A four-week course
Viva Italia
Four weeks. The wines of Italy, from the Alps to the Mediterranean islands.
A four-week course
Viva Italia
Viva Italia is a four-week journey through one of the world's most intricate wine cultures, from the Alps to the Mediterranean islands. Italy is a long, mountainous peninsula where grapes, traditions and wine styles change every few kilometres, and where more indigenous varieties survive than anywhere else on earth.
We move from Piemonte and the Alpine north west through Veneto and Friuli, into Tuscany and central Italy, then south to Campania, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia. Rather than catalogue every denomination, we focus on the wines and places that define Italy, and on the label terms that tell you what is actually in the bottle.
Across four evenings at our Richmond location, book all four sessions, or pick the regions you're most curious about.
The four sessions
A four-week journey through Italy, north to south
Session One
The North West
Piemonte, Lombardia, Valle d'Aosta, Liguria
We begin in the fog-bound hills of the Langhe, where Nebbiolo gives Barolo and Barbaresco, and where the Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive name the place rather than rank it. We work through the everyday grapes of Alba in Barbera and Dolcetto, the Cortese of Gavi and the Arneis of Roero, then head north to Gattinara and Ghemme in Alto Piemonte. We close in Lombardia with Franciacorta, Italy's benchmark traditional method sparkling.
Session Two
The North East
Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna
Italy's cool northern corner, and the session with the most technique in it. We start with Prosecco and the tank method, moving from the broad DOC up to Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore, Rive and Cartizze. We then turn to the volcanic hills of Soave, and to Valpolicella, where appassimento and the ripasso process give us Amarone and Recioto. Alto Adige, Friuli and Lambrusco round out the evening.
Session Three
Tuscany & Central Italy
Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, Lazio
The Sangiovese heartland. We work up through Chianti Classico from annata to Riserva and Gran Selezione, take in the new UGAs, then set it against Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to see what site and ageing do to one grape. Bolgheri and the Super Tuscan story follow, before Sagrantino in Umbria, Verdicchio in Marche and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.
Session Four
The South & the Islands
Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia
The oldest vineyards in Italy and some of its most exciting wines. We taste the Fiano and Greco whites of Campania and Aglianico from both Taurasi and Vulture, then the ripe Primitivo of Puglia and the Cannonau and Vermentino of Sardinia. We finish on Etna, where Nerello Mascalese and Carricante are grown on volcanic soil at altitude, and where the contrade are drawing attention back to individual sites.
Course details
About this course
Viva Italia is a four-week course covering the major wine regions of Italy, from the Alps to the Mediterranean islands. From the Nebbiolo of the Langhe to the volcanic slopes of Etna, each session explores a different corner of the country.
Sessions run weekly at our Richmond location from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. You can book all four evenings, or pick the sessions that interest you most.
No prior wine knowledge is required. The course suits beginners through to experienced tasters looking to deepen their understanding of Italian wine.
What's included
Each session includes
- All wines tasted across the evening
- Glassware and tasting equipment
- Course notes and regional maps
- Expert guidance throughout the tasting
Times and pricing
Venue
Melbourne Wine School
Level 1, 41-43 Stewart StreetRichmond, Victoria 3121
Entry requirements
Attendees must be at least 18 years old. There are no other requirements.
Key policies
Zero tolerance
Melbourne Wine School has a zero-tolerance policy for threatening behaviour or acts of aggression and violence, physical or verbal, towards any member of our staff. Any violation will result in removal from the course without refund.
Illness
If you are unwell on the day of a session, please let us know. Missed sessions cannot be refunded but may be transferred to a future intake at our discretion.
These are the policies most likely to affect your booking. Please read our full terms before purchasing.
View full terms and conditions