How To Be Sure You’re Buying A Real Bottle Of Chianti

• Laura TaccaniLa Dolce Vita

LA DOLCE VITA

Forget the flask, the pot-bellied straw-covered bottle that evokes checkered tablecloths and trattorias. Chianti Classico, which is the international symbol of fine Italian wine, boasts a very respectable pedigree. So it must be considered for what it truly is. It comes in a Bordeaux bottle and has a sort of passport distinguishing it from numerous wannabes but also from a different DOCG (controlled and guaranteed designation of origin) like ordinary Chianti. The name is the first thing to clarify.

Because if we cut the defining adjective from Chianti Classico for the sake of brevity, not only are we saying something very inaccurate, but we are also offending a wine whose territory—very small—was defined exactly 300 years ago. It was the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de’ Medici, who issued an edict on September 24, 1716 establishing the boundaries for the production of this drink made with at least 80% Sangiovese grapes. Even then it was in great demand abroad, gaining prestige and commercial value. Just by way of comparison, other illustrious wine areas like Bordeaux and Burgundy were not established until the 1800s. But a century before that, the original Chianti (which would later be called “classico”) could be produced in only nine municipalities in the geographic area for which it is named. We are talking about 70,000 hectares—nearly 173,000 acres—in the provinces of Florence and Siena, while the wine simply called Chianti is produced all over Tuscany, with the exception of the Chianti Classico area.

LA DOLCE VITA

Today Chianti Classico is the worldwide ambassador of fine Italian wine and its top market is the United States. A whopping 31% of the total production ends up in the US and if we add the 10% exported to Canada, this means that more than one-third gets shipped to North America. It’s easy to understand why it’s so popular. Chianti Classico is fruity and very versatile—if you want to impress people, you can tell them that this is due to its acidity—making it perfect with a variety of foods. In particular, it is the perfect foil for the fats in dishes like red meat, game and cheese. Given its popularity, however, you need to be sure you’ve bought the real thing, because there are numerous counterfeits. That’s why the Chianti Classico Consortium provides specific indications that allow you to find your way all the bottles in circulation.

LA DOLCE VITA

1. Look for “Gallo Nero”: the black rooster.

The logo distinguishing this wine must be on the neck band or back label. It’s easy to find, so if you don’t see it, just put the bottle back. The Consortium also works to monitor possible counterfeiting of the label.

2. The production area.

As we said, it is exclusively in the provinces of Florence and Siena.

3. The indication of type. There are three: Annata, Riserva and Gran Selezione. The first is the younger production, aged for at least 12 months. The second is aged for at least 24 months, part of which in wood (barrels or barriques). The third is a Chianti Classico that is at least 30 months old, made exclusively with grapes from the estate bottling it. Here we’re at the top. So bottom’s up!

LA DOLCE VITA

 

6 New Destinations For Wine Lovers

Maverick winemakers are making it easier than ever to plot great appellations on the map. Here are this year’s must-visit wine regions for grape-lovers and aficionados. BY MIKE MACEACHERAN

Walla Walla Valley, Washington/Oregon, USA

The days when wines from the Pacific Coast of North America were the preserve of oenophile jokes has long gone, not least around the greater Columbia Valley, which straddles these two fresh-faced wine-producing states. Settled by the Hudson Trading Company as a trading outpost in the 1840s, the area has bloomed into a series of tree-lined farming communities where wheat fields and rolling hills fringe the horizon. 

Famed for its diverse terroir – the valley lurches from desert-dry to dewy and cool – the Walla Walla appellation has given rise to more than 120 bumper-to-bumper, manicured vineyards. Cult wineries to look out for include the famous five, original practitioners like Leonetti Cellar, Waterbrook, L’Ecole No 41, Woodward Canyon and Seven Hills, as well as younger upstarts like Gramercy Cellars, Figgins, Sleight of Hand and Kontos Cellars. All told, they’re giving winemakers in Sonoma and Napa in California serious food for thought.

Franciacorta, Italy

Champagne has long been a reason to visit the north-east province of France, while cava teases wine lovers in search of light, aromatic bubbles over the border to Catalonia in Spain. But who plans a wine-tasting around La Strada del Vino Franciacorta? Not many, but soon the secret will be out about this sparking wine-producing region on the pillowy hills between the southern shores of Lake Iseo and Brescia near Milan.

The key is mineral-rich growing conditions and a longer bottle-gestation period, imbuing a creaminess and tenacious complexity not found in tank-fermented Italian Prosecco. Unlike non-vintage Champagne, often in contact with yeast for 15 months, Franciacorta can only be harvested a minimum of 25 months later. With a strategy like this, the global spotlight beckons – but only with the Italians’ blessing; they have a knack for keeping the good things to themselves. 

Swartland, South Africa

Once overlooked for the more fashionable wine-producing areas of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands, Swartland’s maverick winemakers, based around 50km north near Malmesbury and Darling, have decided to change the philosophy of South African wine from the ground up. 

To do so they’ve created dynamic, indigenous flavours – otherwise known as “bush wine” – despite blistering-hot, drier summers, and a landscape riddled with rock-strewn soil. A surprise to many, varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are yielding velvety bumper harvests of citrusy Chenin Blanc and out-there, zingy grape blends. Remember, it’s a burgeoning wine area, so tastings are often by appointment only: a handful to try are Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, Sadie Family Wines and AA Badenhorst Family Wines.

Chisinau, Moldova

The bucolic Rose Valley slips south of the capital through fruit orchards and fields, before stopping abruptly at the showpiece fortress crenellations and gates of Milestii Mici, the biggest wine cellar in the world. Hidden underground, beneath a crease of rolling hills, it’s a cavernous warren of 200km-long limestone tunnels, filled by the barrel-load with more than two million vats and fruity bottles of aged Cordu and robust, plummy Merlot and Cabernet. 

In truth, the record-breaker is more an underground wine city: the tunnels are so big the vintners only make use of 55km and have room for a further one million additional bottles. After a quick tour – by car, of course – tastings are set up in a mediaeval, tapestry-hung banquet hall fit for a monarch. Appropriately, Queen Elizabeth II has ordered bottles for the past quarter century and – so the story goes – Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin got so inebriated in the 1960s he couldn’t find his way out until two days later.

Tasmania, Australia

There is no secret ingredient behind the growing success of Tasmanian wines. The Clare and Barossa Valleys outside Adelaide in South Australia, and the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, produce the lion’s share of deep-bodied Shiraz and lemony Riesling, allowing the 160-plus different producers across the Bass Strait to go unnoticed. 

Such good fortune has suited them just fine. Soils produce deep reds and subtly textured whites, all with a region-specific root. To the north, in the river canyons of the Tamur Valley – the oldest and largest wine growing area on the island – viniculturists specialise in crisp Sauvignon Blanc and oak-scented Chardonnay. To the south, fanning out around Hobart, are the glorious wine-producing valleys of Derwent, Coal River and the European-style wineries situated on the shores of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. If you describe it as honest wine, then you know it’s already won you over.

Istria, Croatia/Slovenia

This tooth-shaped Adriatic peninsula has all the same climatic and geographic perks as Italy – hot sun, rich soils, salty air, bountiful fruit orchards – but far less demand for their bouncy Mediterranean reds and Malvasia Istarska, a strange fruit, yet the most-widely planted grape in Istria. 

Realising they were missing a trick, winemakers pared back their once scruffy vineyards, making vines work harder than ever to survive. It’s a strategy that has paid off, creating perhaps Europe’s most underrated wine tour: picturesque hilltop towns, pine-wooded hills, olive grove-strangled farmsteads, and culinary festivals where citrus-ripe whites flow long through the night and into the next day. What are you waiting for? 

Source: https://www.silverkris.com, the travel magazine for Singapore Airlines

The 10 Best Food And Wine Escorted Tours For 2016

---

Photo by Freeimages.com/Emma Payne

Trisha Andres, The Daily Telegraph

The great gastronomic destinations of France, Italy and Spain feature heavily on this list. But I’ve also selected some which explore further afield, including a trip toVietnam, a tour that explores the flavours of India, and a visit to Istanbul which offers a taste of everything from dishes from the Ottoman era, and southern Anatolian fare, to all manner of Turkish sweets.

Prices quoted in this article include return flights from London, accommodation, and admission to sights on the itineraries, unless stated otherwise. They are per person, based on two sharing a twin or double room. Some departures allow for flights from regional airports.

1. Turkish delight

Istanbul is a smart choice for a foodie break. Stroll through the markets at Karakoy; dine on southern Anatolian dishes while marvelling at the views out to the Marmara Sea; and browse the stalls at Beyoglu and spy – and perhaps even buy – octopus from Bodrum, calamari from Antalya and shrimp from Canakkale. Masterchef Travel’s five-day Inspirational Istanbul tour run by Cox & Kings takes in all these culinary highlights and includes an Ottoman cookery class.

May 13, from £795, including a cookery class and most meals. Cox & Kings (020 7873 5000; coxandkings.co.uk ).

2. Under the Tuscan sun

Explore’s eight-day Tuscany walking and wine tour is cast as a gentle walking holiday that meanders through the vineyards and towns of Tuscany’s south where there will be a chance to sample some of Italy’s finest wines including Chianti, Vino Nobile and Brunello di Montalcino. In addition to five wine tastings, there is a visit to a local pecorino cheese producer to try the delicious hard cheese made from ewe’s milk. There is a stay at a small wine estate just outside Montepulciano, plus visits to other highlights of the region, including Campo del Miracoli Medici in Pisa, and the Renaissance cities of Florence and Lucca.

June 5, from £1,136, including most meals. Explore (01252 883 559; explore.co.uk ).

3. Passage to India

Intrepid Travel’s 15-day Real Food Adventure tour explores the flavours of Indiafrom Delhi to Goa via Rajasthan, with stops at Jaipur and Udaipur. Wander through the alleyways of Old Delhi and meet a chaiwala or tea-maker who will show you how tea juggling is done. Stay at a palace built as a royal residence for the ruler of Karauli in 1938 and learn how to make bedai and dhaba; visit an Indian chef at his home for a Rajasthani cookery class; and spend an evening in Chowpatty Beach to watch the sun set and eat bhel puri.

March 4, from £1,340, including domestic flights and most meals but excluding international flights . Intrepid Travel (0808 274 5111; intrepidtravel.com/uk ).

4. Flavours of the east

Chef Luke Nguyen, a judge on MasterChef Vietnam, is the guide on this Vietnam tour and Mekong River cruise, run by APT. He leads a 20-day exploration of the cities of Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh, to include a cruise along the Mekong. Savour simmering pho from a side-street stall in Hanoi, join a cookery class in Hoi An, and visit the Ba Do family in Hue to sample homemade rice flour cakes and dumplings. The tour includes stops at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

July 29, from £3,795, including return flights, a river cruise and most meals . APT (0800 012 6683; aptouring.co.uk ).

5. Adventures in Istria

This new, seven-day itinerary, Istria: a Gastronomic Adventure, starts with a cruise on a traditional wooden ship along Lim fjord to visit an oyster farm for a tour and tasting. Based in Hotel Palazzo in the seaside town of Porec, it also includes a walk through the vineyards in Momjan en route to one of the region’s best wine cellars in Kabola; a visit to an olive mill in Faana; an excursion to the forests of Motovun with a truffle hunter; and a stop at Pula to meet a local cheesemaker with time to admire the city’s Roman ruins.

April 22, from £1,399 half-board. Adagio (01707 386700; adagio.co.uk ).

6. Michelin-starred Spain

Great Rail Journeys’ nine-day Gastronomic Spain tour chugs from Barcelona and Catalonia into the wine country of La Rioja before making a final stop at San Sebastián. It includes meals at Michelin-starred restaurants and a stay at a 14th-century convent-turned hotel in Haro. Other highlights include a Basque cookery class and visits to Rioja’s most celebrated wine producers, including Marqués de Riscal, Bodegas López Heredia and Bodegas Franco Españolas. The tour takes in key sites, such as the Picasso Museum, Catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada and Sagrada Familia.

Departures between May and June, from £2,175, including return rail travel from London and most meals. Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936; greatrail.com ).

7. Great wines of Bordeaux

Bordeaux produces some of the world’s greatest and most expensive wines. This five-day Telegraph Tour – led by Victoria Moore, The Telegraph’s wine correspondent, will explain the nuances and history of winemaking on both banks of the Gironde river. Moore will lead tastings at eight leading chateaux, including Smith Haut Lafitte, Grand-Puy-Lacoste, and the great first growth, Château Lafite-Rothschild.

April 25, from £2,275, including return flights between London and Bordeaux, all tastings and some meals. Telegraph Tours (0333 005 9069; telegraph.co.uk/ victoria-bordeaux ).

8. Bologna tour

This new eight-day trip from Andante surveys a broad sweep of the archaeological heritage and gastronomic history of La Grassa (the Fat One). Led by an archaeologist and an expert in Italian cuisine, this tour takes in the great Torre Ghirlandina in Modena and a 15th-century convent in Ferrara where nuns safeguarded the city’s recipe for panpepato – chocolate cake. You will also hunt for truffles in the Emilian countryside and join a Lambrusco-making session at a winery.

September 15, from £2,495 full-board. Andante (01722 713800; andantetravels.co.uk ).

9. An Andalusian affair

It’s famous, of course, for its sherry, but on the food front, Andalusia now has nine Michelin-starred restaurants, and some of its more delicious core products, such as Iberico ham, lemons, olives and excellent fish are attracting attention from foodies. Martin Randall’s new eight-day Gastronomic Andalusia itinerary includes visits to several of the region’s best restaurants, starting at the La Mancha vineyards, followed by Úbeda and ending in Seville.

April 22, from £2,980 including some meals. Martin Randall (020 8742 3355;martinrandall.com ).

10. A bubbly excursion

This five-day Ultimate Champagne tour from Arblaster & Clarke offers exclusive access to Champagne houses not open to the public. It is based in a five-star hotel and led by Andrew Jefford, the wine journalist. The tour includes tastings at Gosset, the oldest wine-producing property in the region, a visit to Taittinger’s 4th-century chalk cellars and dinner in the middle of the vines at Château de la Marqueterie.

March 7, from £3,095, including return rail travel between London and Lille, and most meals. Arblaster & Clarke (01730 263111; winetours.co.uk ).

Tips

• Usually accommodation is in hotels of four stars or higher, but double-check before booking.

• Solos - single supplements are often high, but these trips attract high numbers of single travellers and are a good way of meeting others with similar interests.

• Prices quoted include most meals and wine-tastings.

• If you’d like to bring back wine with you, talk to the tour operator before booking so arrangements can be made.

• Most tour operators cater to food intolerances – but discuss before you book.

Source:  http://www.luxurytraveladvisor.com/

Take a Trip Along the Prosecco Production Line

It’s been a bumper year for Prosecco producers, with near-ideal growing conditions in the summer leading to record grape harvests across Italy. That won’t lower the cost of your wine, though, because vintners are stockpiling the surplus, and the Prosecco DOC Consortium – the organization that manages the appellation – expects up to 500,000 hectoliters will be put in storage tanks for a year or longer. As Italy prepares to overtake France as the world’s largest wine producer, we look at Cantina Sociale Cooperative Agricola di Vittorio Veneto winery in Conegliano as they prepare their harvest. Photographs by Alessia Pierdomenico. (• Note: This introduction has been amended to correct the description of Italy’s wine industry.)

 

 Bloomberg News 

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

 

1. 
   1

   Expanding Production

   At about $12 (€11) a bottle, Prosecco has become increasingly popular among younger drinkers in the U.K. and U.S. as an alternative to French Champagne that costs $52 on average.
2. 
   2

   Triple Production

   Exports to the U.K., the biggest buyer outside Italy, quadrupled in the three years through 2014 to an all-time high of 64.9 million bottles.
3. 
   3

   Autoclave

   Sparkling wines go through the process of fermentation twice to create bubbles. With Champagne, the second fermentation occurs in the individual bottles and can retain the fizz for years. The secondary fermentation for Prosecco occurs in steel vats known as autoclaves, pictured, which is quicker and cheaper, and the wine is intended to be consumed within a year.
4. 
   4

   First Reserve

   This year, the Prosecco DOC Consortium altered those limits and allowed a reserve for the first time as vineyards overflowed with quality grapes, including the glera variety, which by law must make up at least 85 percent of the wine.
5. 
   5

   Muselets

   Regional governments restrict how much of the annual yield can be used to make Prosecco, said Luca Giavi, director of the Treviso, Italy-based Prosecco DOC Consortium. That helps control supply and preserve quality, because too many grapes on the vine can affect the taste of the fruit.
6. 
   6

   Keeping Up With Demand

   To keep up with demand, winemakers expanded planting in the northeast regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia designated for Prosecco grapes.
7. 
   7

   Pop the Cork

   While new vineyards mean output will keep rising until 2018, this year’s surplus may not mean lower wine prices. While production has more than tripled since 2009 – mostly from increased planting that now covers 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) – the new vines take about three years to reach full harvest.
8. 
   8

   The inventory will be needed to meet surging sales in the next couple of years, according to Stefano Zanette, president of the Prosecco DOC Consortium.
9. 
   9

   All Time High

   Exports to the U.K., the biggest buyer outside Italy, quadrupled in the three years through 2014 to an all-time high of 64.9 million bottles.
10. 
    10

    Stacked

    Sales of Prosecco are soaring, especially after the recession forced consumers to seek cheaper alternatives to Champagne, said Jonny Forsyth, a London-based analyst for market researcher Mintel.
11. 
    11

    Skyrocketing Demand

    Vintners say they’ll need the surplus later, because demand is skyrocketing. The Prosecco industry forecasts global sales will jump 20 percent this year to 1.68 billion euros ($1.84 billion).

     
12. 
    

A Wine-Lovers' Guide To Italy

With 400-plus grape varieties and over 2,400 wine styles, Italy is a paradise for oenophiles. The days of straw-bottled Chiantis are a fading hangover and the country is now producing some of the world's most coveted vini (wines).

So, what to pour: a brawny Barolo, a zesty Soave, or a cultish Super Tuscan? Uncork the basics with the following guide to Italy's top drops.

Pin this imageSharing a bottle of prosecco. Image by knape / Getty Images

Talking terroir

The incredible variety of Italian wines reflects Italy's own geographic diversity, from the crisp, Alpine landscapes of Friuli, Alto Adige and Valle d'Aosta, to the genteel hills of Tuscany, to the sun-baked soils of the south. Greater fluctuations between day and night temperatures deliver higher acidity to many northern wines. In the hotter south, late-harvesting grapes result in bold, robust, full-bodied drops.

Pin this imageA sun-drenched vineyard in Montalcino, Tuscany. Image by Gary Yeowell / Getty Images

Related articles:

In vino veritas: Italy's regional winesAlternative Italy, pt 1: Like Tuscany? Try Langhe Valley.Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen) - world's best festivals

Beyond these general guidelines are the many nuances of each growing region, from microclimates to soil variations. Pour a Piedmontese Barolo grown in the comune (parish) of La Morra and the chances are it'll be more elegant and fragrant than those from the next parish, a reflection of its limestone-rich Tortonian marl.

From DOCG to VDT: decoding the label

Italian wines are categorised according to an appellation system. The most prestigious drops are labelled DOCG (Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita). Subject to blind tasting tests, they're bound by strict regulations regarding growing areas, grape varieties and winemaking method. Rigid rules also govern DOC (Denominazione di origine controllata) wines, though these are not subject to any nail-biting taste test.

Pin this imageBottles of Barolo ageing in the cellar before they earn their DOCG certification. Image by Massimo Di Nonno / Getty Images

Rebellious by nature, IGT (Indicazione geografica tipica) wines aren't bound by the same traditions, resulting in more experimental blends. Last and least is VDT (Vino da tavola), straightforward mass-produced table wine.

Label decoded, it's time to explore some of Italy's finest grapes and the wines they make.

A sparkling duo

A luxe, invigorating blend of chardonnay, pinot nero and pinot bianco, Franciacorta DOCG is Italy's answer to French champagne. Hailing from Brescia province in Lombardy, Franciacorta is made using the metodo classico (classic method), which sees a second fermentation in the bottle. Star Franciacorta producers include Ca' del Bosco (cadelbosco.com) and Berlucchi (berlucchi.us).

Pin this imageProsecco vineyards in the Veneto region. Image by Peter Adams / Getty Images

Less complex but more affordable is northern Italy's favourite pre-dinner tipple, prosecco. Its finest versions are produced in the DOCG triangle between Valdobbiadene, Conegliano and Vittorio Veneto in Italy's Veneto region. Prosecco's finest makers include Masottina (masottina.it) and Bisol (bisol.it).

Wondrous whites

Pinot grigio and pinot bianco

Crisp, easy-drinking Pinot Grigio reflects the cooler climate of its main growing areas: Veneto, Alto Adige and Friuli. The latter is home to Venica & Venica (venica.it), one of Italy's top pinot grigio producers. Also grown in the region is the more full-bodied pinot bianco, often defined by medium acidity and crisp pear and apple notes. Toast to simple pleasures with tipples from Eugenio Collavini (collavini.it), Livio Felluga (liviofelluga.it) or Pierpaolo Pecorari (pierpaolopecorari.it).

Friulano

Posher than the pinots is Friuli's pale, golden Friulano. Spanning crisp and light to rich and full-bodied, its notes commonly evoke pear and bitter almond. The minerality of younger Friulanos mellow with age, with oaked versions delivering a creamier flavour. Intrigued? Look for standout examples from Livio Felluga (liviofelluga.it), Schiopetto (schiopetto.it) and Borgo San Daniele (borgosandaniele.it).

Pin this imageWhite grapes, ready to be harvested. Image by BarMark / istock / Getty Images

Trebbiano

Finer variations of this everyday grape include fresh, citrusy Trebbiano Toscano. Found in Tuscany and Umbria, it's one component of Tuscany's much-loved dessert wine Vin Santo. Further south, rugged Abruzzo is home to floral-scented, honey-textured Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. For a stellar sip, seek out a bottle of Valle Reale's Vigna di Capestrano Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC (2012).

Garganega

Garganega shines brightest in the Veneto provinces of Verona, Vicenza and Padua. The grape's star product is Soave DOC, named for the small medieval town east of Verona. Dry and light, Soave's notes range from honeydew, peach and apricot, to citrus zest and subtle salinity. Aged varieties offer greater elegance and intensity. Among its finest producers are Ca' Rugate (carugate.it) and Suavia (suavia.it).

Pin this imageGrape vines growing on the precipitous hills above Manarola in the Cinque Terre. Image by Oliver Morin / AFP / Getty Images

Vermentino

Coast-loving Vermentino shows off its crisp acidity, savoury notes and saline minerality in cooler climes. It's the main grape in whites from the Colli di Luna DOC wine region, encompassing the coastal hills around Massa in Tuscany and La Spezia in Liguria. Air-dried, it's also a principle component in Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà DOC, a silky, amber-hued dessert wine from Liguria's precipitous coastline. Across in Sardinia, Vermentino delivers white blossom aromas, vibrant acidity and a splash of minerality in the island's prized Vermentino di Gallura DOCG.

Ravishing Reds

Nebbiolo

Tuscany and Piedmont tussle for the title of Italy's top wine region. The latter's prized grape is Nebbiolo, featured in Piedmont's DOCG heavyweights Barolo and Barbaresco. Serious oenophiles the world over go gaga for Barolo's powerful structure, distinctive tannins and decadent notes of rose, truffle, tar and chocolate. Somewhat less tannic, Barbaresco still makes an impact with its marked acidity, spice and floral notes.

Seek out Barolos made by Michele Chiarlo (michelechiarlo.it), Fratelli Alessandria (fratellialessandria.it) or Elvio Cogno (elviocogno.com), and Barbarescos from Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy (marchesidigresy.com) and Fiorenzo Nada (nada.it).

Corvina

Corvina creates some of Veneto's must-try wines. Top of the heap is cult-status Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, an intense, complex creation with a long finish and notes ranging from raisin, cherry and raspberry, to dried prune, plum, violet and mint. It's made using the passito method, which sees the grapes semi-dried on trays for up to three months, then aged in Slavonian oak barriques. An expensive wine made for long-term cellaring, its celebrated makers include Tommaso Bussola (bussolavini.com), Allegrini (website.allegrini.it) or Giuseppe Quintarelli.

Pin this imageWine being aged in oak barrels in a cellar in Tuscany. Image by Perseomed / iStock / Getty Images

Sangiovese

Sangiovese is to Tuscany what Nebbiolo is to Piedmont. This revered grape constitutes at least 80 percent of top-tier Chianti Classico DOCG, produced in the Chianti Classico DOCG zone between Florence and Siena. The result is a medium-bodied red with firm tannins and hypnotic notes ranging from cherry and mint to wild herbs and spice. The grape is also behind Tuscany's plummy Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG; voluptuous Morellino di Scansano DOCG; and aromatic Brunello di Montalcino DOCG.

Seek Chianti Classico made by Monteraponi (monteraponi.it) and Castello di Radda (castellodiradda.it), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano by Podere Le Berne (leberne.it) and Poliziano, and Morellino from Poggio Trevvalle (poggiotrevvalle.it) and Roccapesta (roccapesta.com).

Super Tuscans

The term Super Tuscans usually refers to Tuscan blended reds using non-indigenous grapes, including merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon. A good way to identify a Super Tuscan is by the wine's name. More often than not, it will be original, with no reference to a particular grape variety or growing region.

A-listers in this category include Tenuta San Guido's (tenutasanguido.com) Sassicaia, a velvety, tannic symphony of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Another marvel is Marchesa Antinori's (antinori.it) Tignanello, a rich, savoury blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

Pin this imageHarvesting grapes by hand. Image by Sofie Delauw / Cultura / Getty Images

Aglianico

Late-ripening Aglianico thrives in the volcanic soils of the Taurasi area of Avellino, in Campania, and the Monte Vulture area of Potenza, in Basilicata. Both these areas deliver a varietal with arresting complexity, minerality and brooding notes spanning dark berries and chocolate to black pepper and liquorice. Nicknamed the 'Barolo of the South', Aglianico is also tailored for longer-term cellaring. Stock the shelves with outstanding vintages from Feudi di San Gregorio (feudi.it), Cantine del Notaio (cantinedelnotaio.com), Elena Fucci (elenafuccivini.com) or Paternoster (paternostervini.it).

Nero d'Avola

This supple, late-ripening Sicilian offers flavours that shift magically on the palate, from luscious berries to leather and smoke. For something lighter, seek blends using fragrant Frappato. For something bolder, look for it blended with syrah, merlot or cabernet sauvignon, all of which accentuate Nero d'Avola's darker, more decadent side. Tempted? Bag some bottled beauties from Feudi del Pisciotto (castellare.it), Abbazia Santa Anastasia (abbaziasantanastasia.com) and Morgante (morgantevini.it).

Basics covered, it's time to scan the shelves and cellars, to sniff, swill and savour your way to your own favourite vini italiani...a challenge worth toasting to. Cin cin!

by Cristian Bonetto

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/travel-tips-and-articles/a-wine-lovers-guide-to-italy#ixzz3qAcQ4wzZ