Italy

• Abruzzo
• Alto Adige
• Apulia
• Basilicata
• Calabria
• Campagna
• Emilia-Romagna
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia
• Liguria
• Lombardia
  • Franciacorta
• Marche
• Molise
• Piedmont (Piemonte)
• Sicily
  • Mt. Etna
• Trentino-Alto Adige
• Tuscany
  • Brunello di Montalcino
  • Chianti
• Umbria
• Valle d'Aosta
• Veneto
  • Prosecco
  • Soave
• Sardinia

The region of Tuscany makes many outstanding and well knows wines. Intowine.com has already explored Super Tuscans , Chianti ,...

IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts their recommendation for one Barolo wine worth seeking out (but which won't break the bank): Old Barolos are my favorite dry reds in the world . The Nebbiolo grape--grown in this particular region with its special soils, climate, elevations and exposures, and made in the traditional style, with long aging in large neutral oak vessels--produces a wine that ages into something ethereal, haunting and very, very special. They also require at least 15-20 years of bottle age before the tannins sufficiently soften and the tertiary flavors really begin to develop so that all of the beauty locked up in these big, complex wines can start to be glimpsed. The Rare Wine Co. is the best source of older Barolo in the U.S., at very fair prices, and they use my scores for the Barolos I’ve tasted that they have in inventory at any given time. Expect to pay north of $200, and generally in the $300-450 range, for a sufficiently aged beauty that will give you a real taste of what old Barolo has to offer. If money was no object, I’d personally pick up a few more bottles of one of my two all-time favorites, the 1958 Giacomo Borgogno or 1964 Giacomo Conterno. If you’re a younger collector who has the time to acquire newer vintages on release and store them the requisite 15-20 years until they are worthy of being opened, my recommendations are to go with the great traditional producers that have the strongest track records: Bartolo Mascarello, Bruno Giacosa, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Giacomo Borgogno, Giacomo Conterno or Oddero. - Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com

Near the Austrian border in northern Italy, from the region of Alto Adige comes an excellent red wine called Lagrein (pronounced la-GRINE) that really hits the spot on a winters night dinner table. Lagrein is also the name of the grape from which it is made. As was discussed here , the area of Alto Adige is very close to the Austrian border and has a shared history with both Italy and Austria. Hence, the German language is spoken frequently and either or both languages may appear on a wine label. You can find it made as both a red wine, often called Dunkel in German and Scuro in Italian, or a Rosè, called Kretzer in German or Rosato in Italian.

Brunello, Tuscany, Italy 2009 90 D/H 2008 91 H 2007 94 H 2006 93 H 2005 90 D/H 2004 97 H 2003 91 D/H 2002 75 D 2001 95 D/H 2000 90 D 1999 94 D/H 1998 90 D 1997 96 D 1996 88 D 1995 80 D 1994 83 D 1993 84 D 1992 76 D 1991 80 D 1990 94 D/H Vintage Charts should be used for a generalized guide in lieu...

Barolo, Piedmonte, Italy 2009 90 H 2008 90 H 2007 94 H 2006 96 H 2005 92 H 2004 97 H 2003 90 H 2002 72 D 2001 96 H 2000 95 D/H 1999 94 H 1998 94 D/H 1997 95 D/H 1996 98 D/H 1995 88 D 1994 74 D 1993 89 D/H 1992 78 D 1991 73 D 1990 96 D/H 1989 93 D/H 1988 91 D/H 1985 93 D/H 1982 95 D/H 1978 97 D/H...

The region of Calabria is the proverbial toe in the boot shape of Italy with a long history. Its first name was, in fact, Italia most likely derived from the Italic tribes who inhabited the region. They in turn most likely took their name from the word vituli which was the local word for the numerous caves which dot the mountainous area. The Greeks then came to the area bringing the art of winemaking. They called the area Enotria which meant “land where the vine is cultivated high above the earth.” There are records from the 4th century B.C. which indicate a vineyard in this area was worth six times the value of the same size field planted with grains. In fact, there is a group of people living today called the Grecanici who allegedly trace their roots back to Odysseus and the survivors of the Trojan War. The area was named Calabria in the 7th century by the Byzantines.

In the northwest corner of Italy is the Aosta Valley. The region, known in Italy as Valle d’Aosta, borders France to the west, Switzerland to the north and the region of Piemonte to the south and east. This Aosta Valley is a part of the Alps mountain range. The Valley first was inhabited by the Celts around 900 B.C. The Romans moved thru around 25 B.C naming the land after Augusta. Today, Valle D’Aosta is better known as a tourist destination for hikers and skiers.

Le Marche (pronounced lay Mar-kay) is a region in central Italy that borders the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Apennines to the west. Le Marche borders Emilia-Romagna to the north, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio to the west, and Abruzzi to the south. The terrain is mostly hills and mountains once you get away from the coast. The area has a long history matching most of the historic conquests of Italy: it was occupied by the Gaul’s, colonized by the Romans, later it was invaded by the Goths and Lombard’s, then by Charlemagne. It was then mostly a papal state before finally being annexed in the mid-1800’s by the kingdom of Italy.

Apulia (also called Puglia) is the region that makes up the southeast corner of Italy including the heel of the boot of Italy. Historically, Apulia has been a very large producer of wine often leading Italy in terms of quantity of wine produced. The wines produced there were rugged, rough and deeply colored, and not of high quality. Much of the production went into cheaper jug wines or was blended into generic wines. Often, the wines were scandalously blended into wines from the more premier wines of the north giving those wines deeper color and a bit of texture. Nevertheless, the locals liked their local wines. These wines, however, were rarely tasted outside their homeland as a serious individual bottle of wine.

All the way down at the southern end of Italy, in the arch of the boot, is the region of Basilicata. It is sparsely populated with sturdy peoples of very old traditions. The people who reside there often call their region by the ancient Roman name of Lucanta. The wine making and drinking traditions there predate Rome. One of the oldest and best wines made there is from the Aglianico grape. It is called Aglianico del Vulture. In fact, it is one of the great-undiscovered wines of Italy. This is most likely due to the isolated position of Basilicata and lack of tourism.