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Wine Guides & Travel · Insider's Wine Travel Guides

Italy

Every guide and story we’ve written on Italy.

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Italy

Italy
Aerial view of a village among the vineyard hills of Oltrepo Pavese above the Po plain, Lombardy, Italy
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Lombardy: Franciacorta, Valtellina and Milan's Cellar

Milan's cellar runs from Franciacorta's champagne-method bubbles to Nebbiolo grown on alpine terraces. The lake-country...

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Emilia-romagna
Rows of vines turning red and gold in autumn on a hillside in Emilia-Romagna, Italy
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Emilia-Romagna: Real Lambrusco and the Food Capital of Italy

Italy's food capital has a wine secret: real Lambrusco is dry, dark-foamed and built for...

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Italy
Hilltop citadel of Castelsardo above the sea with vineyards in the foreground, Sardinia, Italy
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Sardinia: Cannonau, Vermentino and an Island Apart

An island apart, where shepherds drink Cannonau and centenarians take the credit. Granite-grown Vermentino, the...

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Italy
Castle and terraced vine rows below the Dolomites near Bolzano in Alto Adige, northern Italy
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Trentino-Alto Adige: Alpine Precision in Two Languages

Alpine precision in two languages: German-accented whites on high slopes, Teroldego's dark side and Trentodoc's...

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Friuli-venezia Giulia
Winding road through steep terraced vineyards on the Friuli-Slovenia border, northeastern Italy
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Italy's White Wine Laboratory

Italy's white-wine laboratory sits on the Slovenian border, where Friulano and Ribolla Gialla meet orange-wine...

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Campania
Terraced vineyards and the Amalfi Coast dropping to the Tyrrhenian Sea in Campania, Italy
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Campania: Aglianico, Fiano and the Wines Rome Drank

The wines Rome actually drank: Aglianico on volcanic slopes, Fiano and Greco in the hills...

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Abruzzo
Vine rows below the forested Apennine ridges of Abruzzo, central Italy, with the Gran Sasso beyond
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Abruzzo: Montepulciano, Pecorino and the Greenest Region in Europe

Mountains on one side, the Adriatic on the other, and Europe's greenest wine region in...

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Italy
Olive groves above the Ionian coast with a whitewashed old town across the water in Puglia
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Puglia: Primitivo, Negroamaro and Italy's Best-Value Reds

Italy's heel grows its best-value reds: Primitivo with Zinfandel's DNA, brooding Negroamaro and bush vines...

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Italy
Mount Etna rising above terraced vineyards on black volcanic soil, Sicily
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Sicilian Wine: Etna's Volcanic Cru System and the Island Beyond

A hundred grapes on one island, and a volcano with its own cru system. Etna's...

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Italy
Italian Wine: Twenty Regions, 500 Grapes, One Table
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Italian Wine: Twenty Regions, 500 Grapes, One Table

Twenty regions, five hundred grapes, one table - Italian wine is a country-sized menu. Barolo...

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Italy
A woman in a linen dress sitting on a wide wooden window sill, holding a glass of red wine next to a bottle, looking out over misty Tuscan hills
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Tuscan Wine: Sangiovese, Cypress Hills, and the Rebellion That Changed Italy

Sangiovese, cypress hills and the rebellion that changed everything. Chianti Classico to Brunello di Montalcino,...

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Italy
A man dressed in light linen walking through sweeping, terraced vineyard rows carrying a bottle of wine in Piemonte
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Piemonte Wine: Fog, Nebbiolo, and Italy's Quietest Grand Cru Country

Fog rolls in, Nebbiolo ripens late, and Italy's quietest grand cru system hides in plain...

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Italy
A bottle of Bennati Soraighe Valpolicella Ripasso wine and two filled wine glasses on a wooden table, with a couple re-enacting a romantic balcony scene in the blurred background.
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Veneto Wine: Amarone, Soave, Prosecco and the Art of the Dried Grape

The art of the dried grape lives here: Amarone's raisined power, ripasso's clever middle path,...

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Abruzzo
Red wine bottle and glass overlooking Montepulciano, Tuscany at sunset.
  • by Greg Martellotto

Montepulciano vs Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: What's the Difference?

Montepulciano isn’t one wine — it’s two completely different stories. One is a bold, fruit-driven...

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Italy
Woman at a terrace table with a spritz cocktail, the Colosseum in the background in Rome
  • by Greg Martellotto

Local Wine & Dining in Rome | Travel Guide for Wine Lovers

Rome & Lazio – A Local's Guide for Wine Enthusiasts Rome, the Eternal City, is...

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Campania
Cliffside buildings above the sea on Capri, with a distant mountain across the bay
  • by Greg Martellotto

Guide to Capri: Where to Stay Eat and Drink, without a Boat!

Capri is a beautiful island in the Bay of Naples that sings la dolce vita....

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Italy
Two men on a vineyard terrace with wine bottles on the rail, gesturing toward a hilltop town
  • by Greg Martellotto

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: The Tuscan Wine That’s Redefining Excellence

If you’re a fan of Tuscan wine, you probably already know about Brunello di Montalcino...

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Italy
Italian Wine Ambassador’s Insider Notes on the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vintage Blog - Big Hammer Wines
  • by Greg Martellotto

Italian Wine Ambassador’s Insider Notes on the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vintage

Every November herds of wine journalists and a handful of professionals make their pilgrimage to...

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Italy
Rolling hills covered in vineyard rows under a clear blue sky, with farmhouses on the ridges
  • by Greg Martellotto

Barolo Brilliance: Unraveling the Mystique of Piedmont's Noble Nebbiolo

Understanding Barolo and Nebbiolo The complex, yet exciting wine history of Barolo dates back to...

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Italy
Terraced vineyard rows on a hillside above a valley, with mountains and cypress trees beyond
  • by Greg Martellotto

A Detailed Review of Italian Wine Regions, By Italian Wine Expert

Italy produces almost 20% of the earth’s total wine grape harvest every year. With twenty regions...

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Italy
Large oak cask in a brick-vaulted underground cellar at Talosa, Montepulciano
  • by Greg Martellotto

Talosa Vino Nobile Cantina Storica in Montepulciano

Discover the rich history and commitment to quality that defines Talosa, a distinguished winery owned...

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Italy
Man standing in a cave-walled tasting room with seated guests and red wine bottles on the tables
  • by Greg Martellotto

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Embark on an Unforgettable Tuscan Adventure Sangiovese wine

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano holds the distinction of being the inaugural Italian DOC. Often hailed...

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Italy
Graphic reading "Introducing Talosa" over a barrel cellar, with Big Hammer Wines logo
  • by Greg Martellotto

Talosa Winery Montepulciano Etruscan Underground Cellar Tour

Talosa’s story started over 50 years ago when Angelo Jacorossi acquired this beautiful historical estate,...

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Italy
Sparkling wine being poured into a champagne flute beside other filled flutes on a red table
  • by Greg Martellotto

Raise a Glass to National Prosecco Day: Celebrating the Bubbly Elegance

On this joyous occasion, as the calendar marks another National Prosecco Day, it's time to...

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