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The Italian Abroad Wine Blog is a wine blog and diary where I share my thoughts, primarily about Italian wine and food, but also on wine, food, and travel in general. I founded Italyabroad.com in 2003 and have been living abroad for over 20 years. Coming from an Italian winemaking family, I was introduced to wine at a very early age. While my roots are in Italian wine, I appreciate and enjoy good wine from all over the world, alongside great food and the joys of travel. My posts often weave these passions together.
To help you better understand Italian wines, we've created a series of Italian wine regions maps that show DOC and DOCG wines, their origins and the grapes they are made of, including your favorite Italian wines. I’ve also written a post on the Italian wine appellation system explaining and demystifying the Italian wine classification system and what it really means for wine lovers and enthusiasts.
Additionally, I host a YouTube channel , where you can watch me taste some of our wines and answer your questions about Italian wines and grapes. From the meaning of DOC to what makes an orange wine, we cover it all.
I hope you enjoy reading this wine blog! Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Salute
Andrea
Recently I read an article about olive oil in The Times with the title “Why is olive oil so expensive? The liquid gold that took over the world” by a journalist called Lucy Denyer. As you all know, I love olive oil just as much as I love wine. So, when I noticed several inaccurate and incorrect information, I couldn’t just ignore it. I tweeted the journalist, pointing out some of the mistakes, and to my surprise, she replied. Unfortunately, her responses felt more like excuses than genuine efforts to address the issues. I even offered to help rewrite the article, but she declined. I also tweeted The Times and the journalist again - no response from either.
I had never been to the Merano wine festival before so in my mind it was made up of what I had been told over the years by the many people and wineries that attended it. Merano is not an easy to reach destination and also the period of the year doesn’t help, close to Christmas however, I was very pleased when I was invited. It was probably the one wine fair I had yet to attend. The only thing I knew about the Merano Wine Festival was that wineries could only attend if invited; they couldn’t buy a stall or table as they would at other wine fair. With that in mind, I went with an open mind, ready to make the most of it
We’re all familiar with the saying, “too much of a good thing,” and wine is no exception. While I’m not a physician, it’s clear that whether it’s wine, banana, chocolate, just any type of food, abuse or overconsumption can turn something enjoyable into a health problem. When we consume too much, not only do we stop enjoying it, but it can lead to various health issues.
Every day, I come across articles discussing how Gen Z is drinking less wine and alcohol in general compared to previous generations. These reports are often backed by various statistics and surveys, claiming that Gen Z is drinking less and driving the demand for alternative beverages, especially no and low alcohol. But is this really an accurate depiction of what's happening? Or are big brands merely adapting to a perceived trend by expanding their range of no and low alcohol drinks to make up for declining numbers in traditional alcoholic beverages?
Sicily is normally associated with bold, warm and powerful red wines, whether obtained from the native Nero d’Avola or the international varietal Merlot and Syrah or Shiraz, but Sicily also means the bright, light and soft Frappato, obtained from the homonymous native grape mainly grown in the southern-eastern part of the island, between the provinces of Ragusa and Siracusa, with grapes grown inland producing lighter wines with higher acidity
The mediterranean diet is not about a secret ingredient or a few special recipes, is about giving the food the importance it deserves, appreciating the quality of what we eat rather than its cost. It is about understanding that we are what we eat and if we eat rubbish, not only we feel rubbish but will eventually, down the line, in a few years, be paying a toll. If we truly want to reap the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, using extra virgin olive oil is a great start, but on its own, it won’t make much difference. We need to rethink the whole approach to food and eating. Only then we will live longer, healthier, and happier lives even if we can only the see the Mediterranean from a map.
In the UK, there is a saying: "never judge a book by its cover", still, we often judge rosé wines by their colour. And it is not just restaurateurs. I see it every time I choose a rose wine’ for one of our wine tastings, the first comments are always about its colour. This doesn't happen for white or red wines despite their colour’s differences. We don’t seem to notice the different shades in red and white wines, but we do in roses
Restaurants’ wine lists vary from very short to hundreds of pages, making the task of choosing a wine sometime challenging, a challenge that, whenever I'm out with friends or family, usually falls on me - to find a wine that will please everyone. I may be a wine expert but certainly don’t know every wine or region
We are all aware that Great Britain has an obesity problem, still, every year we give the award for the cheapest supermarket ignoring that what drives obesity is the cheap food. Let's shift our focus from finding the cheapest supermarket to recognizing and awarding quality food and its ingredients. At Italyabroad.com we stand with Hippocrates “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”, live a happier and healthier life simply buying healthy, proper food.
Education is crucial. For example, I often stress the importance of serving wine at the correct temperature. Serving wine too cold can mask flaws, so wine drinkers should ensure their wine is served at the right temperature to fully appreciate its complexity. A friend of mine, who works at a local restaurant, recently received a complaint about a Pinot Grigio Rosé tasting "acidic" when served at the proper temperature. However, the same wine, served at 4 degrees Celsius, was considered delicious.
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