Introduction to Italian grapes and Italian wines |
| In Italy there are over a thousand varieties of grapes, international and native ones with some of them only planted in very small area, and therefore not available outside the area. These grapes can then be blended and you can easily imagine how many different wines can be made without considering the wine making process. It’s an endless story.
This guide has been thought to offer you an insight into Italian wines & grapes highlighting the most important native grapes, as well as a selection of Italian wines that many drinkers enjoy without knowing which graapes are used in making them. Below some of the most important Italian native grapes and wines. |
Aglianico |
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| A red grape originally grown in Campania and Basilicata, where it still give its best results with powerful and at the same time, elegant, red wines, and now grown in the whole south of Italy.
Its wines are usually tannic, smoky and full or blackberry flavours and age well for the best wines. The Aglianico grape is used to make the Aglianico wine and the Taurasi. |
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Barbera
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| Barbera is a wine and a grape that lives in the shadow of its more famous cousins, from the Nebbiolo to the Barolo, but when properly made, is responsible for elegant, deep coloured medium-bodied with spice flavours with a vibrant acidity.
Barbera is planted widely in many parts of the country, but its finest wines come from Piedmont. The Barbera wine, has two denominations, Barbera D’Alba and Barbera d’Asti, the first made with grapes from vineyards surrounding the town of Alba and the second the town of Asti. |
Montepulciano |
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Montepulciano is Abruzzo most important grape and red wines, bottled as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, red and rose respectively. It is also planted in other regions especially Marche where it is used to make its Rosso Conero.
The Montepulciano grape is a very robust grape and its wines are powerful, plumy red wines with soft tannins and it ages well. Montepulciano wines range from very good to very poor and the grape is also used to blend other wines. |
Nebbiolo |
| Nebbiolo is the most important grape in Piedmont from which Barolo and Barbaresco, from grapes obtained from vineyards surrounding the town of Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as less known wines are made. The nebbiolo grape is also planted in other Italian areas and regions, mainly Lombardy.
Nebbiolo is a wine that when young is often astringent and tannic but with age, develops perfumes of roses, cherries and the tannins soften. Nebbiolo wines are full bodied and plenty of character but only medium colour intensity. |
Nero d’ Avola |
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| Nero d’ Avola is probably the most planted grape in Sicily and it can now be found as far as Australia and California due to the ability of the grape to grown under extreme hot temperature.
The grape is generous, ripe with black fruit flavours and soft tannins. It produces full bodied wines and it is also used as a blend. |
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