Italy – the birthplace of Asti, Chianti, Amarone and Prosecco – has a rich and colorful wine heritage going back more than 2000 years.
Italy is famous for a huge number of local grape varieties (the so-called autochthons) and the broadest palette of styles of wines produced. However, impressive production volume: about 4.25 billion liters per year (2017) with 800’000 hectares of vines. In this respect, the competition it represented only France and Spain (to 3.67 and 3.21 billion, respectively).
Management and marketing of such a huge volume of wine production – not an easy task, especially in today’s highly competitive marketplace. The state system of the Italian wine classification is built on 4 levels, the hierarchy includes more than 500 items of DOCG, DOC and IGT (4th level – is table wines, controlled origin of raw materials).
Wine regions of Italy
Italy is divided into 20 administrative regions, each of which produces wine in various quantities, and in each of these administrative units there is the homonymous wine regions:
- Abruzzo
- Apulia
- Basilicata
- Valle d’aosta
- Veneto
- Campaign
- Calabria
- Lazio
- Liguria
- Lombardy
- Marche
- Molise
- Piedmont
- Sardinia
- Sicily
- Tuscany
- Trentino-Alto Adige
- Umbria
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Emilia-Romagna
The most important of them, where importance is attached to quantity and quality of the wine is Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto.
Each wine region has its flagship varieties and styles. Some of them became famous thanks to the production volumes and wide geographical coverage of exports, and some – due to the exceptional level of these wines.
Tuscany is also famous as their base wines Chianti and revered among connoisseurs of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the so-called “does it mean super Tuscans”. Similarly, in Veneto produced such bestsellers as Prosecco, Soave and monosortovye Pinot Grigio, but here the birthplace of Amarone, one of the rich red wines of the world. Piedmont is a place where people’s Heath sparkling new year table of Asti and quiet red aristocrat Barolo.
Grapes
Varietal diversity in Italian vineyards has more than 2,000 varieties, many of which are on the verge of extinction. Of the most famous and common are the Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Pinot Grigio, although the latter is by birth a Frenchman. These varieties take up thousands of acres of vineyards and are found in many regions of Italy. At the other end of the list – little-known rarities like centesimino (Centesimino) and Doron (Dorona) found in vanishingly small quantities in one or two regions.
All the local Italian varieties, regardless of their popularity and prevalence, are facing severe competition from the French, has long become international, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Being the favorites of the wine world, these varieties occupy large areas on the ground and very often show good results. Some of the best wines of Italy, covering the top of the ratings and the price-lists made from these “aliens”. First and foremost comes to mind, of course, Sassicaia supertuscan of Bolgheri, made mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon with about 15% Cabernet franc.
On the world map of Italy with nothing to confuse, with its legendary silhouette of the “boot”. In fact, it’s one big Peninsula, blubber towards the Mediterranean sea 1100 km from the mainland along the strong ridge of the Apennines. From its Western side, in the Tyrrhenian sea, located two insular regions of Italy: Sicily (to the South) and Sardinia.
Describe in General terms the climate of so extensive and topographically heterogeneous areas is not possible. The vineyards are located throughout the range of elevations: from sea level in Emilia-Romagna up to 1300 m above this level in the Alpine Aosta valley (Valle d’aosta). Important and latitude: 46 degrees North latitude in the region of Alto Adige – not the same as the island of Pantelleria in the Mediterranean sea, separated from it by 11 degrees, which is already in some 1100 km or so of the equator.
It turns out that briefly describe the nature of Italian wine in a way that makes sense, will not work) will Have to try. A lot of trying. To be surprised and to choose personal favorites.
Source: wine-searcher.com