Italian Wine and Food Evening

Yesterday I attended an Italian wine and food evening. Italy is the biggest producer of wine in the world with more grape varieties (400-500) than any other country – France for example has only 150.

Because Italy was only united in 1861, regional identities are still strong and this is reflected in their food and wine. We tasted six wines from Piedmont, Friuli, Marche, Trentino, Tuscany and Moise. The three whites were accompanied by a platter of antipasti featuring cured meats and cheese.

For a country not always known for its adherence to rules, Italy has a surprisingly strict system of labeling. The best wines are labeled DOC in blue or DOCG in gold. Another useful indicator is “classico’ or “riserva”.  Vineyards have expanded and these words indicate that the wine is grown in its original areas.

We graded the six wines out of 10 and once again the most popular was not the most expensive as a Teroldego Rotalinao Riserva at £9.25 trumped a Montescudaio Rosso priced at £ 12.99.

As usual too – around wine 4 – the ambience palpably changed. My neighbour, a woman in her mid-twenties, came off texting and we had an interesting conversation about the South of France where her parents had a flat.

These evenings not only add to the attendee’s knowledge and appreciation of wine but also make for an enjoyable night out too.