Our first tasting video of a sparkling wine! ‘Quite characterful with apple juice concentrate, grapes and sherbet on the nose and palate.’… ‘Fresh, clean and fragrant, well balanced.’ - Wine International, Cava & Prosecco Tasting, August 2005.

To view product page and for more details, click on Domenico de Bertiol Prosecco Spagorosso.

The island of Sicilia (also known as Sicily), is situated at the foot of Italy and is one of the country’s most important regions in terms of wine production. The hilly and mountainous terrain coupled with scorching temperatures, unbroken sunshine and low rain fall also make ideal conditions for the most beautifully ripe fruit and vegetables.

Deriving its name from the town of Avola on the Island’s southern tip, the red Nero d’Avola truly is a Sicilian great. These wines are generally big, long lived reds, with sweet tannins, and plummy-like dark fruits. Many winemakers would compare it to Syrah in the way it’s treated in the vineyard.

The native white wine, Catarratto, is crisp and appealing. It accounts for around 38% of plantings, and is primarily used as a table wine in Sicily, although there are some interesting examples, the best of which show good characteristics with lovely citrussy notes. There’s not much Catarratto available in Ireland, but it’s well worth a try if you have the opportunity to buy.

Sicily has a number of co-operatives, one from which we have sourced an award winning Nero d’Avola and a Catarratto under the name of Doricum. We were very impressed by the price vs quality ratio of both, in particular the red.

Feudi di Sant’Eufamia is the name of the co-operative, whose members own a massive 4,500 hectares in the Salemi area of western Sicily. The aim of the group is to produce wines of a consistently high quality that express the local terroir and grape varieties whilst being approachable, fresh and modern.

I would say those goals have been achieved in style. Remember the name - Doricum.

It has been in the pipeline for a while now. The Italian DOCs of Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Vallpolicella have been promoted, alongside the ranks of Chianti Classico, to the status of DOCG, the highest possible quality level in Italy.

Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) is the first step up from Vino da Tavola, or Table Wine. This is part of the QWPSR (Quality Wine Produced in a Specified Region), of which Amarone has been under since 1990.

The highest level, DOCG, is a system that aims to recognise traditionally outstanding wines and establishes the geographic origin, grape variety or varieties to be used, minimum alcohol content and ageing requirements.

It is suspected that the move was to protect the status of Amarone abroad, particularly to take advantage of the American market, which is the single biggest importer.

What’s so special about Amarone?

Amarone is predominately made from the native Italian grapes of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Altri Vitigni is another that may be used. The grapes are carefully harvested when ripe and are allowed to dry and shrivel, usually over 120 days. This process, known as desiccation, helps to concentrate the juice before pressing. Fermentation will take longer with Amarone because of the reduced water content (up to 50 days).

The result of hard work, patience and skill at the hand of the winemaker, is a rich, complex and luxurious red wine, with low acidity and flavours of stewed fruit. If fermentation is stopped early, a sweeter wine is produced (Recioto della Vallpolicella). Ripasso is partially aged Valpolicella that has been in contact with the lees of the Amarone. It is fermented twice to obtain a dryer style.

Two awesome examples from Farina.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Needless to say, when it came to wine, I drank nothing but the Italian stuff during my three night city break in the ancient capital last week. With further reading (I love Lonely Planet), I discovered Rome and the Roman Empire played an important role in the history of wine.

Whilst it may have been the Ancient Greeks who brought wine to Italy, it was the Romans who developed much of the techniques and technology still used in wine making today. Would you believe me if I told you that the vintage of 121 BC (Opimian Vintage) was regarded as an excellent year for wine and that it was still being drank over 100 years later? Well, that’s what I read. I suppose there’s a good chance it’s not a myth.

Just before the start of the decline of the Empire, around about 300 BC, the Romans had colonised most of modern day Western Europe, as well as much of the East. Just as they brought health care, sanitation and infrastructure (just to name a few), they helped pave the way for quality wine production in the likes of France and Spain. Agricultural tools, such as pruning knives, have been found near Roman garrison posts in Germany (Germania), with the first definitive record of wine production dating back to 370 AD. In work by Ausonius, titled Mosella, he described vibrant vineyards along the Mosel.

So what did the Romans ever do for us? The attached video really says it all.

Located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian coast, Tuscany is renowned worldwide for its robust and food friendly wines. For centuries, since as far back as the 8th century BC, the art of wine making has been continually refined with each generation that has past, adding the knowledge and skill required to get the best out of this already very special terroir.

Tuscany experiences a warm Mediterranean climate, but fortunately for viticulturists, around two thirds of the regions terrain is elevated, so many of the vineyards are situated above 500 feet where grapes won’t get baked and over-ripen. Here, there is high diurnal temperature variation, meaning that during the day, there is a huge difference between the highest temperature reached, and the lowest temperature reached.

This temperature variation is one of the reasons that Sangiovese thrives so well in Tuscany. With such long hours of uninterrupted sunlight, the grapes develop high acid and high sugar levels. The low temperatures at night preserve this wonderful balance and lock in those enticing aromatics.

Poor soils result in relatively low yields, leading to high quality parcels of fruit, which probably explains why Tuscany is producing the third highest level of DOC and DOCG wines in Italy (click here to read more about DOC and DOCG).

The Chianti zone is Tuscany’s largest classified wine region. Since 1996, Chianti is permitted to include as little as 75% Sangiovese, a maximum of 10% Canaiolo, up to 10% of the white wine grapes Malvasia and Trebbiano and up to 15% of any other red wine grape grown in the region, such as Cabernet Sauvignon. This variety of grapes may explain why Chianti can vary widely from producer to producer.

For a more practical approach to Tuscany, check out Dievole’s Sangiovese, Malvasia and Chianti Classico

I’m always on the look out for good Chablis. It was at Ramore restaurant in Portrush that I first tried a Chablis. Those university days were tight enough for cash, but my girlfriend and I were out to treat ourselves. At the time, it was one of those big discoveries of my food and wine adventures, and it was the elegance and finesse of an old world white that had won me over to this mad fuss about wine with food.

France and Italy have a special knack for producing good food wines. One of the most recent to make me sit up and take notice was an incredibly elegant and fresh Trebbiano from the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy. You may be familiar with Trebbiano already - it’s known as Ugni Blanc in France.

The Italian Lugana Tenuta Maiolo, one of our stellar finds, is one for all those wine critics who say Trebbiano doesn’t reach the quality heights of the more traditional varietals, like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Its similar to Chablis in style, with a definite mineral edge, which may well be derived from the ancient post-glacial soils around the shores of the lake.

As well as being rich in oxides and mineral salts, the vineyard, founded in 1710, consists of layers of calcareous clay. This gives the wine its characteristic straw colour with green highlights, its delicate bouquet of almonds and its very slightly salty, sappy flavour. It’s this fresh saltiness that makes the Lugana the perfect partner for shellfish.

As with most good old world wines, there’s really no secret to the winemaking process behind Lugana. In this family-run winery, owned by Fabio and Patrizia Contato, the grapes are handpicked, gently pressed and then undergo controlled fermentation. It was put to the test in February’s wine tasting in Cork, and managed to stand up very well against a more pronounced Spanish Albarino. Certainly one for the ‘must try’ list.

Italy is a country known for making wines to go with food. They rarely sit down to a meal without a bottle being opened. Among its vast range of differing grape varieties and styles, expect to find big acidic reds, which are simply made for food, and crisp, refreshing whites, perfect as aperitifs or with white meat and fish. Like France, the Italian government has introduced categories to class wine. Their version of Vin de Pays (Table Wine) is Vino da Tavola (VDT), many of which come from southern Italy. They are mainly high volume, inexpensive wines that may not list a region or vintage on the label and are often blended.

Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) is the next step up. This is part of the QWPSR (Quality Wine Produced in a Specified Region) as discussed in last weeks ‘Quality Guaranteed‘ post. The highest level is DOCG. The system as a whole aims to recognise traditionally outstanding wines and establishes the geographic origin, grape variety or varieties or be used, minimum alcohol content and aging requirements.

Chianti Classico is a recognised DOCG wine. It must be made primarily from the Sangiovese grape, have a minimum alcohol content of 12% and come from a particular zone in central Tuscany. With a higher alcohol content (12.5%) and a few additional years ageing prior to release, it will be known as Chianti Classico Riserva. However, as mentioned last week, these quality controls guarantee where and how the wine is made, not necessarily how they will taste.

As well as the southern parts of the country, such as Sicily, there are a number of regions in Italy that are of particular note in the wine industry:

Veneto (Northeast) Fantastic for whites, including Pinot Grigio. The whites of Soave and the red blends of Valpolicella are what this region is known for.

Piemonte (Northwest) Keep your eye out for those full-bodied Barolo’s or Barbaresco (both DOCG’s) from the Nebbiolo grape.

Tuscany (Central-western) The home of Chianti. Medium-bodied Sangiovese dominated red, which don’t have to be expensive.

Abruzzo (Central-east) Get on your broots, your sexy broots, oh - OK, you have to see this post, then you’ll know everything you need to know about the red Montepulciano.

It’s a Curious fact that in France, the Italian Trebbiano grape is known as Ugni-Blanc. Another Italian special is from the Malvasia grape. Both make beautiful white wines that you should certainly consider the next time you’re exploring. For a good place to start with the reds, you should try a DOC Montepulciano or a Sangiovese. Perfect with our Spaghetti Bolognese for an all-round authentic Italain dining experience.

When the Romans started to recognise wine for its commercial possibilities, the aim was to produce as much wine as possible. But not today. It is only really in the last 40 years that Italy has really started to raise the bar, as export markets demanded a rival to France. They are now associated with some of the best-made wines in the world.

One of the must-see countries of the world, Italy boasts a rich history (dating back some 200,000 years) and strong cultural traditions, with wine and food always playing a central role. So here’s our Top 5 did-you-knows on Italy’s favourite accompaniment to food…

1. The early Italian vineyards were planted by Greek settlers, thought to be as early as 800BC. The Romans were probably the first to produce wine for keeping. They put the wine into storage jars with a layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation.

2. The Italian government has officially recognised the traditional wines of Italy and has set up a system, similar to France, in an attempt to categorise quality. If you see IGT on a bottle, it is a table wine (like VdP in France). DOC is the next level up and DOCG is the highest status conferred to Italian wines.

3. The range of grape varieties grown in Italy is vast. There are believed to be more than 1,000 common grape vines. Many are native to Italy and not found elsewhere in the world. Among the most popular reds are Montepulciano and Nebbiolo, while Pinot Grigio and Trebbiano are the best known white varieties.

4. Italian wine is designed for food. It’s not just Italian food that they will accompany. The crisp acidity of Italy’s whites cut through the richness of classic French dishes, and the liveliness of many reds provides a thirst-quenching relief with Tex-Mex. Name the food, and they’ll match it!

5. Chianti Classico is one of the most recognisable DOCG wines, and a favourite of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. It must be made from the Sangiovese grape (although blending with others varietals is allowed) and have a minimum alcohol content of 12%. Chianti Classico must have an alcohol level of at least 12.5% and three years aging prior to release.

I’ve gone all Italian of late. Not in the belligerent, brooding, erratic-driving kind of way (that’s me normally), rather in my love of the wines and cuisine of my favourite holiday destination. There’s something in the food that reflects the sunshine, the rolling hills and terraces, the simmering passion of the natives. And the wine, by evolution, is in perfect harmony with the rich, full-flavoured dishes, their fresh-off-the-vine ingredients and lashings of olive oil.

So following on from last week’s desperately simple Spaghetti Bolognese, here’s another classic made easy, and without the need to have an olive grove in your back garden.

Go with either of the white equivalents of the Dievole and Farnese recommended with the Bolognese - the dryness and acidity of the Dievolino Malvasia and the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo are perfect for the creamy starchiness of the pasta and sauce.

For 2:

• ¼ lb dried tagliatelle (or roughly double of the fresh stuff)
• 4 oz smoked bacon, chopped
• 4 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

And the cooking:

• Start cooking the tagliatelle, adding a bit of salt to the water.
• Lightly fry the bacon, mushrooms and garlic in a decent glug of olive oil.
• Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add seasoning and the grated Parmesan.
• Drain pasta and quickly mix in bacon and mushrooms followed by beaten egg mix. The egg will cook in the hot pasta and be slightly granular.
• Sprinkle over lots of Parmesan and serve immediately.

Could it be any easier?

Following on from our post covering the investment opportunity of Amon-Ra, we turn our attention to a wine that many people hold closer to their hearts than their wallets.

Duemila Dievole La Nativita (Chianti Classico) is a very special 1998 Tuscan vintage. On the 17th of November 1999, in a private audience with winemaker Mario di Dievole, Pope John Paul II gave his blessing to La Nativita whilst in barrel.

Thankfully we have managed to acquire a small collection of this holy wine. The question now is how long can we hold onto these 1500ml treasures before Pope John Paul II is beatified and declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. We’re raising our glasses, but sparingly - there isn’t much to go around!