Brunello to Zibibbo: The Wines of Tuscany, Central and Southern Italy [Paperback]

Nicolas Belfrage (Author)

Book Description

Series: Classic Wine Library | Publication Date: January 9, 2002

Nicolas Belfrage concludes his two-volume tour of Italian wine with a look at the outstanding varieties from Tuscany to the south.

In Barolo to Valpolicella, Nicolas Belfrage demystified northern Italian viticulture, discussing dozens of wines ranging from the highest-quality vintages to affordable selections that can be enjoyed every day. Now, with Brunello to Zibibbo, the second of his two-volume survey of Italian wine, Belfrage considers the wines from Tuscany to the south, again concentrating on the regions' indigenous vines and the unique grapes that make Italy's wines so exceptional.

The book offers extensive coverage of the vines and wines of Tuscany but also assesses the emerging wines of the south, on which, to date, little has been written. From the Sangiovese, or Brunello, of Tuscany, to the Zibibbo, or Alexandrian Muscat, of the island of Pantelleria off the Tunisian coast south of Sicily, this book is an authoritative primer on the wealth of Italy's vineyards and a discerning guide to the regions' best bottles.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Belfrage's] knowledge of Italy and her wines . . . is unrivalled . . . [He is] the ideal person to write a much needed book on Italian wines."--David Gleave, Decanter

About the Author

Nicolas Belfrage is also the author of Life Beyond Lambrusco, which won the André Simon Award for the best book on drink. He divides his working life between Florence, Italy, and London, England.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber (January 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571195164
• ISBN-13: 978-0571195169
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,580,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All You Never Knew There Was To Know About The South, October 3, 2005

By 

David B. Erickson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brunello to Zibibbo: The Wines of Tuscany, Central and Southern Italy (Paperback)

Be warned: This is not for the casual reader; Belfrage goes into levels of detail heretofore unknown regarding Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, and the rest of the South. He seems to have visited every producer in Italy, and to have traced (where possible) the origins of every grape he comes across--and he comes across quite a few that you won't find in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Wine or in Jancis Robinson's "Vines, Grapes & WInes." I have a special place in my heart for the unfortunate Nuragus, the most widely planted grape in Sardinia, of which Belfrage says "Nuragus probably has little or nothing to do with Trebbiano Toscano, as the ampelographer Cettolini would have us believe, but it does share an inability to rise above a certain fairly basic level of mediocrity winewise..." If you have to look up "ampelographer," you are probably going to find this book heavy going.

On the other hand, it's not like you need to know to enjoy the book. Belfrage is a good writer, a terrific reporter, and has the added benefit of being honest. He's got some commercial connections in Italy, and he's very straightforward about stating them.

His overall take on the slowness of southern Italy to rally to the cause of quality over quantity is astutely observed: He has no love for Italian Bureaucracy, EU bureaucracy, or the Mafia. All three, he says, conspire to prevent progress.

Anyway, if, like me, you find it is actually important to know that the wide variability in quality in Chianti is as much due to clonal selection as anything else, you'll greatly enjoy Mr. Belfrage's company.