Nicolas Belfrage concludes his two-volume tour of Italian wine with a look at the outstanding varieties from Tuscany to the south.
In Barolo to Valpolicella, Belfrage demystified northern Italian viticulture, discussing dozens of wines ranging from the highest-quality vintages to affordable selections that can
be enjoyed every day. Now, with Brunello to Zibibbo, he considers the wines from Tuscany to the south, again concentrating on the regions’ indigenous vines and the unique grapes that
make Italy’s wines so exceptional.
There’s extensive coverage of the vines and wines of Tuscany, as well as an assessment of the emerging wines of the south—on which, to date, little has been written. From the Sangiovese, or
Brunello, of Tuscany, to the Zibibbo, or Alexandrian Muscat, of the island of Pantelleria off the Tunisian coast south of Sicily, this is an authoritative primer on the wealth of Italy’s
vineyards and a discerning guide to the regions’ best bottles.
