Last week I introduced you to wine laws and the governing body that controls them in France, the Appellation d'Origine Controlee. This week we are going to conquer Italy, which seems at times to be one giant vineyard. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata is Italy's equivalent to France's A.O.C.

We discussed last week that France's wine laws dictate that the wines must be labeled by region (with the exception of Alsace), and that in the U.S., we label our wines by grape variety. Well, in Italy they do it by grape variety or region, and sometimes even both. It seems that the Italians have agreed to disagree, over a nice glass of wine of course.

What they have in common with France is that they are only permitted to use certain grape varieties in the wines, if they want to use a regional name on the label. This way you will know that red wines from the Chianti region will always be made from at least 75% of the Sangiovese grape. If the wine producer wants to label the wine by grape variety, the wine must also contain at least 75% of the stated grape.

What some Italian producers are doing differently is they are choosing to ignore the wine laws, and label their wines with fantasy names like Tignanello, Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Lupicaia. These producers are using any grapes they want to, and growing the grape in many different regions with the intent to make great wines without the constraints of wine laws. This is fine with the Denominazione di Origine Controllata, but the wine cannot have the name of the region, the name of the grape, or carry the D.O.C. name on their labels. What is interesting to note is that these wines are commanding the highest prices in Italy.

I think what we are learning from the Italians is that sometimes these wine laws that are written to help us understand what is in the bottle, sometimes hinder the quality of what is in the bottle.

I will use a consistent legend throughout my selections:

1. GrapeVariety
• ProducerWinery
• FantasyName
• PlaceName
• Vintage
• Price

1. Prosecco 95%, Chardonnay 5% (Sparkling)
• Zardetto Brut
• Conegliano, Veneto, Italy
• N.V.
• $11.99
• Zardetto Prosecco is easy to find in most retail wine stores. This is the third Prosecco we have tasted in Wine School if that gives you any indication of how much I love this wine. I have yet to meet somebody who disagrees. Combine it's friendliness with it's price tag and you have yourself a great party wine.

1. Inzolia, Catarratto, Grecanico (White)
• Tasca D'Almerita
• Regaleali
• Sicilia, Italy
• 2005
• $11.99
• I picture most things from Sicily being as tough and unforgiving as Tony Soprano, but this wine is floral, friendly and inviting. It is a blend of these three aromatic white grapes. Inzolia is the grape that is used to make the famous Marsala wine, which Tony probably lapped up off his plate with some bread at his favorite Italian restaurant.

1. Greco di Tufo (White)
• Feudi di San Gregorio
• Campania, Italy
• 2002
• $22.99
• White wines from Campania offer some of the best values out there. The wines are typically bright, crisp and mineral. There tends to be melon and citrus fruits on the nose. They are easy to drink alone, with shellfish or finfish.

1. Fiano (White)
• Aminea
• Avellino, Campania, Italy
• 2005
• $19.99
• This is an example of when the Italians put both the name of the grape and the place it comes from on the label. Fiano di Avellino means nothing more than the Fiano grape, from the city of Avellino. Confusing at first, but really specific once you have the knowledge.

1. 95% Garganega, 5% Trebbiano di Soave (White)
• Suavia
• Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy
• 2004
• $14.99
• Soave is the region, and the wine is typically a blend of white grapes. Classico means that it is from the oldest part of the region. Sometimes wine regions start to sprawl and become larger than the original boundries. Wine producers from within the original border will ask to be granted the title of classico.

1. Dolcetto (Red)
• Scarzello
• Alba, Piedmonte, Italy
• 2001
• $21.99
• This is what the locals drink in Piedmonte, which means the "foot of the mountains". Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera are planted at higher elevations on the mountain sides and below them the Dolcetto is planted. These wines are harvested first, and are for easy drinking. They are fruity and light, perfect with a cheese plate.

1. Corvina 70%, Rondinela 20%, Molinara 5%, Croatina 5% (Red)
• Nicolis Angelo e Figli
• "Seccal" Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso
• Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy
• 2001
• $22.99
• Valpolicella is always a blend of these grapes. Here you see the Classico label again, along with the term Superiore. Superiore means that the wine has one degree more alcohol that the average Valpolicella. What this tells you the consumer is that the wine has a bit more body than it normally would.

1. Sangiovese 90%, Canaiolo 7%, Colorino 3% (Red)
• Fattoria Monsanto Riserva
• Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
• 2003
• $19.99
• Chianti has come a long way since the bottle/basket fiasco. Those basket lined bottles are called fiaschi. Chianti is an example of how stricter wine laws help improve quality in the region overall. They have forced vineyards to use better clones of Sangiovese and limited the amount of other grapes varieties allowed in the blend. In fact, as of the 2006 vintage, they are no longer allowed to blend any white grape varieties into Chianti Classico.

1. Prugnolo Gentile 80%, Canaiolo and Mammolo 20% (Red)
• Fattoria Del Cerro
• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
• Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy
• 2004
• $19.99
• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano? What does that tell me about what is in the bottle? The Noble Grapes of Montepulciano. Montepulciano is the region and these wines used to be reserved only for the members of the noble families in Italy. Good marketing idea, but quite confusing to the modern day consumer. Prugnolo Gentile is just a clone of Sangiovese that they gave a new name.

1. Aglianico
• Paternoster
• Synthesi
• Vulture, Basilicata, Italy
• 2002
• $19.99
• Aglianico is to Southern Italy what Sangiovese and Nebbiolo are to Northern Italy. This is the "noble" grape of the south. Big, Big, Big wine grown in volcanic ash soil. Think Steak!

1. Primitivo
• Mille Una
• "Majara"
• Salento, Apulia, Italy
• 2001
• $19.99
• Originally they said this was the ancestor to American Zinfandel. Then they said no. Then they said yes again. I don't know if it is or if it isn't, but I know if you like California Zinfandels you will like Primitivo. Big and fruity, but not too harsh.

1. Moscato
• Michele Chiarlo
• Nivole
• Asti, Piedmonte, Italy
• 2006
• $10.99
• This dessert wine is what they call "frizzante", which means slightly sparkling. It is what I call delicioso! Made from the very charming Moscato grape, it is a great way to end a meal. Nivole means "Clouds" in Italian. Good night!

All wines were purchased from Lake Liquors in Ronkonkoma. They offer a 10% discount when you purchase a case. The total Wine School case cost this month was $213.00 after discount.