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Italy is the biggest producer of wine of the world ( 70 - 80 millions hectoliters each year) followed by France and Spain. Each Italian region produces different wines with different characteristics. The greatest part of the wine production is "vino da tavola", that is a wine not submitted to particular laws of denomination; in spite of this a table wine can also be of excellent quality. Some Italian wines have a name protected by the law, and they are marked with the abbreviations D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. The Controlled Origin Denomination (DOC) wines are about 200 and the law control the geographic area of production, the vines, the wine working technique, the quantity, the chemical characteristics (acidity, alcohol content) and organoleptic characteristics (colour, smell, taste). The Controlled and Guaranteed Origin Denomination (DOCG) wines are wines of particular quality ( six in all ) that each year are tasted by experts before the bottling and that cannot be sold looses or in demijohns.
The wine is the resulting of the alcoholic fermentation of gathered ripen grapes. There are two fundamental types of wine making: - to obtain red wines, letting the must fermenting with the peels for several days before separating the liquid from the marcs, - to obtain white wines, separating right away the liquid must from the marcs. From these two types of must we can proceed to the next processing fermentation, aging, bottling. In particular, we may add a little part of selected withered grape at the pure must, to help a second fermentation (Tuscan processing). At the end of January the wine is decanted to another barrel where it remains to rest until March. Then some samplings are tasted by a commission which will decide if the product has the characteristics to be sold as CHIANTI or other D.O.C. denominations.
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to the sommelier Riccardo: wine@aolmaia.com
Chianti - The red Italian wine most known in the world. It's the combination of the sangiovese vine with traditional cannaiolo, malvasia and trebbiano vines. Color: ruby red, almost grained. Smell: intense, sweet violet. Flavor: sapid, slightly tannic. Gradation: 12 degrees at least This wine is produced only in Tuscan, in the following typical areas: Chianti Classico, Montalbano Rufina, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Colline Pisane. The Chianti Classico area, between Florence and Siena, is the one where the production is the most antique. There are about 70.000 hectares of vines in a territory between 200 and 900 meters over the sea level, with forests and olive groves, in one of the most harmonic ambient of Italy.
Brunello di Montalcino - One of the most precious wines, ruby red, produced in the territory of Montalcino from brunello and sangiovese vines. Before the bottling it is aged at least 4 years in English or French oak casks.
Carmignano - It's a red wine that has particular characteristics for the adding of grape cabernet to the 4 vines of the Chianti Classico. It has a very limited zone of production, around Poggio a Caiano.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano - It's a white wine, dry, strew yellow colored, produced only with grapes of the vernaccia vine in the area around San Gimignano . It has a characteristic flavor, very dry, a bit acid, a delicate smell, content around 11/12 degrees. It is served to accompany fish and crustacean.
Nobile di Montepulciano - It's an aged red wine of high quality. At the typical vines of Chianti are added in limited quantity the grechetto, bianco and mammola vines. The color is red grained, almost brown, the characteristic smell is sweet violet's, it has 12 degrees of alcoholic content.
Bianco di Pitigliano - Straw yellow colored wine, produced in Maremma, in the zone of Pitigliano and Sorano, by 4 vines: trebbiano, greco, malvasia, verdello. The alcoholic content is near 11,5 degrees. Very good to serve with fish
Bianco Pisano San Torpè - This wine is produced in a territory that includes 18 departments of the zone of Pisa. The dominant vine is trebbiano that can be accompanied with chardonney or vermentino. Strew yellow colored, very wining smelled, a bit lively of hawthorn, very dry flavor, alcoholic content about 11 degrees.
Vin
Santo - White wine, sweet, high content ( 15 - 18 degrees ); its production
has a very ancient origin. Often it is home made in small quantity from viticulturists,
for family consume. It's obtained from the pressure of withered on hurdle grapes
(colombano, malvasia). The dense must is fermented in little "caratelli" ( little
casks ) and aged for 4 years at least. Gold-amber colored, jam and withered
grape's spiced. Typically accompanied with dried Tuscan cookies ( canntuccini
), it is served cold.