WINES OF ITALY (VINEYARDS NEAR BAROLO)

WINES OF ITALY (VINEYARD)

WINES OF ITALY

Although wines had been elaborated from the wild Vitis vinifera grape for millennia, it wasn't until the Greek colonization that wine-making flourished. Viticulture was introduced into Sicily and southern Italy by the Mycenaean Greeks, and was well established when the extensive Greek colonization transpired around 800 BC. It was during the Roman defeat of the Carthaginians (acknowledged masters of wine-making) in the second century BC that Italian wine production began to further flourish. Large-scale, slave-run plantations sprang up in many coastal areas and spread to such an extent that, in AD92, emperor Domitian was forced to destroy a great number of vineyards in order to free up fertile land for food production.

During this time, viticulture outside of Italy was prohibited under Roman law. Exports to the provinces were reciprocated in exchange for more slaves, especially from Gaul where trade was intense, according to Pliny, due to the inhabitants being besotted with Italian wine, drinking it unmixed and without restraint. Roman wines contained more alcohol and were generally more powerful than modern fine wines. It was customary to mix wine with a good proportion of water which may otherwise have been unpalatable, making wine drinking a fundamental part of early Italian life.

As the laws on provincial viticulture were relaxed, vast vineyards began to flourish in the rest of Europe, especially Gaul (present day France) and Hispania. This coincided with the cultivation of new vines, like biturica (ancestor of the Cabernets). These vineyards became hugely successful, to the point that Italy ultimately became an import centre for provincial wines.

Depending on the vintage, modern Italy is the world's largest or second largest wine producer. In 2005, production was about 20% of the global total, second only to France, which produced 26%. In the same year, Italy's share in dollar value of table wine imports into the U.S. was 32%, Australia's was 24%, and France's was 20%. Along with Australia, Italy's market share has rapidly increased in recent years. 

WINES OF ITALY

Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in the country long before the Romans started developing their own vineyards in the 2nd century BC. Roman grape-growing and winemaking was prolific and well-organized, pioneering large-scale production and storage techniques like barrel-making and bottling. Two thousand years later, Italy remains one of the world's foremost producers, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005.

Wine is a popular drink in Italy. Grapes are grown in almost every part of Italy, with more than 1 million vineyards under cultivation. In some places the vines are trained along low supports. In others they climb as slender saplings.

Most wine-making in Italy is done in modern wineries. However, villagers who make wine for their own use sometimes still tread the grapes with their bare feet, until the juice is squeezed out. They believe this ancient method still makes the best wine. 

A CLEAN BEER GLASS

The glass is the last link between a finely brewed beer and your cus­tomer. A clean glass is necessary in order to serve beer at its best—it assures your clientele of the best in taste and eye appeal and tells them that you value their business. How can you maintain your glassware to keep customers coming back again and again? The most effective system is a three-compartment sink.

Sink number one has an overflow pipe with a funnel strainer in which residue from beer glasses is poured (all sinks have overflow pipes to maintain a constant water level). This sink is filled with warm water and glass cleaner.

Sink number two is the rinsing compartment, filled with cool water. A slow but steady stream of cool water should be allowed to run into this compartment throughout the washing operation.

Sink number three is the sanitizer, filled with clean cool water. Where required or preferred it contains a carefully measured amount of steri­lizing compound.

The five steps to clean beer glasses are:

1.Thoroughly clean your sinks prior to washing glasses.

2. Empty all contents of the glasses into the funnel located in sink number one. Scrub the glasses vigorously using a low-suds glass-cleaning detergent and, wherever possible, motorized brushes. Use odor-free, nonfat cleaning compounds made especially for beer glass cleaning; oil-based detergents can leave a film on glasses.

3. Thoroughly rinse the glasses in the fresh, cool water that should be constantly flowing into sink number two. Always place the glass bottom down in the rinse to eliminate the chance of air pockets forming and/or improper rinsing.

4. Repeat the same rinse operation in the third sink. Remember that many states require the use of sanitizers. If sanitizers are used, measure the amount very carefully to insure that no odor or taste is left on the glass.

5. Air dry the glass by placing it upside down on a deeply corrugated drain board, which allows air to enter the inverted glass and com­plete the drying operation by evaporation. Never dry glasses with a towel or place them on a towel or on a flat surface such as a bar or countertop. Residue from bleaches or detergents in cloth can impart an odor to the glass and spoil the delicate flavor of the beer.

 

Four Steps for Pouring the Perfect Glass of Beer

1.Start with a sparkling clean glass that has been wetted in cold water. Place the glass at an angle, about one inch below the faucet. Open the faucet quickly, all the way.

2. Fill the glass until it is half full, gradually bringing it to an upright position.

3. Let the remaining beer run straight down the middle. This insures a ½" to 1" head.

It is important to remember that it should be served with a good foam head, and that a perfect glass of beer shows a ring of foam after every delicious sip. 

BEER SERVICE

Beer should be served at a temperature of 8°-12°C, with lagers generally cooler than other beers. Many different varieties of beers are also served chilled. Also draught beer on its route from the Keg/Cask to the pump often passes through a chilling unit. Draught beers should have a small head on them, and the bar person should ensure that he/she serves the correct quantity of beer with a small head and not a large head to make up the quantity required.

When pouring bottled beer, it should be poured down the inside of the glass which is held at a slight angle. It should be poured slowly. This is specially important where a beer works a lot and many produce a large head quickly if it is not poured slowly and carefully. Such beers are Guinness and Stouts.

All glasses used should be spotlessly clean with no finger marks, grease or lipstick on them. Pouring beer into a dirty glass will cause it to go flat very quickly. Where bottles have a sediment, when pouring, a little beer must be left in the base of the bottle holding the sediment back.