
On Italian wine labels, do the words ‘Classico' or ‘Riserva' mean better quality?
wine
comes from the original or classic region within a wine area. In the past, the boundaries of some of
the most famous regions
were extended to include the surrounding area as producers sought to use the more prestigious name to help sell their wine. As these wines came from inferior vineyards, the wines were not always as good.
Take Chianti, for example. It is one of the most historic and famous wine regions of all. With documentation going back to the 13th century, the original Chianti included just six towns, all owned by wealthy nobles from Siena or Florence. But over the centuries, as demand grew, it came to include a much larger area surrounding the original region. Some were of very dubious quality. Older readers may remember the cheap Chianti that was bottled in fiasci, straw-covered bottles. Eventually, producers in the original area were permitted to use the term Classico. Chianti Classico bottles will have a black cockerel, or Gallo Nero, sticker on the neck of the bottle.
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Chianti is not the only region to have a Classico sub-zone; two other well-known regions, Soave and Valpolicella, have one too. In most cases, but not all, a wine from the Classico region will be better.
Reserva in Spain is regulated, but Riserva in Italian wine is less clear. It simply means a wine with higher alcohol that has been aged for a longer period before release. This can be a good thing, but not all Riserva wines are better.
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Like Riserva, Superiore sounds great. But really, it means a wine that is slightly higher in alcohol and sometimes made according to local regulations. Some Superiori are very good, others less so.

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Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Food expert shares 'secret code' explaining why some pastas have holes in them
There are few foods more versatile than pasta. It pretty much goes with everything and is one of the more affordable dinner staples remaining on our shelves. It can be enjoyed by vegetarians and meat-lovers and works perfectly for leftovers as well. Everyone has their favourite shape of pasta and accompanying sauce or ingredients. The most popular pasta dishes are Bolognese and carbonara but there is a wide array of ways to prepare the Italian classic and it turns out that each shape of pasta is specifically designed for the meal of choice. The Mirror reports how a culinary expert has outlined the different purposes of each pasta shape because the fact that some are long and stringy, while others have large holes in them, is not random. Variety of pasta (Image: Getty) New Zealand chef Andy, who rose to online prominence with his @andy_cooks handle on social media, explained the reasons behind the various pasta shapes. On TikTok, Andy asked: "Have you ever wondered why there are so many pasta shapes? "Well, it's not random. The Italians have basically invented a secret code where every shape is matched to a specific sauce." Below are the explanations for the wide variety of pasta shapes: Thin, long pasta Andy explained that long, thin pasta such as spaghetti or angel hair is designed for dishes that require lighter sauces as they blend perfectly with combos such as garlic and olive oil or lemon and butter sauce. Cacio e Pepe would also suit these kinds of pasta shapes. The experienced chef pointed out that these sauces cling to the pasta strands uniformly. He observed: "If you have a heavy meat sauce on a pasta like this, you're going to watch all that meat just fall straight off." Spaghetti Flat, wide pasta Fettucine, pappardelle and tagliatelle would fall under this category of pasta shapes as they are long but much flatter and wider. These are more conducive to meatier sauces, creamy recipes and pesto-based dishes. He explained: "All that extra surface area grips all the flavour. And generally speaking, the heavier the sauce, the wider the noodle." Homemade pasta on a wooden background. Italian style cuisine. Restaurant. Background Twisted, tubular pasta When it comes to pasta shapes like penne, fusilli and rigatoni, the holes in each are designed to trap in extra flavour. The spiral design of fusilli, in particular, is great for lighter sauces. "Now, these pastas, they're sauce magnets. The twists are great with the lighter sauces, and these tubes - they love the thick stuff." Cooking Italian pasta at home Recommendations Andy advises you to consider the explanations above when pairing the pasta shape with the kind of meal you have planned to ensure the best flavour possible. He said: "Next time you're in the shop and you need to buy some pasta, think about what sauce you're having with it and what pasta you should match." Andy's followers welcomed his explanations as so many had no idea why different pastas had different shapes. One person commented: "This genuinely changes my life as somebody beginning their cooking journey." Another added: "I love pasta, and this has encouraged me to explore more from spaghetti." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.


RTÉ News
6 days ago
- RTÉ News
The curious case of Daniel O'Connell's missing heart
"My body to Ireland, my heart to Rome and my soul to heaven," the famous last words of Daniel O'Connell. O'Connell, the man hailed in his time as The Liberator for his leading role in the Catholic emancipation movement of the late 18th century, died in Genoa while on a pilgrimage to Rome in May 1847. Less known than O'Connell's parting words is that his dying wishes of having his body buried in Ireland and his heart taken to Rome were indeed carried out. Before his body was repatriated to Dublin for burial in Glasnevin Cemetery, his heart was eviscerated and embalmed and donated to the Irish College in Rome. However, his heart later vanished without trace, with its whereabouts still a mystery 180 years on from his death. Historian and author John Crotty explains further. "Certainly, his dying wishes were honoured," he said. He added: "There was quite a fuss and a debate about where the best place for his heart was, but a quite fitting location was found in that the Irish College had been set up in Rome at St Agata del Goti, or the Church of the Goths, so this was the place selected to hold the heart. "They were very proud of this, it was quite clear that it was a prized possession for them. They used the words 'we've the privilege of preserving the great heart of the father of this country under our church." O'Connell's heart was believed to have been reposing in a modest urn, before being placed behind a marble plaque fixed to the wall of the church to allow admirers to pay their respects. However, in 1927, problems arose. "There was great embarrassment, Italian blushes, apologies all round." "O'Connell's tomb was due to be moved and indeed the whole Irish College was due to be moved from the church of St Agatha," Mr Crotty explained. "There were works going on next door, with the Bank of Italy encroaching on the space under the church. "They decided to move and of course they would take the heart of O'Connell with them, they wouldn't leave behind this prized possession. "But unfortunately, when they went to move the monument, the heart and urn were no longer there, there was nothing to be found - it was a disaster. "The rector of the church at the time told a story that the heart was actually being kept in the crypt of the church. "The initial confusion and concern were probably allayed but tragically a search underneath the church revealed absolutely nothing – there was no sign of the urn that was supposed to be holding the heart of the liberator of Ireland. "There was great embarrassment, Italian blushes, apologies all round." Almost 100 years later, the whereabouts of O'Connell's heart remains unknown. However, there are a number of theories as to where it may have ended up. Mr Crotty said: "The likely explanation is that when the Bank of Italy expanded into the area adjacent to the church, there's no question they took part of the crypt as part of this expansion. "There's a distinct possibility that the bank had inadvertently cordoned off an area where the urn would have been held. "Probably more likely is that when these moving works were going on that the urn was moved as part of a reburial and excavation of other remains that they found underneath the church. "All these remains were swept up and moved to a place called Campo Verano on the outskirts of Rome. "There's a distinct possibility that the heart of Daniel O'Connell, if it's still at this point in the modest urn, was swept up and taken to Campo Verano and reinterred. "At the very least the heart does sit in Rome as was his wish but in an unknown location." However, other possibilities of where O'Connell's heart may lie are not as promising. There are unconfirmed records that the heart was removed from the modest urn and transferred to an ornate silver casket, which would have been highly valuable. "If you were a passing builder or someone working in the area, it is distinctly possible that theft has come into this. Of course, they wouldn't have known the importance of it, they would have only seen a silver urn that had a very specific and clear value. "So what a tragedy to think that the heart of O'Connell could have been swept up and taken and stolen – that what was inside was disposed and the urn itself sold for profit. "But that is the worst-case scenario, the distinct hope has to be that it was swept up in the Campo Verano move or that it does remain underneath the chapel of the Goths still to this day as an unrecognised item in a modest urn that nobody would believe that something of such great importance could be sitting in," Mr Crotty added. In the Church of St Agata del Got today, a depiction of O'Connell's heart is on permanent exhibition. The plaster cast heart, titled 'The Lost Heart of Daniel O'Connell', was gifted to the church by Irish artist Claire Halpin, who was also left intrigued by the mystery surrounding the missing relic. For Maurice O'Connell, the great-great-great-grandnephew of Daniel O'Connell, he would love to try and solve the near-century-old riddle, especially as today marks the 250th anniversary of the Liberator's birth. "It's a travesty if it was just left like that, I think with the 250th anniversary, if you're not going to search now, you're never going to do it so at least there's some impetus behind it," he said. "I'm sure there's interest in Government to help the Daniel O'Connell story. But you've got to try and find it. "If it was found I'd like to see it laid to rest on Abbey Island with his wife Mary, the big love of his life. It would be fantastic if the heart was reunited with her." "I'd sort of assumed we'd never come to the bottom of this, but to reunite his heart with Mary would be very special," he added.


Agriland
31-07-2025
- Agriland
Monitoring and managing risks of grass weeds
In light of recent developments in grass weeds, it is now essential for farmers to be very vigilant to the possible presence of the problem in their crops. While the Irish Seed Trade Association has been very vocal on grass weeds in the last few years, key events this year mean burying your head in the sand to a patch of grass in the corner of a field is no longer an option. The first incidence of resistance to glyphosate in Ireland was confirmed in Italian ryegrass by Teagasc Oakpark in the spring, while blackgrass was made a noxious weed in May. Blackgrass Farmers must become very weed-aware themselves and task their agronomist also with monitoring and management. Nothing beats walking crops on a regular basis between final fungicide and harvest. Waiting for the problem to be so obvious that the crop can not go to harvest or patches destroyed means serious losses are incurred. Weeds can not be allowed go to a stage where seeds are out. It may not be immediately obvious, but post harvest is an ideal time to start addressing weed problems on farm. Cultivating problem areas will encourage growth of seeds present, so they should be destroyed ahead of sowing. Once a weed problem - particularly involving grass weeds such as Italian ryegrass, blackgrass, and canary grass - becomes established on a farm, a comprehensive plan must be developed with professional advice to guide a way out. This may involve alternative cropping along with integrated pest management (IPM) measures and the use of some of the available chemistry. The best protection is a proactive approach to preventing these weeds entering or becoming established on your farm. One of the key measures in this is the use of certified seed at sowing. Irish certified seed has a zero tolerance to these grass weeds along with wild oats and sterile brome. This is contrary to imported seed which has higher tolerance levels of certain weed seeds. Native Irish seed is first generation blue labelled seed. It is vital also to follow other preventative measures to protect crops. It is widely accepted that combines and balers are the biggest spreaders when moving from farm to farm and even field to field. Machine hygiene can have massive impact on spread of grass weeds such as canary or blackgrass, which have tiny seeds with extremely high numbers per head. As farmers, we must have processes in place to properly clean down machinery, and where contractors or hauliers are in use, it is vital they have the same processes in place. They should also made aware of problem areas. Certified seed growers, under their growing protocols with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, must adhere to previous cropping and boundary requirements. As no weeds are tolerated in seed fields, growers must make a significant time commitment to rogueing weeds. The crop undergoes a series of inspections, including multiplication seed lots used, inspections during growing, at harvest and ahead of final certification when bagging seed. Farmers should also monitor any inputs brought onto farm, such as knowing the source and possible content of farm yard manure. Ensure any seed for cover crops that you sow on farm is 'Higher Voluntary Standard' – it has been assembled by a ISTA member and tested for the presence of grass weeds. Check the label to ensure that it states it adheres to Higher Voluntary Standard. Seed is the key input in crop production. It makes up a small percentage of the cost per acre. Never risk bringing in a weed problem by compromising on seed quality. The Irish Seed Trade Association represents licensed multipliers of certified seed. Our members are proud of the massive investment they make into trialling and testing varieties of seed suited to our growers and end users. The association promotes the use of certified seed and advocates for further development of the tillage sector though its contribution to policy and investment in plant breeding and research.