Mountainous terrain, volcanic soils, innumerable microclimates, and an ancient culture of winemaking influenced by Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans make Italy the most diverse country in the world of wine. This diversity is reflected in the fact that Italy grows the largest number of native wine grapes known, amounting to more than a quarter of the worldÕs commercial wine grape types. Ian DÕAgata spent thirteen years interviewing producers, walking vineyards, studying available research, and tasting wines to create this authoritative guide to ItalyÕs native grapes and their wines. Writing with great enthusiasm and deep knowledge, DÕAgata discusses more than five hundred different native Italian grape varieties, from Aglianico to Zibibbo. DÕAgata provides details about how wine grapes are identified and classified, what clones are available, which soils are ideal, and what genetic evidence tells us about a varietyÕs parentage. He gives historical and anecdotal accounts of each grape variety and describes the characteristics of wines made from the grape. A regional list of varieties and a list of the best producers provide additional guidance. Comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and engaging, this book is the perfect companion for anyone who wants to know more about the vast enological treasures cultivated in Italy.

Italy’s Native Wine Grape Terroirs is the definitive reference book on the myriad crus and the grand cru wine production areas of Italy’s native wine grapes. Ian D’Agata’s approach to discussing wine, both scientific and discursive, provides an easy-to-read, enjoyable guide to Italy’s best terroirs. Descriptions are enriched with geologic data, biotype and clonal information, producer anecdotes and interviews, and facts and figures compiled over fifteen years of research devoted to wine terroirs. In-depth analysis is provided for the terroirs that produce both the well-known wines (Barolo, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino) and those not as well-known (Grignolino d’Asti, Friuli Colli Orientali Picolit, Ischia). Everyday wine lovers, beginners, and professionals alike will find this new book to be the perfect complement to D’Agata’s previous award-winning Native Wine Grapes of Italy.

The Grapes and Wines of Italy - The definitive compendium region by region is an up to date, scientifically researched but very user-friendly guide to Italy's grapes, wines and most important terroirs. Easy to read yet highly informative, this book is ideal for wine lovers, wine professionals and wine students preparing for exams both at the entry and advanced/Master level. Salient features include: A simple introduction to Italy's 20 regions The latest information on Italy's native, traditional and international grape varieties presented in easy to access individual file format Key information and breakdown of Italy's most important wine terroirs Lists of the denominations and wines Easy to consult tables and graphs The best wine producers region by region. A word from Ian D'Agata: Ever since I wrote my multi-award-winning Native Wine Grapes of Italy (NWGI) and Italy's Native Wine Grape Terroirs (INWGT), people everywhere have asked me when I might follow it up with a shorter, abridged version that might prove less encyclopedic and easier to leaf through and carry around. And so I set out to write just such a book, the one that you are now holding in your hands. You will find it is written in a simple, note-type format, with plenty of tables and graphs so as to make the learning of what is at times a really complex subject matter hopefully a little easier. Five valid reasons why a new book on the subject of Italy's wine grapes and wines had become necessary. First, because seven years have passed since the publication of "Native Wine Grapes of Italy": this is a time frame more than long enough for a considerable body of new information pertaining to Italy's native grapes and wines to have accumulated. Clearly, an update of the original tome had become not just desirable, but necessary. Second: we wanted a new book on the subject of Italy's wine grapes to broach not just the country's plethora of native wine grapes, but the country's international grapes too; so here you will also find information on the likes of Sylvaner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot addressed as well. Third: this new book's user-friendly mission also includes sections on Italy's many wines and denominations. In other words, not just the wine grapes, but their wines and their official denominations too, which you'll find listed at the end of every chapter. Fourth: to give wine lovers at least a small working knowledge on Italy's best wine terroirs. Fifth: I am now the President and Chief Scientific Officer of China's TerroirSense Academy, not to mention the Editor-in-Chief of the TerroirSense Wine Review. Therefore, this book will also serve as the recommended text for that school's Italian wine courses.

“A wonderful cookbook with the very best authentic Italian recipes . . . Flick through it and you can feel immediately transported to a table under an olive tree” (The Sunday Tribune). Named One of the Top 100 Cookbooks of the Last 25 Years by Cooking Light! Verdura has become a classic that readers turn to as their vegetable cooking bible—with irresistible recipes representing the best of the Italian approach to vegetable preparation, an earthy yet spirited technique that celebrates fresh ingredients simply treated. Contending that eating well-prepared vegetables helps us to appreciate life’s natural cycles, Viana La Place presents recipes for antipastos, salads, soups, sandwiches, pasta, risottos, pizzas, and much more. The vegetables she explores run from the familiar—artichokes, aubergines, radicchio—to the more exotic, such as chayote, cardoons, and brocciflower. (Sautée her cauliflower-broccoli hybrid in garlic and oil—then top it with pungent provolone!) Other recipes, such as Soup of Dried Broad Beans with Fresh Fennel; Fettucine with Peas, Spring Onions, and Mint; Grilled Bread with Raw Mushroom Salad; and Baked Red Pepper Fritatta; give further evidence of the author’s original yet thoughtful way with the earth’s bounty. Desserts are also included, among them Watermelon with Bittersweet Chocolate Shavings; Grilled Figs with Honey and Walnuts; and Lemon Granita and Brioches. With a vegetable and herb guide and an ingredient glossary, Verdura provides comprehensive information while exciting the palate.

At one time, Italian wines conjured images of cheap Chianti in straw-wrapped bottles. More recently, expensive “Super Tuscans” have been the rage. But between these extremes lay a bounty of delicious, moderately priced wines that belong in every wine drinker’s repertoire. Vino Italiano is the only comprehensive and authoritative American guide to the wines of Italy. It surveys the country’s wine-producing regions; identifies key wine styles, producers, and vintages; and offers delicious regional recipes. Extensive reference materials—on Italy’s 300 growing zones, 361 authorized grape varieties, and 200 of the top producers—provide essential information for restaurateurs and wine merchants, as well as for wine enthusiasts. Beautifully illustrated as well as informative, Vino Italiano is the perfect invitation to the Italian wine experience.