpolicella.

Resources
Recommended reference books
Vino Italiano by Bastianich & Lynch (by region)
Wines of Italy "Il Gusto Italiano del Vino" by Patricia Guy (by grape varietal)
The New Italy by Cernilli & Sabellico (by region)
Vino by Burton Anderson (by region)
Wines of Italy by Burton Anderson (by region) (may be available from Italianmade.com)
(Italian trade commission) subtitled "An Endless Adventure in Taste"
Culinaria Italy by Culinaria Konemann (food and wine by region)
Italy: A short History by Harry Hearder (History)

DVD:
Visions of Italy (helicopter tour of Italian landscape and architecture)