The Wines of Northern Italy

Northern Italy has a rich history of winemaking, stretching back centuries. In The wines of northern Italy (Classic Wine Library series), Cynthia Chaplin takes readers on a journey through the region beginning in the west with Valle d’Aosta, a small, mountainous region with impressive cool climate wines. Lombardy, the fashion and finance capital of Italy, is where readers are introduced to the sparkling wines of Franciacorta and Oltrepo Pavese. In Veneto we discover the appassimento wines of Amarone, premium white Soave and Lugana and the sparkling Lessini Durello. Next, we meet the winegrowers of Trentino Alto Adige, who cherish their native grapes and have cooperatives that produce wines of exellence. Finally, in the east we reach Friuli Venezia Giulia, which suffered for centuries from border disputes yet despite its war-torn history it is a producer of truly exceptional wines. In each region Chaplin takes readers through the history, terroir, primary grape varieties and wine styles of the region, profiling the most interesting producers and in the process demonstrating that northern Italy has plenty to offer beyond the fêted wines of Piemonte.