Food, Wine and Travel Blog

The genius of Italy is its ability to cater to everyone: there are as many autochthonous grapes as varieties of pasta in the Italian peninsula! So, if you seek comfort and familiarity, immerse yourself in the warming reds of Chianti Classico and the ethereal pleasures of Barbaresco. Or, if you crave some of the finest […]

Wine lovers can overlook the spectacular vineyards of Trentino-Alto Adige. It may be because they lack the global fame of Tuscany or the collector cachet of Piedmont. Perhaps it is because the region, until very recently, had struggled to market a single, overarching identity to oenophiles. But whatever the root cause, it is worth persevering […]

Learning about Malvasia can be a recipe for confusion. It is a very well-traveled variety, cultivated in Italy, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Australia, South America, and the US. That would be bad enough; however, there are 70 different genetic variations or sub-varieties of the Malvasia grape and a plethora of regional synonyms. Moreover, the grape is […]

Inzolia is a grape with two distinct identities. One of them stretches back over a century – Inzolia is one of the key white varieties used to make Sicilian Marsala. This fortified wine, made on the island’s west coast, once enjoyed a reputation equal to the illustrious First Growth estates of` Pauillac; contemporary palates have, […]

The Italians have a knack for reinvention, motivated by pride and commercial pragmatism. Take, for instance, the esoteric white grape known as Grillo. For centuries, Grillo has been used to produce Sicilian Marsala, a fortified wine style that sadly fell out of favor in the 20th century. Once the toast of Europe’s aristocracy, most consumers […]

Is there a region as dynamic and exciting as Campania? Or less easy to pigeonhole? Described as Oenotria (land of wine) by the colonizing Greeks, the majestic terrain of southern Italy holds many secrets. Who would have imagined, for example, that these warm volcanic soils could yield such incredibly fresh and racy white wines? But […]

In the patchwork of Italy’s regions, Emilia Romagna takes a large portion of the northeast, stretching from the Adriatic coast to almost the whole width of the country. Geographically, it’s divided in two by the die-straight Via Emilia built in the 2nd century BC and still fundamental to local mobility. The vast flat plains begin […]

Italy’s wine industry is often viewed as slightly chaotic and rule-adverse by Europe’s more conventional producers. But this isn’t simply a lazy stereotype – the Italians have always challenged regulations and established norms they find irrelevant or outmoded. The Tuscan revolution of the 1970s was built on this rebellious spirit; growers decided to break away […]

From one perspective, Glera is the most important white grape cultivated in Italy today. The backbone of all-white Prosecco, it is responsible for a global phenomenon that has no equal; few consumers around the world have not sipped a glass of Italy’s leading bubbly. Moreover, while overall sales of red wine continue to stagnate in […]

The Veneto region is a mass of contradictions. Several of Italy’s most iconic appellations and wine styles are nestled in its hills, including Valpolicella Classico, Amarone della Valpolicella, and Recioto. The best can compete with Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, and the finest Super-Tuscans money can buy. As a result, there is no paucity of superlative […]

The wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia bear little resemblance to the Tuscan stereotype: full-bodied reds of savory potency and charm. No, this corner of northeast Italy has long been in the white wine business. With exceptional terroir – many vineyards benefit from a cool alpine climate – Friuli-Venezia is the ideal destination to produce fresh and […]

The world of wine is not a democracy: certain varieties produce heavenly nectar, while others can only deliver a mouthful of acidic dross. Fiano lies in the former category – this piece of Campanian history continues to seduce critics and sommeliers with its complex bouquet, racy acidity, and silky texture. It could even be said […]