1/21/09 Central Italy

Welcome to vine to wine this is your host Linda Moran. Yesterday we examine the regions of Northern Italy, today let's move to the central part of the country. Central Italy is home to many of the well known wines of Italy. It is a region where the ancient winemaking traditions are beginning to give way to more improved winemaking methods. Let's begin with the region of Emilio-Romagna where there is something for everyone. For the red wine lover Lambrusco, Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and of course Barbera fill the call. While the white wine lover has their selection of wines made with Albana, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Next as we move to possibly the most famous region of Italy, Tuscany, the home of Chianti and the Super Tuscan. The Sangiovese based wines are perhaps some of the most interesting and progressive winemaking is going on. The wines are certainly capturing the attention of wine connoisseurs throughout the world. Next to Tuscany is Umbria a relatively new wine region which has gained prominence for its white wine Orvieto. Aside Umbria is Marche and although red wines far outnumber whites, the wine garnering the most attention seems to be the white wine Verdicchio. The two southernmost areas of central Italy are Latium and Abruzzi. Latium is known for a wide selection of red wines and Abruzzi is well known for Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Montepulciano. Central Italy, the heart of the old Roman Empire is offering some of Italy's finest wines. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.