The Cellar Door Issue 11. Southern Italy and The Islands. | Page 6

Photo by Joel Ross Studios

a message from tina jones

Welcome to Southern Italy, and to some of the country’ s most undiscovered treasures! For Italians,“ the South” means south of Rome, the tip and heel of the boot. Together with the islands of Sardinia and Sicily in the Mediterranean, this part of Italy is amazing and intriguing.
For me, the South and the islands were a mystery for a long time, conjuring up images of people like my grandfather and his friends, meeting nightly in the town piazza, sipping the hearty, traditional red wines. Their rustic wine styles continue today, as do surprisingly fresh, crisp whites and modern, robust reds! Wine producers in the South and the islands are stepping up the competition in the wine world, with new styles, modern winemaking, and options that are a delight to wine lovers.
I invite you to come with us to explore the undiscovered! Sylvia Jansen tells us how she fell in love with the island of Sardinia. I am sure that, like me, you will discover that this is a place you want to visit! Gary Hewitt speaks with famed Italian winemaker Stefano Chioccioli about new styles in the South; Mike Muirhead introduces us to some unique grape varieties; and Andrea Eby joins Sylvia Jansen in deconstructing the culinary gift from Italy’ s south: the beloved pizza. I hope you devour every word!
Tina Jones
10 http:// banvilleandjones. cornervine. com