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Although I love highlighting Italy’s indigenous grapes, wine regions and producers I think it’s also good to take a step back from time to time and highlight some of the basics in understanding Italian wine. Italy is home to over 2,000 native grape varieties with about 400-500 of them being actively being commercially produced. It’s always a challe...

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This month, I’m highlighting the Maremma wine region, often overshadowed by its neighboring wine regions to the north. Located in southern Tuscany, the Maremma is a stretch of territory between Pisa and Livorno from the north down to the northern part of the Lazio region. Let's learn all about the Maremma including some wines from a cooperative, Ca...

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This month I'm focusing on the Piedmont wine region and one of its great white grapes, Cortese, specifically the wines produced from the Gavi area. You can find this area located in the southeastern corner of Piedmont where Piedmont merges with the region of Liguria within the provinces of Monferrato and Alessandria. The landscape of this area not...

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The Valle d’Aosta wine region of Italy tucked in the northwestern corner bordering France to the west and Switzerland to the north is truly one of Italy’s hidden gems. I explored this region on my honeymoon and was glad we went out of the way to venture there. I was thrilled to find a bottle of Valle d’Aosta wine the end of last year at a wine shop...

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The Custoza grape is a native white grape from the Veneto region in northeastern Italy. Per the Consorzio Tutela Vino Custoza’s site, the Custoza grape is “delicate, floral and fruity aromas with slightly aromatic herbs….recognizable for its freshness”.  As the wines made from this grape ages they take on riper fruit notes, with savory characterist...

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Pinot Grigio in Collio Pinot Grigio is the most planted grape of Collio, but has been losing acreage as it has been replaced slowly by Malvasia and Ribolla Gialla. Our guide, Richard Baudains, through the tasting explained that Pinot Grigio is less sensitive to soils than it is to climate. I really enjoyed this tasting as it showed the many styles...

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Rossese is a red grape found in the Liguria region of northwestern Italy bordering France and on the western side of Liguria itself. It is best known for the wines of the Rossese di Dolceaqua DOC. It can be found as single varietal, but also as a blending partner. It is one of the top red grapes of the Liguria wine region along with Dolcetto. It is...

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When you think about the wines from Emilia Romagna which wines do you think of? Personally, I think of Lambrusco. I’m not talking about the low-quality, overproduced, old-school Lambrusco from the 70’s and 80’s that set the negative image for Lambrusco that some may remember today. Lambrusco has come a long way since those days with various clones...

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The region of Umbria is often overlooked by its neighbor Tuscany. Located just north of Rome is one of the majestic medieval towns of Umbria, Orvieto. Set atop a hilltop made of volcanic tufo rock, this town was founded by the Etruscans. I traveled to Orvieto many years back and adored its quaintness. The quiet medieval side streets with a bustling...

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The Marche region is one of what I consider one of the lesser discovered regions of Italy. Located in central Italy surrounded by the regions of Umbria, Emilia Romagna, Abruzzo and touching Tuscany and Lazio. It’s located along the Adriatic Sea with hills and mountains that roll down to the sea. This varied geography creates a unique microclimate....

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