Italian wine book for an enthusiast?

June 24, 2008 3:49 PM

Winefilter: What's a good book about Italian wine (and maybe a bottle, too) for my dad?

It's my papa's birthday soon. He's off to Italy for a fortnight in about two months, and is doing the usual things (like buying language tapes and not listening to them). He likes his wine, both the drinking of and the reading about. I'd like to get him a nice book about Italian wine, ideally one with both a good history and also a round-up of modern-day wines.

As an extra, it would be cool to give him a nice bottle of wine from Italy too. Something good but for drinking rather than storing - he'll have a chance to buy storing wines when he gets to Italy himself.

Any advice on good books / wines?

posted by Cantdosleepy to food & drink (4 comments total)

We have Vino Italiano here at home and it's good.
posted by dfan at 4:22 PM on June 24, 2008

Yes, Joe Bastianich's Vino Italiano is the must-have.

My favorite holy-cow Italian wines are the Marion Teroldego (about $50) and the Paolo Bea sagrantino (about $90) or the Caprai "25 Anni" sagrantino (harder to find, and about $250). The Sella & Mosca Cannonau is a fantastic bargain from Sicily at about $11, and the Riserva more so at $15.
posted by nicwolff at 4:33 PM on June 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

The Gamberro Rosso is probably the most important annual Wine Book in Italy. Wines fetching "tre Bicchieri" (3 glasses) are usually very good, but the description of numerous other wines and wineries from all of Italy is outstanding. :

Gambero Rosso
posted by KimG at 12:56 PM on June 26, 2008

How nice a bottle are you looking for? If you're feeling ultra-generous look for an Amarone della Valpolicella, which are georgous wines but clock in at £30+.
posted by patricio at 9:08 AM on July 21, 2008