Historically, the wines of Corsica have not been widely known beyond its shores. The island is closer to Italy than it is to France in both geographical terms and in its language, as well as through many grape varieties which have Italian origins. Shining a light on...
Wine is an integral part of Sardinia’s history and economy, with archaeological discoveries pointing to a winemaking heritage dating back at least to Roman times and possibly even the Phoenicians before them. Grapes are grown all over the island and a good...
If you're looking for some festive fizz this Christmas you might like to search out a bottle of Italy's famous sparkling wine from the region known as Franciacorta. The vineyards are sandwiched more or less between Bergamo and Brescia in the Lombardy region in the...
Orvieto is one of Umbria's most striking towns. It sits high on a cliff of dark volcanic tufo rock with impressive vistas across rolling vineyards and olive groves. It was an important city for the Etruscans, as well as the Popes in medieval times, and its...
In high summer here in the northern hemisphere, more and more of us are buying and enjoying rosé wines. When you first think of rosé you might well be drawn to France and, in particular, the regions of Provence or the Loire. Italy perhaps lagged behind in...
Nestled in the beautiful hills of Piedmont in the tiny village of Pollenzo is Italy's University of Gastronomic Sciences and, within this 19th century complex, is the "Banca del Vino". Literally translated as The Wine Bank, this unique project came to life to...
Having dinner one evening in Ljubljana a while back, before our walking tour in Slovenia and Friuli, we noticed local bars selling Orange Wine and it was the first time we had seen it. Of course we had to try it and find out more about where and how it is made,...
On our Lucca, Volterra and Elba tour we pass through a wine producing area on the Tuscan coast known as Bolgheri. Today this is truly one of Italy's wine-growing success stories, but fifty years ago the region was considered a swamp zone and not in any...
Anyone who has hiked with us before, in Europe or Australia, will know how interested we are in wine. Of course our meals on tour are always matched with wines showcasing a great selection of regional grape varieties but occasionally our routes enable us to...
The little town of Barolo, which sits right in the centre of the Langhe hills in Piedmont, has been voted Italy's first ever City of Wine or Città del Vino for 2021. The town received the award from a national association that works to promote and...
Chianti Rufina is one of the seven subzones that fall under Italy's famous Chianti DOCG. The wine-growing area is one of the smallest in Chianti, concentrated in the foothills of the Apennines to the east of Florence. The vineyards have a more continental...
Hikers on our Southern Italy tour will have many opportunities to taste a wonderful local wine made from an ancient grape variety known as Aglianico. It's origins are a little unclear but the name probably derives from the word "Hellenic" or Greek, as this...
As we head back to Piedmont for our June Jewels of Piedmont tour much of our attention will be focussed on the celebrated Barolo and Barbaresco wines of the area, made from the famous Nebbiolo grape. But the region has another native red grape,Barbera,...
A glass of crisp chilled sparkling Prosecco is one of Italy's best-loved aperitifs and, in recent years, it has gained a huge following in other parts of the world too. President Obama is said to have celebrated at his inauguration dinner back in 2009 with many...
Our spring tours so far this year have taken us to Tuscany's coast and its lesser-known Lunigiana region as well as to Liguria. All three of these areas are home to one of our favourite grape varieties known in Italy as Vermentino. It makes a white wine with an...