KEY POINTS:
Wine was the last thing on my mind as our car veered round a corner on the wrong side of a mountain road, its driver gesticulating wildly while speaking enthusiastically about his latest vintage. Italy is a place of passion and poor driving, but thankfully the wines that
calmed my nerves at the end of many a hair-raising ride across the country were exciting enough to warrant the adrenalin I regularly had to expend to get to them.
Italian wines certainly reflect the feeling of their country. They can be a bit wild or super-stylish, are as staggeringly diverse as their regions and makers, and are frequently difficult for outsiders to understand.
It's no surprise that picking one's way through Italy's myriad styles can be daunting. As the world's largest producer of wine for many years, it has much to offer, and this comes from an extremely fragmented base comprising close to 500 different appellations, thousands of wineries - many of which are very small - and a million growers.
And that's before tackling the country's wealth of indigenous and often unfamiliar grape varieties. From aleatico to zibbibo, these provide unique and interesting alternatives to the international staples - although these have also been creeping into its vineyard mix.
There are still rustic and old-fashioned wines to be had, but the modernisation of Italy's ancient wine industry in recent decades has led to great progress in terms of quality and more accessible styles. This has been underpinned by investment, the adoption of current winemaking techniques and a more outward looking approach that has seen winemakers from as far afield as New Zealand and Australia add international input to Italy's wine scene. As a result, Italian wines have never been better.
This can be seen in the country's classic appellations. I continue to be thrilled by the wines of barolo, which with their intriguing fusion of tar and roses, etherealness and power, have gained greater depth and approachability in recent years.
Tuscany too goes from strength to strength. Moving away from the days of the fiasco - the name of chianti's straw flask that was often a greater selling point than the wine within it - an appellation like chianti is making wines at a range of price levels that can now offer great fruit underpinned by a seductive savoury herbal earthiness that characterises many of Italy's wines.
Lesser-known regions are also coming to the fore, with plenty of excitement in Italy's sun-drenched south - from Puglia with its primitivo and negroamaro varieties to the island of Sicily with nero d'avola. Once the source of bulk wines used as blending material to bump up weaker wines from elsewhere, these are now making a name for themselves as producers of ripe, richly fruited and full-bodied wines, offering some of the best value for money in the world.
In the past, buying Italian could be something of a risky business. However, with improved winemaking and an increasingly smart selection being imported into our country, the journey through Italy's wines today is a far less of a white-knuckle ride than is to be had on its roads!
Buono buys from Italy
Southern promise
Corallo Nero d'Avola, Sicily 2007 $9.96
The label formerly known as Lamura is still serving up amazing value for money with this indigenous Italian variety that's brimming with soft and savoury Sicilian sun-baked berry fruit.
From www.blackmarket.co.nz, www.winedirect.co.nz
Classic value
Fontella Chianti 2006 $14.95
With its light, fresh cherry cola fruit and earthy, spicy undertones, the Fontella is a great easy drinking everyday chianti.
From Alberton Fine Foods, Wine Direct, Wine Vault, Milford Cellars.
The reale deal
Valle Reale Vigne Nuove Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2007 $19.90
This velvety textured montepulciano, with its chocolatey richness and toasty, earthy, spicy and fresh fruits of the forest notes, delivers remarkable density at this price. Delicious.
From Fine Wine Delivery Company, First Glass, Accent on Wine, The Barrow, Milford Cellars, Bacchus, Wine Circle.