10 of the Best Italian Wines

We love wine here at Italia! and so it is only natural that this exhibition caught our eye. Held in Verona, Italy’s largest wine and spirit exhibition is coming up soon; Vinitaly. The opportunity to taste some of the best wines awaits – how can any budding connoisseur resist? Italian wines have – finally – become accepted […]

Caldesi in Campagna – Italian restaurant in Bray

Hannah Bellis visits the Italian restaurant in Bray to  see how Giancarlo and Kate Caldesi are bringing Italy to the Berkshire countryside   If there is anywhere outside of London that can be considered a culinary heartland, it is Bray in Berkshire. Bray has been back in the press in recent weeks too as this […]

Italian Red Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

It is often mistaken for being from Abruzzo, but this lesser-known Italian red wine from a village in Tuscany is an absolute gem, as Paul Pettengale discovers… Tuscany is, as any wine lover will attest, one of the most important of Italy’s wine-producing zones, especially when it comes to the reds. The various Chianti wines […]

Italian White Wine: Gavi

Known for its majestic red wines, Piedmont is often overlooked when it comes to Italian white wines. But why? Paul Pettengale introduces you to the surprise hit of Gavi… The people of Piedmont are fiercely passionate about their region. And with good reason. Even though the north western area is cooler than the country?s southern […]

Italian Dessert Wine

What better way to complete a dessert, and indeed a meal, than to compliment it with a glass of sweet Italian dessert wine? Paul Pettengale indulges his love of la dolce vita? The Italians are well known for their love of all things sweet. No meal is finished until dessert has been savoured, whether a […]

Italian Wine: Brunello di Montalcino

Although it?s been around for a little more than 150 years, Brunello is a famous and expensive Italian wine. Paul Pettengale discovers why? Here ou?ll read about some of the best Italian wines, but no doubt the first thing you?ll clock will be the prices. These are not typos. The sad fact is, if you?re […]

Italian White Wine: Pinot Grigio

From supermarket dross to the go-to white in the wine bars, how did Pinot Grigio?s transformation come about? Paul Pettengale explains that it?s all about quality… Though it?s rather hard to believe it, it wasn?t that long ago when any wine with Pinot Grigio on the label would be parked firmly at the bottom of […]

Italian Red Wine: Barbera Variety

Although less well-known than its fellow Piedmontese wine greats, Barbera is a fine expression of just what this region is capable of, as Paul Pettengale discovers… Piedmont is an absolute star in the vast world of wine. Some of the greatest wines on the planet originate there ? notably the ?king? and ?queen? of wines, […]

Italian Sparkling Wine: Prosecco

A raised glass of Prosecco is ubiquitous with celebration, so we enrolled the entire Italia! team for this wine review… For this Drink Italia! we?ve gathered together a selection of Prosecco wines to enjoy and to deliver you our verdict. And in a break with tradition, we?ve opened up the tasting to the entire Italia! […]

Italian White Wine: Sicily

Grown around – and even on – the slopes of Mount Etna, the grape varieties that thrive in Sicilian soil make some of Italy’s finest white wines. Paul Pettengale investigates… Wine has been a way of life in Sicily for thousands of years. When the Greeks inhabited the island around 1500BC, they brought with them […]