164: Southern Italy's Wine, Food & Flavour in Robert Camuto's South of Somewhere Book

Are you curious about the hidden wine gems in southern Italy? Who are the colourful characters and winemakers who create them? What are the sumptuous flavours of the region and how well do they pair with wine?   In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with author and journalist, Robert Camuto.   You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video   Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video.   I’ll be jumping into the comments as we watch it together so that I can answer your questions in real-time.   I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer?   Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   Highlights What was the inspiration behind Robert’s decision to become a writer? What was Robert’s worst moment in his writing career? What does Robert love most about travelling around Europe? Which celebrity wines are worth trying? Why did Robert choose the title "South of Somewhere”? How is Italy’s makeup different from other countries? What are some key facts to know about Southern Italy? What was the lethal “Methanol Scandal” about? Why does the south of Italy have more varieties of indigenous grapes? When did Robert fall in love with the Mediterranean? How has technology helped bring out the complexity that we find in modern wine? Which interesting Trebbiano innovation is Giampaolo Tabarrini responsible for?   Key Takeaways I loved listening to Robert describe the vivid flavours and people of southern Italy. It makes me want to return there. In my second book, Unquenchable, I devote one chapter to Sicily and talk about how the active volcano Mount Etna influences both the wines and mindsets of the island. I highly recommend you visit this magical place, as well as drink the wines here. I’m drawn to stories about specific people, and Robert has many of them. I think the specific tells more about the universal than generalizations do. His mouth-watering descriptions of the food there make me yearn to taste them, if only in my own kitchen for now.   About Robert Camuto Robert Camuto is an award-winning American journalist who has lived and worked in Europe for more than twenty years. He has authored three highly acclaimed books that focused on wine as a cultural and individual expression in the 21st century. His latest book, South of Somewhere: Wine, Food and the Soul of Italy is both a personal memoir of his Italian family ties and delicious travels to Italy over 50 years, as well as a portrait of Italy’s southern wine and food renaissance today. It was named among the best wine books of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, JancisRobinson.com, TimAtkin.com and others. His previous books were Corkscrewed: Adventures in the New French Wine Country (2008) followed by Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey (2010).     To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/164.