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PART I: The Big Picture of Italian Wine. |
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PART II: The Wine Regions of Northern Italy. |
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PART III: The Wine Regions of Central Italy. |
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PART IV: The Wine Regions of Southern Italy. |
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PART V: The Part of Tens. |
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PART I: The Big Picture of Italian Wine. |
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Chapter 1: Born to Make Wine. |
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From the Alps to almost Africa. |
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Diverse conditions, diverse wines. |
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Italian Wine Styles Today. |
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Chapter 2: Grapes from Near and Far. |
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Italy's Curious Varieties. |
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Chapter 3: The Language of the Label. |
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Putting faith in the DOC. |
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PART II: The Wine Regions of Northern Italy. |
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Chapter 4: The Wines of Piedmont. |
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Barbera, Dolcetto, and Nebbiolo of Alba. |
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Visiting the Alba-Asti area. |
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The Wines of Southeastern Piedmont. |
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Other wines of Piedmont's southeast. |
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Vercelli and Novara hills wines. |
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Chapter 5: Other Northwest Regions. |
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Red wines from cool climes. |
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Regional and varietal wines. |
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Liguria's vineyards and wines. |
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Chapter 6: North-Central Italy. |
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The Valtellina: Nebbiolo's most austere face. |
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Oltrepó Pavese: Sparkling wines and more. |
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Franciacorta: Sparklers with style. |
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Other Lombardy DOC wines. |
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Emilia-Romagna: One Region, Really Two. |
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Emilia's beloved Lambrusco. |
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The hillside wines of Emilia. |
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Chapter 7: Northeastern Italy. |
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Trentino-Alto Adige: One Region, Two Cultures. |
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Veneto: Verona to Venice. |
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Wines of the Central Hills. |
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Friuli-Venezia Giulia: The Great White Way. |
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PART III: The Wine Regions of Central Italy. |
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Chapter 8: The Wines of Tuscany. |
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The Big Picture of Tuscany. |
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The range of Chianti wines. |
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Pomino, San Gimignano, and other Chianti neighbors. |
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Other wines of Montalcino. |
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The "Noble Wine" of Montepulciano. |
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Other Montepulciano DOC wines. |
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Montepulciano-area producers. |
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Super-Tuscan Wines--The Winds of Change. |
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Chapter 9: The Wines of Central Italy. |
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Umbria: The Inland Region. |
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Sagrantino di Montefalco. |
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Umbria's other DOC wines. |
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Recommended Umbrian wineries. |
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Marches, on the Adriatic. |
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Rosso Cònero and Rosso Piceno. |
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Marche's other DOC wines. |
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Abruzzo's vineyards and wines. |
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Abruzzo wines worth buying. |
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The lone Molise wine producer. |
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Frascati and company, from Rome's hills. |
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PART IV: The Wine Regions of Southern Italy. |
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Chapter 10: The Wines of Southern Italy. |
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Campania: Revival Begins. |
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Wines of the coastal hills and islands around Naples. |
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Campania's northern hills. |
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Campania wines worth buying. |
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Apulia: Italy's Wine Barrel. |
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Recommended Puglia producers. |
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Basilicata brands to buy. |
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Chapter 11: Sicily and Sardinia. |
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Sicily's vineyards and wines. |
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A Sicilian wine shopping list. |
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Sardinia's vineyards and wines. |
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PART V: The Part of Tens. |
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Chapter 12: Ten Commonly-Asked Questions about Italian Wines. |
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Why Are Italian Wines So Much Better with Food? |
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What Are Super-Tuscan Wines? |
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Why Does the Italian Government Tell Producers How to Make Their Wines? |
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What's the Difference Between DOC and Non-DOC Wines? |
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What's the Best All-Purpose Italian Red Wine? |
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Isn't Southern Italy Too Hot for Making Wine? |
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Which Are Better: "Traditional" or "Modern" Italian Wines? |
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What Are Barriques, and Why Are They Controversial? |
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Why Do Italian Wines Have Such Strange Names? |
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Why Are Italian Wines Less Prestigious Than French Wines? |
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Chapter 13: Ten Common Italian Wine Myths Exposed. |
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Chianti Is an Inexpensive, Commercial Wine. |
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Italian Wines Should Be Enjoyed with Italian Food. |
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Pinot Grigio Is One of Italy's Best Wines. |
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Italy's Best Wines Are All Red. |
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White Italian Wines All Taste Alike. |
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Non-DOC Wines Are Better Than DOC Wines. |
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Soave and Valpolicella Are Low-Quality Wines. |
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Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Are Made from the Same Grape. |
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Appendix A: Pronunciation Guide to Italian Wine Names and Terms. |
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Appendix B: Italian Wine Vintage Chart: 1980 to 1999. |
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Book Registration Information. |
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