Passionate Mondays - Italian Wine

I'm just back from New York and newly inspired about Italian wines.

Since the first time I tried any Italian wine of quality, which was a Barolo and a Barbaresco, I have been hooked on Italian wines. I knew from that moment on that what I wanted to do was sell, or somehow be involved with promoting Italian wines. Yes, it was that simple, like a lightning bolt. I did and still do follow that passion.

I am ceaselessly promoting my favorite Italian wines - like Canella Brut Rose' in this photo.

I realize that Italian wines can be very confusing for the average consumer due to thousands of grape varieties and wine labeling practices that make it difficult for most people to understand what is actually in the bottle. Without getting into a lesson, I simply want to encourage wine lovers out there to not be intimidated by these things and actually experiment with trying a variety of Italian wines. I recommend starting with a knowledgeable wine retailer and getting their guidance on how to buy Italian wines that you will like.

My other strong recommendation, besides taking one of my great wine trips to Italy (see my company website for more information), is reading all that you can about Italian wine. One of the best magazines for that is Gambero Rosso from Italy. Gambero Rosso, the leading wine magazine in Italy, each year gives out their Tre Bicchieri, or Three Glasses, award to the top 100 wines of Italy. They recently announced their 2008 winners, which you can read about here. They also do a Tre Bicchieri road show where you can taste all these top wines and talk to the wine producers or their representatives yourself. It is a wine tasting that I highly recommend.

So, on this Passionate Monday, why not pick up a nice bottle of Italian wine for dinner tonight?