Food, Wine and Culture in Italy - Course FWWCWC340 - 3 Semester Credits

Oct 1, 2026

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Food, Wine and Culture in Italy (course code FWWCWC340) explores how Italian gastronomic traditions shaped contemporary food and wine culture. The course analyzes regional influences, cultural overlaps, and the evolution of Italy as the world’s oldest wine-producing nation, while integrating an Italian language component in culinary contexts. Students develop practical and analytical skills through lectures, discussions, guided problem solving, tastings, and site visits, culminating in their ability to compare product quality, nutrition, seasonality, and food-wine pairings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time17 min

AccessFree to download

1. Description

2. Objective

3. Requirements

4. Teaching Method

5. Textbook – Further Readings – Resources

SCHOOL OF FOOD AND WINE DEPARTMENT OF WINE AND CULTURE COURSE TITLE: FOOD, WINE AND CULTURE IN ITALY COURSE CODE: FWWCWC340 3 Semester Credits 1. DESCRIPTION This course is targeted towards students who are interested in the Italian traditions and the pivotal role that Italy has played in the evolution of food and wine culture. Italy is in fact the oldest wine-producing nation in the world where grapes are grown in almost every region of the country. This course will consider and analyze the various influences and cultural overlaps that this ancient tradition has brought to contemporary Italian culture. The course will also feature an Italian language component in order to better understand and appreciate the elements of contemporary Italian culture which will be discussed during the course. This course also features a field learning component in relevant Italian locations to supplement and enrich academic topics. 2. OBJECTIVE The aim of the course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the links between Italian gastronomic traditions and the food/wine culture present in contemporary Italian society. After this class, students will be able to: • Demonstrate a deeper understanding of Italian culture, through lectures on typical celebrations, cuisine and preparation of traditional Italian dishes • Express knowledge of staple products of the Italian Gastronomy, their origin and importance in the food and wine heritage of the country and overseas • Distinguish the difference between nutritional value, product quality, seasonality and usage in the Mediterranean and Italian diet • Prepare both sweet and savory Italian specialties • Identify level of quality among varieties and classifications of Italian food products and wines, their area of production and the significance behind regional popularity of ingredients • Gain experience and understanding of the ingredients, tools and equipment, weights and measures, Italian recipes, and cooking methods • Examine food, wine, nutrition and tradition from historical, sociological, political, economic, cultural and culinary perspectives • Acquire and employ use of the Italian language in a culinary context, specifically as it pertains to food preparation, ingredients, production process, origin, and quality • Identify different forms of agriculture and classify them according to their impact • Distinguish among the different labels that identify local products; identify elements and ingredients Pair wines with the appropriate food products using agricultural and culinary knowledge acquired in class. 3. REQUIREMENTS There are no prerequisites for this course 4. TEACHING METHOD This course consists of lectures, class discussions, and site visits within the local community. Mediums for instruction used will include, but are not limited to, interactive and hands-on activities which challenge thought processes, academic texts and studies, videos, slides, guided problem solving, and experiential and/or field learning activities where applicable. This course requires participation during class discussions. This means that students contribute to class discussions by relating personal experiences, asking questions, and making comments appropriate to the topics being discussed. Students will be assigned readings in the textbook or other related texts which will be discussed during class. In order for the discussions to be meaningful, each student must come to class fully prepared to talk about the assigned reading and to make meaningful comments. Since participation plays a role in the final grade, it is essential that students have not only read the assignment, but have drawn conclusions of their own from the reading. Conclusions will be presented during class discussions. While in Italy you will examine food, wine, nutrition and tradition from historical, political, economic, cultural and mostly, culinary perspectives. Specific food p

FAQs

What is the course focused on?

The course focuses on Italian traditions and the role Italy has played in the evolution of food and wine culture, including cultural influences and overlaps.

What learning outcomes will students achieve?

Students will understand links between Italian gastronomic traditions and contemporary society, distinguish aspects of nutrition and quality, and apply culinary and agricultural knowledge to pair wine with food.

Are there prerequisites and what teaching methods are used?

The course has no prerequisites. Teaching includes lectures, class discussions, and site visits, supported by interactive activities, academic texts, videos, slides, and experiential or field learning where applicable.

Oct 1, 2026

Upload by Riley