7 Fascinating Facts About Italian Wine
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Italy has long been known for producing exceptional wines on both large and small scales. No trip to Italy would be complete without sampling at least a little tipple, whether you embark on a vineyard visit, a wine tasting tour or simply pick up a local bottle to enjoy in the comfort of your holiday villa in Tuscany. You don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to enjoy a glass of wine, but the history and innovation of the industry has really been quite remarkable. In honour of this, we thought we would share some fascinating facts about this delicious beverage that will peak your interest in vino even more!
1. Italy Produces More Wine Than Any Other Country
It probably won’t come as a surprise to you that Italy produces the most wine in the world! Italy produces around 45-50 million hl (hectolitres – hundred cubic decimetres) per year, which accounts for around 1/3 of the world’s wines. Some of this is then enjoyed in its origin country, but most of it is exported all over the world. France comes in at a close second place, and Spain is in third.
2. Italian Wine Production Began Some 4,000 Years Ago.
With the warm Mediterranean climate, rich soils, passionate growers and producers make Italy the perfect place to produce wine, and has been for thousands of years! It’s production techniques, and facilities have an extensive history, but we’ll save that for a future blog post!
3. Italy Was the Birthplace Of Prosecco.
Over the last few years, Prosecco has become a favourite drink in the UK as a cheaper alternative to Champagne. There are around 150 million bottles of Italian Prosecco produced annually, and it becomes particularly popular in the summer! Unlike Champagne, Prosecco does not need to be aged; a typical bottle is aged for a maximum of three years or seven years for an extra special vintage.
4. Wine Bottles are Typically 750ml Because of Lung Capacity.
Now, this is somewhat of a theory rather than a set in stone fact, but one of the reasons that wine typically comes in a 750ml glass bottle is because it was the average lung capacity of a glass blower. Therefore, the bottle could be created in one blow.
5. There Are More Than 2,000 Grape Varieties in Italy.
With more than 2,000 varieties of grape, there’s no wonder that the variety in taste between one bottle and another can vary greatly. Some of the most popular white grape varieties are Trebbiano and Catarratto, and the most popular reds include Sangiovese, Barbera, Montepulciano, Nero D’Avola and Primitivo.
6. The Average Italian Consumes Around 54 litres of Wine Per Year.
If you were living in a country producing wine, it would only make sense to treat yourself to a tipple or two to support the local trade. That means that they’re drinking around one litre of wine per week, and many have made claims on the health benefits of doing so as wine contains antioxidants. It should, however, always be enjoyed in moderation.
7. There Are 20 Wine Regions in Italy Alone.
The 20 wine regions of Italy are as follows: Veneto, Tuscany, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Umbria, Abruzzo, Trentino Alto-Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Puglia, Lazio, Sicily, Sardinia, Campania, Liguria, Calabria, Molise, Basilicata and Valle d’Aosta. If you’re somewhat of a wine-enthusiast, then why not make add visiting all 20 regions to your bucket list?
With beautiful holiday villas available in regions such as Tuscany, Sicily, Sardinia, some of which are located in and around fine vineyards. If you’d like to plan a visit, get in touch with us today and we’ll help you to plan your dream trip!
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