The diversity of Italy. A grand tour of native grapes, from the Alps to the heel.

Alto Adige and Trentino

Host Peter Richards MW calls Italy "a Narnia for wine lovers", and the far north shows why. Alto Adige, once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and also called Südtirol, sits in the foothills of the Dolomites. The mountains shelter vineyards from cold winds and rain, and cool nights preserve acidity, with vines planted from about 200 to 1,000 meters. Crisp, fruity, often mineral whites thrive here, from Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay to Sauvignon Blanc and the local Traminer Aromatico.

Peter and Fredrik Lindfors, Best Sommelier of the Nordics, taste two Pinot Grigios blind side by side, one a simple Pinot Grigio delle Venezie and one from Tiefenbrunner in Alto Adige, to show how site and yield change the wine. For reds, learn Schiava and Lagrein, a grape that almost disappeared in the 1970s and now gives inky, high-tannin, high-acid wines with black fruit, violets and cocoa. Further south, Trentino grows Teroldego, a dark grape with bright cranberry, pomegranate and berry fruit.

Central Italy: Marche, Umbria and Abruzzo

In the Marche, Verdicchio makes fresh, high-acid whites with lemon, grapefruit and almond, developing honey and marzipan notes with age. The two key appellations are Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and the smaller, hillier Verdicchio di Matelica.

Landlocked Umbria has Etruscan cellars cut into volcanic rock near Orvieto. Orvieto has suffered from overproduction and Trebbiano Toscano, but improves with careful growers and the Grechetto grape. Around Montefalco, Sagrantino gives very tannic reds with black cherry, blackberry and spice. In Abruzzo, the Montepulciano grape, Italy's second most planted red after Sangiovese, makes intense, robust reds and often great bargains. It has nothing to do with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano. Fredrik also remembers a deep-colored Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo rosé with porchetta.

Puglia: Negroamaro and Primitivo

In Puglia, the heel of Italy, a warm climate is cooled by sea breezes from three sides. Negroamaro, meaning black bitter, is the grape behind Salice Salentino, with ripe plum, baked raspberry and spice, made in styles from rosé to robust reds. Primitivo is genetically the same as California's Zinfandel and Croatia's Tribidrag. Its name refers to early ripening, and it gives big, luscious wines with dark fruit, figs and a touch of leather. The best come from Manduria and the higher Gioia del Colle. Both Negroamaro and Primitivo show how Italy's south can make wines of sunny, generous character that are often excellent value.

The experiment: what extraction means

What makes a red wine red? With grated beetroot standing in for grape skins, Peter and Fredrik show how temperature, alcohol and time increase the extraction of color, flavor and tannin, and how punching down and pumping over work in a real winery. Find out why some grapes can take heavy extraction while delicate ones cannot, and why over-extraction is a bit like leaving a tea bag in too long.

Food pairings and blind tastings

Fredrik brings cheeses from Puglia, Umbria and Alto Adige and puts them to good use. A Lagrein from the Cantina Tramin cooperative is paired with arancini made from leftover mushroom risotto, Stelvio cheese and speck. Later a lemon chicken shows how a white wine with honeyed richness and fresh acidity meets a zesty dish.

There are also blind tastings, with wines from Gianfranco Fino and Barberani in the line-up. See how the hosts reason from color, fruit and texture, and how even experts can be surprised by an unusual winemaking choice. The episode helps you prepare for WSET Level 3 and will widen your map of Italian wine.