Italian Red Wine

From Barolo to Brunello, Barbaresco to Bolgheri, Italy’s red wines are pillars of the fine wine world, offering up a wealth of layered, ageworthy styles. At the very top end, the most acclaimed bottlings tend to herald from Tuscany and Piedmont, the former via the savoury, sour-cherry tinged Sangiovese grape in such denominations as Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino, and the more international profile of the ‘SuperTuscans’ of Bolgheri and elsewhere. Piedmont, meanwhile, is home to the silky but structured Nebbiolo grape variety, seen at its peak in the profound depth of Barolo and Barbaresco. Elsewhere, Italy’s red wine firmament spans the length and breadth of the country, from the ripe, generous flavours of Puglia to the volcanic soils (and vibrant flavours) of Sicily, and the more fragrant, delicate, Alpine wines of the north.