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It's been said that no one knows all of the indigenous Italian grapes.
No one - not even when their Latin winegrowing, vine tending, wine producing genes date back 20+ centuries (and countless before) in Italy. The Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in Italy before the Romans even started their empire building and wine traditions in the 2nd century BCE. There are hundreds (some say thousands) of autochthonous (local) grapes in Italy, even before one considers the myriad of synonyms and mutations that have been selected somewhere along the line for centuries. For example, sangiovese, the king of Italian red grapes, has many names and clones (distinctly different), including brunelletto, brunello, cacchiano, calabrese, cardisco, chiantino, cordisio, corinto nero, dolcetto precoce, guarnacciola, ingannacane, lambrusco mendoza, maglioppa, montepulciano, morellino, morellone, negrello, negretta, nerello, nerello campotu, nerino, niella, nielluccia, nielluccio, pigniuolo rosso, pignolo, plant romain, primaticcio, prugnolo, puttanella, riminese, rosso di montalcino, san gioveto, san zoveto, sancivetro, sangineto, sangiogheto, sangioveto, sanvincetro, sanzoveto, tabernello, tignolo, tipsa, toustain, tuccanese, uva abruzzi, uva tosca, uvetta, uva brunella, uva canina, vigna del conte, and vigna maggio - to name but a few!
Fortunately, you needn't spend a lot of money to explore all around the country. Here are our Top 10 (including ties) of some very interesting Italian red wines we've tasted recently at GOW, from the bottom of the boot to the hills of Northern Italy, and all under $25 in BC. Many are blends of numerous grape varieties, so you get a chance to check off a few of the hundreds in one glass.
*Watch for the white Italian Top 10 Under $25 shortly.
