‘Tis the season to enjoy some quality Italian fizz. there’s more sparkling wine variety in Italy than you might expect, and it’s pretty budget-friendly too! Despite the ubiquity of prosecco these days, much more excellent Italian fizz exists that historically didn’t get far beyond the regions in which it was produced. But the international market […]
Northwest Italy isn’t just about world-beating reds – it’s home to some stunning whites too. We take a look at some of the finest Piedmont white wines on offer Piedmont has long been a wealthy centre of industry, benefitting from good trade and transport links with the rest of Europe, which helped it on its way […]
From Chianti Classico to Rosso di Montalcino, we explore some well-priced Tuscan red wines from prestigious smaller producers that punch well above their weight Tuscany is the heartland of the Sangiovese grape, the name of which derives from Sanguis Jovis, ‘the blood of Jupiter’. Thought to be an indigenous vine cultivated by the Etruscans, it […]
Rich and intense, thanks to the hot summer climate, red wines from Puglia continue to consolidate their reputation for finely crafted wine at fair prices Puglia’s largely flat, fertile lands have supported vines – and grains – since at least as far back as the 3rd century BC. There are very few mountains in the […]
The perfect complement to a clear blue sky, we take a look at some of Italy’s best rosé wines, with something special to suit every budget With rosé, as with red and white, Italy has a large variety of wines, and their respective styles vary tremendously, reflecting the diversity of grape variety, soil type, climate […]
There’s a delicious diversity to the wines of Veneto, thanks to the varying types of terrain and soil in this region. Here we explore some of its best reds… Although not vast in size, Veneto is one of the largest-producing regions of DOC wines in Italy. The variety of wine styles offered by Veneto are […]
If you fancy changing up your Pinot Grigio, fruity Fiano wines from the sunny south could be just what you are looking for… Native to Campania, the Fiano grape (in its DOCG appellation Fiano di Avellino) is grown on the volcanic slopes in around the commune of Avellino. This is an area that has a […]
This is Mario Matassa’s variation on the classic Mimosa cocktail (champagne and orange juice), though of course we are using prosecco instead of champagne… Serves 4-6 Preparation time 5 minutes Ingredients: • ½ a bottle of Prosecco • 500ml apricot juice • 250ml freshly squeezed orange juice Instructions: 1 Mix the apricot and orange juices together in […]
The past few years have seen Prosecco become the go-to party fizz, but don’t let the lighthearted bubbles fool you: premium Prosecco is in a class of its own. We take a look… Glera, the Prosecco grape variety, has been grown in the area north of Treviso for hundreds of years, in particular around Conegliano […]
We celebrate the sophistication of northern Italy’s splendid Nebbiolo grape, from world-renowned Barolo to the more accessible and wallet-friendly Nebbiolo wines of the region The Nebbiolo grape is a versatile one, of that there can be no doubt – from the majestic and powerful Barolo and Barbaresco wines of southern Piedmont to the elegant, […]