|
Central Region Lazio Molise Abruzzo Marche Umbria Tuscany
Central Region Wineries
Casini Alberto Designed and maintained by FLB Enterprises  |
Italy
|
Central Region Lazio Molise Abruzzo Marche Umbria Tuscany
Central Region Wineries
Casini Alberto Designed and maintained by FLB Enterprises |
|
LAZIO
NATIONAL CAPITAL,ROME(Roma). Provinces: Frosinone. Latina, Rieti. Roma. Viterbo. Latium ranks 9th among the regions in size (17.203 square kilometres) and 3rd in population (5.102.000). Vineyards cover 65.500 hectares (8th) of which registered DOC plots total 17.400 hectares (7th). Annual wine production of 5.000,000 hectolitres (5th) includes 11% or 535,000 hectolitres DOC (6th). of which about 95% is white.
WINESDOC AREAS1 ALEATICO DI GRADOLI R-Sw. also Ft RED-DRY Castelli Romani WHITE-DRY Castelli Romani
HISTORYRome's region is intrinsically linked to white wine - to Frascati and Marine and the other golden-hued bianchi of the Castelli Romani and to the fabled Est Est! Est!!! from the northern Latium town of Montefiascone. These wines, which are based almost exclusively on various types of Malvasia and Trebbiano, were traditionally abboccato, mouth filling, though not so sweet as to overwhelm the flavour of food. They were easy, everyday wines not designed to last long or travel far.The introduction of low temperature processing and sterile filtration have transformed their personalities into dryer, crisper, lighter, more durable wines with a propensity to travel that has opened up new commercial horizons. Still, with only the occasional exception, the whites of Latium are pleasantly fleshy and fruity, wines that go enticingly well with a great range of foods but are not the sort to be laid away or fussed over. Their immediacy is by no means a negative attribute, as evidenced by the established world market for Frascati (which ranks in the top ten DOCs in volume with nearly 20 million litres a year). Marino and less publicised but worthy neighbours in Colli Albani, Colli Lanuvini and Montecompatri-Colonna. Though some admirers argue that the fuller, stronger abbacocato or cannellino versions are what Malvasia is all about, the world's consumers seem to Prefer them softly dry. The ancient Romans drank white wines, too, though Horace and company reserved their greatest praise for the red Falemum and Caecubum - which were grown along the southern coast near Gaeta and Sperlonga. Even today, though white wine accounts for an overwhelming share of the region's production, certain of Latium's red wines seem to be more convincing to connoisseurs. The DOC reds vary in composition. Aprilia, in the reclaimed stretches of what were once the Pontine Marshes, turns out considerable quantities of Merlot and Sangiovese. The reds of Erveteri, Cori and Velletri are based on Montepulciano and Sangiovese. The native Cesanese makes richly flavoured dry and sweet reds in the three DOC zones of the Prenestina and Ciociaria hills southeast of Rome. Aleatico makes a Port-like dessert wine on the northern shores of Lake Bolsena at Gadoli Cabernet and Merlot are the stars in three highly praised modern vini da tavola of Latium, in Fiorano Rosso and Colle Picchioni from just south of Rome and in Torre Ercolana, which combines the French varieties with Cesanese, at the hill town of Anagni. Latium's modern Falernum is based on Aglianico and Caecubum, now called Cecubo, is made up of the local Abbuoto with some Negroamaro. These reds, and others, prove that the fortunes of premium wine production in
Latium are not entirely white.
UP MOLISE Regional capital: Campobassa Provinces: Campobasso. Isernia. Molise ranks 19th among the regions in size (4.438 square kilometres) and in population (334.000). Vineyards cover 9.350 hectares (18th) of which registered DOC plots total 157 hectares (19th). Annual wine production of 550.000 hectolitres (19th) includes 0.36% or 2.000 hectolitres DOC (20th). of which about 80% is red.
WINESDOC AREAS OTHER WINES OF NOTE1 BIFERNO R-P-W-Dr.Rs(R)Ag-3 RED-DRY Aglianico WHITE-DRY Bianco del Molise
HISTORYThis overlooked region, which was long an appendix of the Abruzzi, gained official status in wine in the 1980s with the DOCs of Biferno and Pentro. The undeniable aptitude for vines on the sunny hillsides between the Apennines and the Adriatic, indicates that Molise's wines could match those of neighbouring Abruzzi, Apulia or Campania with time, though the evidence in bottle is scarce so far. The soil in the region's hills and the mild Adriatic climate seem to Provide a favourable combination.The estates of Maseru Di Majo Norante with DOC of Biferno and the table wines
of Ramitello are setting examples for others to follow as Molise strives for a
vinicultural identity of its own. Most other wine seems to be consumed locally,
which explains why Molise has the smallest percentage of classified wines in its
total. UP MARCHE Regional capital: Ancona. Provinces: Ancona. Ascoli Piceno. Macerata. Pesaro. The Marches ranks 15th among the regions in size (9.694 square kilometres) and 13th in population (1.426.000). Vineyards cover 31,000 hectares (Ilth) of which registered DOC plots total 10,000 hectares (Ilth). Annual wine production of 2.100.000 hectolitres (IOth) includes 13% or 282.000 hectolitres DOC (IOth). of which about 75% is white.
WINESDOC AREAS OTHER WINES OF NOTE1 BIANCHELLO DEL METAURO W-Dr RED-DRY Braccano WHITE-DRY Antico di Casa Fosca OTHERS Donna Giulia, P-Dr-Sp
HISTORYVerdicchio is the plenipotentiary for the wines of this pleasant Adriatic region, whose devotion to whites should not obscure the worthiness of its reds. The Castelli di Jesi DOC zone, covering a vast tract of hills west of the port of Ancona, is the home of the Verdicchio that made an early mpression abroad in its green amphora bottles.But recently producers have created a new image of Verdicchio as a white of special character that comes across even more convincingly in standard bottles. Quality has risen so steadily that even wine still sold in amphora seems a cut above the general level of popular whites. This seems to herald a revival for a white produced at the rate of more than 20 million bottles a year that has been described as Italy's premier fish wine. Verdicchio di Matelica, grown in limited quantities in a higher inland zone, can have more body and strength. From some estates it can develop into a white of unexpected depth and character after two or three years in bottle. Verdicchio from both DOC zones and elsewhere makes convincing sparkling wine as well, usually by the charmat method, but also occasionally by the classical method of bottle fermentation. Until two decades ago, when Verdicchio was still largely a local wine, it was more often bubbly than not. The region's other white wines, such as Bianchello del Metauro and Falerio dei Colli Ascolani, are usually light and zesty, also invariably good with seafood. The red wines of the Marches are based chiefly on Sangiovese or Montepulciano - sometimes blended, sometimes not. The most important, in terms of volume, is Rosso Piceno, dominated by Sangiovese. It comes from a DOC zone covering nearly the entire eastern flank of the region stretching from the Superiore area between Ascoli Piceno and the sea north through the coastal hills to Senigallia. Rosso Conero, dominated by Montepulciano, orig- inates in a small zone on the
slopes of the Conero massif south of Ancona. Both wines are habitually made to
drink within two to four years, when they are persuasively round and fresh in
flavour, though certain producers have made wines that age remarkably well from
good vintages - sometimes for a decade or more. The DOC Sangiovese dei Colli
Pesaresi, from the northern Marches, bears a strong family resemblance to the
Sangiovese of neighbouring Romagna UP ABRUZZO Regional capital: L'Aquila. Provinces: Chieti, L'Aquila, Pescara, Teramo. Abruzzi ranks 14th among the regions in size (10.749 square kilometres) and in population (1250000). Vineyards cover 30.000 hectares (13th) of which registered DOC plots total 9.800 hectares (12th). Annual wine production of 3.800,000 hectolitres (6th) includes 8.5% 0' 320,000 hectolitres
WINESDOC AREAS OTHER WINES OF NOTE1 MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO R-Dr, Vecchio A9-Z;CerasuoloP-Dr TREBBIANO D'ABRUZZO W-Dr, also Fz RED-DRY Abbazia di Propezzano WHITE-DRY Angelo Bianco OTHER Moscato. W-Sw
HISTORYIn a nation of myriad appellations, the Abruzzi offers wine drinkers rare and refreshing simplicity. There are only two DOCs and precious few unclassified wines of note in a region that is two-thirds mountains and one- third hills with highly favourable natural conditions for grapevines.Growers favour the predominant Montepulciano and Trebbiano, source of their two regional DOCs, while growing some highly productive vines (the region has Italy's highest average yields) for table wine and table grapes and experimenting in a so far unconvincing way with outside varieties. Still, despite the outward simplicity, certain nuances of production are worth pointing out. The native Montepulciano (not to be confused with the town of that name in Tuscany where Vine Nobile is made) is a vine of undeniable distinction, even if its inherent class is not as widely acclaimed as it deserves to be. In parts of the Abruzzi, most notably in the low hills of the northern province of Teramo, Montepulciano become a red of irresistible character - full- bodied, even robust, with a capacity to age but with such supple smoothness that it can be eminently drinkable even when young. In higher inland areas, or from vineyards where growers have the habit of excessive yields, the wines tend to be lighter, often better suited to Cerasuolo, a sturdy, cherry- coloured rose. A fair quantity of inky, strong blending wine is also produced in the region. Most Trebbiano is based on the prolific Tuscan variety, which makes light,
rather acidic whites of subtle aroma and flavour. A few growers work with the
"true" Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (which may or may not be related to the Bombino
Bianco of Apulia). One manages to make a Trebbiano of remarkable depth and
texture, with a propensity.to develop almost Burgundy-like complexity with four
or five years, sometimes even more, of ageing. But these fine wines are rarely
found in commerce, even in Italy. UP UMBRIA Regional capital: Perugia. Provinces: Perugia, Terni. Umbria ranks 16th among the regions in size (8,456 square kilometres) and 17th in population (817.000). Vineyards cover 22,000 hectares (14th) of which registered DOC plots total 5.600 hectares (14th). Annual wine production of 1,100.000 hectolitres (16th) includes 15% or 165,000 hectolitres DOC or DOCG (13th), of which more than 80% is white.
WINESDOC AREA OTHER WINES OF NOTE1 TORGIANO ROSSO RISERVA* R- Dr. Ag-3 RED-DRY Cabernet Sauvignon WHITE-DRY Bianco d'Arquata OTHERS Calcaia, W-Sw
HISTORYUmbria has long been renowned for white wine, thanks mainly to the historical prominence of Orvieto. But evidence grows that the hills of the "green heart of Italy" have an aptitude for a multitude of varieties, white and red, native and foreign.Orvieto was once the most celebrated of Italian whites as a semisweet or abbocato wine, praised by the popes, princes and painters who sojourned in the hill town north of Rome with its splendid Cathedral and sweeping views of the Umbrian landscape. But as tastes changed Orvieto has been modified from a soft, golden wine into a pale, pure, crisp creature of the technology of soft-crushed grapes and free-run musts processed at low temperatures. Some laud the change, others deplore it as a travesty of tradition. But modern Orvieto is a commercial success as one of Italy's best-selling DOC whites with a solid following abroad. Actually, some producers are turning back a bit, in a sense, striving for more character in the wine through lower grape yields and more meticulous selection and by letting the grapeskins remain in contact with the juice for a while before fermentation. Just lately Orvieto's abbocato has made a comeback as a dessert wine. Though Procanico (Trebbiano) and Malvasia prevail in Orvieto, growers in the zone have been working successfully with such outside varieties as Chardonnay, Sauvignon, the Pinots and Gewiirztraminer, as well as the admirable local Grechetto. But the most prestigious Umbrian wine is the red Torgiano Rosso reserve, which has been given special status as DOCG (though the regular Torgiano red and white remain DOC). A modern classic based on Sangiovese, the riserva, under the name Rubesco, has been known to age to unique splendour for a decade or two. Sagrantino, a vine grown around the hill town of Montefalco, is an intriguing native that yields both dry and sweet wines of unmistakable grandeur. Sagrantino di Montefalco has been scheduled for a DOCG separate from Montefalco Rosso, which will remain DOC. Among the many outside varieties planted in Umbria, Merlot and Barbera have been prominent for more than a century. More recently, Cabernet Sauvignon has shown promise, both as a varietal wine and in blends. Even Pinot Nero has given indications of more than the usual class here. Umbria has numerous curiosities among its vines and wines, though few of the
local rarities ever leave the region. Vin Santo, pressed from semidried
Grechetto or Malvasia grapes, is usually sweet and most prized by Umbrians as a
wine for any occasion.
UP TUSCANY Regional Capital: Florence (Firenze) Provinces: Arezzo, Firenze, Grosseto. Livorno, Lucca, Massa-Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Siena. Tuscany ranks 5th among the regions in size (22.992 square kilometres) and 9th in population (3.577.000). Vineyards cover 86.000 hectares (4th) of which registered DOC plots total 30.500 hectares (3rd). Annual wine production of 3.600.000 hectolitres (8th) includes 33% or 1.200.000 hectolitres DOC or DOCG (tied for 2nd with Piedmont), of which more than 85% is red.
WINESDOC AREAS OTHER WINES OF NOTE1 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO R-Dr. Ag-4. Rs Ag-5 Ansonica del Giglio RED-DRY Acciaiolo OTHERS Aleatico, R-Sw
HISTORYFlorence's region has shifted its stance in the last couple of decades from a complacent supplier of flask Chianti to the nation's most creative producer of premium wines.Tuscany's revolution began in Chianti and the central hills around Siena but quickly spread to take in the coastal zones that were not previously noted for vineyards. Much of the progress has come with classical reds, as illustrated by the fact that four of Italy's nine DOCGs are here - Brunello di Montalcino, Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti and Carmignano. But growing success with other reds (including the stylish table wines sometimes called "Super Tuscans") and a new breed of whites has enhanced the region's reputation. Chianti, still the dominant force in Tuscan viniculture, I, has ranked as the most Italian of wines for decades. This P is partly because it is the most voluminous and widely sold classified wine, but also because it has a personality that cannot be pinned down; in its enigmatic way it is unequivocally Italian. Chianti can be light, easy, quaffable on the one hand, dignified, elaborate, austere on the other. It is produced in seven distinct subzones, including the original core area of Chianti Classic that cover a vast territory of central Tuscany. In these often rugged hills variations in soil and climate contribute as much to the individuality of each authentic estate wine as do oducers' quests for a personal style. These variations may confusing, but for consumers who persist Chianti offers some of the best quality for value in wine today. Since Chianti was elevated to DOCG in 1984, its production has sharply diminished and its quality has markedly improved. Chianti may be identified by its sub districts, though only producers of Classico - whose consortium is symbolised by a black rooster - have made much of a geographical point so far. Many estates emphasise the name of a certain vineyard or area as a mark of distinction. What Chianti has in common with all the classified red wines of Tuscany is its major grape variety Sangiovese. In the past varieties were often ended, but today the emphasis is strongly on Sangiovese. When the habitat is right, its superior clones - Montalcino's Brunello, Chianti's Sangioveto and Montepulciano's Prugnolo Gentile - must be ranked with Italy's, and the world's, noblest vines. Tuscany's wine of greatest stature is Brunello di Montalcino, a DOCG from a fortress town south of Siena with reds of legendary power and longevity that have commanded lofty prices. Conceived by the Biondi Santi family a century ago, Brunello is now produced under scores of labels, representing small farms, established estates and even international corporations. Brunello production averages less than 2 million bottles a year, but producers also make the DOCs of Rosso di Montalcino (a younger wine from Brunello vines) and sweet white Moscadello di Montalcino (from Moscato). Not far from Montalcino is Montepulciano with its ine Nobile. The nobile entered the name centuries ago, apparently in homage to its status among the nobility. The poet Francesco Redi described Montepulciano's red as "king of all wines". After a lapse of decades, Vine Nobile has made an impressive comeback under DOCG and is once again living up to its name. Similar to Chianti In composition, Vine Nobile can stand with the finest reserves. The DOC Rosso di Montepulciano is a younger alternative. Carmignano rates special mention as a wine singled out for protection by the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1716. Today this rare red from Sangiovese and Cabernet has qualified as DOCG, though the town's rosé and Vin Santo remain as DOC. Pomino, which was also cited in the decree of 1716, is a high altitude DOC zone with a Chianti-type red and a special white which includes Chardonnay and Pinot. Among numer s other DOC reds, Morellino di Scansano, grown in the coastal hills of the Maremma, seems to have a promising future. From good vintages, pure Sangiovese wines are rich in body and intricate in flavour with deep ruby-garnet colours. Some are smooth and round almost from the start, but others need years to develop the nuances of bouquet and flavour unique to well-aged Tuscan reds. When conditions aren't right, reds from Sangiovese can be lean, harsh and bitter. That explains why some producers have planted other varieties to complement the natives. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have made progress here. By no means all the fine wines of Tuscany are classi fied. The production of up- scale vini da tavola, which began as a trend in the 1970s, is now an established fact Sassicaia and Tignanelio were the prototypes, but now there are dozens more that rank among the most esteemed and expensive red wines of Italy. Tuscan whites rarely enjoyed much prestige in the past, probably because most of them consisted of the pedestrian varieties of Trebbiano and Malvasia. Exceptions to the rule stand out from the crowd. Vernaccia di San Gimignano, from the ancient Vernaccia vine, has enjoyed a rapid revival. The rich Vin Santo, pressed from semidried grapes and aged in small wooden barrels, can be an exquisite - or, sometimes, exotic - dessert or aperitif wine. The best known white is Galestro, made by a group of producers equipped to process Trebbiano with other varieties in a fresh and fruity table wine that is deliberately light in weight. Recently, whites of more complexity and character have been devised in Tuscany, due to the introduction of such varieties as Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Bianco and Grigio, all of which are finding comfortable environments in cooler parts of the region's hills. Since few of the new style wines are classified, a consortium of producers
issues certain types under four categories: Predicate del Muschio for white
based on Chardonnay; Predicate del Selvante for white based on Sauvignon Blanc;
Predicate di Biturica for red based on Cabernet; Predicate di Cardisco for red
based on Sangiovese.
UP NORTH/NORTHWEST REGION The five regions of north-central and northwest Italy cover much of the great arc of the Alps and Apennines that walls in the Po as it flows east through its broad valley to the Adriatic. The types of wine - like the top- ography, soil and climate - vary to extremes in these regions, which are grouped rather loosely as neighbours but, in true Italian style, maintain their own proud identities. This most affluent part of Italy comprises the "industrial triangle" between Milan, Turin and the Mediterranean Port of Genoa and the agriculturally fluent flatlands Of the Po and its tributaries. Since property is valuable and mountains take up a major share of space, vineyards are confined and wine is a com- modity that must be either financially or spiritually rewarding. Yet between the cool terraces of the Alps and the often torrid fields of the Po basin, contrasts abound. Along with Some of Italy's most revered bottles can be found some of its most frivolous. But whether the label says Barolo or Lambrusco, the producer probably rakes his work seriously. Between them, the five regions produce about 20% of italy's total wine and account for about 30% of the DOC. Emilia-Romagna contributes heavily with the fourth largest output among regions after Apulia, Sicily and the Veneto. Piedmont stands tall in the quality field with the most DOC or DOCG zones of any region, as well as the most classified vineyards, even though it ranks only seventh in overall production Piedmont dwarfs its neighbours of Valle d'aosta and Liguria which, by Italian standards at least, are mere dabblers in wine. Valle d'Aosta, the smallest region, produces by far the lowest volume of wine from its rocky slopes. Its DOC output is surpassed by some single wineries in other regions. Liguria, with little space for vines between the mountains and the Mediterranean, is second from the last in production, offering wines that are rarely more than esoteric. Despite the proximity of France, whose vines have been warmly welcomed elsewhere in Italy, growers in Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta and Liguria prefer their own vines and tend to make wine in their own style. Piedmont's host of worthy natives includes Barbera, Dolcetto, Grignolino, Freisa, Cortese, Arneis, Brachetto, the Canelli clone of Moscato (for Asti Spumante) and the noblest of them all in ebbiolo (source of Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara). The vines of Valle d'Aosta often have French names - Petit Rouge, Gros Vien, Blanc de Valdigne, for instance - due to the Savoyard history of the region. Liguria favours the local Rossese, Pigato and Vermentino, while working with its own version of Dolcetto, known as Ormeasco. Lombardy, the most populous region, ranks only twelfth in wine production, but it does boast the nations largest spread of Pinot vines in the southern Oltrepo, Pavese and a major concentration of Nebbiolo vines for the DOC reds of the mountainous Valtellina. Emilia-Romagna is a prolific region that had been a leading exporter with shipments to America of sweet and bubbly Lambrusco, whose vines spill over the fertile plains of Emilia. But lately growers have been concen trating on distinctive wines from the hills. Best known are the Albana and Sangiovese of Romagna, but gaining notice are
Barbera, Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon from the Apennine foothills of
Emilia.
UP Designed and
maintained by FLB Enterprises
|
