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Some folks may object heatedly to me saying this, but Romeo and Juliet is not a love story. If two crazy kids in Verona, Italy, had simply become smitten centuries ago and gushed in sonnets and iambic pentameter, who would really care? What made Shakespeare’s tale tragic was the blind closed-mindedness of feuding families (in the bard’s words, “the...

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Everyone knows that Chianti Classico is one of the world’s most famous wines; its history dating back to the early 1700s accounts for much of its fascination and appeal. There have been countless modifications over the centuries in this territory, as these wines that once incorporated white varietals can now be produced entirely from Sangiovese. Mo...

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It was the year 1928 when a vineyard was planted in Cerreto Guidi, halfway between Florence and Pisa. Among these rows, today, we find Sangiovese as the protagonist, together with canaiolo and colorino, but also plants of trebbiano and malvasia, historically the grapes that gave life to Chianti. The first rare wine of this week is produced by Alber...

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Seven out of 10 bottles of Nobile di Montepulciano wine are sent to markets all over the world. The estimated production value is 65 million euros, and the total value, including real estate assets, vineyards and related industries in the area, is close to 1 billion euros. But, the wine that the scholar (and the highest ranking doctor at the Court...

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If you’re not familiar with Puglia, also called Apulia, it is located on the heel of the boot along the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Gulf of Taranto at the tip of the heel. The region is relatively flat filled with plains and low hills except the mountainous area to the north that is home to the Gargano headlands and Monti Dauni.   Puglia along...

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What is the value of the Tuscan brand? Eugenio Giani, president of the Tuscan Region, said, “The explanation is very clear, the Italian bottled water, Acqua Panna (S.Pellegrino Group, ed.), increased sales +12%, after replacing the very strong “Made in Italy” brand with the Tuscan brand on its label. We must think about what it is worth when it is...

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Get ready to learn about, taste and discuss the wines of Northern Italy – March 2-4 – at the 31st annual Wine Festival of Colorado Springs, while supporting the Colorado Springs Conservatory, the only performing arts conservatory of its kind in the Pikes Peak region. “I am so proud to have seen the festival grow from a one-night affair into a multi...

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For thousands of years nearly everyone has tried to conquer Sicily, and nearly everyone has left something in their wake. The Phoenicians left vineyards. The Greeks left temples. The Arabs left agriculture. It's an island that is by technical terms Italian but ask anyone who lives here how they identify this mosaic of cultures and the answer you'll...

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Falanghina is one of the most delicious white wines of Italy, or anywhere for that matter, but until recently, it wasn’t greatly appreciated. Today, thanks to renewed work in the vineyards - and to some extent the cellars - Falanghina has gained a new popularity, first and foremost as an appealing white wine that is enjoyable upon release, but with...

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The concept of going to a bar, and the definition of the bar itself, is very different in Italy from that held in any Anglo-Saxon or Northern European country. A bar in Italy‘s a place for refreshments, where one can have a quick breakfast in the morning, usually consisting of a coffee or cappuccino (strictly drunk in the AM) and a croissant. Throu...

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