Tom Cannavan
Administrator
I'm preparing for my next online tasting, "The Grand Tour of Italy" and, as always, checking my facts and adding in details to my presentation using various sources. It has struck me just how confusing Italy's regions, classifications and regulations are, compared to any other country, as witnessed by the contradictory information you will find when you research specifics: ask how many DOCs there are in the Veneto, for example, and apparently authoritative web sites will tell you it is 26, 27, 28, or 29, all information supposedly up to date. That's just a tiny example. Try to unravel the super-Tuscans and the various changes of classification in Bolgheri, the Maremma, and even for individual estates, and the information is different between, again, apparently authoritative web sites.
Last month my tasting was on the wines of Burgundy, which we often think of as 'confusing', but it was a cinch comapared to Italy - all of it, not just Piedmont! I guess there are historical reasons, maybe even stemming way back to the un-unified country and the still very strong local politics and decision making, but I've said before that Italy is a tough wine country to understand in detail, and this really bears that out.
Last month my tasting was on the wines of Burgundy, which we often think of as 'confusing', but it was a cinch comapared to Italy - all of it, not just Piedmont! I guess there are historical reasons, maybe even stemming way back to the un-unified country and the still very strong local politics and decision making, but I've said before that Italy is a tough wine country to understand in detail, and this really bears that out.
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