Underground Cellar Talks About Different Wine Regions
When it comes to wine regions, Underground Cellar knows a thing or two. We know that we may not be experts, but we do love to learn and want you to as well!
Today, we’re going to explore some of our favorite wine regions and why they’re unique.
Let’s begin by discussing France. After all, when people think of wine, they can’t help but think of France.
The most famous wine region in France is Bordeaux, which is made up of several districts that are located where the Garonne River meets the Dordogne River. The climate is humid and warm with high rainfall (around 110 inches per year), allowing perfect grape growing conditions. The soil is limestone and gravel, which is excellent for grape growing.
Now that we’ve covered Bordeaux let’s move on to Burgundy. If you’re a wine aficionado, then we’re sure you know all about Burgundy and its different crus (vineyard areas). All of the Bourgogne wines produced in Burgundy are made with Pinot Noir or Chardonnay grapes grown in different soil types. The most common grape varieties in Bourgogne are Aligote, Gamay, Melon de Bourgogne, Pinot Noir, and Riesling (some of which you can only find in the Burgundy region).
As you can see, France is home to some of the most well-known and popular wine regions globally. Moreover, one might argue that France has one of the best grape-growing climates; we couldn’t agree more!
When it comes to Italian wine regions, a handful really stick out: Piedmont, Tuscany, and the Veneto.
Piedmont is a region in northwest Italy that’s home to some of the best wines around. As you can guess from its name, Piedmont gets quite a bit of rainfall throughout the year due to its close proximity to the Alps – almost 120 inches per year! The soil where the grapes are grown is very stony, making it challenging to farm and cultivate. The most famous wines from Piedmont are those made with the following grapes: Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, Nebbiolo, and Uva Rara (which is a black grape).
Tuscany is another wine region that gets its fair share of rainfall each year (about 60 inches). The rainfall is important because it helps regulate the temperature of the grapes, so they don’t become too hot or too cold. As you can imagine, with all this rain comes fertile soil that’s great for growing grapes. As a result, some of the most famous wines to come out of Tuscany are those made from Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and Colorino grapes.
Last but not least, let’s talk about the Veneto region in northeastern Italy. As you can guess by its name, it’s quite rainy here – more than 100 inches of rainfall each year! On the other hand, the soil is very fertile, which makes growing grapes a bit easier. There are three main grapes grown here: Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara.
So what about the rest of Italy? There are, of course, other wines produced throughout the country. Some of our favorite regions outside Piedmont, Tuscany, and Veneto are Puglia, Abruzzo, and Sicily.