Explorer Club
July 2022

The cultural divide between Italy’s 20 regions (all of which produce wine, of course) can be shocking for non-Italians. After all, 5,000 years of history, Machiavellian diplomacy and foreign conquests were bound to leave their cultural impact, not to mention that the concept of a “unified Italy” did not exist until the 1860s! What this means is that each Italian region has retained the cultural traditions, cuisine and dialects that shaped them. Of course the wines of Italy play a significant role in the identity of many regions as well. This month, we will compare and contrast the culture of mainland Italy’s northernmost and southernmost points, beginning in Valle d’Aosta high in the Alps and concluding on the Adriatic coast of sunny Puglia.

Download Full Club Write-up