A Beginner’s Guide to Italian Wines

Italy’s wines can be a constant source of confusion.  The wealth of native grape varietals and a host of regions and delimited wine regions – DOC, DOCG (similar to the French term appellation d'origine contrôlée) - can puzzle even the most astute of wine lovers.  But not to fear, a basic understanding of the principal grapes and the main wines that they produce is easy to acquire and unlocks the door to Italy’s viticultural diversity.  

Italian labelling terms

Classico indicates the historic centre of many DOC and DOCG regions within these sites producing some of the best wines.  Riserva indicates that a DOC or DOCG wine has been aged for a minimum number of months before release and must contain high minimum alcohol.

Red wine regions and grape varieties

In Piemonte, the most famous reds are Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG and are both made from Nebbiolo grapes.  Nebbiolo produces full-bodied wines with high tannins, alcohol and acidity and develop incredible complexity with notes of liquorice, mushroom and leather with age.  Barolo usually commands a premium price but is certainly a good investment for the cellar.

Hailing from central Tuscany, Chianti and Chianti Classico (DOCG) are traditionally dominated by the Sangiovese grape.  Sangiovese produces medium- to full-bodied wines with high levels of tannin and acidity necessary for long ageing.  Basic Chianti is packed with red fruits and hints of spice with nice acidity but the more complex Chianti Classico DOCG shows plum, earth and tomato and tea notes.

Veneto in northeast Italy is the home of Valpolicella and Valpolicella Classico DOC.  Traditionally a blend of local varieties, predominantly Corvina, the styles can vary considerably.  Less expensive styles are usually light-bodied, low tannins and high acidity with pleasant notes of sour cherries and strawberries.  More expensive examples, such as Amarone, are full-bodied, complex dry wines with very high alcohol levels.

White wine regions and grape varieties:

Italian white wines are often characterised as being light- to medium-bodied, medium acid and with delicate floral and green fruit aromas.

Pinot Grigio is an immensely popular white grape grown throughout Italy but the best examples come from Trentino and Friuli.  Dry, medium- to light-bodied with light green fruit characteristics and medium acidity, it is a perfect summer sipper.

Soave and Soave Classico (DOC) are my personal favourites, produced from Garganega grapes situated next to Valpolicella.  It displays subtle characteristics of chamomile and iris and with age (Soave Riserva) these floral notes develop becoming more pronounced and succulent.

Caprese with Soave Riserva

Gavi (DOCG) located in Piemonte is a light, high-acid wine made from Cortese with slightly confected green fruit and citrus notes.

In contrast to the lighter white wines, Verdicchio can be full-bodied with intriguing lemon, fennel and almond notes.  This is certainly a wine to be paired with luscious risottos or fennel and asparagus dishes.  Verdicchio is labelled as Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (DOC) produced in Marche.

I have just touched on a few of the vast multitude of Italian grape varieties and wine styles but I do hope that this can serve as the starting block for your foray into the world of Italian wine.  In my opinion, the only way to get to know a wine region is to start drinking it or better still, go to Italy.

Prosecco e Gelato

Last of the Summer Wine

Pack up the picnic hamper, light up the barbeque, and slather on the sun tan lotion because the British summertime has arrived at last.  Hurrah!  Now is not the time to be indoors - enjoy long lunches in the sun, picnics in the park, and supper under the stars.  However, you choose to dine this summer, you will of course need a good bottle of wine to compliment your menu.

For the picnic hamper, I suggest great all-rounder white wines, which pair beautifully with cold meats and cheeses, salads or quiches.  Spain produces some fantastically refreshing white wines displaying good complexity meaning they work well with a wide variety of foods.  Watch out for Verdejo/Viura blends - nice acidity, plenty of zesty citrus and green apple notes - they also often come with screw caps, perfect for the picnics.  Another great choice is Gruner Veltliner.  Primarily grown in Austria, Slovakia and Czech Republic, it is known as a food-friendly wine with a zingy refreshing-ness and hints of white pepper.

For seafood and pasta dishes, it's best to avoid robust, oaked whites so look to Italy famous for it's delicately crisp wines.  Pinot Grigio is always a great choice and great value for money - serve with seafood linguine or enjoy on its own as a casual sipper.  Vermentino, also known as Rolle in Southern France, has all the qualities to make it perfect for light fish dishes - attractively aromatic with zingy acidity.  In Tuscany, Vermentino takes on the richer and fuller characteristics associated with Southern French Viognier - a perfect accompaniment to asparagus amd lemon risotto.

Also, high on my list is the little known Godello grape.  Native of the northwestern region of Spain, Valedorras, Godello has ripe melon and tropical fruit notes with a perfect hit of acidity and a delicious salty finish that bring out the best in rich and creamy fish and pasta dishes.

Asian dishes require more full-bodied, off-dry white wines packed with tropical fruits.  Riesling is always a good choice here, be it from Germany, Alsace or Australia but it should be relatively young as some of the older vintages take on more of a kerosene nose, which may be a tad overwhelming with the spiciness of chilli, lime and ginger.  Also of note is Argentine Torrontes - full of peach and apricot aromas and with medium acidity.  It works wonders with ginger based dishes - meat, fish or vegetarian.

The heat of the summertime sun rarely inspires people to reach for a bottle of red.  Yet there is simply nothing better than a beautifully barbequed steak washed down with a full-bodied red wine.  New world wines lend themselves better to the task with their fuller flavours and high tannin levels.  And don't forget their health benefits - tannins and the red wine compound resveratrol aid the digestion of red meat, can reduce blood sugar and promote cardiovascualr health (when consumed in moderation).

Argentine Malbecs are unbeatable in how perfectly they match with BBQ meat with a silky soft texture, juicy dark fruits and plush tannins.  Australian Shiraz is also a prize-winning BBQ wine with notes of blackberry, dark chocolate, eucalyptus and liquorice.  Look out for Aussie Shiraz blended with white varietals, such as Viognier or Riesling (usually 4%).  These lift the character of the wine adding an interesting floral dimension.

If you're feeling adventurous, you could try Tannat - the national grape variety of Uruguay.  Popular in South American Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon blends, and as single varietal red wines in Southern French, it is highly tannic, full-bodied with plenty of spicy notes - all the hallmarks of a perfect BBQ red wine.

One red that I feel is overlooked in the summer months is Beaujolais.  Made from Gamay grapes, it's light in style with powerful strawberry and cherry flavours on the palate.  Surprisingly, this red wine can be served chilled and pairs beautifully with grilled chicken.  It can also withstand the heat and spices of a lot of Asian inspired dishes.

And to give some though to dessert.  Sweet wines, such as Sauternes, are always perfect with fruit based desserts, such as tarte tatin, summer pudding and vanilla macaroons.  And never forget bubbles - a chilled glass of Italian Prosecco and a bowl of fresh strawberries and cream is what summer is all about.

Now, just sit back, sip and enjoy!

Wine is a Demanding Mistress

I must admit that there are times my job is incredibly taxing - mentally and physically exhausting.  Particularly leading up to a tasting...

Oh, how I jest!  There is nothing more pleasurable than having a flight of wines to taste on a Sunday evening. 

Yes, preparation for my first wine tasting is going very well! Have found some fantastic native Spanish varietals. It's going to be a great night!

Unobvious Spain

Spain is a dominant force in the global wine market.  It is one of, if not the biggest wine producer in the world with 1.17 million hectares of land devoted solely to the cultivation of grapevines.  It is also home to over 600 Vitis vinifera species with 20 making up the core used for wine production.  Grapevine cultivation and wine making have been a large of Spanish culture with evidence of viticultural practices dating back to 4000-3000BCE long before the wine-trading culture of the Phoenicians arrived on Spanish shores.

Undoubtly, Rioja is the most famous of Spain wines.  And while there are absolutely fantastic Riojas on the market, for example Bodegas Luis Canas Rioja Reserva 2004 Reserva de la Familia, I feel people are missing out on some of the more obscure varietals.  Supermarkets are partly to blame.  Flogging Rioja at bargain basement prices with awful one-liners.  Take Tesco's line "Rioja wines - Spanish for great taste"...Oh dear!  There seems little effort to move beyond this narrow view of Spanish wines - there is much more to be had from the wines of Spain.

So I felt the need to host a little wine tasting showcasing something other than Rioja - delicious summer whites (Verdejo/Viura), juicy reds (Mencia), and the neglected Spanish treasure of Sherry - all to be paired with tapas - Burgos, Manchego, figs, artichokes, Chorizo, Spanish tortillas and salted almonds.

Let's raise a glass to the diversity of Spanish wine!

Wine and the Making of a Civilised Society

"The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learnt to cultivate the olive and the vine."

Thucydides, Greek Historian (c. 460-400BC)

The grapevine appeals to me as a symbol of a civilised society - we owe a great deal to the grapevine for it has given us philosophy, science and mathematics, and of course wine.

Lawrence Alma Tadema - Greek Wine (1873)

The Ancient Greeks went beyond the cultivation of the grapevine, creating a rich viticultural and oenological culture, which they spread throughout Europe.  Yet, what circumstances led this ancient civilisation to become the centre of viniculture?  Of course, commerce was an important factor, particularly trade with Eastern territories, which drove the development of an advanced economy.  But the major influence on Greek viniculture was, in my opinion, Mother Nature.  Greece has an outstanding number of indigenous Vitis vinifera species, as well as diverse terroir.  Add to this adequate environmental conditions creating perfect microclimates and you can achieve a vast array of wine styles.

Dionysus - Greek God of Wine & Fertility

Indeed, the number of V. vinifera cultivars in Greece is unrivaled.  No other country can boast such diversity.  Perhaps America, which has many native varietals yet the quality of the grapes is not sufficient to produce wine.  As such, a consensus on the number of individual Greek cultivars and their origin and relationship to European varieties has yet to be reached.  Techniques, such as historiographical research and ampelography have yielded no concrete evidence concerning the nature of such relationships.  However, with the advent of DNA sequence technology techniques such as DNA fingerprinting - developed specifically for grapevines by Dr Carole Meredith at UC Davis - has greatly aided the classification of each varietal and our understanding of V. vinifera familial relationships.

You may ask why such knowledge is important and how it could benefit any wine producer.  Species identification is both of social and economic importance.  Firstly, classification can prevent any species extinction.  This is particularly important in light of the plague of phylloxera that wiped out a great many vineyards and may have caused the loss of entire cultivars.  Secondly, genetic understanding of familial relations can help future cross-breeding programmes.  Cross-breeding of two genetically diverse varietals (to avoid inbreeding) can produce hardier offspring.  This is certainly a commercial benefit as many wine regions of the world are continually experiencing climatic extremes and reaching their temperature and precipitation thresholds.  In addition, it produces new and exciting cultivars.

Indeed, the application of such knowledge has great potential for the future of Greek viniculture.  For example, while phylloxera wreaked havoc across huge swathes of Europe, vineyards across the Atlantic in the US seemed untouched and this was linked to the use of a phylloxera resistant rootstocks - chiefly Richter 110.  The US became a huge exporter of such rootstocks, particularly to Greece.  And perhaps now Greece has the chance to influence American viticulture.  There is an increasing trend of vineyards and winemakers seeking out the more unusual cultivars in a bid to create a niche for themselves within the market.  Greece's ever expanding  catalogue of distinct varieties could be instrumental in this transforming Greece into "a nursery to the New World".

But what of the Greek varietals themselves?

Please note - I am not trying to provide an exhaustive catalogue of varieties, just a few key ones so you can try them out for yourselves.  Check out Vickbar Wines, which boasts the largest selection of Greek wines.

The Reds:

Agiorgitiko and Xynomavro are the two chief exports.  Agiorgitiko is often classified as Merlot-like owing to the level and tannins and dark berry aromas.  It seems wine critics find Xynomavro (xyno - acid; mavro - black) a little more difficult to place within European varieites.  Some say Pinot Noir, others say Merlot and even a Burgundy Red.  I guess it's something you have to figure out for yourself.

Xynomavro grapes (also known as xinomavro)

The varietal Mavrotragano faced near extinction not too long ago but is now being cultivated by some experimental viticulturists and oenologists on Santorini.  Great results are expected soon.

Kotsifali is a somewhat underrated grape originating from Crete.  Post-phylloxera devastation, it is making a come back, seeming to work best when managed with modern (New World) viticultural techniques.

The Whites:

Greek whites seem to not fair as well as their red counterparts where the critics are concerned.  That is not to say they should never be considered.  Indeed, as viticulturists and oenologists develop a deeper understanding of varietal-terroir interactions, they will unlock huge potentials for white grape cultivars.

Asyrtiko is the best known white grape.  Yet, it has a unstable temperament both in the field and during vinification, strongly affected by changes in terroir and elevation and prone to oxidation.

Dafni, another varietal on the brink of extinction that has been carefully re-cultivated.  Sensitive to changes in precipitation - the drier the better - and requires strict prunning as it is incredibly productive.  As for the wine, I have yet to read a damning review - clean, refershing, with botantic and herbal notes and a touch of orange and honey.  Sounds delicious!

Plytó is a varietal that displays a refreshing acidity with notes of pear and a hint of minerality.  This is somewhat unusual as it's mainly cultivated on Crete - its southern location would be expected to produce wines with baked fruit aromas and higher alcohol.  It is another varietal that has recently be re-cultivated.  Both Dafni and Plytó have both been revived by the Lyrarakis family vineyard.  Their work has certainly brought new white varieties into the spotlight with their Plytó 2011 winning a Bronze Decanter award.

So, I hope this inspires you to explore the ancient and modern world of Greek wine without reaching for Retsina.  Let us toast to the bright future of Greek wine - στην υγειά μας!