Ellington

Until recently, I did not drink much Italian wine, which is surprising because I love being Italian. My nana's mother came over from the old country, and her recipe for spaghetti and meatballs was the first thing I could cook and still probably one of the best. And when I was going through my T-shirt-making phase, the initial creation was a picture of two tomatoes and beneath, the phrase, "It's good to be Italian."

Yet I was almost always disappointed with the Italian wines that I tried, so I quit trying them.

I've since come to find that Italy produces some of the best wine in the world. Along with France, it also produces the most. With every region of the country churning out grapes, wine equals big business. Some winemakers get greedy and overproduce their vineyards, which happens despite the establishment in 1963 of a classification system somewhat similar to the French one. The top two levels of quality are Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). However, with governments constantly changing hands and rules within the system also changing—the category doesn't always provide a guarantee.

This is especially true in the case of Chianti, the Italian red wine most people know. Chianti is actually a region in Tuscany and indicates the Sangiovese grape. It has a DOCG status, but due to mass production, zone expansion and the temporary allowance of up to 30 percent white grapes, many Chiantis ended up being astringent, brown and not very appealing. Think wicker baskets.

Thankfully, improvements are on the increase. Beginning in 1990 (one of the best vintages of the century), winemakers began striving to produce cleaner, fuller wines and experiment more.

Again, especially with Chianti, the standards are higher: no more white grapes, more time on skins, less plantings. Top producers include Antinori, Monsanto and Poggerino. Or you can look for the black rooster symbol that implies winemakers committed to quality. The key to picking good Italian wine is having some understanding before you buy, rather than blindly choosing a bottle as I used to do. The labels can be confusing because some are regional, some are varietal, and some just whimsical, made-up names (usually Super Tuscans, which are amazing but cannot be called Chianti due to DOC laws).

In the Valpollicella region of Veneto, you will find a good crossover wine—light with soft tannins. When the word Amarone is also on the label, you will usually get densely concentrated, luscious, sappy fruit. A lip-smacking gift of a 1990 Bolla Amarone Valpolicella nearly knocked me over a few years ago, despite my doubts.

From Piedmont, Barolo and Barbaresco both come from the tannic, uniquely perfumed Nebbiolo grape (similar to Pinot Noir). The first is usually bigger and more complex, but both can age for decades as well as break your wallet. Dolcetto, with young sweet tannins, and Barbera, with deep color and red fruits, are also from Piedmont.

If you're a fellow Zinfandel fan, check out Primitivo from the southern region of Puglia. It might be hard to find, but it's worth it to try the cousin to California's most famous grape. For sparkling wine lovers, Prosecco is a nice and cheaper alternative to Champagne. And I am not too much of a wine snob to admit that I had some Reunite Lambrusco, a sweet frothy red, with my Bratwurst on July 4, and it was mighty fun.

That's the thing about Italian wine—it becomes even better with food, especially Italian food. When I was teaching a staff training class on this very subject, I brought in my before-mentioned spaghetti sauce. Everyone agreed that the food made the wine taste better and vice versa. From wine expert Jancis Robinson to Chef Mario Batali to my own personal obsession, the verdict seems to be unanimous. The marriage of food and wine is a beautiful, symbiotic relationship. Italians know how to drink and how to eat, so follow their lead and do both at the same time.

Previous Comments

ID

84358

Comment

My favorite Italian wine is called Travicello, distributed by PRP Wine International. It has great appeal to both white wine drinkers and red wine drinkers. It is not sold in stores though, only through PRP's website and there regional distribution centers (if you happen to live near one of the two in the nation).

Author

Steph

Date

2005-07-20T17:14:37-06:00