I Love Touring Italy - Launching a Series
Author Levi Reiss
Italy is the world's top vacation destination. Who says so? The
annual survay of the U.S. Tour Operators Association. This is
because Italy has something for everyone. Its multiple
attractions include secular and religious sites spanning
centuries if not millennia, dynamic cities and isolated villages,
beaches, ski resorts, and world-class fashion. Of course let's
not forget their outstanding cuisine, and their unique wines,
what wines. Italy has an unmatched selection of local grape
varieties. And if you prefer international grape varieties such
as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, you won't be disappointed.
Are you aware that Italy is subdivided into twenty regions? Each
and every one is different, and well worth touring. Some such as
Piedmont are world famous. Others such as Bascilicata are almost
never visited by foreigners, or even by Italians themselves.
Italy can be divided into three major sections: Northern Italy,
sharing a border with four European countries (France,
Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia), Central Italy, and the
South, traditionally the poorest part of Italy.
Northern Italy is composed of eight regions: The Aosta Valley,
Piedmont (whose capital is Turin), Lombardy (whose capital is
Milan), Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto (whose
capital is Venice), Emilia-Romagna, and Liguria (whose capital is
Genoa). Central Italy is composed of six regions: Tuscany (whose
capital is Florence), Umbria, The Marches, Abruzzi, Molise, and
Latium (whose capital is Rome). Southern Italy is composed of six
regions: Apulia, Campania (whose capital is Naples), Basilicata,
Calabria, and the islands of Sicily (whose capital is Palermo)
and Sardinia.
Each article will present a region and several of its tourist
attractions. We love Italian wine and food (as expressed in our
series I Love Italian Wine and Food), so we'll present regional
wines and foods of special interest.
Because we'll be discussing regional wines, let's briefly look
at the Italian wine classifications. These classifications will
also come in handy if you're an armchair tourist and want to
enjoy Italian wine at home or in your favorite restaurant. Wine
and Food Classification. In 1963 Italy legally defined four wine
classifications that presumably help consumers choose their wine.
While most wine producing countries have instituted official wine
classifications, arguably the Italian system is the most
controversial, possibly the most abused, and probably the most
ignored by the wine producers themselves. Should you learn a bit
about them anyway? We think so.
VdT means Vino da Tavola, which is translated as table wine.
Table wines may be made from any grape, or mixture of grapes,
anywhere within Italy. Usually they are quite ordinary, and in
Italy are often served directly from the barrel. Many VdT wines
are excellent and most of them are priced accordingly.
IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica, which may be
translated as Typical Geographic Indication, in other words a
wine that typifies its specific location. This classification
specifies the wine's geography but is silent about its
composition and production method. As for the previous category,
sometimes IGT wines are excellent.
DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may
be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin. Each and
every region has at least one DOC wine, but some have dozens. A
given DOC defines the permissible grape or grape varieties as
well as numerous details about the grape growing and wine making
process. Approximately twenty percent of Italian wine is
classified DOC or better. Perhaps you can guess from this
statistic that a DOC on the label is no guarantee of quality.
DOCG stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e
Guarantita, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled
and Guaranteed Origin. Please realize that this letter G on the
label is no guarantee of quality. But you can expect to pay more
for a DOCG wine than for its less prestigious DOC cousin.
Unlike most countries, Italy has gone to the trouble to set up
an extensive classification system for food, all kinds of food
including olive oil, cheese, and even fruit. Look for the term
Denominazione d'Origine Protetta, abbreviated as DOP, which may
be translated as Denomination of Protected Origin. You'll find
from experience whether it's worth paying a bit more to buy a
certified orange.
Have you had enough of the generalities? It is time to move on
to the specific Italian regions.
About the author
Levi Reiss has authored alone or with a co-author ten books on
computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather
just drink fine German or other wine, accompanied by the right
foods. He teaches various and sundry classes in computers at an
Ontario French-language community college. His major wine website
is theworldwidewine.com which
links to his other web sites.
|
