One of my first nights in Florence, I sat down for dinner at a small restaurant near the Duomo. I asked an old waiter for a bottle of water and a plate of spaghetti alla pomodoro, or spaghetti with tomato sauce.
“White wine? A glass or bottle of white wine?” he replied.
“No, a bottle of water. Una bottiglia l’acqua,” I said.
“Ah, white wine. I will get you a glass.”
“No, I just wa—”
And he was gone. A few minutes later, he came back with a bottle of white wine in his hand, ready to pour me a glass. I don’t even like the taste of white wine.
As I took my first sip, I was in love. And the pasta? Just as good. The waiter definitely made a good decision to not bring me a water (grazie mille).
Italians take their wine seriously. To complement a dish, waiters or sommeliers ("wine stewards") can select the perfect glass or bottle to emphasize the taste of both the food and drink. Vino rosso (red wine) and vino biancho (white wine) are the two main types of wine made.
Wineries and their histories date back to about 4,100 B.C.E, where the oldest winery was found in present-day Armenia. Northern Israel also shows evidence of a 3,700-year-old wine cellar. More than 500 gallons (enough for about 3,000 bottles of wine) were believed to be stored there. During about 3,100 B.C.E, the ancient Egyptians drank wine-like substances during ceremonies because it resembled blood.
Wine also symbolized wealth and prosperity. The Phoenicians cultivated and spread wine globally during 1,200 B.C.E. The Greeks celebrated Dionysus, the god of wine, and the Roman Empire made wine a sacred part of mass in the Catholic Church. During the 15th and 16th centuries, wine was imported and exported from Europe to all around the world.
With endless combinations, the different aromas and tastes can range anywhere from fruity scents, like plums and sour apples, to flowery or earthy smells, like violets and roses.
Wine tours for tourists and locals are common in Italy, especially in Tuscany. Sommelier Todd Bolton created wine tour company Tuscan Trails. His interest and love for wine convinced him to inform tourists and locals about Italian culture through food and drink. Bolton specializes in Sangiovese wines from Tuscany.
“One of the best parts of being a sommelier is that you can taste different wines from different parts of the world,” Bolton said.
Chianti is the most popular wine region in Tuscany. Divided into 20 subzones, each with various numbers of wineries, the region is ripe with grapes. Smaller, family-owned wineries and corporate-like wineries populate the different zones.
Fattoria Selviapana in Pontassieve was originally a watchtower along the Sieve River to protect Florence’s northeastern border during the Medieval times. In the time of the Renaissance, it was turned into a villa and summer residence of noble Florentine families and bishops. The property was purchased by Michele Giuntini in 1827. Today, the ancestors of Michele Giuntini, Federico and Silvia Giuntini, run the winery.
The Giuntini home overlooks the vineyard; windows around the house show every angle of the valley below. The mountains stand tall over the vineyard, and the lines of grapevines stretch as far as the eye could see. Vibrant blues and greens paint the valley, making the hilly landscape look fake.
First, the grapes grow in the vineyard. Afterwards, depending on the philosophy of the winery, the grapes are put into large tanks or barrels. The harvest date of the grapes is written to track the amount of time they plan to be in there. The juices from the grapes stay at the bottom of the tank, and the skins of the grapes float to the top. The skins are taken out and moved to a distillery to be made into grappa, another unique Italian drink made out of the skins and grape seeds.
Finally, the wine is put into bottles. On the labels of manufactured wine bottles, many wineries put their level of authenticity of their wine. Four categories dictate how strict regulations are; the higher the category, the stricter the regulations are for the winery to follow, and the higher the price gets.
The Italian government decided to put these specific regulations on wineries to protect the quality, age and distribution of the wine. Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, or DOCG, is the highest level. Only a few wineries produce bottles at this level, including Fattoria Selviapana, since the zones are much smaller, Bolton said.
The level below DOCG is Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or DOC, is a more common label to see on wine bottles, since more wineries produce this type of wine in larger zones, Bolton said. As the categories lower, the regulations, prices and distribution decrease. Indicazione Geografica Tipica is the next lower level, and the bottom category is Vino da Tavola.
The wines that were tasted at Fattoria Selviapana were vino rossi: a 2013 and 2015 San Giovese, and a 2016 bottle that was 60 percent San Giovese, 20 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Some wineries in Tuscany have imported grapes, the most popular being French grapes, Bolton said. The wines all tasted different; the 2013 bottle tasted like an apple, while the 2016 tasted dark like a plum.
Only a 20-minute drive away, the winery Castello del Trebbio overlooks another valley; the vineyard takes up most of the space in the valley below. The castle has the grand view of the mountains bordering the vineyard, and small, colorful flower pots fill the empty cracks and spaces in the winery.
Castello del Trebbio was built in 1184 by the Pazzi family, noble Florentine bankers. In 1478, the Pazzi family came up with the plan to assassinate the Medici sons, Lorenzo and Giuliano, in the halls of the castle with other nobles, including Pope Sixtus IV. The conspiracy did not succeed, and the Republic of Florence seized the castle shortly after.
Anna Baj-Macario’s father purchased the property in 1968. Her and her husband, Stefano Casadei, own the winery currently; Baj-Macario runs the business aspect, while Casadei looks over the wine production. This winery also manufactures olive oil (possibly the best olive oil I’ve ever tasted).
Olives are cleaned and picked of their stems. Then, they are crushed and grinded into a paste. Once the paste is formed, it’s mixed to allow oil droplets to bond and form bigger droplets. Lastly, they are separated. Since oil is a fat, it floats above water, and the oil is collected and soon bottled.
The samples of two vino rosso and one vino biancho soothed my taste buds. Samples of
the olive oil were also given out with slices of bread. The drive back to Florence left me intrigued about how wine influenced Italy and the world.
Italian culture is more than wine and pasta. The cuisine captures the heart of millions around the world. There is an Italian saying I’ve taken to heart: "Una cena senza vino e come un giorno senza sole” ("A meal without wine is a day without sunshine”). The next time you order a bottle of water, hope that your waiter forces you to drink a nice glass of wine instead.