History of Italian Wine

Italy has produced wines for thousands of years.

Though the Italians did not invent wine, they may have contributed more to the techniques of growing and making it than any other culture. Today, Italy is one of the leading wine-producing countries in the world.

Origin

Greeks brought wine to Italy over 4,000 years ago when they settled in southern Italy and the island of Sicily. Romans eventually adopted the art of winemaking and improved the Greek techniques. As demand for wine declined with the fall of the Roman Empire, Roman Catholic monks kept the practice of wine producing alive. Wine again gained popularity during the Renaissance.

Challenges

During the 19th century insects destroyed great number of Italy's vineyards. When the owners replanted they focused on the quantity instead of quality of the wines, making Italy a global supplier of inexpensive table wine. In response, the Italian government introduced wine regulations that improved the quality of Italian wine.

Contributions

The Italians introduced props and trellises in wine growing, improved the presses used for extracting juice and classified which groups of grapes grew best in which climates. They realized the better taste of aged wine, and became the first to store it in wooden barrels. It is probable that they were the first to store wine in glass jars with corks.

References

• World Wide Tours: Wines of Italy
• Life in Italy: A Short History of Italian Wine
• Wine Online: Italy