Displaying items by tag: Italian wine education

Any wine student or lover of Italian wines can name the country’s most famous red wines, such as Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino or Amarone della Valpolicella. But given the variety of Italian wines and grape types, it stands to reason that there are many more examples produced throughout the country. This article is the first in a series about a few of the lesser known red wines of Italy; we begin with Piemonte.

While there are three famous red varieties in Piemonte – Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto – there are several others that produce very expressive wines.

Thanks to a string of successful vintages, there has been a great deal of recent publicity regarding Barolo and Barbaresco wines.

Produced entirely from Nebbiolo, these two iconic wines have changed in style over the past 20-30 years; where once, the wines were reserved upon release, today, the wines are riper and more forward. This is largely due to climate change, as warmer temperatures throughout the growing season have necessitated Nebbiolo harvests some two to three weeks earlier these days than in the 1980s, ‘70s and prior; while late October to early November was normal for a Nebbiolo harvest thirty and forty years ago, today, harvest is more typically in early-mid October.

Grapes  for Vin Santo Drying in the Vinsantaia

One of the most characteristic wines of Toscana is Vin Santo. This passito is an ancient and traditional specialty produced throughout the entire region. Its origin dates back to the Middle Ages, but the prototype for this style of wine can be traced back to the Greeks and the Romans.

Most Vin Santo is made from white grapes, typically Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca Lunga. It can be made from just one of these grapes but is more commonly a blend of the two. Trebbiano provides acidity while Malvasia provides body, texture and perfume. A rare, pink Vin Santo called Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (“partridge eye”) is made from red grapes, usually Sangiovese. Only a few producers make this pink version.

Summary: 

This small Italian region is home to wonderful foods, gorgeous landscapes and views but few think of it in terms of its wines.

Together we will discuss Liguria's eight D.O.C. wine-producing areas and the indigenous grapes used to make these wonderful wines.

Liguria has a host of varieties that few people know about and even fewer have tried.

Be in the know about Liguria. Join in our discussion as we travel through Liguria - Italy's unsung region.

Presenter: Susannah Gold:

Susannah presents wines and wine regions and through her company Vigneto Communications promotes wine and food products in the U.S. with her team.

She does media, trade relations and often helps to find importers and distribution. 

She holds various wine certificates from schools around the world including an Italian sommelier certificate from  the Associazione Italiana dei Sommeliers (AIS), the Diploma in Wines & Spirits (DipWSET) from the WSET, the CSW and CSS from the Society of Wine Educators and a certification from the Spanish Wine Academy. 

She teaches wine classes, and has written for The Financial Times, Gourmet Retailer, Food, Food & Beverage Business, Snooth.com, the Organic Wine Journal, the Sommelier Journal, F&B Magazine and GDO Week.

She pens a wine blog called Avvinare.com.

Fluent in English, Italian, and French, she also speaks advanced Spanish and works with clients in all four languages.

Summary: 

Barolo, produced exclusively from Nebbiolo, is one of the world’s most celebrated wines. Here in a production zone in southern Piedmont, a mixture of soils and other conditions combine to make wines that can truly be defined as products of terroir.

Join us for an in-depth look at the finest vineyards and producers of Barolo, from the perfumed examples of La Morra and Verduno to the more tannic examples from Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba.

We will also examine recent trends in winemaking and well as the factors of climate change to understand how today’s Barolo differ from those made 40 and 50 years ago.

Presenter: Tom Hyland

Tom Hyland is a Chicago-based wine writer/educator and photographer, specializing in Italian wines.

He has authored two books on Italian wines, and has conducted seminars for the trade on various Italian wines in Chicago, New York and in Bordeaux at VinExpo.

He has been writing about these wines for 19 years, and today is a contributor to Decanter and wine-searcher.com. He is also the U.S. ambassador for the consorzio, I Vini del Piemonte.

Learn more about Italian Wines:

• Italian Wine Scholar study and certification program
• Tuscany Wine Study Tours with Jane Hunt MW
• Piedmont Wine Study Tours with Kerin O'Keefe
• Italian Wine Blog Articles

Summary: 

Sure, everyone knows Prosecco — or at least thinks they do.

But most people are familiar with only the very tip of the iceberg, which also happens to be the simplest, most commercial part of it.

In this webinar we’ll take a close look at the unique winegrowing area of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, located in the hills north of Venice where Prosecco was born, to get a clear understanding of what distinguishes it from other sparkling wines, especially Prosecco DOC: of its incredibly complex and diverse terroir; and of the many different typologies, styles and production methods that are utilized to express the extraordinary landscape and long viticultural traditions of this area.

Presenter: Alan Tardi

Recently, Barbara Philip MW hosted a virtual food and wine tour webinar for the Wine Scholar Guild. The cuisine of central Italy is as fascinating as it is delicious. This is where tomatoes and olive oil begin to replace the butter and cream of the north. Heavy, stuffed pastas give way to long pastas and are joined by more vegetables. The food of central Italy reflects the agricultural treasures provided by the warmer climate. Local grape varieties also enjoy their time in the sun, ripening to juicy perfection, creating wines that really reflect their surroundings.

The Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) was the historic symbol of the League of Chianti and has become the symbol of the wines of Chianti Classico. The Black Rooster symbol is linked to a medieval legend that takes place during the time of open hostilities between Firenze and Siena for control of the Chianti territory.