Northern Italy

[Innkeeper]

Wineries in Italy, as in the rest of Europe, are not like American ones where you can just drop into the tasting room, and frequently get a tour while you are at it. Some do allow this, but you have to set it up in advance. Hotels can help with this. It is a better strategy to go to the villages where specific wines are made, and eat in a local restaurant while drinking the local wines. Nearest to Milan are the lesser nebbiolo communes of Gattinara, Spanna, Ghemme, and Carema. These are usually more approachable than the better known Barolo and Barbareco. Throughout Piedmont, local barberas and dolcettos are available.

Liguria is not a major wine region and the principal wines there are white, Mr Likesred. They are Vermentino (I love it) and Cinqueterre. The reason for the emphasis on white wine is that they eat a lot of fish there. If you do find yourself with a red wine demanding dish in front of you, just say rosso. This works everywhere in Italy. Order food, and say rosso or bianco.

Parma offers a better selection of reds than Liguria, but the whites are not as good. It is the home of Lambrusco and the best ones are far, far superior to Reunite. They have a sangiovese there called Sangiovese di Romagna. Also look for cabernet sauvignon from Colli Bolognesi. There is a whole line of whites from the same region made from trebbiano, riesling, chardonnay, and sauvigonon blanc. Again, the best plan is to find a restaurant, order your food, and say rosso or bianco.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 05-22-2002).]