While Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the wine world, Italy is celebrating a quiet revolution: Cabernet Franc, the genetic mother of its famous relative, is becoming a shining soloist. The centuries-old grape variety from the Loire Valley is developing a fascinating expressiveness and diversity in Italy that not only delights us, but wine lovers worldwide. Cabernet Franc is the more elegant,...

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There are grape varieties that make a loud impression. And then there is Nebbiolo. Restrained in colour, crystal clear in elegance, it unfolds its depth sip by sip. The name refers to “nebbia” (fog), which not only lies over the Langhe hills, but also shrouds this grape variety in mystery. It loves cool winds, barren soils and precise work in the vineyard. In the glass, Nebbiolo displays a...

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Just a few decades ago, the Maremma looked like a forgotten part of Tuscany: swampy, rough and barely developed. Today, the landscape is characterised by gentle, sun-kissed hills, cypress avenues and a fresh breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea. A paradise for wine lovers. Sangiovese, here called Morellino, takes centre stage – a reference to the dark, shimmering berries that develop an...

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Pinot Nero (or Pinot Noir) probably came over the Brenner Pass with Habsburg officials as early as the 19th century. Pinot Nero is considered a diva among the grape varieties – sensitive, sophisticated, with a fine soul. And yet Italy has given it an astonishing number of faces. In South Tyrol, where alpine coolness meets calcareous soils, fragrant, precise wines with Burgundian elegance...

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Lagrein is a red grape variety from the popular northern Italian dual region of Trentino-Alto Adige. It is assumed that the name derives from the “Valle Lagarina”, a side valley in Trentino. According to the latest analyses, one parent is Teroldego, while the second parentage is still being researched. Lagrein is relatively easy to recognise by its dark berry aromas and a delicate scent of...

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Trebbiano was often referred to as one of the oldest and most widespread white wine grapes in the world, as the first mention of it dates back to Pliny shortly after the birth of Christ. However, since genetic analyses in 2001, it has been known that many of the more than one hundred varieties known as Trebbiano are not at all or only very distantly related to each other. Six Trebbiano...

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Few people realise that the Soave wine from Veneto is produced in a volcanic wine region, such as Vesuvius near Naples or Mount Etna in Sicily. In fact, it is the only volcanic wine-growing region in the whole of northern Italy. The 1,700-hectare volcanic core zone lies at the heart of the wine-growing region, between the eponymous town of Soave and the municipality of Monteforte d’Alpone, and...

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Carricante is one of the most exciting white grape varieties in southern Italy, capable of impressive complexity and a great deal of terroir-influenced expression when grown in the right soil. The name Carricante supposedly comes from the variety’s high yield: “caricare” means “to load”, meaning that one can (or rather: could) load many grapes onto the hanger during the harvest. The...

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Although Pinot Grigio is considered a typically Italian grape variety, it originally comes from Burgundy in France, where it is called Pinot Gris. “Gris” or “grigio” means grey and comes from the fact that the ripe grapes do not turn yellow-green, but grey-blue to red-brown. Visually, Pinot Grigio, which is known in Germany as Pinot Gris or Ruländer, is therefore more similar to a red grape...

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Sauvignon Bianco is an old bouquet grape variety that is widespread in many wine-growing regions in Italy, totalling almost 4,000 hectares from South Tyrol to Sicily. In the northern regions such as South Tyrol, Collio and Friuli as well as in Veneto, it is mostly used to make single-varietal wines. In the more southerly regions, Sauvignon is often used as a blending partner for white cuvées....

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The Chardonnay grape variety originates from the town of the same name in Burgundy, and its unique success story has made it the most important white wine variety in the world today. In Italy, Chardonnay performs particularly well in South Tyrol as well as in Umbria, where Antinori’s Castello della Sala certainly sets a benchmark for the whole of Italy. And from part of the grapes harvested...

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Pinot Bianco or Pinot Blanc comes from the French Pinot family with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. In old Italian wine books, it was long equated or confused with Chardonnay, which is why many winemakers thought they had Chardonnay in their vineyards. The variety is particularly cultivated in South Tyrol and in the Collio, where it is considered a perfect food companion (e.g. the...

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South of Rimini and the small state of San Marino, not far from the port city of Ancona, you will find one of Italy’s most exciting and versatile white grape varieties: Verdicchio from the Marche. Verdicchio is also popular in other Italian regions, although there is no doubt that the one from the central Italian region is the best. The largest growing zone is the 2,700-hectare DOC...

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Piedmont, with its sub-regions Langhe and Roero, is one of Italy’s most famous wine-growing regions. It is best known for its red wines from the Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo grape varieties. But there are also some wonderful white wines like Cortese, Timorasso and Arneis, the so-called “white Barolo”. Arneis is one of over 500 autochthonous Italian grape varieties that was almost extinct...

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Aglianico, also known as the “Barolo of the South”, is one of the oldest grape varieties in Italy. It is therefore logical that there are many legends and stories about this variety. The Phoenicians are said to have brought it with them hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. The Greeks also brought it, because the name is derived from “ellenico” (Hellenic, i.e. Greek). Sometimes one...

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Lagrein is relatively easy to recognise by its dark berry aromas and a delicate scent of violets, often also plums and sour cherries. It has a dark colour, is full-bodied and velvety, has mild tannins and moderate acidity As a local red wine (and rosé), it is currently booming in South Tyrol. But demand is also growing internationally among enthusiasts who love independent and...

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For years it was suspected, but after recent genetic engineering studies it is now known for certain: Primitivo is identical to the Californian Zinfandel and is derived from the ancient Croatian grape variety Tribidrag or Crlenjak Kastelanski, which was already known in the 15th century. The name was originally “Primativo” and referred to early ripening, which incidentally also applies to the...

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