moonshine

Wine, of all varieties, and even certain spirits are so cheap in Italy, in many cases about a fourth or a third of the prices in the U.S. Children grow up drinking wine with meals. We often ran into other Americans in grocery stores and delis looking to buy bottles to enjoy at their residences, usually pondering at the aisle whether the prices were indicative of quality.

There seems to be little correlation as many of the local wines are not sold internationally. In fact, the vintners tend to use the best grapes to be used for the prosecco and wine in the local market and the lesser quality grapes for the international market. With all the duties and taxes, a similar bottle would be significantly more pricey in other markets. With the additional charges, their profit is not significant in the other markets yet the companies know that to compete in the local market, they are also competing with the homemade variety as well.

Many Italian homes have made their own alcohol for generations. A family who owns a deli on the Amalfi Coast makes their own red and white wine in bulk in a small storage room under their house on the cliffs, and sell it to locals in large jugs. Families have their own recipes past down the generations in making spirits like limoncello or grappa. They also experiment with various ingredients. One family altered the fermenting process and recipe to also create cough medicine from pine cones, sugar and sunlight. Learning the process is a rite of passage for the children, especially when their product is brought out to be showcased at a family event.

When attending lunches or dinners at an Italian family's home, alcohol is flowing as if it was like water. It came as no surprise when I found myself loving the taste of a particular prosecco at a dinner in Meolo that turned out to come from an unmarked bottle, the usual indicators of something that was homemade rather than store bought.