The sheer exuberance of Paul Balke's devotion to Italian wine regions bubbles up like a glass of prosecco—which, we learn in this episode, did not originate in Veneto, but rather in the village of Prosek, near Trieste. This special, double-size installment of The Boot in 20 is a true deep dive. Even diehard fans of Friulian wines will learn indigenous grapes they've never heard of before. Those who listen to the end will get the skinny on the world's most exciting slices of ham! Note: Paul Balke currently lives in rural Calabria and we struggled with our connection and other technical issues. While the audio quality does not quite match our usual standards, we think Paul's incredibly educational perspective is worth it. The Boot in 20 series features an interview with an expert on the wines of Italy's 20 regions, including grapes, wines, climate, history, culture, and advice for planning a visit.  After hearing this episode, you'll understand the geopolitical history that leads Paul to insist on discussing the wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in context with the wines of western Slovenia and the Croatian part of the Istrian peninsula.  Inspired to plan a trip to this region? You must consult Paul's beautiful book, North Adriatic. You can order it from Paul directly at his website, where you can also learn about Paul's winemaking and piano music!Paul's website: paulbalke.comFollow Paul on Instagram: instagram.com/paulbalke  If you love this show and want it to continue, support Modo di Bere on Patreon.  www.patreon.com/MododiBere   SPANISH LEARNERS NEEDED! This episode is brought to you by Culture Without Borders Language Collective, our exclusive sponsor for the month of October 2025. If you've been wishing for real people to practice your Spanish with, CWB is looking for more English-speaking Spanish learners to join their monthly language exchange.These online meetups are completely FREE for participants. Visit cwbcollective.com and subscribe to their newsletter to get the dates for the next meetup.   Modo di Bere is a multiplatform publication by Rose Thomas Bannister. In addition to this podcast, Rose Thomas also makes: A newsletter! Sign up for Modo di Bere Magazine at www.mododibere.comA travel show! Subscribe to Modo di Bere TV  youtube.com/@mododibereMany friends! Meet them when you follow @mododibere on Instagram and TikTokMusic composed by Ersilia Prosperi for the band Ou: www.oumusic.bandcamp.comBuy their latest album at https://folderol.it/ou/ This episode was produced and recorded by Rose Thomas BannisterEdited by Giulia Àlvarez-KatzAudio assistance by Steve Silverstein Ascolta il podcast in Italiano / Listen to the podcast in Italian!Cerca / Search: Modo di Bere Italiano