Italian Wine, An Expression of Art
Welcome to the Gregorian Year 2024! Let us raise our glass of Italian wine, in a toast to a hopeful new year and cheer “Alla Salute” (=To Health). Sharing and enjoying a good bottle of wine during lunch, dinner or aperitivo (=happy hour) has always been an important element of Italian culture and deeply rooted in history. It is more than just a beverage and not just about drinking, it's an integral part of the country's lifestyle and appreciating the flavours, aromas, and togetherness in joy and good spirits.
There is a popular proverb about the relationship between wine and health: buon vino fa buon sangue, it means good wine, creates good blood, and has beneficial effects on our health. Whether at home or at a restaurant, every meal is a pleasure and a nice experience; for that, it’s necessary to enjoy food with compatible wine. There are so many varieties of good wines with affordable prices in Italy, and it’s a fun journey of exploration to discover and experiment with your personal wine preferences, and what tastes best to your palate.
Pairing wine with food is essential, to elevate the dining experience. There are some general guidelines to consider: Observe the intensity of both the wine and the dish, lighter dishes pair well with lighter wines, while heavier dishes can handle bolder wines. For example, a delicate Pinot Grigio might complement a grilled fish, while the wine pairing with Fiorentina beefsteak is Chianti Classic red wine. A glass of wine can either enhance similar flavours in a dish as a complementary pairing or provide a contrast to balance the overall taste. For instance, fresh Montepulciano wine can complement the richness of a creamy pasta dish, while a crisp Vernaccia can contrast with the creaminess. Consider the acidity of both the wine and the food. High-acid wines, like Chianti, can cut through fatty or rich foods, providing a refreshing contrast. Similarly, acidic foods can complement wines with bright acidity.
In general, producing wine by Italian skilled winemakers begins with selecting and cultivating grape varieties suited to the specific region's climate conditions, soil characteristics and topography. After harvest, the grapes undergo crushing and pressing to extract the juice. Fermentation follows, where the sugars in the juice are converted into alcohol by yeast. Monitoring the process, and deciding factors like fermentation time and temperature. After fermentation, the wine undergoes ageing, either in stainless steel tanks, wooden barrels, or a combination of both. The final step is bottling, and some wines may continue to mature in the bottle before reaching consumers. Each region in Italy has its traditional grape varieties and winemaking techniques, contributing to the diversity of Italian wines.
Geographically, the position of this boot-shaped country is diverse, stretching from the hills of the Alps in the north part to the warm and sunny of the Mediterranean in the south, the range provides a well-suited landscape for various wine regions that specialize in specific grape varieties, contributing to the overall richness of Italian wines. From the link of Federdoc, the National Confederation for Protection of Italian wine: https://www.federdoc.com/vini-a-d-o/, we can see the maps of the Italian regions that show the Designations of Origin of Italian Wines, related wine production areas and the varieties of grapes they are produced.
For those who want to include in the bucket list of “things to do in 2024”, joining the trip of Le Strade del Vino (=The Wine Roads) in Italy is an interesting experience. Visiting the winery and seeing the process of wine production, walking around the vineyard in a breathtaking landscape, tasting local good wine accompanied by local food, produced around the area of the vineyard and taking many pictures of the memorable happy moments.