Taste The Real Tuscany Through Its Varied Wines

By Author: Kathy
Total Articles: 265
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Italy, the land of marvellous landscapes and hilly slopes, is very famous all over the world for the wine it produces. The country boasts an extraordinary range of grape varieties, growing most of the world’s major red and white grapes. Italy’s warm, sun-filled and hilly landscapes and mountain slopes naturally produce an almost unparalleled variety of grapes. From robust reds to crisp, light whites and wines that tantalise, it offers great variety with every colour, flavour and style conceivable. Let us explore some of the regions of Italy where extraordinary grapes and wines are produced.

There are many varieties of grapes growing in the land. Native varieties like Sangiovese, Barbera and Trebbiano grow throughout the country; while others like Nebbiolo, Verdicchio and Lambrusco, for example, grow only in certain regions. With so many varieties growing in different regions, winemaking has become a competitive occupation between the regions that aggressively compete against each other in the marketplace. For example, Piemonte is Italy's number one wine region competing with Tuscany for the quintessential red wine. ...
... It is well known as Chianti and other reds like Brunello di Montalcino, have made Tuscany world famous, and for the popular “Super Tuscan” wines -- wines made from grape varieties or blends that aren’t traditional to Tuscany.

The Apennine Mountains are much occupied with the Marches but the rest is mainly hillsides, ideal for grapevines that produce reds like Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno. But, no place is more ideal for producing wine than Puglia. The region is said to produce 100 to 130 million cases of wine annually.

Veneto produces the Veronese trio of Bordoline and Valpolicella (reds) and Soave (white), and is home to the prestigious VIN ITALY wine fair held every April in Verona. In the northwest corner of Emilia in an area known as the Val Padana, more than two-thirds of Emilia’s wines are grown, most of which made from Lambrusco. In the Apennine foothills of Emilia there grows numerous grape varieties, but most wines are made in the semi sweet style preferred by Emilians.

Sicily and Sardenia also have amenable climates for growing grapes. Producing wine for 4,000 years and since the 8th century B.C. respectively, the hot climate of this area and longer growing season produces stronger, fruitier wines than the north. The famous wines from this area include the spirit-laced Marsala, Port, Sherry and Madeira, with Sicily specializing in sweet wines to accompany their memorable pastries and desserts.

From Umbria, where winemaking dates back to the Etruscans, comes the world-famous Orvieto, one of Italia’s most famous white wines. In Rome, there’s Frascati, a clean white wine served cold; from Napoli there’s the favorite Lacryma Cristi (Chris's Tear).

Thus, visitors can taste and purchase the best wines of the region at local vineyards and wineries, or can take a wine tour staying at one of the Tuscany villas to have a tasting experience not to be forgotten.