Print Article for : Italian Wine And Cheese

Your Online Guide » The Travel Guide » Travel and Leisure Magazine

[I574]Italian Wine And Cheese

by Benn Brown, Ben

During your Italy vacation you will find that wine is very important to the country. It has some of the oldest vineyards in the world and some of the best wines are produced here. About 20% of wine in the world is produced in Italy. While you are on your Italy vacation you will find that wine is drunk with every meal and sometimes in-between meals. It will be offered to you almost everywhere you go because grapes are grown all over Italy and wine is made by everyone from the villagers to the large commercial wineries. It is said that there are one million vineyards in Italy!

So what are some of the wineries you should visit on your Italian vacation? The Enthusiastic Traveler offers winery tours in May, September and October. This tour is in the Tuscan region which is the home of the Super Tuscan. Super Tuscan wines do not follow the rules of wine making. Blends are made using non-traditional methods of combining certain grapes which are not normally combined. The tour will take you to a farm called Castel Pietraio in a beautiful hillside town near Siena for a simple wine tasting of wines made by squeezing grapes in barrels. Other vineyards are visited and many people on an Italy vacation that come here say they smell the wine in the air. There is also a visit to an ancient castle complete with a wine making baron who has discovered some very rare grapes to use in his wines. For your vacation in Italy "The Enthusiastic Traveler" may be contacted through its website at www.theenthusiastictraveler.com

Ca'Bruzzo Italian Winery is found in Northern Italy close to Venice. They grow 5 varieties of grapes here and produce about 20,000 bottles a year. This is a small family owned winery and they believe their close physical contact with the vines make for their especially tasty wines. During your Italy vacation you may want to take this tour because not only do you get to taste wine at its different stages of development and see the wine cellar but the family will also teach you how to make wine and care for a vineyard. There is a lot of focus here on the benefits of organically grown grapes for wine. If you enjoy this vineyard during your vacation in Italy, the Bruzzos can even ship their wine to you so you can continue to experience the amazing taste. This winery can be contacted through its website at www.cabruzzo.com

One of the most memorable wines that you may come across during your Italy vacation is called "Est! Est! Est!" It is a semi-sweet white wine from Montefiascone. It has some effervescence and a mildly fruity flavor. It is said that this wine got its name from the story of a German bishop who needed to go to Rome and sent someone ahead of him to mark on the doors of inns serving the best wines along the way. He marked the doors with the word "Est!" in chalk and when he got to Montefiascone he liked the wine so much that he marked the inn door with "Est! Est! Est!"

The name Sangiovese comes from an Italian phrase meaning “the blood of Jove.” This red wine is best known as the blend used in Chianti wines from Tuscany. As a young wine, it has very fruity tastes of strawberries and spices, but when left to age in oak barrels, it takes on the flavor of oak. There are actually 14 different clones of this wine, the best known of which is Brunello.

Although these grapes originated in Tuscany, they have since spread to all the winemaking regions of Italy. In addition to being one of the main components of Chianti, Tignanello and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, there are several versions of this wine on its own. These include Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino and Sangiovese di Romagna. In fact it is the only other wine permitted in Brunello di Montalcino.

Sangiovese (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Sangiovese) grapes are also grown outside of Italy and the wine has become very popular in Australia. It is also used to make rose wines and a dessert style wine called Dolce Nero. One of these wines produced in Australia by the Chalk Hill Winery has an alcohol content of 16%, the highest of any wine. In the United States, Italian immigrants brought the seeds of this grape with them in the 1800's, but it wasn't until the wine became successful as one of the Super Tuscans that it was grown in any amount for wine production.

Even though the vines of the Sangiovese grape are quite hardy and are resistant to most of the diseases that affect grape vines, the berries rot very easily. They are small in size and blue black in color and need hot dry climates in order to grow well. They ripen slowly, but the vines do produce a high yield of grapes. This is a difficult grape to grow because it is very sensitive to the soil conditions. Due to the slow ripening process, it is very tannic and does not have a lot of depth.

Winemakers are always experimenting with Sangiovese and have come up with an extensive list of different types of wine. The list continues to grow, especially in Australia, where there are over 200 varieties alone. There is always something different to discover about making wine from these grapes.

Pairing food with this wine is also easy to do. It works well with any Italian or Mediterranean cuisine, especially pastas. It is the perfect choice of wine to serve at a barbeque or even with different types of cheese. They do not work well when paired with fish dishes because they overpower the taste of the fish.

You will notice the difference between Sangiovese wines and other red wines as soon as you take the first sip. These are medium bodied wines with a fruity taste and scent along with a moderate to high level of acidity. The finish is usually bitter, similar to a Mourvedre (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Mourvedre), especially if it is a young wine. The taste improves with age. Some of the unique flavors you will experience in these wines include:

• blueberry

• orange peel

• plum

• strawberry

• smoke

• tar

• toast

• vanilla

• sweetwood

• cinnamon

• cloves

• thyme

• violets

If you do not like bitter tasting wines, then you probably won't like the taste of Sangiovese. However, it is a wine that will grow on you, so you shouldn't dismiss it too quickly!

Article Source : Pg. 205

About Author

Both Benn Brown & Allison Ryan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Benn Brown has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Home Internet Business and Health. For more useful information and great advice about Italy Vacation visit my site Italy Tour Video Compilations. Benn Brown's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.

Allison Ryan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Spa, Finances and Arts. Allison Ryan is a freelance marketing writer from San Diego, CA. She specializes in the history of viniculture, international cuisine, and fine wine varietals such as. Allison Ryan's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.