Italy

Italian wine culture originated in Sicily. The Greeks, who settled there in 735 BC, planted the first vines. From there, viticulture spread to the mainland. As early as the third century BC, the whole of Italy was covered in vines, from the Po Valley in the north to Campania in the south. As the city of Rome flourished and the Roman trade routes developed, the wine trade also prospered.

The High Middle Ages brought a second golden age – after the collapse of the Roman Empire and the unrest that followed. Between 1100 and 1500, Italy’s population doubled to an estimated nine million people. Rich families moved from the countryside to the flourishing cities and made a fortune there – such as the Antinori banking dynasty or the Frescobaldi merchant family. They invested part of the money in vineyards, which were cultivated by farmers in return for a percentage of the harvest.

The Italians were already exporting their wines in the Middle Ages. Italy did not form a political unit at that time, and there were different currencies, customs borders and other trade restrictions. From the 16th to the 18th century, large parts of the «boot» were also under foreign rule by Spain, France and Austria. This made it almost easier to ship wine to Switzerland or Germany, Spain or England – depending on which power was in control. And the grapes from the «boot» were highly appreciated abroad.

However, we aren’t talking about the same wines as today. Barbera and Barbaresco, for example, were sweet wines. Many white wines were fermented on the skins – an early form of the «orange wine» that has regained popularity today.

The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in 1861. Unity and self-determination ensured economic growth. At the same time, Italy had to shape its own identity after centuries of foreign domination. It was only after the Second World War that political and economic stability was finally achieved.

The Italian winemakers also needed time to find their feet. On the one hand, they have an enormous treasure trove of indigenous grapes. On the other hand, after the phylloxera crisis and the world wars, they turned to international grape varieties. Traditionally, Italian wines were matured in large wooden barrels, but in the 1980s and 1990s, new barriques suddenly became essential. After a phase of extremes, the result today is an incredibly diverse wine landscape and a return to the region’s very own wine tradition.

The Italian «boot» measures around 1,200 kilometres from north to south. From the snow-capped peaks of the Alps to fiery Sicily, a wide variety of terroirs can be found here. The most widely cultivated red wine grape in the country is Sangiovese. It is known as the main ingredient in Tuscany’s three great varieties: Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. In the warm Tuscan south, in Maremma, by contrast, Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot thrive. This wine region sparked a sensation in the 1970s with the so-called «Super Tuscans» – wines made from the French grapes that were not yet officially permitted at the time. Names like Sassicaia and Ornellaia still send wine lovers into a rapturous frenzy today.

In the north of the country, Piedmont boasts the characterful Barolo and Barberesco premium wines, made from the Nebbiolo grape. The opulent Amarone and the sparkling crowd favourite Prosecco hail from Veneto. Champagne-style sparkling wine is produced in the Franciacorta area in Lombardy and in Trentodoc, and the best still white wine is grown in Friuli: Friulano is the name of the grape grown there.

Southern Italy is currently celebrating a revival of old local varieties. From Campania, home to the ruins of Pompeii and the still active Mount Vesuvius, come the incredibly storable red Aglianico and the white Greco di Tufo. The latter owes its name and flavour to the volcanic tuff on which it grows. Puglia has been celebrating success with velvety, drinkable Primitivo for several years. And Sicily is currently making a name for itself – amazing but true – with indigenous white wine grapes such as Catarratto and Inzolia.