Buy Italian Wine

Why buy Italian wine? Because they are good quality ones with a long tradition behind.

I didn't have to buy Italian wine to first know it. My first approach was tasting my father-in-law one. I admit that I didn't even know since then that people used to produce wine “at home”.

It is a very common thing in Italian small villages. People use to have a small piece of land where plant their vineyards.

You usually have a good wine that doesn't last for long, as it has no preservatives or industrial methods applied, but remains a very interesting typical product.

If you visit an agritourism (rural sites that produce most of what they offer for lunch/dinner; sometimes offering also rooms), you'll probably have this local wine served for lunch.

Pay attention: this wine “swallows” very easily, and you may find yourself very happy and singing without understanding why!

No poem was ever written by a drinker of water. Horace, Roman poet

As it is increasing its quality, people tend to buy Italian wine following its fame that comes from winning international prizes and putting Italy as the 1st wine exporter in the world. Italy has even superated France in production.

The most classical is an Italian Tuscan wine: Chianti. This wine is made with most Sangiovese, sometimes with some Merlot and Cabernet added in minor part.

It's a wine that will never disappoint you. If you're not a connoisseur and don't know other wines from the wine menu, choose a Chianti and you won't fail.

About 3 years ago we spent a long weekend in a small city called Greve in Chianti, located in Chianti Valley.

As we arrived in our hotel... that was very cute as it was an old pasta factory that turned into a small familiar hotel; the host gave us a bottle of Chianti.

We then visited the main square, in which there were a kind of live market, and we bought the famous finocchiona (a wonderful Tuscan salami) and good bread.

Guess what? We opened the Chianti bottle with all these delicacies and...I fall in love with it!

Chianti is always a good choice for most occasions.

Besides a good Chianti, the best one for me is a Sardinian one called Terre Brune. It is a Carignano wine and it stays above any other wine. It's just unique!

The Italian Merlot wine is very interesting, as it is a grapevine that originates in France and began to be coltivated in Friuli Venezia Giulia, then spread to Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige. It was characterized to cold weather, but after a while it spread all over Italy, including Sicily, where it originates good wines by itself, without the common match with Cabernet. In Tuscan, it often mixed with Sangiovese.

Living in Sardinia, an island, talk about white wine reminds me of summertime, when we usually eat more seafood accompanied by a dry white Italian wine. The local one is called Vermentino, a specialty that can only be produced in Sardinia.

The Asti Italian sparkling wine was the first to became known in the world, and now this kind of Italian wine is also exported.

Italian dessert wines are a less known product, even if they are great. Try a passito (sometimes called as late harvest) next time you have the chance for. It is a sweet wine that matches deserts, but is also wonderful by itself.

In Tuscan customs, people use to have cantucci (the traditional biscuits from Prato) with vin santo after a meal.

Italy's classification system (useful when you want to buy Italian wine):

Table Wine:

Vino da Tavola (VDT) - Denotes simply that it is made in Italy. The label usually indicates a basic type, made for local consumption.
Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) - Denotes those from a more specific region within Italy. This appellation was created in 1992 for wines that were considered to be of higher quality than simple table wines, but which did not conform to the strict wine laws for their region. Before the IGT was created, "Super Tuscan" wines such as Tignanello and Sassicaia were labeled Vino da Tavola.

QWPSR:

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)

Both DOC and DOCG wines refer to zones which are more specific than an IGT, and the permitted grapes are also more specifically defined. The DOC system began in 1963, seeking to establish a method of both recognizing quality product and maintaining the international and national reputation of that product.

The main difference between a DOC and a DOCG is that the latter must pass a blind taste test for quality in addition to conforming to the strict legal requirements to be designated as a wine from the area in question. After the sweeping laws of 1992, transparent rules were made regarding requirements for DOCG entry, imposing new limits regarding the production of grapes per hectare and minimum natural alcohol levels, among others.

The overall goal of the system is to encourage producers to focus on their quality making.

If you live in the US and want to buy Italian wine, click on the following link:

Order fine bottles from authorized retailers and have it delivered to your door.

I was amazed when I saw the same brands I drink here in Sardinia being sold to US market from a local distributor, cutting costs and douane proceeding. Click here to find out how to order.

If you live in UK, I suggest this UK based website with a large catalog with good choices:

Click here: if you live in UK and want to buy Italian wine online.

Now you can have special ones at home with ease. The Chianti is just a click away from you! I think it is fantastic.

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