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I
is for Italy
If
you travel much, you know that hotel food is
either very good, or very bad. There's usually
not much middle ground. And, more often than
not, to experience the "very good,"
you must be willing to part with a pretty penny.
If
you're going to part with your precious dollars
for a good meal, you may as well have a good
bottle of wine along with it, right?
So
for this edition of the ACWC Cyber Report's
"A-to-Z" series, we thought we'd share
with you a few of our favorite hotel eateries
. . . and a few recommendations for those who
may be planning a trip to Australia in the not-too-distant
future.
Call
it a grab bag of wining-and-dining delights
. . .
 "I"
is For Italy
The
ancient Greeks called Italy "Oenotria"
-- the land of wine. And we can think of no
better description for this country. Once you
step outside any major city, the vineyard land
is never far away. In fact, some people have
observed that Italy is "one big vineyard."
Italy's
warm lands around the Mediterranean were home
to among the first winemaking cultures. Today,
the country continues to embrace wine like no
other, making excellent bottlings in many styles.
Putting
The Emphasis On Quality
While
tradition remains an important part of winemaking
in Italy, recent changes in long-established
wine laws are enabling vintners to introduce
new varietals in regions where they are particularly
well suited.
And
they have lots of choices. There are some 400
officially recognized grape varieties in Italy,
and more than 600 additional varieties that
are not officially recognized.
Names
To Know
Because
wine grapes are grown throughout the country,
it's helpful to be familiar with a few key geographic
names.
Well
respected regions include:
- Piedmont
-- home of the best red Barolos.
- Veneto
-- where a great many varieties thrive.
- Tuscany
-- known for the red wines of Chianti.
- Central
Italy -- where the most famous wines of Umbria
are white.
The
list goes on and on, an indication of how important
wine is in everyday Italian life.
The
Evening Meal
Italians
don't think of wine as a special occasion beverage.
It's simply a part of the evening meal, on equal
footing with crispy bread and homemade main
courses.
In
a word, the Italians have "demystified"
wine -- which enables them to enjoy it without
pretense . . . and with a wide array of food.
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