Piedmont Region:

The finest wines from Italy come from Piedmont, and some rival the best Bordeaux from France.

Barolo wines can be outstanding and need to age many years to soften.  They are rich in tannin, highly acid, and show lots of fruit flavor.  They also exhibit chocolate and liquorice.

Dolcetto wines also come from Piedmont, and are softer, juicy wines that hint of cherries and chocolate.

Principal Grapes from this region:
Nebbiolo - Makes Barolo. Dark, dry, tannic.
Barbaresco - Not as grand as Barolo, but close.
Barbera - Fruity, ready to drink young, some with potential.
Dolcetto - Fruity Beaujolais like, ready to drink young.
Gignolino - Cherry flavors, best drunk young.

Veneto Region:

Wines from this area include Valpolicella and Bardolino.  Both are light, cherry, raisiny reds meant to be drunk young.  They usually exhibit some bitterness.  Valpolicella is typically richer and a bit heavier than Bardolino.

Soave is also made in Veneto and is normally dry and creamy with a nutty flavor.

Trentino Region:

Wines from this area include Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.

Trentino makes refreshing whites that hint of Germany and Austria.  Varieties include Pinot Grigio, Muscat, Riesling, and Gewurtztraminer.  Trentino wines are typically dry, fresh, and fruity and are some of the best varietals in Italy.

Also from the area are varietal reds that age well, and sparkling whites made from the champagne method.

Friuli Region:

Wines from this area include Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.  Chardonnay varieties tend to be exciting, tangy, rich, full bodied whites.  As with most whites, they need to be drunk quite young and don't age well.

Pinot Grigio is very, very light and quite refreshing.  It hints of lemon and makes an excellent summer table wine.

Tuscany Region:

Wines from this area include Chianti & Sangiovese.  Although most Chianti's are meant to be drunk quite young, some do age fairly well.  Chianti is primarily made from the Sangiovese grape, and is typically earthy but light & dry.

Some Sangiovese wines are simply labeled "vino da tavola"...table wine.  They are excellent, inexpensive wines to enjoy every day.

Super Tuscans are a blend of Sangiovese and other reds, like merlot.

Principal Grapes from this region:
Sangiovese - Medium weight, dry, fruity, clean.
Trebbiano - A potent White grape sometimes added to Chianti.

Umbria Region:

Wines from this area include Chardonnay & Sangiovese.

Most whites from Umbria exhibit some character, but are rarely notable.  Only the best show peaches and honey with nutty overtones.

Other wines from the region, both red and white, are typically oaky and pleasant.

The Marches Region:

Wines from this area include Montepulciano and Sangiovese.

Most reds from this region are excellent with game, and are full, balanced, and plummy.  Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a quality wine and can age for up to 20 years.

White varieties include Trebbiano and Pinot Grigio, and are normally light, crisp, appley wines.

Abruzzi Region:

Wines from this area include Montepulciano and Trebbiano.  Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a quality wine and can age for up to 20 years.  It is typically rich and peppery with hints of chocolate.

White varieties include Trebbiano and Pinot Grigio, and are normally light, crisp, appley wines.

Sicily:

Wines from Sicily include:

Marsala
Sicily's most famous wine, Marsala, was first made in the city of that name on the western coast by the Woodhouse firm, which also sold Port. Like its sisters Port and Sherry, Marsala is a fortified wine with an alcohol content of around twenty percent. It is usually made from native Grillo, Catarratto, or Inzolia grapes.  For more than a century, Marsala was the equal of Sherry and Madeira, if not Port. By the 1950s, however, it found itself relegated to the kitchen as cooking wine.

Today's Marsala is often divided into three different standards, namely oro (golden), ambra (amber), and rubino (ruby). Some marsala makers prefer to categorise it according to terms used for Port wine, such as tawny. There are both sweet and dry types, and various categories (of which we'll mention just a few). "Fine" is aged for a minimum of one year, while "Superiore" is aged for a minimum of two years (some vintners age it for three years). "Superiore Riserva" (often simply "Riserva") is a vintage wine aged in wood for four years, and sometimes as long as six. "Vergine" is aged in wood for a minimum of five years (some firms age it in small oak casks for as long as seven years).

Primitivo
The Primitivo grape is rarely used by itself anymore. Some fascinating genetic research in California indicates that the grape Americans call Zinfandel is actually Primitivo, a Sicilian variety that may have been introduced by the Albanians who settled certain Sicilian communities in the sixteenth century. It was probably taken to California in the eighteenth century by Spanish colonists or later by Sicilian immigrants.

Malvasia
Malvasia is another white grape used to make a strong varietal that is golden to amber in color and slightly fortified. Bred from an older grape variety, Malvasia is grown in northeastern Sicily (near Messina) and on the island of Lipari, where it is used in the making of a wine somewhat similar to Moscato.

Nero d'Avola
This hearty red is Sicily's most popular non-fortified varietal, now Nero d'Avola grapes.produced by numerous Sicilian wineries. Often compared to Syrah, it is sometimes blended with other reds but usually allowed to stand on its own. A full-bodied red like this one is not easily overlooked, and dozens of wineries (including makers of "new wines") have introduced this varietal to cash in on a profitable trend. To avoid an overpowering taste, the flavor of this wine is best when the grapes are placed in cooled vats at harvest --preferably at night-- to prevent conditions which can lead to premature fermentation. 

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