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The International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), the intergovernmental body that tracks wine and grape production worldwide, has released its initial estimates of the 2020 harvest. It calculates that global production will amount to 258 million hectoliters (give or take 4 million). There had been speculation that 2020 would see disastrously low volumes, primarily […]
Though officially disregarded by the European Union, Italy’s top quality level—the DOCG—still commands attention in the wider wine world and certainly within Italy itself. Achieving DOCG status is something many denominations dream of and quite a few are actively working toward. The most recent one to achieve that goal is Terre Alfieri DOCG, a relatively […]
Math question: If you’re feeling like having some Prosecco and your friend wants a rosé, how many different wines do you need? This is one of those happy instances where 1 + 1 = 1. Introducing Prosecco Rosé—though not soon enough for this past summer, unfortunately. If you’re not shocked by this development, maybe it’s because […]
Piedmont—or in Italian, Piemonte (pee-yay-MOHN-tay)—the large region that comprises most of northwestern Italy, has many historical and cultural ties with eastern France. Among the connections is a predilection for surgically dividing its winegrowing areas into multiple layers of defined parcels based on terroir, grape varieties, and past usage. As a result, Piedmont has more wine […]
Several significant national holidays and events are marked in Italy as we pass from in April into May. April 25: Il Giorno della Liberazione Il Giorno della Liberazione (Liberation Day), also known as La Festa de la Resistenza (Celebration of the Resistance), is typically a day of celebration, as the name infers. The 25th is […]
While establishing wine laws that apply to the entire European Union in the early 2000s, the EU did not see a future for the DOCG quality level in Italy’s national wine law—but the Italians definitely did. As it played out, the EU chose not to kill off the DOCG right away, hoping it would go […]
This month we look at two Italian regions—Basilicata and Calabria—that are unfamiliar to a lot of people unless they happen to have relatives that came from there or perhaps have a local restaurant that is run by someone from there. Let’s start with Basilicata (ba-zee-lee-KAH-ta). Medium in size, it has the third smallest total population […]
If you still need to find that perfect gift, southern Italy could be your best bet! This week we finish up our suggestions with wines from Italy’s sun-drenched south, where we find lots of indigenous varieties, lots of value, lots of rosato (pink) wines, and some of the hottest (aka hip) categories on the market. […]