Best Italian Fruit Types
Lemons from the Amalfi coast have been cultivated in the province of Salerno for centuries, growing in terraced groves which are stretched up the hillsides of every village in the area, spreading the intoxicating fragrance of citrus blossoms and dotting the beautiful Amalfi landscapes with green and yellow.
Prized for their low acidity and delicate flavor, Amalfi lemons are so sweet you can eat them whole! When they're not enjoyed fresh, traditionally cut into slices sprinkled with salt, mint leaves and drizzled with some vinegar, these aromatic fruits are used for making jams, preserves, lemon honey, sorbettos and various desserts.
Primitivo is an Italian grape variety with quite interesting origins. Research conducted in 1994 proved that the grape is identical to Californian Zinfandel, while it was later discovered that both grapes originated from an old and obscure Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski.
Despite the same lineage, these grapes are influenced by their terroir, and they can slightly differ in character. In Italy, Primitivo is mostly cultivated in Apulia, where it is used in the appellation Primitivo di Manduria. Primitivo is a somewhat rustic wine, dark, intense, and rich in tannins that tend to mellow with age.
VARIATIONS OF Primitivo
Amarena is a unique type of cherry originating from Bologna in Italy. It was developed by Gennaro Fabbri. The cherries have a dark, almost black color, while the texture of the flesh is tender and firm. The flavor is best described as sour, acidic, and sweet.
These cherries are used in many ways – as a topping for gelato, in fruit salads, cocktails, cakes, tarts, pies, pastries, and chilled drinks. Amarena is also often transformed into a sweet and sour cherry syrup.
Grown in the fertile Magazzolo River basin south-west of the Sicilian Sicani Mountains, namely within the provinces of Agrigento and Palermo, Pescabivona refers to peaches of four different varieties: Bianca, Murtiddara or Primizia Bianca, Agostina and Settembrina.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of the velvety Pescabivona is that even the late-ripening varieties, harvested at the beginning of autumn, maintain the qualities of summer peaches, preserving the remarkable consistency and sweetness of their flesh.
Nero d’Avola is an indigenous Sicilian red grape, whose name, meaning the black of Avola, refers to its distinctive dark color. For most of the 20th century, Nero d'Avola was used as a blending grape, but in the 1990s winemakers started making high-quality, bold varietal wines.
Nero d’Avola wines are typically produced as dense and dark, with flavors reminiscent of black fruit and chocolate, or as young and fresh wines that are characterized by cherry and herbal notes. They are high in tannins and pair well with rich meat dishes, hearty stews, and barbecued meat.
Also known as Limone di Massa Lubrense or Massese, named after a small community of villages settled at the tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula, these fragrant lemons are derived from the local ecotype Ovale di Sorrento and grown in the province of Naples since the Renaissance.
The first lemon trees were planted by the Jesuits in the 18th century, and one of the very first cultivars named Gesù still exists today in the Guarazzanno Basin, between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense. Due to a special cultivation technique, Limone di Sorrento can bear fruit up to five times a year, which makes this variety available year round.
Commonly known as 'The blood orange of Sicily', Arancia Rossa di Sicilia is grown in the fertile lands spread out below the Mount Etna volcano. During ripening, due to a significant diurnal temperature variation in the area, the oranges produce high levels of crimson colored pigments called anthocyanins which give this orange its distinctive color.
Sicilian red oranges are available in three different varieties: Tarocco, Moro, and Sanguinello. Even though Sicilian red oranges are characterized by their acidic fruitiness and may be quite tart, studies have proven that the consumption of blood oranges protects our DNA from oxidative damage and may reduce the risk of cardio vascular diseases.
Sangiovese is a red grape variety indigenous to Italy that is predominantly grown in Tuscany, but also in other central and southern regions, from Romagna down to Lazio, Campania, and Sicily. It is best known as the main grape used in Chianti or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and as the only grape in the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino.
Though its flavor profile may be influenced by the terroir, Sangiovese based wines are rich in tannins and high in acidity, while their flavor is savory, and may range from rustic to fruity, with typical notes of cherries, dark stone fruit, spices, tobacco, and dry herbs.
THE BEST Sangiovese Wine Varieties
Barbera is the most common grape in Piedmont and the third most-planted grape in the country. It is used in varietals and blends. Nowadays, it is considered to have great potential to produce excellent quality wines, although it was once considered as a grape designated for rustic, everyday wine.
Dark Barbera-based wines are typically low in tannins and high in acidity. The flavors usually include a combination of raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and strawberries, sometimes with a hint of spices. Oak-aging will typically improve the tannin structure in Barbera wines.
Nebbiolo is the highly-praised Italian grape that is mostly cultivated and gives the best results in its native Piedmont. Wines made with this red-skinned grape tend to be powerful, age-worthy, and high in tannins as well as acidity. Distinctive aromas found in Nebbiolo wines are often described as tar and roses, with the accompanying notes of cherries, violets, leather, truffles, licorice, and undergrowth.
The grape is mostly used as a varietal, and it is best known as the backbone of the exceptional and expensive Barolo and Barbaresco. A small amount of Nebbiolo is also cultivated in California and Australia. Nebbiolo-based wines should be paired with rich meat dishes, but they can also work well with acidic or mushroom-based sauces, moderately spicy Asian cuisine, truffles, and aged cheese.
THE BEST Nebbiolo Wine Varieties
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