Say Ciao to Summer With Italian Wine

Author: Bill Garlough

Italian Wines

The Greeks first cultivated grapes for wine production in Italy around 800 BC. During the Roman Empire, wine production flourished and was a major source of trade during Rome's reign. Today, Italy is a major wine producer and leading exporter of wine world-wide. Italy is considered to be one of the most complex and challenging countries to master their extensive wine assortment. Italy's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry acknowledges that today, over 850 grape varietals are used to make Italian wines. Most are small production wines that never leave the country. Because of the vast numbers of wines produced, Italy saw the need to implement a classification system. The goal is to standardize the grape varietals used in a region's wines (i.e. Chianti wine in the Tuscany region must use between 75 – 100% Sangiovese grapes to gain DOC status) and to provide consumers with a quality grading system.

Italian wines have these four broad classifications:

- VDT, basic Italian table wine.

- IGT, denotes wine from a specific region in Italy, but not adhering to Italian wine laws.

- DOC, refers to specific appellations in Italy and only using grapes approved for use in that wine region.

- DOCG, wines that have DOC status and are winners in blind taste tests, making them the highest quality wines of a region.

Italy has 20 major wine regions. For red wines, the Piedmont and Tuscany regions produce the world-famous Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo (nick-named the King of Italian reds) and Barbaresco wines. The Sangiovese grape is used to make the Brunello wines of Tuscany, while the Nebbiolo grape is used to make the Piedmont's noble Barolo and Barbaresco wines.

Italian White Wines

Other than Pinot Grigio, most Italian white wines are not as well known as their more famous red wine cousins. Italian white wines tend to be soft, acidic and pleasant. They are great partners with food or enjoyed by themselves as good sipping wines. Northern Italy produces some of Italy's best white wines. The three major regions are Veneto, Fruili-Venezie Guilia and Trentino Alto-Adige. Italian white wines are affordable, so give these wines a try:

- Soave - from Veneto, is dry and crisp with flavors of peach and apple

- Pinot Grigio - Italy's most well known white, is light, dry and crisp with lemon and citrus notes

- Verdicchio – from Marche, is a medium-bodied, dry and crisp wine with pronounced mineral and lemon

flavors

- Orvieto – from Umbria, is medium-bodied, dry and crisp with aromas of apple and pear

- Gavi – from Piedmont, is medium-bodied, dry and crisp with notes of floral, melons, mineral and honey

- Arneis – from Piedmont, is light to medium-bodied, dry and has aromas of pear and almonds

- Prosecco – from Veneto, Italy's famous sparkler, is slightly sweet with lemon, almonds, melon and

honey flavors

Food Pairings

Offering world-class cuisine, Italian wines were designed to be food friendly and approachable. Geography always plays a role in food pairings. As Italy is surrounded by water, many wines pair well with seafood and fish. Those include Pinot Grigio, Gavi, Soave, Arneis and Orvieto wines. Salads pair well with Prosecco and Pinot Grigio wines. Grilled chicken pairs well with Orvieto and Pinot Grigio wines. Light pasta dishes pair well with Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, Arneis and Verdicchio wines. Verdicchio and Soave wines also pair well with basil/pesto sauce, fish and creamy risotto with vegetable dishes.

Italian Pasta Recipe

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta)

Easy to prepare and tasty - a My Chef Catering favorite

Ingredients

1 lb Spaghetti

6 Tbsp Heavy Cream

1/2 Cup Freshly grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

1/2 cup Freshly grated Asiago Cheese

1/2 Tbsp Coarsely ground Black Pepper

Salt to taste

Directions

- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, add spaghetti and cook until al dente; drain but do not rinse.

- Place cooked spaghetti back into pot

- Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream over the spaghetti while stirring in 1/3 of the two cheeses

- Repeat this process two more times (2 Tbsp cream and 1/3 of cheeses), until all the cream and cheeses are mixed

- Once the spaghetti is coated with cheese, sprinkle the black pepper and stir to mix

- Salt to taste

- Transfer to serving bowl and Mangia!

The peppery character of this pasta dish calls for a fruity red wine, like Barbera.

Italian White Wine Picks

2009 Zenato Lugana San Benedeto 90 pts. R. Parker

2009 Tamellini Soave 88 pts. R. Parker

2010 Terredora Falanghina 88 pts. R. Parker

2008 Inama Soave Classico 89 pts. R. Parker

2010 Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio Not Yet Rated, Quality Producer

2008 Broglia Gavi la Meirana 90 pts. R. Parker

Wine of the Month:

2008 Inama Soave Classico

There are many great Italian white wines to choose from, so I selected a winery that consistently produces quality wines. The last 5 vintages all received scores around 90 points. This winery has volcanic soil, so these wines have a complex, minerally flavor. Robert Parker gives the 2008 89 points and said "The 2008 Soave Classico makes a great introduction to the Inama house style. Smoke, minerals, flowers and peaches come together in a mid-weight yet richly-textured style. As is often the case, Inama's Soave Classico delivers tons of value for the money. Anticipated maturity: 2009 - 2013."

Cheers!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/say-ciao-to-summer-with-italian-wine-5225836.html

About the Author

• My Chef Catering May 1988 - Present Founder/President Naperville, Illinois With my wife, founded My Chef Catering in Naperville in 1989. Initially a gourmet deli and catering business, the business evolved into one of the largest full-service catering companies in the western suburbs.
  
  We are very community minded and donate up to 2% of annual sales to charity. Karen and I Chair several of the larger fundraisers in the area, to help people in need.
  
  We have been very blessed to receive community recognition for our involvement, including the Naperville's and Aurora's Overall SBYA and the 2007 U.S. Chamber's Small Business of the Year award.


• I have been a wine enthusiast for over 25 years and passed the Level 1 Master Sommelier course in 2004. I pair food and wine for My Chef Catering's customers.


• I have been a very active member of The Rotary Club of Naperville for the past 18 years. My Chef Catering provided the food for Naperville's annual Oktoberfest and we currently Chair Soup's On!, a fundraiser to benefit 3 local food pantries and shelters. I was the Rotary club President in 2008-2009.
  
  I have just become a member of the Board of Directors for Lovaes & Fishes in Naperville. This will allow me to share my food knowledge and contacts with this essential organization.

Prior to this, I was a Brand Manager for several Fortune 100 food companies, including Borden Foods and Jacobs Suchard Swiss chocolate and coffee company.

College

• Boston University Arts and Sciences Philosophy Business

High School

• Boardman High School '70


• Pearl River High School '70

Image source: google. Image reflecting FAZI BATTAGLIA VEDRICCHIO WHITE WINE