Posted September 12, 2023 In the past few years, a new acronym has snuck into the discussion of Italian wine: UGA. It was relatively easy to miss until recently when Chianti Classico DOCG adopted UGAs, which are already beginning to appear on labels. In fact, UGAs have been around for some time, but were called ..read more

Posted June 6, 2023 Are you familiar with a grape variety called Muscat Canelli? That’s a synonym often used in California and other U.S. states for the main branch of the Muscat family, aka Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains in France and Moscato Bianco in Italy. This grape variety is well known for the musky-flavored ..read more

Posted June 6, 2023 Three centuries after being identified as the source of one of Italy’s and the world’s top wines, Chianti Classico is going through a makeover intended to shine a spotlight on its best, longest-lived wines and make them more competitive in today’s global markets. A key element of this plan was the ..read more

The four region-level denominations in Abruzzo—Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC—have each added four subzones, which with one exception are based on the four provinces of Abruzzo. They are named Colline Pescaresi (in Pescara province), Colline Teramane (Teramo province), Terre di Chieti (Chieti province), and Terre Aquilane or Terre ..read more

The third and perhaps final installment in the dramatic Pignoletto denomination trilogy is reportedly in post-production and could be in wine shops later this year ..read more

OIV’s global wine report shows production was strong in 2020 while covid cut consumption and exports. And the idea of China as the savior for exporters now looks illusory ..read more

New rules for Bardolino DOC in April 2021 have introduced, among other innovations, three subzones for red Bardolino that will define a premier level of wines with longer aging and stricter requirements ..read more

This regularly updated post lists some of the more significant proposals for new official Italian wine-producing areas or changes to the rules of production for existing denominations ..read more

To say the holiday season is a big deal for Italians might be an understatement. In addition to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, other December holidays include Saint Stephen’s Day (Il giorno di Santo Stefano) on the 26th and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Festa dell'Immacolata) on the 8th, which marks the beginning of ..read more

As the weather begins to chill in the Northern hemisphere, thoughts turn to the first big holiday of the Fall season, and great meals with friends and family. The traditional Thanksgiving table however, with its often eclectic mix of dishes can sometimes be a puzzle when pairing wines. Fear not, there are lots of options from ..read more