Why has Specialty Wines chosen to focus on Italian Wines?

For many years our owners have enjoyed sampling different wines from all over the world. Truly there are some great wines from many countries. However, Italy far surpasses all other countries in their incredible variety of so many diverse grape varietals and blends at such reasonable prices. Therefore, our mission is simple - great wines at reasonable prices.

If you enjoy hard to find, great tasting Italian, European and South American wines, we encourage you to join our Baker’s Dozen Wine Club. For many of our local members, delivery throughout the greater Tampa Bay, Florida region is free.

Please give us a call to learn more about our wine club. You can apply on line or give us a call at 813-413-2003.

WINE TASTING - EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT!

Specialty Wines is proud to announce our FREE Wine Tasting. After a hard week, what better way to unwind that to sample a variety of wonderful wines and munch on delicious hors douvres? Come learn about fine wine and make some new friends! Every Friday night from 6-9 p.m. at MMSI Espresso.

Italy - Land of Wine

Italy is often referred to as the "Land of Wine". This is not surprising since Italian wine is the most diverse in the world in terms of variety. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with about 80 million hectolitres being produced annually. About 20% of this production is exported. Italians are also prolific drinkers of wine, with the average annual consumption hovering around 90 litres per person.

Choosing Italian Wines

Since about 1990 Italian Wines have improved dramatically. New wine makers are appearing on the scene daily, bring more sophisticated methods and technology to the craft. The Italian government has contributed by designating certain areas and specific grape varietals that vinters must use, if the wine is advertised as a particular varietal or blend.

When choosing an Italian Wine we suggest reading both the front and back labels. This will help you discover all the important details of the wine such as the name of the wine, the winery, the type of wine, a brief description of the wine (most of the time), the year or vintage and the importer. You will also find a classification of the wine.

How to Read an Italian Wine Label

The labeling of most Italian wines is regulated by the Italian government. The following explains the significance of the main terms found on most Italian wine labels. Note, however, that some very good quality wines, labeled only as table wines, are not subject to any special labeling requirements.

The classifications can be a bit confusing. Here is a brief description of Italian wine classifications.

• V. d. T - Vino da Tavola
  Translation: Table Wines - One would think this means a lesser quality wine . In some cases, yes . However, some of the better Super- Tuscans being produced are forced to carry this designation if the blend is made with a non approved varietal grape. Don’t necessarily discount a wine that only has a V .d. T. rating . See if you can determine what other variety grapes were used to create the blend . If you like these types of grapes, there’s a good chance you will like the blend.
   
• I. G. T. - Indicazione Geografica Tipca
  Translation: Indication of the Geographic Area, in which the wine is grown . This is Italy’s largest classification. Assuring buyers that the wine in the bottle is in fact from the area indicated.
   
• D. O. C. - Denominalazione Di Origine Controllata
  Loosely translated: A declaration by the Italian Government of the Origin and manner in which the wine is made. The Italian government spices this one up a bit in the fact that they not only insist on knowing the area in which the wine was grown, but exactly what grapes were used and dictate in many cases how long the wine must age.
   
• D. O. C. .G. - Denominazione Di Origine Controllata Garantita
  The word Guaranteed is added to the D.O. C. designation which means that the Italian government is in fact Guaranteeing that the wine in the bottle has met all of the necessary standards by which it can in fact be denoted, guaranteed. While this may not mean much to the average consumer, it is a good indication that the wine you will be drinking has met some pretty rigorous standards. A D.O.C. or D.O.C.G rating is an honor to Italian Wine makers and the tendency is to put good wines, deserving of the designation, into the bottle.

Italian wines are meant to be accompanied with food. Many Italian wines come alive and taste totally different when paired properly with foods, especially if the receipt is native to the regions in which the grapes are grown.

To discover more about the regional Italian wine producers, visit our Regional Guide to Italian Wines.