Why PASSAGE your way through Italy?
Of all the great European countries that produce wine, none is more pleasurable to travel through and explore than Italy.
Whether you are in the far north, skipping through Alpine pastures, or in the deep south, trudging past ancient lava flows towards the smoking cap of an unnervingly active volcano, Italy excites. Wherever you go, there appears to be one constant: this is a country of uncommon natural beauty.
This is due in part to the predominance of mountains and hills, topographical features whose crinkles and wrinkles allow for ever-changing variations in height, line and light. Italy is also surrounded by water, with only a handful of states incontrovertibly beyond the reach of the Mediterranean’s humid touch. This proximity sees sections of Italy’s coastline providing unparalleled panoramic splendour.
Only the most morose could fail to be moved by the vineyards and towns of Liguria’s Cinque Terre or the lemon groves and villas of Campania’s Amalfi Coast. The very existence of these places underlines the human willingness to forgo the practical for the sake of living within a landscape that raises both the eyebrows and the soul.
If this were not enough, Italy is also home to some of humanity’s finest architectural and aesthetic endeavours, a fact recognised by its record number of sites listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The most famous and arguably most successful of Italy’s peoples, or “tribes”, were the Romans. Their legacy is everywhere, but is perhaps most perfectly preserved in Rome’s spiritually arresting Pantheon and in the recovered dwellings and streets of Pompeii. Yet the Romans had, of course, been influenced by the Greeks. The repetition and reworking of both Greek and Roman architectural themes is seen throughout the West, not least through the influence of Padua’s most famous son, Andrea Palladio.
Italy’s food map resembles that of not one country but twenty; the number of regions of which Italy is composed.
As one travels across this country of startling natural and man-made magnificence, the visitor also enjoys the luxury of one of the world’s most appreciated cuisines. Why is it so varied and so good? The explanation behind the diversity of its food lies partly within the ever-changing geography and climate.
In the north, the cooler conditions and ready access to water make the cultivation of rice easier than it could ever be in the south. For those states with an extensive coastline, fish plays a dominant role on any menu. Beyond geography, one must also remember Italy’s youth: this is a country that came into being only around 160 years ago.
Before that, many of the states were independent of one another, with histories that saw them influenced in vastly different ways from the neighbours with whom they shared a boundary. Although there are shared commonalities, such as the prevalence of pasta and the love of tomatoes (a fruit that originated in South America), Italy’s food map resembles that of not one country but twenty.
Finally, that brings us to the focus of any PASSAGE-derived experience: wine. Why is Italian wine worthy of a place in your cellar, fridge, wine rack or glass? Because, like its cuisine, Italian wine is the most diverse on the planet.
If you love taste, and if you are accompanying me through one of Italy’s fascinating regions, surely you do, Italian wine represents an opportunity to be exposed to a seemingly never-ending assault of the different.
Whereas the rest of the wine-producing world has been widely planted with varieties most commonly associated with France; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir among them, Italy’s most famous wines, from Barolo and Chianti to the land of Prosecco and Abruzzo, are made from distinctive indigenous Italian varieties.
These varieties can produce wines of equal profundity to their French cousins, but they seemingly travel less well, or at least are not as widely appreciated outside the Italian diaspora as they should be. If you were in any doubt as to the merit of Italian wines, embarking on an Italian PASSAGE will eliminate any reservations held. We taste and drink the best, while visiting, staying and eating at the best of places too.
I look forward to seeing you soon.
Mark Pygott MW