The white wines of France offer unrivaled perfection. With few exceptions, every vineyard growing white grapes is so planted not because reds won’t grow well there, but because whites will flourish. France’s white wines are not an afterthought or a consolation prize. These are vinous treasures...

It is almost here. That wonderful day in March that wine lovers all over the world anxiously wait for every year. Thousands gather for jubilant festivities of the wines of Beaujolais. No, my calendar does not need adjusting. November’s annual harvest fete known as Beaujolais Nouveau Day is a...

Autumn in Champagne is a spectacular time to explore the region. The countryside and vineyards are abounding in rich palettes of color and the intoxicating fall fragrance instills a unique sensorial experience. Champagne is like laughter as it fills my senses with joy, especially when the cork...

Glera is the principal grape of Prosecco sparkling wine. Originally the grape was known as Prosecco (more precisely Prosecco Tondo). The variety has an unclear origin and an even more complicated ampelographic history due to the fact that several distinct varieties have been called...

A BIT OF WINE CHEMISTRY: Lessons from Champagne Day one of the Champagne study trip initiated a discussion which continued throughout the week of factors impacting aromas and flavors in champagne. Broadly, aromas can be categorized into the impacts of grape variety, terroir, vinification, and...

Emilia-Romagna is one of the wealthiest regions in Italy and in all of Europe. It is a cultural nexus, thanks to the beautiful Romanesque and Renaissance architecture found in the cities of Bologna, Ferrara and Modena. The Rimini and Riccione beach resorts of the Adriatic are famous among the...

Veneto’s grape varieties are almost equally divided between white and red. More than 60% of the cultivated varieties are native or Italian grapes. Among them, the indigenous Glera, Garganega and Corvina Veronese account for almost half of Veneto’s total plantings. The western Veneto is largely and...

Nebbiolo-Based Appellations of Langhe Hills in Piedmont Barolo DOCG Barolo is one of Italy’s greatest wines and is considered to deliver the highest and most powerful expression of the Nebbiolo grape. Although its origin is shrouded in mystery, its rise to stardom is not. Supposedly, the red wines...

The geologic evolution of the Italian landscape has always been characterized by strong volcanic activity. Italy is one of the few winemaking countries with a considerable number of vineyards growing on the slopes of ancient and extinct volcanos. Vineyards are also cultivated around active...

Alto Adige/Südtirol is one of the oldest winegrowing areas in German-speaking Europe. Vines were cultivated by the local Rhaeti tribe, an ancient Alpine people of Etruscan origin, before their territory was conquered by the Roman Empire in 15 BC. According to the Roman author, Pliny the Elder,...

Today, Veneto represents Italy’s most productive wine region and accounts for 25% of Italy’s total DOC/G wine production.

Are you looking for the best Italian red grapes? The wonderful thing about Italian red grape varieties is that they are distinctly Italian. Plenty of winegrowers around the world have made attempts at growing Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera, but few have come even close to matching the results of...

A number of Friuli’s native varieties were rescued from the brink of disappearance. Let us introduce you to Vitovska and Pignolo. Vitovska: The name of this white grape variety is of clear Slavic origin, but it is generally considered to be a native variety of both eastern Friuli and Slovenia, as...

With a treasure trove of native white varieties, Friuli Venezia Giulia makes some of Italy’s most exciting white wines.Friuli Venezia Giulia is considered the birthplace of modern Italian white winemaking. In the late 1960s, a small group of inspired producers began crafting clean, fresh and...

Emilia-Romagna’s Romagna Albana DOCG holds the claim to that distinction. This was Emilia-Romagna’s first DOCG, and more controversially, Italy’s first white DOCG.

The grape varieties of Veneto Veneto’s grape varieties are almost equally divided between white and red. More than 60% of the cultivated varieties are native or Italian grapes. Among them, the indigenous Glera, Garganega and Corvina Veronese account for almost half of Veneto’s total plantings.