Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Italian Adventure

The Italian Adventure …
Any wine enthusiast who claims not to be confused by Italian wines is either trying to kid you or kid themselves… Italy is without doubt, the most complicated wine producing country in the world and is home to some of the oldest wine regions. Long before the Romans started to develope vineyards in the 2nd Century B.C. the Greeks were producing wine there. Now 2000 years on, Italy remains one of the world's finest producers of wine, responsible for almost 20% of world production.

Most of us will be familiar with the regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy and the more popular red grape varieties of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz but lets venture a bit further. From Sangiovese to Trebbiano, Montepulciano to Bardolino choosing an Italian wine to swish down with your pizza or Friday night lasagne might feel like a daunting task, but don’t stick to the old reliable, bear in mind Italian wines are made for Italian food. The two go hand in hand. With hundreds of wines to choose from, it can be quite an adventure. Trying to make sense of the wine terms and names, figuring out the Italian wine classification systems not to mention familiarising yourself with the many grape varietals.

Italian wines can be divided into two main categories: Table Wines or Vino da Tavola and higher end wines where you will see the letters D.O.C. on the label, Italy’s version of the French Appellation Controlee. Then there are the better areas, which are labelled D.O.C.G. denominazione di origine controllata e garantita.

So lets start our tour of Italy in the Northwest, Piedmont region, home to the most famous wine and probably Italy’s top wine, Barolo made from the Nebbiolo grape. A good Barolo is worth keeping for at least 10 years before opening, so keep an eye on the vintage before buying, especially if you plan on having it with dinner later. This wine has a dark colour and is high in tannin and acid. They are complex and smell of black fruit, mushrooms, even truffles. Barbaresco, is its younger brother, also produced from the Nebbiolo grape. The main difference between the two is that the tannins of Barbaresco tend to soften faster, which makes the wine more approachable to drink at an earlier age but won't allow it to age for as long as a traditionally made Barolo. These wines welcome the challenge of being paired with strong flavoured meats and cheeses and will compete well with spicy Italian meats and well-aged Parmesan cheese.

The other major red grape of the region is Barbera. These wines are almost purple in colour, have a taste and smell of red fruit with good acidity. On the white side this area produces some delicious Muscats, Chardonnays and Pinot Grigios. Piedmont’s top white grape is the Arneis, which produces lovely aromatic spicy dry wines. But the whites you are most likely to come across in your local wine shop are made from Muscat; the sparkling Asti Spumante and semi sparkling, lower alcohol Moscato d’Asti. The perfect warm weather drink.

Moving on to the Northeast we find a range of Italy’s most distinctive wines and more confusion. The most famous reds in this area are Valpolicella and Bardolino of the Veneto, when they are good have a wonderful cherry flavour. Now just to be clear, Valpolicella is not a grape variety, it’s a wine named after the wine region that produces it. More than likely you will not be familiar with the grape varieties that make up the blend for Valpolicella wines. In fact, if there is one thing Italy has, it’s a lot of wine grapes that you’ve probably never heard of! Valpolicella is made up primarily of three different grape varietals; Corvina, which makes up 40 to 70% of the blend, Rondinella 20 to 40% and Molinara 5 to 20%. These three grapes were probably chosen because they ripen at the same time and they compliment one another very well. In order to avoid disappointment when choosing a Valpolicella look for one that is labelled ‘Classico’ which refers to the best part of the wine region. Beware of the word ‘Superiore’ though, as this can mean that the wine has been aged in a barrel for a year.

Amarone della Valpolicella is a typically rich Italian dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes. Grapes are harvested perfectly ripe in the first two weeks of October. They are then allowed to dry, traditionally on straw mats. This process is called ‘rasinate’ (to dry and shrivel) in Italian. This concentrates the remaining sugars and flavors with the result; a wonderful raisiny wine which goes down well with Parmesan cheese dishes.

The better known white wine of the North East, which you will be familiar is Soave. The picturesque town of Soave is situated to the east of Verona. It is surrounded by ancient walls and dominated by a medieval castle. Only grapes grown on the hills around this town are used to produce Soave Classico. When it’s good it can have a delicious almond flavour. Ideal companion for hors d'oeuvres, white meats and all kind of fish dishes. Again look out from the word ‘Classico’ on the label to avoid disappointment.

The road southward takes us to Central Italy to the cities of Florence, Rome and Sienna and the regions of Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches. This is home to the familiar wines; Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Orvieto and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Chianti wines used to be light, herby reds but today due to better wine making techniques the wines are much more interesting which age for longer. The vine covered hills of Chianti are divided into several sub regions. The word ‘Riserva’ on the label provides an official indication of barrel-ageing. Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, Chianti doesn't do well by itself, but when paired with food, Chianti shines. It’s acidity pairs well with acidic foods like tomatoes and cuts through rich dishes like braised rabbit. Sangiovese is the main grape used in Chianti. It is medium bodied with a firm, dry texture and a tannic backbone that allows for moderate aging. Sangiovese has a floral bouquet, cherry aromas and flavors may evolve into leather and tobacco with age.

Now moving over to the Abruzzo area, located in south Central Italy between the central Apennines and the Adriatic coast. Abruzzo is picturesque in its scenery with many old villages and a countryside rich with historic sites. It is often said that Abruzzo has as many castles as it does sheep. Most of this region has remained locked in medieval times making Abruzzo the first stop for those seeking to take a glance at the past or a chance to see nature as it was hundreds of years ago, unspoiled and perfect. The most famous red of this area is the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, made from the Montepulciano grape! This can be a very tasty chocolatey wine and should be drunk within 3 to 4 years. Not to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is a whole other story.

The whites of Central Italy are a very mixed batch. Worth trying are: Tuscany’s tangy Vernacchia di San Gimignano, or the honeyed nutty wine of Orvieto in Umbria. Some Frascati’s can be terrific. Verdicchio also can be deliciously rich with notes of almond, green apple and lime. Again best drunk within 2 years, while they are young and fresh.

Southern Italy, the foot and the islands until recently had not been known for great wine but is deserving of a little mention. In recent years, new technology and a modern approach have seen vast improvemnts in wine production. Red wines tend to be full bodied, beefy and chocolatey. You will need to be careful when choosing a white as they can be quite dull, but Fiano di Avellino from Campania can have an attractive honey and plum character while good Greccheto in Umbria can be both creamy and rich.

Just a few other words that may make reading the label a little easier.
Amabile - medium sweet
Azienda - estate
Bianco - white
Cantina - winery
Dolce - sweet
Rossa - red
Rosato - rose
Secco - dry

David’s Top Tips of the Week

Wine Loyalty Cards available at The Wine Vault, High Street. Buy 12 bottles of wine and receive 1 free.

Look out for this years slow food festival of the year – Terra Madre Ireland 2008 will be held in Waterford 4th to 7th September, bringing together Artisan food producers from all over the South East … an event not to be missed. For more information, visit http://www.terramadreireland.com/

Weekend Wine Tastings at The Wine Vault every Friday & Saturday 10.30am to 6.00pm.

1 comment:

rae said...

Italy is a country which has succeeded in cultivating the greatness of even its cities, villages, hamlets and GREAT-tasting wines. For more information, explore http://vino.com/country/italy/culture/. Great site by the way!