To see a sample of our Wine Map of Italy, please download our Wine Map of Sicily. It’s a fairly large pdf file (551KB) so please be patient. It’s also the freshest slice of Sicilian oenological cartography available anywhere!

note: the release date has been pushed back from the 15th to the 19th due to plant power outages in Upstate NY – sorry!

Testing the limits of software, intestinal fortitude, bureaucracy and sanity (in no particular order), the Wine Map of Italy is now being printed and will be available on July 15th 19th. Thank you for your patience and understanding, especially if you’ve been (justifiably) embittered over the excruciatingly protracted delay.

The map will not be available for pre-order, but if you would like to receive a reminder email (and 20% discount) on the 19th, please enter your email address in the yellow “subscribe” box at the right.

In the meantime, have a look at the Italy map’s dedicated page or download its index, which is the most up to date listing of Italian wine regions currently available.

The Wine Century Club is for wine adventurers who have tried at least 100 different grape varieties. It currently boasts 779 members from 21 different countries including Australia, the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Georgia, Russia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the UK and the USA.

If you think you have what it takes to join this intrepid group, see more about membership and applications at the Wine Century Club website.

I wish it were that easy. Funny enough, very few regions in Italy publish their own maps or really do much to tell the world that they exist. Take one of Basilicata’s newer regions, TERRE DELL’ALTA VAL D’AGRI D.O.C. I would bet a lot of money that you haven’t heard about it, much less had any of their wines. They were officially recognized as a region in 2003 and make red and rosé wines from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is all taken from the official regional document, which is also where we get the map information described in text:

Le uve destinate alla produzione dei vini a DOC “Terre dell’alta val d’Agri” di cui al precedente art 2, devono provenire dai vigneti ubicati nei territori amministrativi dei seguenti comuni:
Viggiano Grumento Nova Moliterno
Tutti in provincia di Potenza
Le uve potranno essere prodotte in vigneti coltivati fino alla quota massima di 800 metri s.l.m.

Which translates into: The area below 800 meters (above sea level) in the communities of Viggiano, Grumento Nova and Moliterno.

This was actually a fairly easy region to document. Most of them resemble some sort of sat-nav from hell:

RIVIERA DEL BRENTA D.O.C.
Tale zona è così delimitata:
partendo da via Valmarana in comune di Noventa Padovana all’intersezione della autostrada A 4 Serenissima, la delimitazione prosegue lungo questa strada verso est fino al semaforo, ove gira a destra verso il centro di Noventa Padovana lungo la via Roma; superato il ponte sul canale Piovevo il confine gira a sinistra lungo l’argine in via Argine Destro Piovevo per poi proseguire su strada bianca mentre il canale Piovevo delimita il territorio verso est fino a raggiungere il confine amministrativo tra Padova e Venezia.
Da questo punto la delimitazione è rappresentata da tale confine fino all’ incrocio con la strada provinciale Vigonovese e percorre questa in direzione sinistra verso Villatora di Saonara lungo via III Novembre, alla fine della quale il confine svolta a destra in via XX Settembre e quindi a sinistra in via Mazzini fino al semaforo.
A questo incrocio, girando a sinistra in direzione Saonara, si percorre la strada dei Vivai per uscire al primo svincolo a destra in direzione Legnaro e quindi a sinistra in direzione Sant’Angelo di Piove di Sacco lungo via Morosini.
Allo stop la delimitazione gira a sinistra per entrare a Saonara in via Roma per poi proseguire diritta per la strada che diventerà prima via Valmarana e poi via Caovilla ed entrare quindi nel comune di Sant’Angelo di Piove di Sacco attraversando via Roma prima e via IV Novembre poi.
Superato il centro di sant’Angelo di Piove di Sacco, in corrispondenza di una curva a gomito a sinistra di via IV Novembre, il confine gira a destra proseguendo fino al semaforo che incrocia la strada provinciale n. 12.
Da qui gira a destra in direzione di Piove di Sacco lungo la via Alto Adige che successivamente diventa via Scardovara, per girare quindi a sinistra in via T. Vecellio, che percorre interamente fino al comune di Campolongo Maggiore da dove, all’intersezione con via Righe, gira a destra in direzione Corte.
Oltrepassa quindi la ferrovia e prosegue fino al semaforo in centro del paese di Corte, da dove gira a sinistra per arrivare al fiume Brenta e oltrepassato il ponte, gira a sinistra in via Sampieri e quindi subito a destra in via Fiumazzo.
Questa viene percorsa costeggiando l’argine, sino al confine provinciale tra Padova e Venezia da dove parte, sulla destra, il canale Cavaizza che rappresenta il limite sud-est del territorio delimitato, fino ad arrivare sulla strada statale n. 309 Romea.
Il confine territoriale prosegue quindi verso nord lungo la strada statale Romea in direzione Venezia, fino al canale Seriosa (Km. 122,100), per girare a sinistra al semaforo, per via La Seriosa Veneta Sinistra verso località Casona; quindi attraversa il canale per proseguire lungo via Sabbiosa ed attraversare anche il Naviglio del Brenta e la strada statale n. 11 Padova – Venezia.
Gira quindi a destra e poi a sinistra in via Risato e Bellin; lungo la via incrocia lo scolo Lusore, che diventa il limite dell’area seguendo lo scorrere naturale verso est fino al punto di raccordo con il canale Tron.
Ripercorrendo il canale Tron verso nord si incontra via Ghebba (prosecuzione stradale di via Risato e Bellin) ed in direzione nord passa sotto l’autostrada A 4; si prosegue per via Oriago fino all’incrocio con la Miranese, quindi si gira a destra verso Mestre e poi a sinistra, verso nord, lungo via Risorgimento in direzione Asseggiano (Palazzo Friendenberg).
La delimitazione gira successivamente a destra e subito a sinistra per via Martiri di Marzabotto (brevemente via della Spiga) e via della Vigna per riprendere via Martiri verso Case Dosa da dove, allo stop gira a sinistra lungo via Visinoni fino a Zelarino; al semaforo che incrocia la strada statale n. 245 Castellana gira a destra e poi a sinistra per via Scaramuzza e poi a destra in via Paccagnella fino ad incrociare la ferrovia la quale delimita il territorio verso nord fino ad intersecare via Gatta.
Lasciata la ferrovia, il confine prosegue verso ovest lungo via Gatta fino alla via Molino Marcello che percorre fino a via Marignana, su questa gira a destra e poi a sinistra per via
Chiesa Gardigiano fino ad incrociare via Nuova Moglianese Gardigiano, per girare quindi a sinistra ed entrare in frazione Cappella in comune di Scorzè.
Arrivata all’intersezione con la strada statale n, 245 Castellana, la delimitazione gira a destra in direzione Castelfranco fino all’incrocio con via Manetti (km. 17,800) e quindi a sinistra in direzione Fossalta di Trebaseleghe percorrendo via S. Tiziano fino al centro di Fossalta, da qui gira a sinistra verso Massanzago ed al primo incrocio gira a destra per via Rustega sulla strada provinciale n. 44 per entrare quindi in comune di Camposanpiero lungo via Fossalta.
All’incrocio la delimitazione gira a destra per via Borgo Rustega, quindi via Guizze di Rustega ed entra in comune di Loreggia e successivamente in comune di Camposanpiero oltrepassando anche Muson dei Sassi.
Allo stop il confine gira a sinistra sulla strada statale n. 307 fino all’incrocio, per girare quindi a destra in direzione Cittadella in via S. Antonio, oltrepassa la ferrovia percorrendo la strada provinciale n. 22, esce dal comune di Camposanpiero, attraversa la località Fratte di S. Giustina in Colle, supera la ferrovia ed al km. 27,000 gira a sinistra in via Militare in direzione Villa del Conte; allo stop gira a sinistra in via Rettilineo attraversa in centro del comune di Villa del Conte per girare quindi a destra sulla strada provinciale n. 58 fino a San Giorgio in Bosco; da qui il confine supera l’incrocio con la strada statale n. 47 proseguendo fino al ponte di Carturo sul fiume Brenta strada provinciale n. 27 Giarabassa.
Da qui è lo stesso fiume che verso valle delimita il confine ovest dell’area interessata fino al limite amministrativo del comune di Padova, segue questo fino all’intersezione con la strada statale n. 47 che percorre in direzione Padova fino al cavalcavia con l’autostrada A 4 Serenissima.
Da qui sarà detta autostrada A 4 che in direzione Venezia delimita il territorio fino a raggiungere l’intersezione con la strada Noventa Padovana, via Valmarana e cioè al punto di partenza.

(repeat 330 times)

Fortunately (for our sanity) we are nearly done but unfortunately it will not be available until the New Year (January 2010). Thank you for your patience.

Pear drop is a term often used by wine writers to describe the flavor of Beaujolais Nouveau. These writers would all be British since pear drops are virtually unknown in North America. They’re a traditional type of candy that the British call boiled sweets and Americans call hard candy.

They get their flavor from isoamyl acetate, an artificial flavoring commonly called banana oil. Yes, pear drops taste mainly like bananas but also like ripe pears as well. Beaujolais Nouveau gets its pear drop/ banana candy flavor from carbonic maceration, a process where whole bunches of grapes are fermented without crushing. The process produces isoamyl acetate, the pear drop flavor compound.

The Wine Century Club – now 590 members strong – celebrated its 4th birthday last Thursday. To mark the occasion, members worldwide tasted 159 different grape varieties. The list included serious obsurities such as Himbertscha, Incrocio Manzoni and Bukettraube.

The club has also started a new level of recognition: Doppel Members, for those who have tried more than 200 different grape varieties.

Brettanomyces ‘Brett’ is a yeast with many strains that imparts a wide range of flavors. Fairly common, especially in red wines. Considered by some to add desired character to wines when at low levels.
Telltale aromas: earthy, horsey, barnyard, sweaty-saddle, manure, leather, smoked bacon, cheese, band-aid, antiseptic (from De Long’s Wine Tasting Guides)

I came across the term “brett bomb” when I was researching a seriously delicious wine that was also a great value at approx. $10 – the 2004 Château du Cèdre Cahors Héritage. I googled it an found an interesting range of opinions that pretty much sum up the differences in old world and new world tastes in wine.

Representing the Old World, Jamie Goode liked it:

. . . drinking Chateau du Cedre 2004 Cahors, which is inky, dark, tannic and gravelly. Yes, I’m back on wine, and I’m really enjoying it. Lying in bed, with a TV show on a laptop and a glass of wine in hand is like flying business class. Especially when the wine is authentic, too.

Representing the New World, Ray Johnson didn’t:

The nose combines the rugged side of wine-love, with horse blanket, cheese and ripe berry fruit. In the mouth the wine is quite tannic and strongly reminiscent of the horse, certainly too much so for many drinkers. This is the negociant wine from the famous estate. Eleve et mis en bouteille a Vire-sur-Lot 13% $10.99 at Bottle Barn. Yes, this wine is just too rustic for most consumers of New World wine. What is disappointing is that it doesn’t have to be such a brett bomb. Cedre has a great reputation but this wine is not in that league.

Funny enough, their notes are very similar except for their tolerance of brettanomyces. Jamie makes a nod to it as gravelly and authentic, while Ray finds it a cheesy horse blanket (yuck!); indeed, a BRETT BOMB! To be honest, I really didn’t notice the brett on my first tasting, noting just earthy leather which could be a lot of things. On a re-tasting – after reading Jamie’s and especially Ray’s notes – I did notice the brett more and with a little antiseptic band-aid flavor to it as well. Such is the power of suggestion.

If you’ve ever been curious or not exactly sure of what Brettomyces tastes like, try to track down this wine. The 2004 is getting harder to find, but the 2005 illustrates this point as well, although with more fruit and less aggressive tannins. Since the wine is 90% Malbec, comparing it with a new world brett-free Argentinian Malbec – like Alamos – is an interesting and enjoyable comparison. Especially with a few steaks on the BBQ.

George Brett One of the greatest hitters in modern baseball history. Batting for the Kansas City Royals in Game 2 of the 1980 World Series, he left in the 6th inning with severe hemorrhoid pain. After minor surgery, he returned to hit a home run, leading the Royals to victory in Game 3. Although the Royals eventually lost the series to the Philadelphia Phillies, Brett became a hemorrhoids hero.

Robert Parker, Andrea Immer Robinson, Jancis Robinson and Gary Vaynerchuk hanging out at the Playmobil wine bar.

If you’ve noticed your 5 year old swirling and sniffing his/her juice glass, you may want to pay attention to this story.

Playmobil Wine Bar, one of Playmobil’s best sellers since it was introduced last fall, has hit a nerve with parents and trade groups nationwide. The Zirndorf, Germany-based company has previously courted controversy with Bank Robbers and Gangster play sets but may have taken it a bit too far this time.

The set includes miniature bottles, glassware and figures based on wine personalities Jancis Robinson, Andrea Immer Robinson, Gary Vaynerchuk and Robert M. Parker, Jr. in a relaxed wine bar setting. The details of the licensing deals are unclear, however, since none of the parties were willing to disclose terms.

While the wine industry has increasingly been targeting Millennials, who of course are above the legal drinking age, the Playmobil set has some community leaders up in arms. Not missing an opportunity to look good and lead in the outrage has been spokesperson Bruno Ashwip of the powerful Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association (WSWA).

“We’re really concerned about this one since they’re using wine celebs to get to the kids. The likenesses are pretty uncanny, I mean, the Robert Parker figure is a lot thinner than the real one, but they totally nailed his hair. Don’t tell me that children don’t know this. It’s just another reason that we shouldn’t allow state to state shipping of wine.”

The WSWA has gone so far as to propose legislation that would block interstate shipping of this toy. “We already have WSWA-friendly UPS drivers confiscating this item,” added Ashwip.

The calm at the center of this controversy are the wine celebrities themselves. They all seem to be oblivious to the outrage and much more concerned with advancing their personal brands.

Reached by phone at her London home, Jancis Robinson’s only apparent worry is that Immer Robinson and she are erroneously listed as the “Robinson sisters” on the packaging. “We are not sisters” was the terse response from the usually gracious Brit wine maven.

Immer Robinson initially laughed off the sister error has “good PR” but later admitted in a long-winded explanation that they were indeed not sisters. She was then off to teach a class of toddlers juice and cheese pairing at the French Culinary Institute where she is Dean of Liquid Studies.

Vaynerchuk, who proudly displays toy action figures in his popular Wine Library TV webcasts was ecstatic almost to the point of incomprehension. “This toy has the thunder^TM! My man is wearing his Vayniac^TM wrist band! Link it up, Mott^TM! We’re going to Digg^TM this baby to #1 on Amazon^TM!”

The situation is probably best summed up, however, by the towering Parker. Over the phone he simply offered a boozy refrain from a Bob Dylan song: “The times, they are a changin’.”

I’m pretty sure that Paul Masson did not say that over a century ago, but the words do apply here. After many production delays our Wine Map of California is finally available. Thank you for your patience!

In the spirit of shameless marketing and selling more maps, I’d like to share a few more ways to use them:

California Wine Travel Planning

Mount the map on foamboard and use it to plot new adventures or to remember where you’ve been. You can also attach it to your windshield as a crude form of sat-nav (not recommended by the California Highway Patrol).

Wine Map Wallpaper

The wine map wallpaper idea is the favorite of our marketing department since it involves purchasing a serious amount of maps.

Wine Map Drinking Game

This is my favorite and the most fun. It was sent to me by Cathy Jones who snapped this shot from her husband’s recent birthday celebration. In Cathy’s words:

He had taken up drinking an occasional Rioja after we traveled to Spain a few years ago. And he really liked your wine table that I bought for our anniversay last summer. Since then we have been trying to sample different varietals whenever we can. After getting your map, I made an impulse trip and purchased as many bottle of Spanish wines as I could find from the different regions. On his birthday, as he pulled each bottle from the box, we placed it on the map in the appropriate location. In this way, we were able to refresh our knowlege of Spanish geography and expand our repertoire of Spanish wines. We had quite a party after that. In fact, a couple of bottles “disappeared” before I thought to snap this picture. Needless to say, we are looking forward to your next map…

Thank you Cathy!

If you have any other creative ways to use these maps, please feel free to share them.