Many wine producing countries have only certain areas where they are able to grow grape vines, due to environmental and climate conditions. With Italy, you can grow vines almost everywhere. Currently there are around 500 000 growers in Italy, together producing 28% of EU wine production. With the average bottle price for Italian wine in the UK being just over £4, there are some bargains to be had.
There are over 800 grape varieties planted in Italy, a lot of these being indigenous varietals which have been around for centuries. These grapes have adapted to their conditions and are well suited to their warm - sometimes exceptionally hot - continental and Mediterranean climates.
A problem, which many growers face in warmer growing conditions, is the grapes can become too ripe. This can cause the sugar levels to rise and acidity levels to drop. Leaving us with a grape that will produce an unbalanced and potentially highly alcoholic wine. This is due to the high amount of sugar in the grape, that can be converted into alcohol. With high sugar levels, high acidity is needed.
This is where the magic of Italy begins. With the vines adapting to their growing conditions over centuries, they have what the industry terms good 'hang time'. The grapes ripen normally in their environment, however the acidity levels remain high. Enabling a balanced wine to be produced.
And good acidity in a wine is what you need when you're about to munch your way through a big cheesy pizza, creamy pasta or Italian sausage stew. The acidity in the wine helps cut through the food and leaves your palate refreshed and ready for more.
A few wines that are worth checking out are the Olive Hills Nero d'Avola from Sicily, available from Union Market in Fulham for £6.50. Bright cherry and a touch of blackberry on the palate, this wine is relatively light in body and has great refreshing acidity and very faint, smooth tannins. Exceptionally easy drinking and perfect with pizza.
From Sainsbury's you can pick up the 2008 Sardelli Chianti for the bargain price of £4.29. Simple yet effective are the key words for this wine. Along with bright cherry and red current there are earthy and vegetal notes along with that refreshing acidity. I tasted this wine blind and estimated the bottle price at around £10 so for £4.29 I will be picking myself up a few bottles.
Sometimes we all need a real treat and my final wine is certainly this. Amarone, produced mainly from the Corvina grape variety, is to me and I'm sure many others, the King of Italian wine. After picking, the grapes are dried out in huge rooms, enabling the flavours to concentrate and develop raisin characters. The dried grapes are then used to make the wine which is deep, smooth, concentrated and luscious. By law Amarone must be at least 14% abv and most are above and beyond.
The 2004 Amarone Della Valpolicella Corte Sant Alda is an excellent example. Available at Berry Bros and Rudd for £43.95, this wine may be 15.5% abv but you wouldn't know it. The alcohol is superbly integrated into the deep, rich, smooth body which is full of concentrated raisin, prune, black cherry, vanilla, and black pepper notes. The finish is long and smooth. I can't recommend this wine highly enough.
These are just three examples of a multitude of Italian wine that is
awaiting your discovery. Don't be put off by the wine labels. Key things to look out for are DOC and DOCG which are guarantees of origin and (usually) quality. As I hope you've learned from reading this, there is a world beyond Pinot Grigio!
Happy drinking.
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