Zenato Lugana San Benedetto 2011 750ml

Winery: Zenato

Varietal: Trebbiano

The Trebbiano varietal grape originates from Italy, but is now found in several countries around Europe and the rest of the world. Historians believe it was originally brought to France in the 14th century, where it became an important varietal, and was widely planted all across the country for wine making purposes. Today, the grape is most commonly associated with fortified wines, and it is also widely used as a blending grape due to its highly aromatic nature and naturally high acidity levels. However, in many parts of Tuscany, as well as elsewhere in the world, it is also used for making exceptionally fine and crisp single variety white wines. Trebbiano normally produces crisp, dry and acidic wines, which have a fantastic expression of the terroir they are grown on. Citrus fruits, white flowers and mineral notes abound, making this an exciting and complex grape.

Region: Veneto

Veneto has, for hundreds of years, been one of Italy's most important wine regions, and many of the finest wineries and appellations near the Adriatic coast have reached levels of international fame and recognition unmatched by other parts of the country. Amarone, Valpolicella and Bardolino DOC regions are all widely understood to be amongst the best places in the world for flavorful, complex and interesting red wines, and the white Soave wines produced on the foothills of the Alps are enjoyed across the globe for their clarity and crispness. The region benefits from a range of micro-climates, protected from the harsh central European winters by the mountain range, and the generations of expertise and dedication to quality and innovation shown by the hundreds of wineries in the region.

Country: Italy

There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.