Food and drink

White's Wine: A Taste of Italy

By Stuart White
March 03, 2010

Italy is the largest producer of wine in the world. Yes, more than France.

Production has increased and quality improved, so I accepted an invitation to Vintners’ Hall in London, the spiritual home of the UK wine industry, to taste what is happening.

“Good Italian food needs good Italian wine,” said Valpolicella maker Marinella Camerani at the Berry Bros & Rudd-hosted event. “The two run parallel.”

The world’s oldest wine merchant had gathered a team of top producers to mainly showcase their 2006 vintages, considered one of the best in recent years. It was interesting to note that every one of the 60 bottles ready to swirl, sniff and spit were red. No Pinot Grigio here. It is red that matters.

If Bordeaux is driven by greed, wine in Italy is a product of passion. And it was made clear it should be enjoyed and drunk as such.

Buying the stuff is a bit of a minefield though. Everybody knows their Italian foods, but the same cannot be said about the wine. Here are a few tips:

Barolos from the north west region of Piemonte, made using 100 per cent Nebbiolo grapes, are full-bodied, power-packed and complex. Expect to pay big money.

Central Italy is Chianti territory, with Sangiovese dominating. Tuscan reds tend to be acidic, medium bodied, with red fruit flavours and high levels of tannin.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, in the east, are deep, medium bodied, typically with plum and cherry flavours.

Valpolicella, in the north east, is renowned for light, fruity wines.

Sicily, in the south, is on the rise and expect intense, deep coloured wines higher in alcohol from wines made using local grape varieties like Primitivo (Zinfandel) and Aglianico.

Visit www.bbr.com and read the blog by Italian wine buyer David Berry Green for more.

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