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Coffee is a religion to Italians and so it is worthwhile explaining the concept. First, there's a pure and simple espresso, a small cup of very strong black coffee in the south served with a glass of water. A doppio espresso is something invented by foreigners. A caffe lungo, is an espresso left under the machine a little longer. If you want the coffee in a large cup and full, ask for a caffe Americano. Now we add the milk. A caffe latte is coffee with a reasonable amount of milk. The steamed version is a cappuccino. To most locals, it is a breakfast drink only and they will be horrified if you request it at any other time of the day. A shorter version is a caffe macchiato, basically an espresso with a dash of milk steamed or cold. A latte macchiato, a glass of hot milk with a dash of coffee. In summer, the local version of an iced coffee is a caffe freddo, a long glass with cold coffee, sometimes helped along with ice cubes. To warm up on those winter nights or in the north late morning, a corretto might be for you, an espresso 'corrected' with a dash of grappa (grape liqueur) or some other spirit. Or you can order your grappa on the side and when your coffee is also finished you can then pour the grappa into the coffee cup and make a resintin. "Italy is not only the largest producer of wines, but above all a producer of great wines." Its climate, soil and very old traditions of viticulture make Italy a natural wine growing nation. The tradition was started by the Etruscans of North-Central Italy, who left evidence of how to make wine. The Greeks who soon after established themselves in the South gave Italy the name Enotria (the land of wine). For centuries wine growing has been the cultivation which used most of the labor of the Italian farmers. While this is still true today, a large part of the population is engaged in the vine and wine industry. There are many good wines in the country although a large number of them are little known due to the fact that the Italians kept the best for themselves. Wine is so abundant in the country that every region has its own varieties and they are as individual as the dishes that they accompany. Who doesn't know Chianti, Valpolicella and Lambrusco but how many know Marzemino, Cannanau, schioppettino or the very wonderful Amarone. Unless you have particular taste it is worth while trying the local brew (vino della casa) that comes by the carafe and is of a quality on par with the bottled version. |