How Italians Enjoy Their Wine

Ciao Amici,

As promised, the first of my interviews with the Italians is here! You can watch the video here on my website. As you already know, I love wine. I was curious about current wine trends in Italy and what the Italians are buying in wine retail these days.

I met Maria Passero at her wine shop Vineggiando several years ago. Last month I got to see her for the first time since before the pandemic. It was so wonderful chatting with her, here are some highlights about our conversation:

Lisa: What are some wine trends in Italy now?  

Maria: People are going for lighter styles, orange wines and want to know more about ethics in winemaking, such as how the workers in the vineyards are treated.

Lisa: Do your customers typically open the bottles soon after purchase or age them for a few years.  

Maria: They open the bottles right away. Every now and then I get asked for advice for aging wines but mostly people are buying to consume soon.

Lisa: Are your customers interested in wines from outside Europe?

Maria: They mostly want wines from Italy or France. Sometimes South Africa, which is becoming popular too.

Again, I hope you watch the short video and get to know Maria and her shop Vineggiando.

With this series of interviews, I’ve launched a “Free Tutorials” section on my website where you can download grammar guides, recipes, wine recommendations and watch videos so you can practice Italian at your pace.

Do you want to talk about Italian wine? Book a fun wine-fueled Italian themed event for your friends or professional network. If you are in New York, attend my Wines of Tuscany class on March 30th at Astor Center!

Un abbraccio,

Lisa