Vineyards in Gaiole in Chianti in the Chianti Classico region (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Asiago (Photo credit: Birnardo)
If you follow my posts, you know that I adore Italy’s intoxicating Vino con Vistas! Italy is one of the world’s most alluring travel destinations with captivating panoramic vistas of majestic mountains and volcanoes surrounded by the glistening sea.
Chianti classico (Photo credit: Marco Piso)
La collina di Bacco (Photo credit: gigi 62)
I am an advocate of Wine Tourism and Culinary Travel. I even write Travel Guides called “Vino con Vista.” I have traveled the peninsula and identified my favorite places to enjoy “Wine with a View.”
Vineyards in Gaiole in Chianti in the Chianti Classico region (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The micro-climates of regions from Piedmont to Sicily provide the nation’s wine producers with abundant resources and endless opportunities to produce highly regarded wines. There are over 300 varietals cultivated across the peninsula from the foothills to the southern-most islands. Wine tourism is enhanced by the nation’s flourishing culinary culture that spawns superb cooking schools and world-class gourmet farm-to-fork chefs.
Tuscany, Italian wine region of Chianti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Vin Santo e Cantucci in Milan, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
My favorite wine always pairs well with art, architecture and the best age-old culinary traditions; think Vin Santo with cantucci/biscotti while watching the Palio in Siena; that’s a Vino con Vista. I take great pleasure in the fact that Trebbiano grapes are used to produce wine that has been aged in a barrel with a cross on it. That’s the inherent charm of Italy.
Wine at Eataly
Many towns, such as San Gimignano, were enclosed with walls, causing crowding and the building of tower houses. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Thick, sugary Trebbiano juice leaving the basket press from dried Trebbiano grapes being used to produce the Italian dessert wine Vin Santo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Italian wine Vin Santo with its traditional food pairing of Biscotti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A wine barrel with a cross on it designating that it is being used to aged the Italian dessert wine Vin Santo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Yes, I love wine that pairs with indigenous food. Although, I must admit that I have paired gelato with wine in San Gimignano; there’s no shame to that! Just don’t try it with Chianti Classico. I have been reprimanded by many Italian waiters for requesting grated cheese for my seafood pasta. They absolutely refuse; so I have to sneak grated cheese from my friends that are having pasta without seafood.
Late harvest grapes being harvested to produce the Italian dessert wine Vin Santo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
My travel plans frequently involve Wine and Food Festivals. Wine is produced and celebrated everywhere in Italy’s 20 regions. It’s a great place for touring and tasting.
While Vin Santo wines are produced throughout Italy, the vast majority of production takes place in the provinces of Tuscany. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Production of the Italian straw wine, Vin Santo, begining with Trebbiano being dried until they are raisin and concentrated with sugar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Agriturismo system is conducive to wine tourism because it provides accommodations for tourists at the wine estate. In addition, some monasteries and castles have been converted into five-star hotels in many of Italy’s wine regions. Azienda Agricola Malenchini’s family run farm has been growing grapes and olives since 1830 www.malenchini.com.
I visited the Dievole Winery during one of my trips to Tuscany but next time, I will stay at the luxury Florentine Villa with two pools www.dievole.it. Go to Castello da Verrazzano and visit the historical working cellars and gaze at the wild boars www.verrazano.com. Visit Ristorante Enoteca Borgo Allegro with 400 labels of the best Italian and Tuscan wines www.borgoallegro.it
Check out Castello Banfi, you won’t be disappointed.
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Italy’s WIne Regions
Montalcino, Toscana, Italia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Brunello di Montalcino 2000 – Il Marroneto – Vigna Madonna delle Grazie (Photo credit: dags1974)
Montalcino (Photo credit: littlestar19)
Brunello de Montalcino
When you travel to Italy’s wine regions you can visit Col d’Orcia. They have been making wine since the 1700s. This producer is located on 1300 acres in Tuscany’s Siena province on the outskirts of the medieval hilltop village of Montalcino. The vineyards occupy 370 acres on the hills between the Orcia River and Sant’Angelo in Colle. Col d’Orcia is owned by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano and primarily produces the Brunello clone of Sangiovese.
Brunello de Montalcino
Italian wine region of Piedmont (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There are many interesting regions in Italy for Touring and Tasting. You can visit Piedmont or Tuscany and many other major wine regions, from Alto Aidge in the north to Puglia and Campania in the south. You can travel to the islands of Sardinia and Sicily for more Wine Tourism Adventures. Furthermore, Apulia (Puglia), in the South of Italy is known for Primitivo and is emerging as an interesting destination for Enoturism. For more information, visit ViaggiareinPuglia.it.
Italian wine (Photo credit: toyohara)
In the Italian wine region of Piedmont (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Click on this link to see the Wine Spectator Maps of Italy: http://assets.winespectator.com/wso/Maps/Italymap.pdf
Let’s explore some of Italy’s wine regions:
A food and wine pairing with the Italian wine Amarone from Valpolicella, Veneto. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The north-eastern Venato region of Italy is protected by the Alps. The cooler climates are suited to white varietals like Garganega; the warmer Adriatic coastal plaines produce Amarone, Valpolicella and Bardolino. Sparkling Prosecco is produced in this region.
An interesting range of wines which are unique to Italy are made with grapes that are dried in the warm air by laying them out on mats after harvesting. These dried grapes are used to make two basic styles of wine: Amarone della Valpolicella, which is vinified to be dry and very alcoholic and Recioto. The 3 grapes used to produce this wine are: Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara.
For Amarone, the best grapes dry for 4 months(January-October) on bamboo racks until they loose 30-40% if water, concentrating sugar and aromas. After a longfermentation, (45-50 days), you are rewarded with a full-bodied and complex wine. Pairs well with richly-flavored dishes and well-aged cheese.
In the Recioto, the dried grapes are fermented for a shorter period of time (30-35 days) so it has a higher sugar residual and a red sweet wine. Pairs well with chocolate and foie gras.
Visit the Masi/Serego Alighieri Winery near Verona. www.seregoalighieri.it
“Masi uses the Appassimento technique, as practiced in the region since the time of the Ancient Romans. Grapes are laid out to dry for the winter months on typical bamboo racks called “arele” in drying rooms. This concentrates their colour, sugars and tannins. The result is a wine called Amarone, which is confident, majestic, complex and exuberant.”
“Masi’s President, Sandro Boscaini, (pictured above) has been awarded the title “Cavaliere del Lavoro” by the President of Italy. He is the sixth generation of the family who have made Masi Amarone into one of Italy’s most iconic products. His love for this wine from the Veneto has led to his nickname, “Mister Amarone”, which is also the title of his biography (published by Mondadori).”
Today, Masi produces five different Amarones, the widest and most qualified range on the international market. Costasera is its flagship wine in the world and a benchmark in the Amarone category. Italy’s finest wines, in fact, include Amarone, together with Barolo and Brunello.
A Vineyard in the Italian wine region of Valpolicella in the Veneto. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Amarone
Amarone at Eataly
Conegliano is one of Italy’s leading wine schools in this region. Every year, Verona hosts Vinitaly, the world’s leading Wine Festival.
Prosecco
A Vineyard in the Italian wine region of Valpolicella in the Veneto. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Amarone
Casa Vinicola Bertani is one on the region’s most influential wine producers. Bertani was founded in 1857 by Gaetano and Giovani Battista Bertani. They are vertically integrated; they own the vineyards and control the entire wine-making cycle.
In 2004, the winter was cold and wet with an average spring. Summer was characterized by warm days and cool nights allowing for optimal ripening. The wine was aged in oak casks for 7 years and bottled in January of 2011.
1980 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico from the Venato
The 1980 Spring had average temperatures and precipitation with a hot, dry summer. Yields were lower but fruit quality was high. The wine was fermented for 46 days and aged for 10 years in large Slovonian oak barrels. The wine was bottled in February of 1991.
Nebbiolo has a long history in the Alba region of Piedmont. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Italian wine (Photo credit: toyohara)
Ripasso and Recioto are also produced in the Venato; fermentation is stopped earlier for Recioto to capture sweetness. Try some Amarones and Reciotos from wineries like Alighieri, Masi and Allegrini.
English: Barolo, Piedmont, Italy – the village Italiano: Barolo, Piemonte, Italia – il paese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Barolo (Photo credit: verovera78)
The subregion of Piedmont called Langhe, is where the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco are produced. Piedmont produces complex red wines made from Nebbiolo grapes in the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations. Traditionally these wines age well and have an intense fruit flavor.
Other Piedmontese wines include: fruity Barbera and sweet Brachetto and Dolcetto. Sparkling Asti is made from the Moscato grape.
In the Italian wine region of Piedmont (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cerretto, Gaja, Aldo Conterno and Giacosa are prominent producers in this area. Visit Cerretto’s headquarters at the Monsordo Bernadina winery outside Alba and then go to the town of Alba and have lunch at Ristorante La Piola in the Piazza Duomo. Alba is a picturesque medieval village that also produces Barbera.
http://assets.winespectator.com/wso/Maps/Piedmontmap.pdf
Ceretto – Barbaresco “Asij” Docg 2007 (Photo credit: Doyouwine)
Italian wine made from Nebbiolo in Piedmont (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
the heart of Sicily (Photo credit: Chiara Marra)
I love Sicily. Start your adventure in Palermo and travel to the wineries in Avola and the other beautiful towns in Southern Sicily. Visit the Donna Fuggata Winery in Sicily. You will also adore Palermo, Cefalu, Taormina and the Aeolian Islands!
Sicily 2009 (Photo credit: mad_76)
Sicily has a plethora of interesting sites and produces
a a broad array of bold wines. Have some Nero d’Avola as you watch a movie in the Greco-Roman Theater at the annual Taormina Film Festival. Spend the weekend at the luxurious San Domenico Palace hotel, a former 15th century monastery.
Visit the Late Baroque towns in Southeastern Sicily where you can tour and taste in the town of Avola. Dine at La Gazza Landra on Via Blandini in Modica Alta.
Campania is another outstanding Vino con Vista destination. The smoldering volcano that destroyed Pompeii and Herculanuem generated fertile volcanic soil for growing grapes, lemons and olives. Pallagrello Nero, Aglianico, Biancolella and Fiano grapes are used to produce sumptuous wines in this region. Sip some Lacryma Christi del Bianco or Flanghina wine from your lounge chair at the beach or on your splendid terrace in the Amalfi Coast. This region produces plenty of limoncello.-
Terraza del Vino 7 (Photo credit: BodegaContiempo)
Italian wine region of Piedmont (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
http://assets.winespectator.com/wso/Maps/Piedmontmap.pdf
Ceretto – Barbaresco “Asij” Docg 2007 (Photo credit: Doyouwine)
Italian wine made from Nebbiolo in Piedmont (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
the heart of Sicily (Photo credit: Chiara Marra)
Sicily has a plethora of interesting sites and produces a broad array of bold wines.
Vino con Vista Sicily
Giuseppe Garibaldi – Portrait of an Italian Patriot with Red Wine & Cabbage (Photo credit: Nino.Modugno)
http://assets.winespectator.com/wso/Maps/Sicilymap.pdf
Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello di Montalcino (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 2003 Italian wine from Tuscany made from Sangiovese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sangiovese grapes in a vineyard of Montalcino, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Eataly Wine from Tuscany
Tuscany is one of the most popular destinations for wine tourism. You can visit the Chianti, Bolgheri, Brunello di Montalcino, Maremma and the Montepulciano appellation.
Wine Display at Eataly
2006 Castello Banfi Belnero Toscana, I.G.T. from Montalcino (Photo credit: Michal Osmenda)
The Montepulciano grape is most widely planted on the opposite coast of Abruzzo; not the town of Montepulciano in Tuscany where Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made from Sangiovese grapes. The Vernaccia grape is used for white Vernaccia de San Gimignano.
Abbey of Sant’Antimo, Montalcino, Tuscany (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Chianti and the towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano are the wine-producing regional rock stars in Tuscany!
The gallo nero seal of the Consorzio Chianti Classico (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Tuscany Cipresses (Photo credit: Maarten Van Hoof)
English: Castle (Fortezza) at Montalcino, Siena, Italy. Photo taken by Type17, 18:50hrs June 24th 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The best quality wines are the Riservas.
They generally come from Sangiovese grapes in the Chianti Classico zone, which stretches from Florence to Siena. Try wines from Antinori, Castell’in Villa, San Felice and Isole e Olena. Try to attend the annual Chianti festival in the charming town of Greve in Tuscany.
Landscape in the Italian wine region of Greve in the Chianti area in Tuscany, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A bottle of the Italian wine Chianti Classico made from Sangiovese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Chianti sub-zone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Italian wine Brunello from Tuscany made from Sangiovese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sangiovese grapes on the vine in the Italian wine region of Chianti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
http://assets.winespectator.com/wso/Maps/Tuscanymap.pdf
Montalcino (Photo credit: littlestar19)
English: The Municipality of Montalcino within the Province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy Italiano: Il comune di Montalcino nella Provincia di Siena, Toscana, Italia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: View of Montalcino from the Castle (Fortezza). Taken Sept 8th 2006 by me. Canon EOS 20D, 10mm focal length (16mm effective length) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Rome‘s was a big wine producer during the reign of the Emperors but you must travel outside the city limits to engage in Wine Tourism. The Roman Hills and Frascati offer excellent Vino con Vista opportunities. Try Est Est Est.
Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Folio 189v – The Communion of the Apostles the Musée Condé, Chantilly. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Frascati (Photo credit: twicepix)
Beschreibung: Kiste mit Tignanello-Flaschen – eine Kostbarkeit. Fotograf: Benutzer:BMK 8/2004 Please send reference and voucher copy to BMK(at)clever.ms Bitte Quellenangabe und Beleg an BMK(at)clever.ms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Bottles of Sassicaia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sangiovese vines of Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Map of Italy and its districts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There is an annual fall wine festival in Greve in Chianti in September. Greve is on the Via Chiantigiana; the Chianti route to Siena. The Festival is held in Piazza Matteotti.
City Lights, France-Italy Border (NASA, International Space Station Science, 04/28/10) (Photo credit: NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center)
To learn more about Italy’s Wine Regions visit @ www.vino-con-vista.com
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