ITALY Wine and Italy have been entwined since Romulus and Remus, albeit viewed a one of lifes necessities rather than something to be treasured. Yes, they were celebrated by Virgil, Pliny and Columella, toasted by the Vatican and, in the case of Barolo, coveted in the latter part of the 19th century by the then monarchy, the House of Savoia, but only in the last 20 - 30 years have the great fine wines of Italy come of age. Forced by sliding domestic consumption (a 50% drop in 30 years), spurred on by a new generation (often with professional backgrounds) and facilitated by consultants and the latest gizmos, Italys hillside terroirs are finally being harnessed to great effect. However, for example, while Barolos stature as Italys finest wine may be global, its vineyards are 1% those of Bordeaux and 15% the size of Burgundy. Where top Chateau in the Medoc might produce 40,000 cases per annum of a Grand Vin, a leading Barolo estate makes 800 cases. Tuscany and the Veneto come close to representing Italys fine wine engine, with their Chiantis and Valpolicellas, but the bulk (both literally and metaphorically) of Italian production still resides elsewhere. The massive cooperatives of Emilia-Romagna, Puglia and Sicily are still responsible for churning out vast quantities, mostly as blending material for wines based all round Europe....yet even here the worm is turning, with small estates bubbling to the surface. As in France, so in Italy the best vineyard sites have been planted for two millennia, mostly on limestone based soils delivering low pH wines, often perched among the Apennine or Alpine foothills, 300 - 600 metres above sea level to enjoy the important diurnal shift that prolongs hang-time and builds complexity in their ancient grape varieties. While the Cabernets and Merlots so prized by the Super-Tuscans (Tignanello, Solaia) are gradually wheedling their way into formerly indigenous-only blends such as the Chiantis and Vino Nobiles (and Brunello given half-a-chance), it is the autochthonous pearls of Italys rich wine culture that are increasingly cited: the Nebbiolos of Piedmont, Corvinas of the Veneto, the Sangiovese of Tuscany, the Primitivos of Puglia, Verdicchios of the Marche, Pinot Grigio in Friuli etc. For with the next generation has come a realisation of what differentiates Italy from the vinous crowd and why the quality of their Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Corvina-based wines have yet to be replicated anywhere else in the world. And with an unprecedented string of good to great vintages (1995-2001, 2004, 2006) encouraging and urging them on to new heights, theres never been a better time to savour these increasingly modern classics.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 05:05:10 +0000
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