Wine, in Italy, is more than something to accompany dinner; It's a cultural experience and a source of national pride.
So says Natalia Mandelli, a guide and sommelier in Italy, our special guest on this week's Going Places.
"I feel proud to be Italian when we talk about wine," she said. "When we think about red wine, we always talk about French wine. But Italy has a very big heritage of local grapes."
Where To Find Wine
Ha. Where NOT to find wine might be a better heading for this section. But Natalia has some recommendations for where to travel for wines that might not exist in every store in the United States:
- In the hills around Bologna, you'll find Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto. It's a lighter white wine.
- Head south to the Umbria region near Perugia, look for Sagrantino di Monte Falco, a full-bodied red that's good with meat.
- And up north, in the Lombardy region near Milan, you'll find Franciacorta, a sparkling wine. Look also for the words "metodo classico," or "classic method," which is a way of making sparkling wine. With apologies to the French, Mandelli says this sparkling white gives Champagne a run for its money.
Don't Rely On The List
The important thing, Mandelli says, is to find wines that you like, that go well with your food, and to enjoy not just the drink but also the culture surrounding it, and the history behind it.
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"Going Places" is KPLU's weekly exploration of travel topics. Matthew Brumley is the co-founder of Earthbound Expeditions on Bainbridge Island, which provides small group travel to clients including KPLU.
