Regions
7 articles
Etna, the volcano that redrew the map of Italian wine
Nerello Mascalese, Carricante, ungrafted bush vines and 142 contrade: why Etna is Italy’s most talked-about wine region, and what lies beyond the myth.
Chianti vs Chianti Classico: two neighbouring wines that are not alike
Two separate DOCGs, a black rooster and a decree from 1716. A clear guide to the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico, from subzones to UGAs.
Brunello di Montalcino, a legend younger than it looks
From the Biondi Santi family’s nineteenth-century insight to Italy’s first DOCG and the Brunellopoli scandal: the short, intense story of a wine that seems ancient.
Alto Adige, Italy’s most precise mountain wine
Less than 1% of Italy’s vineyards, cooperatives that set the standard, vines up to a thousand metres: why Alto Adige is Italy’s most exacting mountain wine.
Sardinian wine, an island that drinks its own way: Cannonau, Vermentino, Carignano
Cannonau and the debate over its origins, Vermentino di Gallura DOCG, Carignano del Sulcis: a guide to Sardinian wine among bush vines, mistral and sea.
Collio, where Italian white wine learned to be taken seriously
Ponca, Friulano (formerly Tocai), Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia and a border running through the vineyards: why Collio in Friuli is home to Italy’s great white wines.
Puglia beyond the postcard: Primitivo, Negroamaro and Nero di Troia
From Italy’s wine tanker to a region worth collecting: Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero di Troia and the rosati of Salento, told without the postcard clichés.