Piedmont
Perched on the rolling foothills before stunning snow capped alps, Piedmont in Italy’s northwest is not just a serious wine capital. From white truffles to hazelnuts, it’s got food cred as the birthplace of the Slow Food movement and is a UNESCO World heritage area for its culture of food and drink.
Red or white? Whilst there’s some white here, the red grapes rule the roost. Chief among them the trio of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. The thread uniting this gang are persistent tannins, savoury red fruit and their elegant perfume.
Grapes- Nebbiolo (r), Barbera (r), Dolcetto (r), Moscato (w), Cortese (w)
Style - Nebbiolo with its floral nose, layers of complex flavour, and fierce tannin and acid, is capable of ageing and evolving over decades. Whether from single vineyards or blends, it’s at its finest in both Barolo and Barbaresco.
For both price and performance Dolcetto is the everyday star, whilst Barbera’s acid and dusty red fruit will appeal to Pinot drinkers.
And you might know Moscato? The village of Asti, its home base, gifted this joyful, floral fizz to the world. Known as frizzante for its slightly sweet, slightly sparkling style.
Favourite Producers -Rizzi, Marchesi Alfieri, Matteo Correggia, Francesco Rinaldi, Gianfranco Alessandria, GD Vajra, Vietti, Giacomo Conterno, Massolino, Produttori del Barbaresco, Bruno Giacosa, Forteto della Luja
Lombardy
Fly direct into Milan and enjoy fine dining, high fashion and the opera at La Scala. Hard as it may be, venture away from Milan’s stunning cathedral and its stylish, sophisticated city vibe. Beyond the beautiful blue lakes of Como and the Roman ruins at Brescia, Lombardy’s surrounding countryside hides some drinking treasures.
Red or white? Actually here it’s red from Valtellina and sparkling from Franciacorta.
Valtellina’s reds are made from Nebbiolo, locally known as Chiavennasca. Different from Piedmont, these wines have a slightly softer tannin frame, silky chocolate and dark plum fruit, making them a great way to explore another side of Nebbiolo. The region is a stunning alpine valley of sheer sunny terraced vineyards cut into the mountains that mark the Swiss-Italian border.
Near Brescia, the cool slopes of Franciacorta are home to high-end traditional method sparkling wines. The best producers are taking a leaf from Champagne’s quality model and also, mind you, putting them on notice. With a well deserved premium reputation, these wines are complex, with layers of toasty, biscuity flavours from long ageing.
Grapes - Chiavennasca (r) (Nebbiolo) in Valtellina, Pinot Noir (r), Chardonnay (w), and Pinot Bianco (w) in Franciacorta
Favourite Producers - Dirupi, Ar. Pe. Pe., Nino Negri, Sandrofay (Valtellina) Ca del Bosco, Berlucchi, Bellavista, Monte Rossa, Enrico Gatti (Franciacorta)
Alto-Adige
With hillsides terraced by pretty apple orchards, the dazzling Dolomites and its sun soaked mountain slopes, the Alto-Adige is an alpine paradise. A bilingual province, its well heeled neighbours from Switzerland, Austria and Germany flock to spend holidays here rock climbing, dining in mountain lodges and taking long alpine walks.
Red or white? Whites are the shining light in this region but the lesser known reds from regional specialties are marvellous medium bodied expressions.
If classy, crisp and racy white wine is your thing, these wines should be part of your regular drinking plans. Lead by its sophisticated cooperative producers, Pinot Grigio is king, though ably backed up by Pinot Bianco and less well-known treasures like Sylvaner and Kerner.
Premium white blends add Chardonnay to the mix, giving glorious texture and fuller bodied whites.
Smart refreshing medium bodied reds with juicy pomegranate fruit and a touch of tannin, come in the form of Schiava and Lagrein.
Grapes - Pinot Grigio (w), Pinot Bianco (w), Chardonnay (w), Schiava (r), Lagrein (r)
Favourite Producers - Terlan, Erste + Neue, Köfererhof, Foradori, Tiefenbrunner
Friuli
Friuli Venezia Giulia is a melting pot of magic food and wine. Off the usual track for tourists on the Grand Tour, this north eastern corner fuses cultural influences of Austro-Hungarian history with its modern border with Slovenia.
Contrasting landscapes of gravelly plains warmed by Adriatic seaside to rolling sunny foothill hills (collio) that grow into the Slovenian alps, there’s an abundance of good drinking to be found.
Red or white? This corner of the country put Italian white wine on the map, first with modern, clean crisp dry whites and later with spicy textural blends. Most recently it has led the way in the innovative, avant-garde world of amber and skin contact wines.
In the red corner, Habsburg legacy has gifted over a century of experience with silky French red blends from Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Grapes - Pinot Grigio (w), Pinot Bianco (w), Sauvignon Blanc (w), Ribolla Gialla (w), Friulano (w), Merlot (r), Cabernet Franc (r), (Refosco (r), Schiopettino (r), Pignolo (r))
Favourite Producers - Livio Felluga, Lis Neris, Schiopetto, Venica and Venica, Jermann, Gravner, Radikon, Princic
Veneto
Up northeast, Veneto’s a province that has it all. From mountains to fertile plains and a lagoon on the Adriatic seaside. Holidaymakers will know it for romantic spots like Verona and the faded majesty of Venice’s canals and treasures like the Rialto, the Guggenheim and the Aperol Spritz.
Red or white? Equally adept with white as with red, but in Veneto, finding quality is key. There’s the handsomely named smoky, crisp dry whites of Soave and the more familiar Pinot Grigio. The best both come from hillier vineyards.
Reds from Valpolicella range from juicy, medium bodied reds to richer full bodied, powerful dried grape styles of Amarone and its little cousin Ripasso.
Prosecco is the fun time fizz for when friends pop in, with its peach, green apple and pastry notes. But again, head for the hills where the quality producers farm their vineyards. The best examples come from the Conegliano zone, specifically the Cartizze hill. The simpler wines are best put to use when aperitivo hour strikes, in either a Bellini or a Spritz.
Grapes - Garganega (w), Pinot Grigio (w), Glera (w), Corvina (r), Molinara (r), Rondinella (r)
Favourite Producers - Soave: Pieropan, Prà, Anselmi, Inama, Tamellini, Valpolicella: Masi, La Dama Vini, Quintarelli, Allegrini, Tedeschi, Dal Forno, Zenato, L’Arco, Prosecco: Bellenda Nino Franco, Bellussi, Adami, Ruggeri
Sicily
A mere generation ago, there mightn’t have been much to say here about Sicilian wine. Apart from Marsala, the reds were mostly sold in bulk to fatten up pale wines from cooler European vintages, or lost in the production of vermouth somewhere.
But with it’s special place at the confluence of Mediterranean and North African cultures, there’s been a modern day renaissance in wine and food here that is nothing short of a remarkable. Australians have an affinity for this blend of warm Mediterranean climate, migrant culture and vibrant food. Sicily just makes sense.
Red or white? Red production is dominated by Nero d’Avola, grown in most regions across the island. Ranging from juicy medium-bodied cherry fruited styles blended with the lighter Frappato, to sturdy dark, structured and plummy numbers that will appeal to Shiraz lovers.
Nerello Mascalese is exciting for its structured, fragrant and tannic wines, coming on high from the steep volcanic slopes of the still very active Mount Etna.
Surprisingly, there’s also plenty of white planted here, chief among them Carricante. Distinctively refreshing with notes of smoke, cut herbs and lemon tonic.
Grapes - Carricante (w), Grillo (w), Nero d’Avola (r), Frappato (r), Nerello Mascalese (r)
Favourite Producers - Occhipinti, COS, Tenuta Algaea, Terre Nere, Feudo Montoni, Planeta, De Bartoli, Girolamo Russo, Passopisciaro
Campania
There’s plenty to take in round here, from the winding roads of the Amalfi coast, to the glamour of Capri and a day trip to explore remnants of the ancient civilisation at Pompeii. And whilst the Romans might think they’ve got pizza bragging rights, the province of Campania is home to mighty Naples. World famous for San Marzano tomatoes and also the epicentre of silky buffalo mozzarella, there really is no competition. The secret to the sauce? The sunny Mediterranean climate and the special volcanic soils of Vesuvius.
Red or white? Local grape varieties of both colours are believed to have evolved from ancient Greek origins, so they know how to thrive in the heat of the Med. For inky wild reds with structure, tannin and depth there’s Aglianico (al-ee-yah-niko). Whites are dominated by textural, nutty and fleshy Fiano from the little town of Avellino.
Aglianico is known as the Nebbiolo of the south, for its capacity to keep acid and tannin in these warmer parts. The best come from Taurasi and full bodied, savoury wines capable of ageing and evolving with some years in bottle. The most successful white is Fiano. Its honeyed florals and waxy style make it a great friend of the aforementioned buffalo mozzarella, as well as firm fish and salads. Special mention too to Greco, for its crisp whites with green apple, flint and citrus notes.
Grapes - Aglianico (r), Fiano (w), Greco di Tufo (w), Falanghina (w)
Favourite Producers - Quintodecimo, Mastroberardino, Feudi di San Gregorio, Pietracupa, Antonio Caggiano, De Conciliis, Montevetrano
Tuscany
With its silver green olive trees, rolling carpeted hills and rows of pencil thin cypresses, the Tuscan landscape is truly beautiful.
It’s a province that’s held a steady stream of tourists smitten since the Middle Ages. And with a legacy of influence, power, ambition and art, both Florence and Sienna, still draw them in by the thousands to this day.
Red or white? The warm scrubby Mediterranean landscape favours reds, with savoury Sangiovese playing the starring role.
White wine production is minimal due to the heat. There’s the local Vernaccia di San Gimignano, as well as some Trebbiano and Vermentino.
Styles - The best Sangiovese strikes a very agreeable sleek, sappy, and savoury balance of bright red cherry and pomegranate fruit. Flavours go deeper and darker depending on where it’s grown and what other varieties it’s blended with.
International varieties like Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon and Merlot make some exceptional, powerful wines on the gravelly Tuscan coastal plains of Maremma.
Key areas to look for are Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Bolgheri.
Grape varieties - Sangiovese (r), Merlot (r), Cabernet Vernaccia (w), Vermentino (w), Trebbiano (w), Chardonnay (w)
Favourite Producers - Quercibella, Isole e Olena, Valdicava, Montevertine, Monteraponi, Duemani, San Giusto a Rentennano, Biondi Santi, Poggerino, Castellare.
Il Marroneto, Siro Pacenti, Pian dell’Orino, Stella di Campalto, Scopetone (Brunello)
Credits:
Created with an image by blende12 - "venice canale grande gondolier"