Importantly, this acid preserves the wine from degradation caused by the oxygen. The sun-drenched peninsula now ranks as the world’s second largest producer of wine after France, and more importantly, as the largest exporter of wine in the world. Bordeaux's many restaurants offer free wine tasting sessions every now and then, so that you get to savor your fine cuisine even more. So, now I feel like I do "get" Italian Wine reds, but understanding and liking are different things so it remains to be seen whether respect will turn into affection. Two things became clear from this tasting - firstly, Italian reds are decidedly food wines. I had not really considered the significance of this until I went to a classic Italian reds tasting at the Cambridge Food and Wine Society at the weekend. Almost any wine village will have several wineries offering tastings and some are more famous than others.

I'll now show some of the photos my husband took as his group was introduced to some of the wineries in the Valtellina area of Italy. The most recent official Italian survey of vineyards, performed in 2010, lists about 440 different grape varieties growing in Italy. There are 334 DOCs in Italy, with the most recent additions approved in mid-2017. Attributing this to a lack of effort on my own part and also to not having spent much time in Italy, I was keen to see what a tasting of eight classic reds would reveal. 2) Italy. As one of the largest producers of wine in the world, Italy's main wine regions are found in northern Italy (Piedmont and Valle D'Aosta in north-west Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto in north-east Italy) with classic Tuscany to the south in central Italy. Maybe a driving holiday around Italy will provide the answer. You will also learn what makes a red or white a rarity compared to one that is not. Crisp, medium weight and delicious with flavours of apples and pears, good as an aperitif or at this age with light dishes, such as white fish or soft cheeses.

The Hautes Vosges (Higher Vosges) to the south provide the greatest amount of shelter for the vines and it is here that the best, fullest wines can be found; the main grape varieties grown here are Riesling (totally different from, but equal in stature to Chardonnay as the great white wine grape), Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Gewurztraminer. Italian tradition is closely grafted to the vine and this is the main reason why Italian wines can be enjoyed all over the boot-shaped peninsula: each region grows its typical grape varieties to produce quality wine and today, it is even possible to taste this wonderful gift from nature in both traditional and modern styles. Despite the fact that many of Italy’s wines are known for being simple, food- friendly and ideal for everyday drinking, the quality of exported Italian wines has improved tremendously over the past years: while adding extra luster to Italy's wine industry, Italian wines offer a bewildering diversity of tastes and types, ranging through nearly every color, flavor and style imaginable.

In the days - not that long ago - when the pound was reasonably strong against the Euro, the wines here were ridiculously cheap for the quality - the standard range of wines started at €3.50 and maxed out at €6.00 - including a number of prize-winning wines. The Vosges are a range of low-lying mountains which form more of a natural border between France and Germany than the river Rhine, hence the region's turbulent past; rising to just over 1,400m at their highest, they provide a rain shadow for the vines growing lower down and allow relatively warm-climate varieties to be grown this far north. Two of my favourite wine-producing areas have something in common - they are both places that I have been to regularly and where I have been able to try a wide range of the wines. If you have a particularly special occasion to celebrate, you may wish to consider the selection of sparkling wines and champagnes on offer.

They include where the grapes can be grown, what varieties are allowed and how wines can be aged. Pesto can be made by crushing the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or by using a food processor. As we sampled variously Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, a frequent comment around the table was "Mmmm, needs some food to go with it". I couldn't quite work out who lilly was, so didn't know how to comment. Whether you’ve just begun to explore wine or are an expert who seeks to brush up on the basics, bookmark this page as a quick reference guide. Here’s your ultimate primer on Italian wine. By focusing on promoting the top and the highest-quality Italian wines, Italy has managed to achieve its prominence in the global wine industry and is now able to boast an impressive list of enological achievements: the smallest sip of silky-smooth Sassicaia can be a life-changing experience. Italy is one of the most important wine producing countries in the world, and this is mainly due to its climatic perfection. Perhaps you’d like to convince us that Cabernet & Merlot from Stellenbosch, Margaret River or Napa Valley is the ultimate wine?