Fine Wine from Italy

Vietti Vineyard, Barolo

Overview

The modern history of Italian wine only commenced in recent decades. The land known as “Enotria” may have produced a lot of wine along the entire peninsula but most of it was over-produced and poorly made. Supposedly “great” wines were limited to Tuscany and Piemonte, and these were, in reality, few and far between. Enlightened winemakers, and a new generation, knowing the potential of their vineyards began to turn things around in the 1960s and 1970s. New “cult” wines began to turn heads in the international wine community and prices, and profitability, rose. Neighbours took notice and areas such as Tuscany and Piemonte initially had a renaissance that showed just how much potential there was. Grape varieties that had neared extinction were revived, and viticulture was adjusted from quantity to quality.

Key Grape Varieties

Italy has hundreds of indigenous grape varieties and according to the National Registry of Grape Varieties the latest official account is 461. A leading authority on the topic (Ian d’Agata, author of ‘Native Wine Grapes of Italy’) thinks the number is more like 600 and the matter is further complicated by duplication, nomenclature, definitions, hybrids and the like. And these exclude imported varieties such as the Bordeaux grapes used extensively in for example Tuscany. Suffice to say there’s a lot and beyond the better-known varieties there are many of interest and quality.

That said, according to d’Agata, “…the most common grape variety in Italy by a large margin is Sangiovese. Of the top twenty planted in Italy, sixteen are native and four are international varieties (Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon. In short Italy has a rich tapestry of grape varieties and blends to choose from, and with an increasing emphasis on the indigenous varieties, the future is bright for a diverse offering. We will cover the topic more specifically at the regional and sub regional levels.

Classification

Italy has no wine classification system, in the way that we know wine classifications from France. In Italy, regions where a sort of wine hierarchy is found, this is embedded in the appellation system, such as for example the terms ‘Riserva’ and ‘Superiore’.

Key Regions and Sub Regions

Italy is now arguably the most exciting wine-producing country on the planet, and is also starting to challenge France in terms of quality (and prices).  We are primarily focused on two major regions plus one other, each of which produce very high-quality wines driven by both indigenous and international grape varieties and blends. They are as follows and more will be added in the future:

Piedmont

• Barbaresco
• Barolo
• Langhe

Tuscany

• Bolgheri
• Brunello di Montalcino
• Chinati Classico Gran Selezioni
• Tuscany (Toscana IGT)
• Vin Santo (Tuscany)

Veneto

• Soave Classico