Learning about Italian wine is like a history lesson. That is because Italians have been perfecting the craft so long. Italy is admired around the world for its wines. Further, it is easy to understand why. The country produces over 800 types of grapes in 20 wine regions. Italy tops the list of wine-producing countries, followed by France. Many of the varieties of grapes were imported to plant in thousands of vineyards. However, experts say grapes native to Italy make the best-tasting wines.
Anyone learning about Italian Wines needs to know the regions. Piedmont and Tuscany are the leading wine regions. Piedmont is known for producing very dry red wines like Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the nebbiolo grape. Additionally, Piedmont produces the very popular Moscato. Moscato sales caused a resurgence of the Italian wine market. Interestingly, Moscato was made for wine makers to drink. That is because of its low alcohol content. Hence, wine makers would enjoy it at lunch time and go back to work. Commercially, it was marketed as a dessert wine. In the last five years, Moscato sales are up 73-percent. That is because the young, hip crowd started drinking Moscato.
On the other hand, Tuscany wines are made largely from the sangiovese grape. The wine may be sold as Chianti or blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Italian Wines grown in the Alto Adige region are generally more acidic. This region is known for white wines like Pinot Grigio. The little known region, Veneto, produces one of the finest wines in the world, Amarone della Valpolicella. This wine is known for its intense flavor. Wine makers in the region wanted to produce a concentrated wine. Therefore, they started drying the grapes before making the wine. This process takes the water out of the grapes but leaves the flavor. The Italian version of Champage, Prosecco, is also popular. Indeed, Prosecco lovers say the bubbles are lighter than Champagne. They also love the hints of tropical fruits used in its production. There are several websites that explain the different varieties of wine. For example, look for the site for Towne Cellars Wines & Liquors Inc. You can also connect them on Facebook for more updates.
