Italian Food & Wine History

February '23

Emilia-Romagna Food Guide

In the historic Italian birthplace of Parmigiano Reggiano, Culatello, traditional Balsamic Vinegar, Piadine, and tagliatelle (to name just a few), food represents local culture, lifestyles, and identities. Happily for us, wines are not lacking in the region, just think of the Lambrusco and Sangiovese di Romagna selections.

20 Feb, 2023
By Lele Gobbi

September '22

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What is Cecina? Cecina, Tuscan Chickpea Flour 'Flatbread'

In Tuscany, it is called Torta di Ceci (Livorno) or Cecìna (Pisa) since, in that region, farinata consists of a winter soup made of black cabbage, yellow bramata flour (maize) and cannellini beans. In Liguria, it is also called fainà, and is characteristic throughout the region.

23 Sep, 2022
By Lele Gobbi

May '22

Pappa al Pomodoro: Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup History and Recipes from Italy

Pappa al Pomodoro ( Tuscan Bread and Tomato) is a first course and a poor man's dish of peasant origin, originated in Tuscany.

12 May, 2022
By Lele Gobbi

March '22

How to Choose: Shiraz vs Merlot

The Shiraz and Merlot grape cultivars are proof that varietals with the same skin color can create wines that reside on vastly different ends of the spectrum

02 Mar, 2022
By Lucie Robson

December '21

What is Dolcetto Wine? Piedmont's Most Charming And Underrated italian Red Wine

Dolcetto is an iconic black grape from the Piedmont in Italy that produces dry red wines with a deep purple color

12 Dec, 2021
By Lucie Robson

Italian Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: the oil of good health

The olive tree has historically been a defining element of classic Mediterranean vegetation, making its appearance in nearly every corner of the Italian landscape

06 Dec, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

November '21

How to choose: Merlot vs Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir and Merlot are two of the most popular red wine grapes in the world but for different reasons. Where Pinot Noir delivers finesse, Merlot delivers easy-drinking wines

17 Nov, 2021
By Lucie Robson

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What is Turbiana Wine? A distinct white wine varietal grown in the Lombardy region of Italy

Turbiana is a white grape that makes fruity wines with high acidity and aromas, gentle salinity, and flavors of orchard and stone fruit.

04 Nov, 2021
By Lucie Robson

September '21

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What Are The Best Red Wine Vintages?

What do we mean when talk about a vintage of wine? In laymen’s terms, vintage refers to the date of the wine’s birth. When I’ve got a bottle of in wine in hand, where can I find the vintage indication?

13 Sep, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

Stirring Wines of Alto Piemonte Reflect Local Lands

While we know and love the wines of Piedmont, the wonderful nectars the grape varietals that Nebbiolo, Moscato, Barbera and their companions, create, it’s worth remembering that perhaps we are thinking of the wines coming from a very specific selection of land. What about the same grape varietals and the wines they create simply placed in a different sliver of Piedmont? Would it change the wines and our feelings about tasting them? Well, some things never change, including our love for the wines of Piedmont, but there’s a world of exciting wines that reflect the geology of their lands - all in Piedmont’s northern corners. Let’s see what all the noise is about!

04 Sep, 2021
By Francesca Ciancio

July '21

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What is Lugana wine, Italy?

Lugana is a well-established area south of Lake Garda. Here, the many peculiarities of Lake Garda are reflected, mainly its mildness, delicacy, and overall gentle climate.

28 Jul, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

June '21

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Puglia wine and food

The deep blue sea, the crystalline blue of the sky, the hunter-green of the olive trees, the immaculate white hues of the hand-painted homes, the iridescent rainbow streaks of stone, and the evanescent yellow glimmers of the region’s nighttime lights.

23 Jun, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

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Nebbiolo Alpine Wines - Mountain-based Beauty in a Bottle

We that the Valtellina region is fabled for green endless pastures winding their way around the base of the imposing Northern Italian Alps. And what to expect from these pastures?

16 Jun, 2021
By Francesca Ciancio

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Different Types of Italian Breads: Focacce, Pizza, Piadine and bounty of Bread

Focaccia, Pizza, Calzoni, Piadine: this is the world where Italian know-how and creativity take center stage and transform the world’s most popular food into tantalizing, appetizing treats.

14 Jun, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

What is Vermouth?

Vermouth is one of the most important and characteristic specialty wines produced in Italy. An unusual name for an Italian creation, its origins name-wise actually hail from the German Wermut (absinthe, or wormwood), one of the primary ingredients in Vermouth.

02 Jun, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

May '21

The Multi-Faceted Cuisine of Lake Garda

The Lake Garda cuisine was born between the Lake and the mountains that surround it, and today, has developed into a varied, multi-levelled cuisine on par with the other great Italian regional culinary styles.

28 May, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

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Experience Piave Through the Unique Malanotte DOCG Raboso Wines

During a moment of substantial changes in the field of agriculture, the Bellussera, while not a negligible presence, is representative of a living memory of work, culture, and identity throughout the territories of Piave.

24 May, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

Etna: Vibrant Colors, Sunbeams and Fragrances

Few Sicilian coastal areas are as densely inhabited as the Etna slopes, squashed by the great urban presence of nearby Catania, and by the other surrounding Etnean towns and provinces.

21 May, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

April '21

Garda DOC: the precious wine that is produced on the shores of Lake Garda

As we take a deeper look into Italy’s largest lake region, Lake Garda, you might think this area is a hotspot solely from the visitor perspective. But Lake Garda offers so much more than just a pretty (a gorgeous!) face.

23 Apr, 2021
By Francesca Ciancio

What Italian Food Is?

Italian cuisine has been a rock for many countries throughout modern times. The restaurant movement, and online cooking forums are recent constructions allowing everyone to join a food-focused moment and a thousand different approaches to creating what is considered traditional and authentic. When different

14 Apr, 2021
By Sara Porro

March '21

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Roero Wine Region, Piedmont

Fortresses, castles, and vineyards. Welcome to Roero, a wonderful and relatively little-known corner of Piedmont, where small, steep hills erroneously appear suitable only for the more practiced farmer’s feet. A light-hearted, charming landscape, the dense wooded areas and so well-preserved to appear almost wild. The soils here are loose and sandy, with beautiful exposures to the south and east, which brings us to a surprisingly remote viticultural universe.

17 Mar, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

Bolgheri and Sassicaia - Creating Tuscan Wine History

Let’s explore the Bolgheri wine lands together with Mamablip’s terrific wine journalist, Andrea Grignaffini. Together we’ll take a closer look at this unique wine region, and what makes it so different from the other regions in Tuscany and of course, Italy as a whole. This area might be well-known in the wine world for one special wine, but there’s a whole world waiting to be explored - let’s go check it out!

12 Mar, 2021
By Andrea Grignaffini

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What is Garda Doc? It is the symbolic wine of the Lake Garda territory

The area of Lake Garda, Italy’s largest and most important lake basin, is above all a vineyard area growing grapes used to produce a wide variety of white, pink and red wines, which take the form of still, sparkling and dessert wines. The Garda area is composed of a natural morainic amphitheater, and is distinguished by a series of hills gently descending towards the plain. Within the plain, we find segments of three provinces within Northern Italy’s arguably most important northern regions, Lombardy and Veneto. Here we find Brescia, Mantua and Verona.

10 Mar, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

February '21

Valtènesi: the genesis of a territory

The Lake Garda area is famously beautiful and provides a visual respite to visitors looking for a relaxing get-away from day-day-life. Renowned for its gentle landscapes, lovely natural settings and relaxing lifestyle, it can be so easy to spend time here, enjoying every minute. The Valtènesi wine region, nestled next to Lake Garda’s soothing shores, is home to a lovely family of red and rosé wines known as Chiaretti - let’s see a bit more about this region with Andrea Grignaffini to lead the way.

15 Feb, 2021
By Andrea Grignaffini

January '21

What is the history of Wine in Florence?

Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance is a city of wine and to wine. Florence is indelibly rooted to its surrounding territories, where its wines are produced, and its destiny has been bound for centuries. In the Florentine province, viticulture has in fact always occupied a seat of honor, both for its exemplification of Tuscan rurality, and for its fundamental economic aspects.

15 Jan, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

Ruché of Castagnole Monferrato

The Ruché vine is part of Italy’s heritage of autochthonous grapes waiting to be rediscovered. This little enological pearl obtained its DOC status in 1987, with DOCG labeling obtained in 2010. This rare variety is found in Monferrato Astigiano, where it has located an ideal habitat. The area’s calcareous, dry, and well-exposed soils allow the semi-aromatic vine to most amply express its inherent notes. Not to be overlooked, the vine also represents an essential element of local identity within the Monferrato territory.

14 Jan, 2021
By Lele Gobbi

What are Types of Italian Bread?

Bread is at the heart of many cuisines around the world, and of course the Mediterranean Diet is no exception. Italy without bread is like Romeo without Juliet, or Hall without Oates, no pun intended. Italy and bread go way back in ancient history and modern diets and trends just can’t come between these eternal lovers.

06 Jan, 2021
By Elaina Borer

December '20

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Extra Virgin Olive Oil, in my Heart and Kitchen - Part 1

Aromatic, bursting with zesty local herbal flavors, and infinitely healthy, EVOO is on the lips of every Italian home cook when they’re whipping up something good in their kitchens. Come with me as I give you the inside scoop on EVOO’s history and traditions, and why so many people actually develop a true passion for this quintessential Italian delicacy.

31 Dec, 2020
By Elaina Borer

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is in my Heart, Always - Part 2

Continuing in our exploration of classic Italian extra-virgin olive oil, we keep the information train rolling. Learn more about what makes this a classic part of just about every savory Italian dish, and what makes extra-virgin oils so much more prized than classic oils.

31 Dec, 2020
By Elaina Borer

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Valtènesi, Professionally and Perennially Pink

Some grapes will never make serious rosé wines: there are ideal territories for rosé wines, and there are ideal grapes for rosé wines, but not all of them are suited for rosé wine production. Some territories have historically produced excellent pink wines, like the lake of Garda area. It’s not a coincidence that this area, as is Southern France too, is historically suited for this particular kind of enology. Additionally, it’s not coincidental that both the Cisalpine Gaul and Transalpine Gaul areas historically spread their viticultural practices in the footsteps of the Roman Villa Rustica tradition: winepress use that pressed grapes without macerating them, and therefore, not extracting sufficient color.  What does this mean exactly? This means that like it or not, pink wines were standard wines, like it or not.

21 Dec, 2020
By Lele Gobbi

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Local Top Quality in the Vallée

The smallest Italian region offers a surprisingly vast depth of sensorial experiences, and while you're ambling about the mountainous glories, be sure to check out the wines. You might be surprised to learn that some of the country's most interesting reds and whites come from this teeny pocket of the country.

01 Dec, 2020
By Lele Gobbi

November '20

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Pasta - Where Would We Be Without It? - Part 1

While possibly considered by other countries as being a guilty pleasure to enjoy during a carbohydrate binge, Italians have long included this element in their cuisine, beginning from babies’ first solid food bites and for the rest of their lives at the dinner table. Since proven to be a terrific ingredient for all different diets, pasta is center stage in Italy - I’d say rightly so! One of the most iconic Italian ingredients of all time, pasta in all its many, many shapes and forms remains an absolutely critical part of modern Italian cooking and life.

30 Nov, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

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Pasta - Fundamentals of the Italian Diet

Italian families have known pasta to be a quick, easy resource for healthy meals any time, any place. Fresh or dried, eaten with heavy or light sauces, there's nearly nothing this powerhouse ingredient can't do, and I'm so glad it's around to save family meals night after night.

30 Nov, 2020
By Elaina Borer

Aromatics and Herbs - Spice Things Up Part 1

Aromatic herbs and seasonings provide genuine Italian cooking with natural flavors without altering any healthful elements. Like a seasonings clique, herbs often appear together in dishes. Each brings its own gusto and role to every dish. From smooth, cool, and collected, to peppery, bright, and bursting with sunshine, your dishes reflect a harmonious blend of flavors and authentic interpretations of Italian classics.

27 Nov, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

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Aromatics Herbs

27 Nov, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

Regional Italian Food Basics - Part 1

Perhaps the most unexpected thing about Italian cuisine is that there isn’t one. While it’s one of the most enjoyed culinary styles in the world (a 2018 CNN poll shows it’s the world’s favorite, in fact), Italian cooking is actually an assemblage of all 20 Italian regions and their individual styles.

26 Nov, 2020
By Elaina Borer

Regional Italian Food Basics - Part 2

26 Nov, 2020
By Elaina Borer

August '20

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About Tuscany and Umbria

Begin preparing your bags for your next visit to Italy - while Tuscany is certainly a name that rings lots of bells, Umbria might not yet be on your radar, but it definitely should be!

11 Aug, 2020
By Elaina Borer

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

This superb specialty is a cornerstone element of the famous Mediterranean diet, cited by health and diet experts as being the ideal way to eat and consume healthy and delicious dishes. Olive oil is produced throughout Italy, with each region claiming fame to unique flavours and nutritious aspects. Come check out how it all works.

11 Aug, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

The History of Pasta in Italy - What to know about Italian pasta?

A very brief synopsis on pasta's origins, possibly debunking a couple of myths along the way.

10 Aug, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

Who invented Pizza? Here is the true history of pizza

We can't think of anyone who has not tried some permutation of pizza - rightly so, it's become one of the most popular foods in the world, with each country customising its own special version. Read a bit more about its origins and see how it has since spread to every corner of the globe.

10 Aug, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

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Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has traditionally been a local Tuscan favorite wine, but how has it fared internationally? Come read and see how one of our favourites has gone from outcast to hot item throughout the course of wine history.

10 Aug, 2020
By Elaina Borer

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Lazio Wine Regions

While traditionally not thought of as being a hotspot of fine Italian wines, Latium is a work-in-progress, moving away from commercially-focused grapes and honing in on the land's tremendous potential for niche, family-run wine labels. The ultimate goal is to move towards wines capable of expressing the rich terrain and lively character of the area.

10 Aug, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

Chocolate in Tuscany

While we know Switzerland is a hotbed of delicious sweet treats, Tuscany has become an universally recognized center for the production of small-label artisan chocolates. With workshops open for visit and tastings, chocolate's reach has expanded into Tuscany, and we couldn't be happier for it!

10 Aug, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

April '20

The Monks are Alright - Monks Make a Difference

Dive a bit further into the amazing history of wine, and learn how wine techniques were perfected and maintained through this part of Western history. Monks had a big role - come with us and see what they did!

08 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

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A Brave New World - Wine in Today's Market

A light look into today's wine marketplace. How marketing works to benefit wine producers and sellers, where people look to buy wines and how wine has cemented itself as a fundamental part of modern society and culture.

08 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

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Wine Keeps Truckin' - Exploring the 1600s

How did wine make its way from Europe to the rest of the world? Explorers and adventurers laying the foundations of society for years to come, including indigenous plants ands fauna.

08 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

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Wine in the Middle Ages

How is it possible that we have such ancient roots with wine-making? In an era notable for its lack of education and supposed ill-informed way of life, French monks were absolutely instrumental in making sure wine and its traditions and studies were guaranteed to play a role in future society and culture.

08 Apr, 2020
By Elaina Borer

Wine History: Roman Empire - Wine, The Ancient Romans, And The Early Christian Church

An exploration of how Romans conquered much more than just territories and people. A look at how the Romans laid the terrain down for modern viticulture.

08 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

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Distinguishing Glasses from Tankards

Learn specifically which glasses to learn and when to use them relative to your preferred wines. Make the most of your drinking experience by using the most appropriate stemware that enhances your wines rather than flattening them.

07 Apr, 2020
By Elaina Borer

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What is grapevine phylloxera?

How a few forward-thinking scientists and botanists pushed ahead with a cure, in the face of great adversity of both the natural and human-made kind. Thankfully, scientific solutions were waiting to be applied and discovered, in the face of great adversity and initial resistance.

07 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

19th Century Wine - The World Catches Up

A brief exploration of drinking conditions from the 1800s to today. What is the difference in wine-making trends from the 19th century through the late 1900s.

06 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

What is a Cru?

Let's check out the cru philosophy of wine-making. Exploring the world of Burgundy and Bordeaux wine classification and designations. How these categories work and why they were created (and it's not just to confuse us!)

06 Apr, 2020
By Elaina Borer

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Brief History of the Wine Glass

Information about how and why you should be drinking your wines from the right glasses. We'll follow up with a future post about tasting and enjoying the full potential of your wines with the right glasses.

06 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

Learn About Yourself and About Wine

Do you think your personality affects the wines you look for? Have you ever had a great day and great wine at the same time? We think that your mood, your vision of life and your character traits can help you determine which wines you might like - this is a variable process and flexible too, but we help you find a new path that you might not have already considered.

06 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

What is Marsala Wine? Everything You Need to Know About This Sicilian Favorite

Take an armchair trip through the lands producing the wonderful Marsala wines, and see how the families of the 19th century Sicily helped turn a local favourite into a highly-prized wine on the international scene.

06 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

Drinking in the Semi-Modern Era - Wine Lore from up to the 1400s

Continuing our trek through wine's fascinating history, we come to the era immediately after the Middle Ages, which as we saw was not as bad as it could have been.

05 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

Wine's Origins - Neolithic Roots Take Hold

A walk through the beginning of time in search of wine's origins. As we explore how and what we drink, it's helpful and interesting to learn more about where our favourites wines come from. We can further appreciate wine in all its glories and varieties if we have a better understanding of the role it played in history and the delicate nature of its passage through human history.

03 Apr, 2020
By Nina Bernheim

March '20

What is Sangiovese?

Sangiovese Grapes "Saint-giovese" grape, more devil than saint? According to an ancient proverb, San Giovese was the patron saint of the region of Romagna. The literal translation of Sangiovese being "Blood of Jupiter" (Jupiter being the King of the Gods). The Sangiovese grape dominates central Italy but only aspires to greatness in Tuscany, most notably in Chianti wine (minimum 75% sangiovese grape) Brunello di Montalcino (100% sangiovese grosso grape) and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (minimum 70% Prugnolo gentile grape).

29 Mar, 2020
By Elaina Borer