Wine Tasting - Wine Tours in Italy

Italian ISMEA (Istituto Servizi per Mercato Agricolo Alimentare) has recently released a report about the wine consumption by country, for 2004.

Below some figures excerpted from the report.

- Total wine consumption worldwide in 2004
236 millions hectoliters ( up 2 milions from 2003)

- Consumption by region
EU-15 countries (before EU enlargement 2004): 55% , North America: 11%, South America: 8%, Eastern Europe: 7%, Asia: 7%, Former Soviet Countries: 5%

- Per-capita wine consumption by country
Luxembourg : 61.2 liters, France: 53.1 liters, Italy: 48.5 liters.
Elsewhere than Europe, Argentina: 31.6 liters, Uruguay:24 liters, Australia: 20.5 liters.

- Trends
As the wine consumption is decreased in the largest wine producer countries, increased in US (+8% in last 15 years) and Asia (+300% in last 15 years, with China and Japan leading the increase ranking). (Source)

After vacationing in Italy, a couple of New Zealanders businessmen have decided to introduce the Italian wine Prosecco, in their country.

Matt Iles and his business partner Michael Farag, who own also a company importing clothing from Italy, bet that New Zealanders will like this wine, as much as, the Italian fashion items they are distributing.

They are now importing Prosecco and other wines from a winery located in Valdobbiane, Veneto, the Mionetto winery. Most of these wines coming from the most prominent area for the Prosecco production, are low in alcohol content, 10%; all come in both 375ml and 750ml sizes. (Source)

A few suggestions to taste Italian food and wines across US.

–> For Valentines’s Day - Kentucky
Enza’s Italian Foods, Eastland Shopping Center, (859) 233-2339. Valentine’s Day special, served 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., is $28 for two. Included are stuffed chicken breasts and rib-eye steak.

–>Sunday, Feb. 12 - Mount Baker Community Club - Seattle
Italian buffet, dessert auction, comedy, and entertainment hosted by Rainbow Families of Puget Sound. $35 tickets 6-9 p.m. Mount Baker Community Club, 2811 Mount Rainier Dr. S., 206-323-3318, (more info : pridefoundation.org )

–>Valentine’s Day - Florida
Sale e Pepe, located in the four-diamond Marco Beach Ocean Resort, offers on Valentine’s Day, a special four-course tasting menu will be served. The price per person is $65, with paired wines $110. (more info)

Winter sports fans traveling to Turin for the Olympic Games have more than a chance to taste high quality wines.

Turin is the capitol of Piedmont, one of the most important areas in Italy for the production of highly rated wines.
Sparkling and still, sweet and dry, red and white, common denominator of Piedmont’s wines is the high quality.

Below a list among the most known, including the areas of production where to locate wineries for wine tasting.

- Asti
Production area: Langhe and Monferrato hills.
Straw yellow wine, sparkling or still, with a sweet taste.

- Barbaresco
Production area: northeast of Alba
Ruby red wine, dry still

- Barolo
Production area: northeast of Alba
Ruby red wine, dry still

- Barbera d’Alba
Production area: large area around Alba
Ruby red wine, dry still, with a acid taste, ideal to accompany a traditional local dish: the ‘Bagna cauda’

- Dolcetto d’Asti
Production area: southeast of Asti
Ruby red wine, dry still, with a soft taste

We’ll be back on Piedmont’s wines with wine tours in the production areas