Italy produces a fifth of the world's wines
A wine is deemed vintage when it has been made from grapes of a specific year that is considered particularly good by winemakers. Usually a hot summer produces good results, as the grapes are riper and produce more sugar, improving taste. For this reason vintage has come to be a way of denoting quality. Italy's warm climate is ideal for vineyards, and the country is home to some of the world's oldest wineries.
Red
Barolo is regarded as one of the world's finest wines, as it's usually worth aging, producing a rich, oaky flavor. Barolo is produced in the Piemonte region of Italy, and the Pie Cesare vineyards surprisingly produced six vintage years in a row from 1995 to 2000. Italy's most famous wine, Chianti, ages very well if from a good year, such as 2000 and 2003. Unfortunately there are also many lower quality, high tannin versions on the market, leading many to believe Chianti is little more than cheap plonk.
White
Gavi, made from the Cortese grape, hails from northern Italy and is one of the best wines produced in the region. A great year for the Balbi Soprani Gavi, which has a floral, slightly peachy aroma, was 2007. Verdicchio, produced in central Italy, has a greenish-yellow color, hence the name, which means "green" in Italian. The year 2009 was the most recent vintage year for Verdicchio di Matelica, which consistent with other brands and has a fresh, fruity fragrance.
Rose
Rose wine may not be held in as high esteem as red or white, though it is possible to find quality producers of the pink stuff. The Pinot Grigio Blush produced by Principato is inexpensive, and the 2009 wines age remarkably well. It is peachy and floral and works best with spicy foods and warm weather.
Sparkling
Brachetto d'Acqui is unusual in that it is a sweet, red sparkling wine, often served as a dessert wine. It is named after the brachetto grape and produced in the Acqui region. Although it is generally best to drink it while it's fairly young. The most recent vintage year was 2005, and the wine is fruity, with flavors reminiscent of cherry and raspberry.
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