What a coincidence! This month's letter is I, just as my daughter is enjoying a couple of weeks' holiday in Italy! Hopefully she will be able to tell me all about the wonderful wines of this country, although she won't be able to bring me any back as she's then going to London to start working. Perhaps she can enclose a couple of bottles with the food parcels that she has undertaken to send back to her poor deprived parents! I'll have to remember to send her a copy of this article just to jog her memory…..

Italy has the world's 3rd largest area under vine, but is the second highest producer behind France. Unlike most other countries, however, the vine is planted throughout the country, and even on the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. Its history of wine goes back thousands of years; the Roman Legions spread viticulture through much of Western Europe; wine plays a part in everyday life and customs, but almost seems taken for granted. There doesn't seem to be the ritual and ceremony that you find in France for example. This is almost certainly because, until recently, the vast bulk of Italian wine was for domestic consumption only, and of no great quality. Most of the meaningful development of the industry has taken place in the economic growth period since the end of the Second World War.

These days, most of Italy's quality wines come from the areas of Piedmont and Tuscany. Piedmont is in the North-West, bordering France and Switzerland, and with Turin as its heartbeat. Influenced by its neighbours, it has shown more development and progress towards quality wines than most other regions, with the possible exception of Tuscany, which is the area around Florence and Siena.

The region between these 2 towns is called Chianti, the name perhaps most synonymous with Italian wine, and conjuring up images of wicker- and raffia-clad bottles which inevitably end up as candle-holders in dimly lit pizzerias throughout the world!

There is a system of quality regulation in Italy called DOC. It is intended to control the production and processes in certain areas, specifying that only specific varietals and styles can be produced within zones. Wine thus classified as DOC carries an inherent "stamp of approval" that it is what it purports to be. There is also a higher classification - DOCG - which implies a guarantee as to the wine's quality (as specified). However, so few producers bother to get the DOC certification that it is of questionable value.

The Oxford Companion to Wine states that there are estimated to be more than 2000 varieties of grape to be found in Italy (SA has around 40!). Obviously many of these will be regional variations, but nevertheless, the range is vast. As usual, however, very few of these are commercially viable. Amongst the important indigenous varieties are Barbera, Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Primitivo, Montepulciano, and Malvasia. Well-known styles include Chianti, a tangy red blend; Frascati, a commercial white blend; Spumante, the ubiquitous Italian sparkling wine; and more recently, of course, the so-called Super-Tuscans. These are either all Cabernet Sauvignon or Sangiovese/Cabernet blends, made very much in an international or French style to appeal to the broader export market.

Some South African farms are experimenting with Italian varietals, given the similarity to a Mediterranean climate experienced by some regions. These include Barbera, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio and Primitivo (Zinfandel). Havana Hills has even produced 2 wines called The Italian Job, the red version of which currently includes Sangiovese, Barbera and Nebbiolo - just perfect with a Manuka pizza or pasta! Steenberg's Nebbiolo consistently attracts a 4* Platter rating.

Whilst some would suggest that the only decent red to come from Italy is a Ferrari, there are now some reasonable alternatives available at your nearest branch of Manuka Fine Wines!
Ciao!

Stephen Digby
Manuka @ Southeys