In Vino Veritas

By Matthew Kodnia

    One cultural product I encountered in Italy was of course wine. Italy is known for wine, and I was able to finally try the wine that I feel so many people have said to get a taste of. Let me tell you the hype for their wine was not missed. The taste is very unique to the country. As soon as you arrive in Italy you see vineyards littered everywhere. These vineyards provide boosts in flavor that accompany every meal. In Florence I had a Florentine steak, with it came a whole bottle of Chianti wine. Chianti wine Is native to Florence. The Chianti wine had an earthy aroma to it and tasted like smoked dry strawberry. The wine's flavors mixed with the steak very well. It made my meal so much more enjoyable. This is why I feel like the wine in Italy speaks a different language compared to the rest of the world. Wine in Italy is more about the bonded culture between the excellent food and the great tasting wine. Every restaurant in Italy that I had a chance to dive into always had a wine menu. The wine they had always was suggested with a certain dish they cooked. For example, the Chianti wine that I had in Florence is also called the “Ultimate pizza wine”. I Can also say that is true. I was able to stop at a pizza restaurant for lunch and the waiter immediately suggested “Chianti Classico”. The Chianti Classico is a different version of the chianti that I had in Florence. This Chianti had a more of a dry herb and vegetable flavor with notes of red fruit. My pizza immediately loved the wine. You will not find this language between the wine and the food anywhere else except Italy.