When the Moon Hits Your Eye – The Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine

People think I'm Italian. I'm not. I’m something of a global mutt, but I do like to drink and write about Italian wines, and as a wine buyer, I’ve always had some cool Italian wines in my wine departments. For many people Italian wine is a confusing, convoluted subject. Just like France there are a myriad number of rules that govern what wines can be made with which grapes and what percentages, not to mention that some of the names are long, laborious, tongue twisters. Good for us that Dr. Wine has come out with yet another volume, the most comprehensive, about Italian wines. The Ultimate Guide to Italian Wines 2017, authored Daniele Cernilli, AKA Dr. Wine, breaks it all down. I recently had lunch with the Good Doctor in Santa Barbara, tasting through several Italian wines he was showcasing, and I can tell you firsthand, Doc knows his stuff. As a brief side note the eight wines he brought were terrific and I found two of them the 2016 Torre Rosazza Pinot Grigio, and the 2012 Velenosi Roggio del Filare (a blend of 70% Montepulciano and 30% Sangiovese) to both be exceptional.

Dr. Wine

The book is broken down by region, starting with Abruzzo and ending with Veneto. He discusses each region and gives specific detailed info on them, then lists the wineries as well as their best known wines, all rated by points, price and an overall star rating of the winery a, “historical evaluation based on the reliability and prestige of the winery.” As comprehensive as the book is, it is all text; you’re not getting pretty pictures and maps, sidebars of places to eat or anything else. You’re getting Italian wine. This also allows this tome to be so inexpensive for its size (over 500 pages). Every wine lover needs to know and understand the great wine regions of the world. Sure, this won’t make you an expert, but it will give clarity to Italy’s many growing regions and, better still, if you’re traveling in those regions, this will hone your visits to some of the best wineries they offer.

The Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine 2017
Published by MD Communications, Rome
581 pages/$20

Italian and English Versions