- Tyler Hill -

Piemonte because that's where Barolo and Barbaresco are.

Piazza Duomo

None of the above, I'm a deep cuts kind of guy.

More E Macina in La Morra

Ditch the tour bus, rent a car.

I think I would like to visit Abruzzo and Marche mainly because I enjoy the wines from both of these regions and the regions themselves are often not talked about.

Italy is so regional. It seems we think of Italy as being one unified country with one unified cuisine, but when you travel there, you realize that in one town or region you will have a cuisine that is completely different from a neighboring town or region. This follows for dialects and cultures as well.

I am most moved by how agrarian a lot of Italy still is. Running in the morning through the Langhe, I was moved by how many people were out tending their gardens. The gardens were beautiful, too, with grass everywhere and juicy tomatoes hanging off the vine. The vineyards don't use metal posts, they use wood. Most of them aren't tilled. It's things like this that reflect a deeper connection to--and respect for-- the land they occupy.

In order to emulate Italian wine, you must understand Italian thinking. In order to understand Italian thinking, you must travel to Italy. It's as simple as that.