Italy
The wines of Italy are perhaps the most diverse and varied of any country. The range of grape varieties and styles is simply remarkable, and you can find almost every color and flavour imaginable within its wines.
The country's love affair with wine began not just centuries, but millennia ago. The ancient Greeks called Italy 'oenotria', or 'land of the vine', but it was with the beginnings of the Roman Empire that the Italian wine trade really took off.
The last few decades have seen huge changes in the Italian wine industry ... brand new wineries - some of the most modern in Europe - have been built, and 'international' grape varieties, Chardonnay, Merlot and so-on, have developed a strong foothold.
Where Italy was once synonymous with Marsala and Chianti, many other wines have become household names, with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Pinot Grigio perhaps the best-known of all.
Popular Grapes
Popular Grapes Primitivo, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Cortese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio
Famous Producers
Paolo Masi, MGM, Farnese, Castello di Bossi
Principal Regions
Abruzzo, Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, Piedmont, Veneto
Climate
Continental, Mediterranean
- Italy's oldest and most famous winemaking dynasty Antinori created huge controversy in 1974 by blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Chianti's Sangiovese grape.
- The Romans held wine in high esteem and even worshipped their own God of wine, Bacchus.
- Italy is the No.1 wine exporter to the United States with sales exceeding 1.2 million hectolitres.
- Southern Italy's Primitivo grape is closely related to California's Zinfandel and is sometimes referred to by wine journalists as 'the original Zin'.
