I met my husband in Italy years ago in the city of Rimini, which is located on the Adriatic Seaboard in the region of Emilia Romagna in East Central Italy. It was one of the best times of my life. And who would disagree, when I was surrounded by delicious wine, food, sun and beaches? Not forgetting that I met my husband there, of course.

Grapevines grow everywhere in Italy, and this country has been producing wine for more than three thousand years.

Italian wine can be pretty challenging to understand, with hundreds of different grape varieties and wine styles to choose from. Let’s travel through some of these historic vineyards.

Veneto:

Located in the northeast, this is one of Italy’s largest growing wine regions. This region is famous for the Amarone wine. One of my husband’s favorites, it is a type of Valpolicella. In making it, only the ripest grapes are picked and left to shrivel, raisinate and then dry out on straw mats. The grapes used for Amarone wine are Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Be careful with this one. The high alcohol content can sneak up on you real fast.

Tuscany:

Located in the west central area, it’s home to the great Brunello Di Montalcino! Brunello is a localized clone of the Sangiovese grape. If you like thick, tannic wine, this one is definitely for you. It can be aged as long as twenty years and is a delicious pairing with roasted meats and wild game.

Here are my favorites from these locations:

Musella Amarone 2009:

It’s warm and ripe on the nose, with flavors of prune and raisins ending with earth and spice.

Bonacchi Molino Del Piano Brunello di Montalcino 2009:

In a nutshell, it’s smoky, spicy and plummy!

I love reminiscing about Italy, and these wines are a great example of why I love it.

Enjoy,

Simone