The Everyday Guide to Wines of Italy – Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan

No place on Earth has a more ancient and important tradition of winemaking than Italy. Thousands of years before wine became commonplace in France or the Napa Valley, Italians were producing their own unique varieties and making wine an essential part of Italian—and human—culture.

Today, Italy’s role in the wine industry is as important as ever. In addition to being one of the world’s largest consumers of wine, Italy

• is the world’s largest wine producer (surpassing a title previously claimed by France),
• contains over 1.5 million acres of vineyards growing in a range of climates, and
• produces just under 5 billion liters of wine each year.

But more important than the statistics are the wines themselves, which can tantalize your palate, enchant your senses, and prove that enjoying a glass of wine is just as much an art as it is an activity. Subtle whites like Pinot Grigio; spicy reds like Chianti; effervescent sparkling wines like Prosecco—these and others of Italy’s native sons rank among the most famous, most well-liked, and most well-respected wines in the world.

Now with the six lectures of The Everyday Guide to Wines of Italy, you can experience the dynamism of Italian wine for yourself and become your own expert in the tastes, traditions, and innovations from history’s definitive wine-making regions. Delivered by acclaimed Master of Wine Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, one of the foremost authorities on wines around the world, this course is a chance for you to embark on a delicious, interactive, and unforgettable tasting tour through a country that is equal parts picturesque, romantic, and mysterious.

Take a Virtual Tour of Italy’s Best Wine Regions

Ms. Simonetti-Bryan has crafted an informative itinerary that takes you across Italy on a tour of its most notable wine regions—and the delicious wines they produce. Each lecture focuses on a specific part of the country and the features that set its wines apart from other regions of Italy and other parts of the world.  Examples include:

• Northeast Italy: The regions of the Veneto, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Adige are home to one of the most famous white wines in the world Pinot Grigio, as well as decadently rich reds.
• Tuscany: One of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations, Tuscany yields wines recognized for their high quality and their ability to pair easily with food.
• Sicily: The volcanic soil in Sicily (coming from nearby Mount Etna) is quite fertile. Sicily’s most prominent red grape variety is Nero d’Avola.

An even greater level of engagement and immersion is added to your tour of Italian wine regions, thanks to green screen technology, which transports Ms. Simonetti-Bryan (and you) to many of the breathtaking regions discussed in these lectures.

Sample Italian Wines like an Expert

See. Swirl. Sniff. Sip. Savor. Ms. Simonetti-Bryan teaches you how to employ the craft of wine tasting to better understand and appreciate subtleties most people miss. You’ll explore reds, whites, sparkling wines, and dessert wines, including

• Prosecco, Italy’s most popular sparkling wine that rivals the quantity of champagne exported from France;
• Chianti Classico, a pale ruby wine made from Italy’s most planted grape variety, Sangiovese;
• Pinot Grigio, a white wine whose characteristics change depending on how its grapes are grown; and
• Super Tuscan, a luxurious wine from Tuscany that includes French noble red grape varieties such as Merlot.

In addition to the interactive wine tastings that make The Everyday Guide to Wines of Italy a unique way to learn about and experience great Italian wine, these lectures also feature suggestions on food pairings, tips for shopping, recipes for fun cocktails, and more. So order The Everyday Guide to Wines of Italy and expand your appreciation and understanding of wines unmatched in taste and history by anything else in the world.

6 Lectures

Average 35 minutes each

1. Wines from Julius Caesar’s Day to Today

2. Northeast Italy—Beloved Whites to Rich Reds

3. Northwest Italy—Sophisticated Wines

4. Tuscan Stars—Chianti to Super Tuscans

5. Central Italy—Secret Gems

6. Southern Italy—Juicy Reds and Pizza Pairings