As I said, not an expert, so I won’t talk about the specific characteristics of a grape or a wine. But I am big into the winery thing. Over the years I’ve hit about a dozen wineries in Italy, and while each has their own unique features, generally they follow the same pattern. When you first arrive, you’re met by a guide, often the owner or a family member in the more boutique-ish wineries. They talk a lot about the wines you will try, and will place just opened bottles on the table, while dishes of breads, cheeses, and salamis are spread out in front of you. You can try as much of each wine as you like, and then move on until all the wines are tried.
As you settle in and try the wines and the conversations progress, you’ll find they don’t want you leave. You may have places to go and things to do, but they assume nothing is as important as spending time with them at their winery. Italians wine producers have a real passion for what they do, and they expect you to feel as deeply as they do.
When I pick a winery, I prefer to stay away from the well-known and the larger wineries. If I am already familiar with a wine and can buy it in the U.S., I don’t have to fly halfway around the world to try it again. Also, the larger ones don’t quite have the time to devote to you since they get a lot of visitors. Instead, I look for those that I’m not familiar with — they love the attention and treat you as a welcome guest.
A typical table setting for a wine tasting
