Bedford International - Importers of Fine Italian Wines since 1949

Nowadays, the "Bel Paese" is one of the world's top industrial nations, and it offers a unique marriage of past and present, its tradition maintained yet blended with modern technology.

Italy's climate is temperate, as it is surrounded on three sides by the sea, and protected from icy northern winds by the majestic sweep of Alpine ranges. Winters are fairly mild and summers are pleasant and enjoyable.

Italy is 760 miles long and approximately 100 miles wide (150 at it's widest point), an area of 116,303 square miles - the combined area of Georgia and Florida. It is subdivided into 20 regions, and inhabited by more than 56.5 million people.

NORTHWESTERN ITALY

The northwest sector of Italy includes the greater part of the arc of the Alps and Apennines, from which the land slopes toward the Po River. The area is divided into five regions: Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. Like the topography, soil and climate, the types of wine produced in these areas vary considerably from one region to another. This part of Italy is extremely prosperous, since it includes the so-called industrial triangle, made up of the cities of Milan, Turin and Genoa, as well as the rich agricultural lands of the Po River and its tributaries.

NORTHEASTERN ITALY

The three regions of the northeast known as "Tre Venezie", or simply "Le Venezie", hold top place in Italy in terms of the quality wines. Of the three regions, Veneto is the largest producer of D.O.C. wines, while Trentino-Alto-Adige has the highest percentage of D.O.C. in comparison with total output. Friuli Venezia Giulia, the third region, known for its white wines and well-structured reds, has recently started to get the recognition it deserves.

CENTRAL ITALY

Because they benefit from ample sunshine and moderate temperature, the band of hills and mountains occupying the center of the Italian peninsula represents an ideal environment for the production of quality. The six regions of central Italy - Tuscany, the Marches, Umbria, Latium, the Abruzzi and Molise - account for one-quarter of the wine output.

SOUTHERN ITALY

Riccardo and Christopher Falchini

The sun-drenched vineyards of the six regions of the south - Campania, Apulia, Calabria, Basilicata, Sicily, and Sardinia - were the cradle of Italian enology. Winemaking in this area benefited from the contributions of Greek colonists, who introduced new varieties and advanced techniques of cultivation, spreading from the south to the rest of the peninsula.

When they took over the region, the Romans showed great capacity for exploiting the heritage of such wines as Falerno, Cecubi, Ciro' and Mamertino, which were important in respect to the inspiration they provided such poets as Virgil and Horace. The techniques used in the area for growing grapes and making wines were carefully studied and commented on by such authors as Pliny the Elder and Columelia.

Despite their noble origins and the attention devoted to them over the centuries, the Roman wines suffered numerous setbacks. One of the most serious was the order of the Emperor Domitian, who, concerned about the excess production of wine in every part of the Roman Empire, uprooted numerous vineyards.

THE FOOD

When most people think of Italian food, their senses immediately perk up into a gustatory salute. Is there a national cuisine of Italy? The answer is no, just as there are no national French, Chinese, or Mexican cuisines. What exists, instead are the traditional "cuisines of the people," with dramatically distinguishable regional accents and "haute cuisines." International in scope and execution, the various epicurean preparations are provided great attention and care. To an Italian, the term "Italian food" has no meaning. However, Italians will react to and have definite views on Tuscan, Piemontese, Neapolitan, or any other type of regional cuisine.

Basically, there are two major areas of taste in Italy. The north offers more delicate foods, featuring mostly rice (especially in the northern Po Valley - Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto), polenta, pasta in light sauces, meats, and cheeses. Butter and cream are frequently used.

The "southern" area begins with Rome and ends in Sicily. Here the rich taste of olive oil prevails. This type of cuisine is well known in the U.S., as it was first introduced in the early 1900s. At that time, a wave of immigrants from the sun-baked Mezzogiorno, Italy's much-neglected and impoverished south, landed in America to seek a new life. Those with manual skills found work as carpenters, tailors, and stone masons; others with limited skills and a minimum education, took odd jobs, especially in restaurants, as dishwashers, busboys, or waiters. They worked under owners whose culinary background often consisted of simply having watched their mothers cook. These "restaurateurs" served dishes they were familiar with, using ingredients that they knew, adding a few baroque touches to make them appear more sophisticated and using substantial amounts of garlic, onion, hot pepper, oregano, basil, and tomatoes. This version of "Italian" cuisine should actually be called "Italian-American" as it is basically unknown in the motherland.

Fortunately, Italian cuisine in the United States has recently evolved into a phantasmagoria of exquisitely prepared, colorful, sensuous, and varied dishes. Much to be commended is the diligent work of Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani, a national organization of professional Italian restaurateurs who are devoting a lot of time and effort to train tomorrow's professionals in the art of Italian food preparation.