Getting to Know the Wines of Italy

Nothing goes better with food than wine. When traveling the tip of the Adriatic down through Sicily, it is evident to even the most casual observer that all of Italy is great grape country. (Say that 5 times fast) Listed below are just a few of the many Italian wines you might enjoy:

Chianti (a husky dry ruby red wine)

Valpolicella (light dry red wine)

Casteller Gran Rubino (dry ruby red wine)

Bardolino (dry ruby red wine)

Recioto (heavy dry red wine)

Recioto Amarone (heavy dry red wine)

Dolcetto Spumante (semi-sweet sparkling red)

Lambrusco (semi-sweet sparkling red)

Prosecco Brut (very dry white)

Orvieto Secco (dry white wine)

Portofino Massucco (dry white wine)

Termeno (dry white wine)

Verdicchio (fruity dry white wine)

Prosecco Carpene (semi-dry sparkling white wine)

Orvieto Abboccato (semi-sweet white wine)

Asti Spumante (sweet white wine)

Gran Cavit Brut (sparkling white wine)

Moscato San Vigilo (sweet muscat dessert wine)

Moscato Passito (sweet still amber dessert wine)

Chiaretto del Garda (dry rose)

Rosato di Trento (light dry rose)

The wine above can be classified in to various wine types such as; appetizer, red and white. Appetizer wines are so called because they are flavored for before the meal or cocktail use. Sherry is characterized by its nutty flavor. It ranges in color from dark amber and is either extra dry, dry, medium dry or sweet. Vermouth is flavored with herbs and aromatics. It is dry or sweet and ranges from pale to dark amber in color. Special natural wines have pure flavors added to them, such as herbs and citrus.

Most red dinner wines are completely dry and their rich, sometimes tart and even astringent flavors blend well with red meats, spaghetti and highly-seasoned foods.

Burgundy has a generous full body. It is dry and heavier in flavor, body and bouquet than Claret. Types of Burgundy wines include Pinot Noir, Gamay, Red Pinot, Barbera and Charbono.

Claret is dry and pleasantly tart, light or medium bodied and ruby red in color. Claret types are Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grignolino.

Rose is a pink dinner whine, sometimes called a luncheon wine. It is dry to slightly sweet, light bodied and usually fruit flavored.

Vino Russo is a mellow red wine that is slightly sweet to semi-sweet. This wine is medium to heavy bodied, ruby red in color yet blander and softer in flavor than most traditional red dinner wines.

Other reds are Red Chianti, Concord, Ives and Norton.

White dinner wines vary from extremely dry and tart to sweet and full-bodied with a delicate flavor that blends well with white meats, fowl and seafood. Two major white wine types come to mind, Chablis and Rhine.

Chablis tends to be very dry with a fruity flavor and a delicate pale gold color. It is slightly fuller bodied and less tart then Rhine wine. Chablis types are Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Folle Blanche and Chenin Blanc.

Rhine wine is thoroughly dry, pleasingly tart, light bodied and pale golden to slightly green-gold. Rhine wine types are Reisling, Traminer, Sylvaner, Hock and Moselle.

Hopefully I have laid out a few of the many Italian wines you may enjoy and explained enough of their attributed that you can make an informed choice the next time you come across a wine cellar.