Ciao from Italia!
I’m writing to you from the restaurant car of a train heading north from Milan. Snow-covered mountains are in the distance, I’m sipping a cappuccino, and it’s just as cinematic as you’re imagining.
By the time you read this, I’ll be in Interlaken, Switzerland.
You might be asking, Why are you writing on the train? Don’t you plan your newsletters in advance?!
Great question.
Alas. My brain just doesn’t work like that.
We only spent one night in Milan before heading to Switzerland, but it was enough to remind me of something important:
Italy is beautifully complex, diverse, and so regionally specific when it comes to food and wine.
Pour Decisions
When I worked as a server at Eataly in Los Angeles, I learned one thing quickly:
I will never know everything about Italian wine.
Italy has:
20 regions
300+ Denominazione di origine controllatas (or DOC/DOCGs, aka wine regions)
350+ officially recognized native grape varieties
(Yes. Three hundred and fifty.)
Unlike the U.S., where wines are labeled by grape (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay), Italy often labels wines by region, like most of Europe. That means you’re expected to know what grape is inside based on geography.
So today, let’s simplify things and walk through a few of the most common Italian wines you’ll see.
Let’s start with the most planted Italian grape: Sangiovese.
These wines are the backbone of Tuscany and typically have:
High acidity (meaning it’s amazing with food, especially tomato sauce)
Medium to high tannins
Red cherry, plum, herbs, sometimes earthy spice
While you’ll see bottles labeled simply “Sangiovese,” the most famous go by regional names:
Chianti & Chianti Classico from northern Tuscany, where it is blended with other varietals. Think more bright, red fruits.
Brunello di Montalcino from Central Tuscany, which is 100% Sangiovese and aged longer than Chianti. It’s typically fuller-bodied with darker, more intense fruit (and more expensive)
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Southern Tuscany is a Sangiovese-based blend. It’s often marketed as the “poor man’s Brunello” in the U.S., but think of it more as stylistically between Chianti and Brunello!
Rosso di Montalcino and Rosso di Montepulciano are younger, more approachable, and generally more affordable versions of the above
Next up: Nebbiolo.
This is the star of Piemonte in northwest Italy.
While pale in color, these wines are high in both acid and tannin.
Wine Folly said it best:
“Imagine getting kicked in the face by a ballerina.”
You get notes of roses, raspberry, and spice. With age, you’ll get some dried flowers and earthy notes— and these wines are incredibly age-worthy
Let’s walk through 3 common Nebbiolos from Langhe in Piemonte:
Langhe Nebbiolo: The most approachable and affordable
Barolo: Often called the King of Italian wines, this wine must be 100% Nebbiolo and from the Barolo region within Langhe. These wines have the longest aging requirements of the three.
Barbaresco: The Queen of Italian wines. 100% Nebbiolo and from Barbaresco, northwest of Barolo. These wines are younger than Barolo and considered more elegant and softer than Barolo.
While a lot of focus is placed on Italian reds, there are amazing white wines to explore as well!
Gavi: Made from the Cortese grape in Piemonte, this is often called the Chablis of Italy and is refreshingly crisp with tingly high acid. Think green apple and lemon!
Soave: Made from Garganega grapes in Veneto, Northern Italy, these are more minerally with subtle almond notes
Verdicchio: This grape gets its name from verde, meaning green. The wine has a slightly green-ish hue, with all kinds of green notes (think lime, kiwi, apple, grass) as well as peachy aromas and a slightly oily texture. Most Verdicchio comes from Marche, which is the calf of Italy’s boot.
Vermentino: Found primarily in Tuscany and the island of Sardinia, this is fuller body and can be found in both oaked and unoaked styles with lime, green apple, and herbal flavors
And this is just scratching the surface.
Like I said. There’s a lot going on with Italian wines!
Sip Happens
Before leaving Milan, I visited the Duomo (cathedral).
While construction started waaay back in 1386, it wasn’t fully completed until 1965!
It’s larger than St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and is one of the largest churches in the world.
What blew me away was the details.
Look at the exterior with intricate spires and statues:
Inside are detailed stained glass windows, plus sculptures and paintings:
Of course, walking around Milan was an architectural treat in itself. You can feel the craftsmanship in the city over the centuries!
It made me think about how young America is, and how much emphasis is placed on efficiency, optimization, and consumerism (aka trends).
And it’s happening with us, too.
Not that this is a new thing, but trends are cycling faster than ever:
Heroin chic, to BBLs, to thigh gaps, to curves, and back again.
We’re told to celebrate our natural beauty and be our authentic selves.
Be unique, but not too different, do your eyebrows this way, and inject salmon sperm.
Anyone else exhausted?
And look, I know we’re not grapes or intricate Italian cathedrals.
But.
What would it look like if we all embraced our own “varietal” a little more?
Not in a toxic positivity or a “I have no faults” way.
But what if we leaned into what makes us unique, no matter what’s trendy?
Italy could plant a bunch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay everywhere and it would be easier. It’s certainly more recognizable than, say, Ciliegiolo or Fiano, and likely more profitable, especially in global markets.
But instead, they preserve what makes them distinct, even if it’s not as trendy.
So here’s the question.
What if we stopped trying to be Cabernet Sauvignon?
What if we stopped letting seasonal trends (which, let’s be honest, are often driven by men) dictate what we should fix, smooth, inject, or erase?
Maybe we’re not supposed to be the most universally accepted, globally marketable version of ourselves.
Maybe we’re meant to be the most accurate version that reflects our actual “varietal” instead of what the algorithm prefers this week.
To be clear, I’m still struggling with this myself.
So if you are, too, I’d genuinely love to hear how you’re navigating it.
(Just hit reply. I read every email!)
Cheers to embracing your own varietal, no matter the seasons.
P.S. If you have a friend who loves Italy, wine (or an existential spiral), send this their way! Sharing is caring 😌
