Most Italian Wine Lovers Know 2 Categories Of Italian Wine
1. The $10 cheap wines: the straw-covered Chianti, the bubbly Prosecco, and the “safe bet” Pinot Grigio.
2. The expensive and world-renowned Italian wines: Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello di Montalcino.
On the low end, you’ve got the cheap Italian wines that don’t really show you the world-class potential of the “land of wine.” On the high end, you’ve got some of the best wines in the world, from $40 and up. Even on the high end though, it’s not guaranteed that every Barolo, Barbaresco, or Brunello will be any good.
Here’s the deal: you can actually find high quality, top-class, hidden gem Italian wines in the $15-$30 price range that taste like $50 on the quality level. This is a third, unexplored category that most people miss out on. I call this unexplored category, Hidden Gems.
Anyone who has ever traveled the country will tell you that every region in Italy has its own cuisine. There are virtually thousands of different pasta dishes in Italy that all taste di different. You’ll never get bored with the same tired dishes; Italy always has something new to offer your palate! The same holds true with wine. The best part is we have access to virtually all the wines of Italy’s 20 regions. Especially the $15-$30 Hidden Gems I’m talking about.
One problem is that there are too many wines choices at your local wine shop. If we focus on just Italian wines, we still have too many options. But there are many Italian wines you should avoid. It is easy to avoid these wines when you know what to look for; there are clues on the front and back labels of a bottle of wine that reveal the quality and value of that wine. These clues on a bottle will help you decide whether to buy it and try it, or let it collect dust on the store shelf.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to drink those $10 Chianti’s and Pinot Grigio’s and I can’t afford an $80 Barolo Monday through Friday either.
Instead, I want to be sipping on a refreshing Catarratto from Sicily in the summer or pairing a massive Aglianico from Campania with my Ribeye Steak. I want to hang out with my friends on a summer evening drinking a bubbly Falanghina Spumante or sharing a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with my family at a Sunday dinner.
So there are many motivations behind selecting an Italian wine. But the one thing that we can be sure of is that we are seeking hidden gems that take our palate to paradise while protecting our pockets. These are some of the best wines Italy offers in the $15-30 price range.
If you want to learn about how to find the best Italian wines, the hidden gems, be sure to check out our FREE “How To Read Italian Wine Labels” training which you can access by clicking here!