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The Piedmont wine region in northwestern Italy produces some of my favorite Italian wines and the fact that they were all based on the Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes were just icing on the cake.  The winery I’m highlighting today, Terre da Vino, was a first for myself to experience.  Terre da Vino plays a large role in the wine industry in Piedmont.  ...

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The Primitivo grape hails from southern Italy, primarily in the region of Puglia located on the heel of the boot.  In Puglia it’s the 3rd most planted grape that grows well in the hot, dry conditions.  It’s a grape that is genetically related to zinfandel, although quite different in style.  Those from California are typically higher in sugar and t...

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I love Italian wine for a reason because I really enjoy them all from northern to southern Italy.  Sangiovese was my first love and even as I traveled the map of Italian wine it still remains my favorite. We're not just talking Chianti because if I really had to narrow it down to a singular wine it would be Brunello di Montalcino.  Sangiovese is th...

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As we start to round out this challenging year I think we all need a little bubbly to raise our spirits. This month I am featuring sparkling wines from all over Italy.  My focus is on the wines of the Valdobbiadene and Conegliano Superiore DOCG.  I recently attended a tasting hosted by the Consorzio and IEEM and led by Anthony Giglio where we did a...

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Birthdays are the perfect time to celebrate popping bottles and drinking the good stuff.  Earlier this year I had received a couple of bottles of Barbaresco and Barolo from Poderi Colla and no time like the present to sample them.  Although for a Barolo and Barbaresco these wines are in their youth, they will further benefit from aging.  Luckily I...

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Puglia’s history is known for producing bulk table wine that was sold to the rest of Europe and even Northern Italy.  Even though this still happens today, Puglia has focused on their quality and really established itself as a major player in today’s wine market.  Today it ranks in the top 3 regions throughout all of Italy for producing the largest...

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Over the last few months I’ve shared some wines from Calabria, a wine region of Italy that is one of the lesser discovered one that I love to explore and share.  Today is the first day I’m sharing a wine from the Greco Bianco grape and it’s a late harvest one from Tenuta Iuzzolini.  The Winery ~ Tenuta Iuzzolini  Four sibilings, Pasquale, Diego, An...

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Even though I’m not venturing outside Tuscany I am highlighting a lesser discovered appellation in the southern part called Montecucco.  Located in the Maremma, northeast of Grosseto not too far from the Tyrrhenian Sea.  The hills are set inland at the foothills of Monte Amiato, an extinct volcano.  Not too distinct are also the sangiovese based ap...

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If you’re ever had the pleasure to travel to Lake Garda in Northern Italy you are one of the lucky ones.  It is the biggest lake in Italy residing in both the Veneto and Lombardy regions.  Many great wines are located around it and within a short distance, including those of the Lugana DOC.  Lugana is a wine appellation situated at the southern poi...

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Campania, a region in Southern Italy, has deep roots in ancient winemaking and viticultural practices influenced strongly by the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans.  Campania served as a center of the Magna Grecia, “Great Greece”, which were colonies of the Greeks in southern Italy.  They were very instrumental in the development of agriculture and vitic...

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