The six regions of Italy’s shining south—Sicilia (Sicily), Sardegna (Sardinia), Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, Campania, Molise, Abruzzo and Lazio—take pride in the sun-washed vineyards that prompted the ancient Greeks to nickname their southern colonies Oenotria – “The Land of Wine.” From Greece they brought to Magna Græcia vines that are still planted today, and the promise of Oenotria lives on and thrives to this day each time we uncork a bottle of wine made in the mezzogiorno – southern Italy.

In next week’s appointment with Wednesday Wines we will be introducing the second part of the series – the wines of northern Italy. The regions we will be visiting boast a wine country of classic reds and deep and stylish whites, vineyards that rear unclassified Super Tuscans, DOC excellencies, rare local grapes, elegant spumante and meditative sweet dessert wines. Each week we will be covering each of northern Italy’s regions one by one—Le Marche, Toscana (Tuscany), Emilia Romagna, Lombardia (Lombardy), Liguria, Veneto, Piedmont, Trentino Alto Adige (Südtirol), Friuli Venezia-Giulia, and Valle d’Aosta (Vallée d’Aoste)—exploring their delightful wines one sip at a time.

Salute!

Now that you’ve learned about the wines of southern Italy, how would you like to walk through the same vineyards your ancestors once did – and even have the chance to find your southern Italian relatives still living there as well? Contact us today and find out how italyMONDO! can help you research your Italian (and both northern and southern!) family tree or create a vacation of a lifetime with a custom Heritage Tour for you and your family!

Photo Courtesy of “aldoaldoz” at Flickr