Category Archives: Italy

Wine regions of Italy: Abruzzo

Abruzzo is located in the central Italian region of Italy. Abruzzo is a region located in the central Italian region of Italy. It’s bordered on one side by the Adriatic Sea and on the other three sides by mountains: the Apennine Mountains to the south, Gran Sasso Massif to the north, and Sangro Valley to the east. The Sangro River flows through this valley into Abruzzo National Park, one of Italy’s largest national parks. Abruzzo is known for its dramatic landscapes, rich wildlife and mountainous terrain, which have allowed it to escape damage from modern development. In fact, much of… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Sicily

Location: Where is Sicily? You may already know that Italy, famous for its wine and pasta, has the shape of a boot. If you look at a map of Italy and extend your gaze southward, you’ll see the island of Sicily. It is located just off the “toe” of the Italian “boot.” The island is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Messina, which is only three kilometres wide at its narrowest point. Wine history: Wine has been produced on the huge island of Sicily for at least four thousand years. Much like the rest of Italy, Sicilian wine… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Piedmonte

Piedmonte is northwest of Tuscany and borders France. You may not have heard of Piedmonte before, but that’s okay. Remember, there are 20 wine regions in Italy and it’s your job to learn all about them. Luckily, we can boil down the most important things you need to know into a single paragraph or so. The region of Piedmonte is northwest of the Tuscan region and borders France. This proximity gives Piedmonte wines a distinctly French style: they are made with mostly red grapes and produce dry whites that have an astringent taste. The climate is cool and rainy which… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Sardinia

Sardinia is a Mediterranean island that lies off the southwest coast of Italy. Sardinia is a Mediterranean island that lies off the southwest coast of Italy. It’s one of the 20 regions of Italy, and you can expect to find an array of Sardinian wines in its markets. Unfortunately only a few are imported to the US. This makes me wonder if I should plan my next vacation there, since wine lovers have been touting it as the next big thing for quite some time. Must be nice to bask on gorgeous beaches while spotting archaeological sites and sipping interesting… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Campagnia

The Campania region of Italy produces some of the most popular Italian wines. The Campania region is one of the largest wine producing regions in Italy, and although far from the most famous, it produces some of the most popular Italian wines. It lies in the South of Italy, on the West coast and is bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea. The region has a long history of wine production with archaeological evidence suggesting that grapes were grown here as far back as 1500 BC. The large-scale production started with the arrival of Greek settlers in 750 BC. Red grape varietals… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Puglia

Puglia is located in southern Italy Yes, you read that correctly. Puglia is not close to Tuscany, Piedmont or Lombardy. It has more in common with Sicily and Campania than the other regions mentioned above. Puglia has a long history of wine making The wine regions of Italy are separated into 20 regions, each with its own history, culture and styles of wine. The largest wine-producing region in Italy is Puglia (Apulia), which is in the southern part of the country. It consists of five provinces, Bari, Barletta-Andria-Trani BAT, Brindisi, Foggia and Taranto. In total it covers nearly 20% of… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Trentino-Alto Adige

This region is split between two unique cultures and cuisines. Trentino-Alto Adige is a unique wine region in a number of ways, but one of the things that sets it apart from other Italian wine regions are its two distinct cultures. This part of Italy was historically under Austrian rule and thus has strong roots in Austrian culture and cuisine. The vineyards here are also located near the Swiss border, which is another source of influence for the wines produced here. While this region is best known for traditional Germanic-style varietals such as Gewurtztraminer and Kerner, the landscape offers plenty… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Umbria

History Umbria’s wine industry has a long history. The Etruscans, the Romans and the Greeks all planted vines in the region. Monasteries played an important role in early viticulture, especially during the Dark Ages when much of Europe was forced to abandon wine production. Between 1520 and 1860 wine production in Umbria fell by 80 percent as it was diverted to other crops such as olives, corn and wheat. In 1880 a phylloxera epidemic devastated vineyards all over Europe, but growers were slow to take measures to protect their vines because they thought it would be costly. As a result… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Veneto

Veneto is in the far north-east of Italy, stretching from the Dolomites mountains to the Adriatic coast. The Veneto region is one of 20 regions in Italy, and it is situated in the far north-east corner of the country. It borders Trentino-Alto Adige to the north and Friuli Venezia Giulia to the east, and it stretches from the Dolomites mountains to the Adriatic coast. Veneto is the fifth largest region in Italy, with an area of 18,398 square kilometers. The region’s vineyards are mostly in the eastern half of the region, along a band running from Lake Garda to Treviso.… Read more

Wine regions of Italy: Tuscany

Chianti “It’s not too bad for a cheap Italian red,” he said. We were in Florence, Italy, for a few days and had taken the train from Rome to Florence. “It’s a nice little spot,” he continued, “but it can be hard to find good wines.” We were in the countryside of Tuscany, out of sight and out of mind of most tourists who come to Florence from all over the world. The country is beautiful, with rolling hills and picturesque towns just within an hour’s train ride of the city. The house we were staying in was a small… Read more