Continuing our viaggio di vino, we wind our way up and down the peninsula and hop over to the islands. Molise – In the remote interior, on land under vine […]
The husband-and-wife team of Flavio Basilicata and Silvana Forte turn out about 18,000 bottles a year from their 10 acres in Prepotto near the Slovenian border. By Frank Cipparone The […]
When it comes to the history and tradition of winemaking it would be hard to top Tuscany, whose well-earned reputation as Italy’s answer to Bordeaux precedes it. Any discussion of […]
The last time I wrote about Calabria was 2016, four years after spending some time with winemakers that left me wondering what the future held. What I took from my […]
No stories this month about winemakers, Italy’s incredible number of grapes, specific regions, or types of wine. Just a bottle roundup, a selection of affordably satisfying wines, almost all of […]
Terroir, or not terroir? That is the question. Is it much ado about nothing, an idea that exists only in the minds of connoisseurs? Or is it that certain elusive […]
Wine is an integral part of a Catholic mass, a physical representation of the blood of Christ present at the Last Supper. It’s not clear if that connection is the […]
By Frank CipparoneIf this sounds familiar, jump ahead to para- graph two. As recently as the start of this century, a southern Italian region had a dubious reputation for producing […]
By Frank CipparoneThis is a story of two islands and two grapes separated by roughly 200 miles as the gull flies. Pantellaria and the Aeolian Islands are defined by their […]
By Frank CipparoneTraveling around Italy’s far northeastern regions, there’s little chance you’ll hear the hills come alive with the sound of music. You’re more likely to hear conversations that give […]
By Frank CipparoneSix years ago this month, my first column featured a summary of the state of wine in Abruzzo and Molise, Adriatic neighbors who had once been joined politically. […]
By Frank CipparoneAs we head into the darker, colder days of winter it’s time for full-bodied red wines with densely concentrated flavors. Definitely the season for Amarone. Those who love […]
By Frank Cipparone’Tis the season to be jolly, to indulge in holiday feasts that prove Italians don’t eat to live, but live to eat. ’Tis the season to spend hours […]
By Frank CipparoneThere you are, a venerable Tuscan wine that’s been around since the 8th century, one once lauded as the “king of all wines” and considered worthy of nobility. […]
By Frank CipparoneOne thing you can count on with wine – styles come and go, grapes fall into and out of favor, consumer tastes change. Winemakers will reach for that […]
By Frank Cipparone“We opened in Venice, then next played Verona…then Mantua and Padua… and then…” Those Cole Porter lyrics from a long-ago Broadway musical sound like a tourist’s itinerary of […]
By Frank Cipparone Whether or not Italian food conquered the world, as claimed by the grandiose title of a book published 10 years ago, a case can be made for […]
By Frank Cipparone When it’s summertime in Sicily, it’s time to head to the local market or down to the docks to look over the day’s catch, pick out the […]
By Frank Cipparone Winemakers around the world are riding a green wave of interest in natural wine. A passing fancy or here to stay, it’s an extension of the farm-to-table […]
By Frank Cipparone To say that Italians are passionate about many things – cars, opera, soccer, fashion – is an understatement. With food and wine that fierce pride borders on […]
By Frank Cipparone Although it’s been inhabited since the Paleolithic era and was once a mecca for jetsetters and Europe’s glitterati, Sardinia has long been shrugged off as Italy’s second […]
By Frank Cipparone Years ago, a winemaker in Piedmont sought the aid of a priest in tracking down a certain “little rascal.” He wanted the good father to ask […]
By Frank Cipparone It’s not without merit that writing about wine in Piedmont tends to center around the region’s “king” and “queen” – Barolo and Barbaresco. They have supplied […]
By Frank Cipparone With apologies to David Letterman, a Top 10 List of wine-related things to think about and some helpful hints. 1. Aside from magazines and the internet the […]
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