A Leader in Wine

ITALY:
A Leader in Wine
Interview by Kristen Wolfe Bieler
■
Portraits by Andrew Kist
The Italian Trade Commission has been promoting their Naturalemente Italiano
program for five years now, with great success. We sat down with Trade
Commissioner Executive Director for the USA, Aniello Musella, to discuss
what the Commission has planned for the present and future of Italian wines in
the United States.
The Beverage Network: How has the American
opinion of Italian wine changed over the last
decade?
Musella: The American consumer’s opinion of Italian
wine has changed as a result of the transformation that
has taken place in the Italian wine industry since the
1960s. After the completion of the DOC appellation
system, new regulations and new technology (both in
vinification and vineyard management) made us more
competitive, not only as suppliers of great volumes of
wine but also as producers of quality wines. The last
twenty years have seen a revolution in winemaking
that has spanned the Italian Peninsula. This transformation was brought about not only by the governments’ regulation of the industry, but also by the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of our most dynamic
wine makers. I believe that over the last decade
American consumers have come to understand this
evolutionary process and have rewarded us by becoming our customers.
TBN: This renaissance in quality is evidenced in
the bulk of wines being imported to the American
market as well, correct?
Musella: Yes. Throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s,
Italy exported large quantities of inexpensive Lambrusco
wines. When looking specifically at still table wines
today, Italy remains the leading U.S. supplier, both in
terms of value as well as quantity. While we now want to
focus on higher quality wines, we still want to be a
source of value in the American market.
TBN: What do you wish Americans understood
about Italian wines that they currently do not?
Musella: I wish that Americans could better understand
our appellation system. It is broad and complex, so this
will obviously be a process that needs time to evolve and
which requires a massive communication effort on the
part of the Italian wine industry. I am encouraged, however, to see that those who try Italian wines are absolutely fascinated by the variety of tastes available, and by the
fact that they feel that our wines continue to offer a
remarkable value for the price.
TBN: Italian wine sales in this country remain incredibly strong, despite price increases due to the weak
U.S. dollar and competition from many New World
wine countries. Can you explain this phenomenon?
Aniello Musella, Italian Trade
Commissioner Executive Director for
the United States of America at his
office in New York City
Food & Wine team at the ITC (Clockwise from left): Giovanni Mafodda, Senior
Deputy Trade Commissioner, Augusto Marchini, Assistant Trade Commissioner
and Aniello Musella
However, we must not forget that the vast majority of Americans
still do not drink wine. These are the ones that we all should target to promote wine consumption.
TBN: Which efforts by the Italian Trade Commission have
been most effective in educating consumers and creating
interest in Italian products?
Musella: The Italian Trade Commission has been active in campaigning for Italian wines in the United States for over 40 years.
Over this time, our success in creating interest for the wines of Italy
at a consumer level has been achieved through educational activities such as: meaningful communication campaigns; advertising in
the local medias; informative literature; our website (www.italianmade.com); wine tastings and classes; working with licensees to
promote our products at the point of sale; and the organization of
countless trade and press trips to Italy.
Musella: The latest figures show that in 2005 Italy maintains first
place among the major importing countries, above Australia and
France. According to end of year information just recently released
by the US Department of Commerce, total American imports of
Italian wines in December 2005 registered a marked increase in
value of 11.4 percent. I believe that our enormous reservoir of
indigenous grape varieties that go beyond the very popular grape
types (Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet, etc) gives us a
useful edge over some of our most aggressive competitors.
TBN: U.S. per capita consumption remains much lower
than European countries. Do you view this as a significant opportunity?
Musella: Even though per capita in Italy we still consume much
more wine (49 liters per person in 2004) than the average
American (8 liters per person), our consumption – as is the case in
many European countries – is decreasing. Opportunity is in the
American market and it is our responsibility to promote wine consumption as an integral component of a healthy lifestyle.
But U.S. consumption is growing at a slow rate which means
that everyone in the wine industry is competing to serve that
same small percentage of the general public who drink wine on a
daily basis. Within this segment of consumers, there is an even
smaller number that has developed a more sophisticated palate –
those who tend to travel more, to be more educated about wine
and who are willing to spend more money on wine and food.
TBN: Describe the current “Naturalmente Italiano” campaign
and the message you are trying to get across to licensees?
Musella: We have always relied on the trade as the foundation on
which to build our message. The Naturalmente Italiano campaign is
currently in its fifth year and has been very successful in finding distribution for many new producers in this market. Our greatest challenge is the complexity and consolidation of the American market.
We advise our small vintners to form liaisons and work together to
promote and market their products in this country. This substantially increases their impact on markets that may already be crowded
with competitors, many of them, from a more solid economic base.
There are currently about 70 companies involved in this campaign,
but there have been hundreds involved over the five years that it
has been active, as many move on once they find U.S. distribution.
TBN: Which Italian region are you most excited about that
retailers and restaurateurs should be paying attention to?
Musella: Some of the largest newcomers are Sicily and Campania.
Their wines account for a good portion of the 11 percent increase
that Italian wines experienced in the U.S. market last year. These
regions offer a number of indigenous grape varieties which provide a
wide range of choices for the consumer. These vines have ancient
histories in our soils and they provide something very different from
our competition. ■
ITALY:
A Passion for Wine
By Mary Ewing Mulligan and Ed McCarthy
The local-color television features sur-
Castle & winery in Piedmont
rounding network coverage of the Winter
Olympics in Torino earlier this year
brought the sights and sounds and flavors
of Italy to millions of Americans. Anyone
thinking about planning a vacation, buying
a gift of gourmet food, choosing a bottle of
wine for dinner or even deciding on a
restaurant for the next night out could
hardly ignore the suggestion that Italy—
and Italy’s foods, wines and other products—stands in a class of its own.
Not that we Americans needed much
reminder of what a wonderful place Italy is,
or how appropriate Italy’s foods and wines
are for our own lifestyles. Italy already ranks
as one of the top tourist destinations for
Americans, and Italian cuisine is likewise a
favorite here. As far as the wines are concerned, Italy is the reigning champion on
these shores, and has been, for decades. In
other words, Americans have a love affair
with Italy.
If we Americans love Italy, it’s logical
that we love its wines, because wine is the
lifeblood of the Italian people. A first trip to
Italy is always an eye-opening experience:
vines seem to be growing in every available
viable acre of land; and in people’s homes—
anywhere in the country—wine is the beverage of choice at every meal.
The statistics regarding Italian wines
and their performance in the U.S. have
always been compelling. Tiny Italy, threequarters the size of California and only 60
percent the size of France, produces more
wine than any other country in the world.
Even though Italy’s wine production has
fallen about 20 percent from its highs during
the 1990s, the country produced 47.5 million hectoliters a year (approximately 1.25
billion gallons) in 2005. That figure is about
2.5 times greater than the wine production
of the entire United States—although the
U.S. is the fourth largest wine producer in
the world and the world’s leading nonEuropean wine producer. Italy also leads all
other countries in the amount of wine supplied to American wine drinkers.
To be fair, France’s wine production is
also high, and in some years has been equal
to Italy’s. But Italy has sustained its presence
as the leading foreign supplier of wine to the
U.S. across three decades. Italy currently
produces about 22 percent of all the wine in
the world, and holds a 30 percent share of
wine imported to the U.S.
What is it about Italy and wine that has enabled this small country
to produce such large volumes of wine and find success for those
wines in foreign markets? The answer probably boils down to two
issues: natural resources and human passion.
Natural Resources
Italy’s blessings in the natural resources department are familiar to anyone who has ever visited
there. In terms of wine, the blessings include:
■ The long, narrow shape of the country,
which enables the wine growing regions to extend
from the Alps in the north to almost within sight of Africa in the south;
■ The fact that Italy is a peninsula, with
a long shoreline, contributing moderating climatic influences to coastal wine
regions;
■ The mountains and their foothills, which are
everywhere; besides being crowned by the Alps
and Dolomites in the north, Italy has a range of
mountains, the Apennines, that extend along the
center of the “boot,” separating the eastern wine regions
from those on the west; the mountains and hills provide a range
of altitudes for grape growing and assure a variety of climate and
soil conditions;
■ A huge assortment of native grape varieties.
(excludes vermouth)
BASED ON QUANTITY (IN LITERS)
250
215
200
202
150
100
100
50
57
39
28
0
Argentina
Australia
Chile
France
Italy
Spain
The United States imported 215 million liters of wine from Italy in 2005,
increasing imports by 9.4% over 2004. In 2005, this represented over 30%
of the total imports to the U.S.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Human Resources
Human passion enters the picture as the catalyst that transforms
the opportunity to grow grapes and make wine into an actual,
thriving wine business. The passion that Italians feel for wine and
food has spawned wine grape production in every single part of the
country. The passion for family has created a culture that values
long mealtimes, and appreciates the role that wine can play
at the table. The passion for drinking wine with food has
driven the production of wines that go particularly well with
food—which in turn has driven sales of Italian wines around
the world. The passion for individualism has kept the Italian
wine industry vibrant, with wines that reflect the personal flair
of their makers.
The passion that exists in Italy is contagious, too. That’s
why so many Americans have such strong feelings for
Italian foods, Italian wines, and Italy itself. Of course, the
large migration of Italians to the U.S. over the last 150
years created a natural audience for Italy’s products
here—but plenty of Americans who have no Italian heritage love Italy as if it were their own.
More History
The passion for wine led Italian emigrants to plant vines and make
wines wherever they established their new lives. They established
the California wine industry—just as they founded most of
Argentina’s wineries. Perhaps even more importantly, Italian
immigrants and their descendants opened up most of the Italian
All photographs courtesy of The Italian Trade Commission
The Back-Story
2005 TOTAL WINE IMPORTED
TO THE UNITED STATES
MI LLIONS OF LITE R S
Admittedly, in a climate of overproduction—in 2004, the
equivalent of 586 million cases of wine went unsold in the world—
a large production of wine is a mixed blessing. But the volume of
wine production in Italy testifies to the penetration of wine in the
country’s culture.
Declining wine consumption within Italy, just as in France, has
forced Italy to seek wine drinkers beyond its own borders. (In a
forty-year period from 1961 to 2001, per capita consumption in
Italy fell from 108 liters to 50 liters; French consumption in the
same period fell from 126 liters per capita to 57 liters.) To Italy’s
credit, however, the country has had a strong export trade in wine
since after World War II. Currently, about one-third of Italy’s wine
production is exported, and the U.S. is Italy’s largest and thirstiest
customer. The United States, with its many knowledgeable wine
lovers, has been the world leader in recognizing the exceptional
improvement in the quality of Italian wines during the past twenty-five years.
A positive aspect of Italy’s exports to the U.S. is that they are
growing in value as well as in volume. In 2005, Italian imported
wines (excluding sparkling) grew in U.S. dollars by 11.66% (an
impressive figure that is all the more so when you consider that
Italian wine imports have routinely experienced double-digit percentage growth year upon year since the mid 1970’s).
restaurants in this country. Today, Italian
restaurants outnumber all other ethnic
restaurants in the U.S. by far. And of
course Italian restaurant owners invariably
chose to serve the wines they knew—
Italian wines. The first encounter that
many Americans have had with Italian
wines took place in Italian restaurants.
What restaurant goers discovered was that
the Chianti, Soave, or Valpolicella they
drank went so well with the food! Today, it
is Pinot Grigio that new wine drinkers are
discovering, not just in Italian restaurants,
but also in other types of restaurants.
American wine drinkers have adopted
Pinot Grigio as their favorite type of
imported wine—white or red.
At any one point in the history of
Italian wines in the U.S., it seems, different wines have carried the banner for Italy.
In the 1950s, it was Chianti; in the 1960s,
it was Soave, and to a lesser extent,
Valpolicella and Bardolino. Then the
Lambrusco craze hit. The fizzy, off-dry wine
from Emilia-Romagna proved to be a winning choice for new American wine
drinkers, and one brand of Lambrusco,
Riunite, ranked as the leading brand of
imported wine in the U.S. for 26 years,
until the year 2000. During Lambrusco's
reign, Frascati, a white wine from Latium,
became popular, along with the Corvo
brand of white and red wines from Sicily.
Pinot Grigio began its amazing climb to
popularity in the U.S. in the 1980s, and is
now more popular than ever.
While buyers of inexpensive wines and
less sophisticated consumers were quenching their thirst with Lambrusco or more
recently, Pinot Grigio, connoisseurs have
been discovering Italy’s elite wines.
Anyone who considers himself a huge fan
of Barolo, Barbaresco or Brunello di
Montalcino, for example, knows that he is
not alone in this enthusiasm. Significant
numbers of collector-level enthusiasts follow Italy’s best wines in the U.S.—and
probably more so than in any other country. The English might be the world’s classic connoisseurs of wine, but they rank far
behind the Americans in their recognition
of Italy’s quality side, and
their enthusiasm for the top
wines. The penetration of
fine Italian wines onto wine
lists in three-star restaurants
across the country, even
French restaurants, proves
what success Italy has seen
at the high end.
Vineyard in Sicily
The Home of
Indigenous Wines
Wine critics lately lament the trend toward
standardization of wine style around the
world. Thankfully, Italy still makes many
unique wines, because of its indigenous
varieties and many traditionally-minded
winemakers.
Italy’s wine diversity is truly mind-boggling. Its richest vinous treasure is its indigenous grape varieties. No one has an exact
count, but we do know that Italy has over
1,000 grape varieties, most of which are
indigenous, and so it is safe to say that there
are at least 800—and perhaps as many as
900—indigenous Italian varieties, far more
than any other country in the world! Some
of these native varieties, of course, are
famous throughout the wine world:
Nebbiolo, the variety of the great Barolo
and Barbaresco wines; Sangiovese, the variety of Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino,
Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, and numerous other wines; Aglianico, the superb
Southern Italian variety of Taurasi and
Aglianico del Vulture. Many other varieties
should be famous but are practically
unknown outside of Italy—such as Corvina,
the main variety in Valpolicella, Amarone,
and Bardolino wines; and Garganega,
Soave’s most important variety.
Oddly enough, many of Italy’s indigenous varieties seem to do well only in Italy.
Has anyone ever tasted a really good wine
made from Nebbiolo outside of Piedmont
or Lombardy? The stellar quality of Barolo,
the crown of Nebbiolo’s production, can be
achieved only in the Langhe hills of
Piedmont. Quite a few wine regions
throughout the world have also been trying
their luck with Sangiovese, but frankly, the
Sangiovese-based wines that qualify for
greatness—Brunello di Montalcino, many
ITALIAN WINE STYLE
Italian wines are not made to win wine
competitons—even though many of them
do—but are made to accompany food.
Whether it is white, red, or rosé, still or
sparkling, dry or sweet, Italian wine’s
first responsibility is to go well with
food. Traditional Italian wines generally
have the following characteristics, which
engender food-friendliness:
■ High acidity — White wines are
crisp and lively; red wines are firm.
■ Dryness — Table wines, whether
white, red, or rosé, have little or no
sweetness.
■ Subtlety of aromas and flavors —
Most Italian wines are subtle, not
overstated, so as not to compete
with or overwhelm the food.
Alcohol levels are reasonable.
■ Light to medium body — Most
Italian wines are not overly powerful, over-ripe, or over-extracted,
again as to not overwhelm the
accompanying food.
Chianti Classico wines, and superTuscans—all come from Tuscany or neighboring regions, such as Umbria.
Unheralded No More
Some indigenous Italian varieties have
achieved good results in other parts of the
world, but are nevertheless at their best at
home in Italy. Barbera is one such variety.
California and Argentina, for example,
have produced some fairly good wines from
Barbera —but those wines don’t compare
to Barbera d’Alba and Barbera d’Asti from
Piedmont, where Barbera reaches its peak
of quality. Three other Piedmontese varieties, the red Dolcetto, and the white
EXPERIENCE ITALY
Umbria
Tuscany, Umbria
Arneis and Cortese (the grape behind Gavi
wines) are also all at their best in the vineyards of Piedmont.
Montepulciano, another popular indigenous grape, ranks with Sangiovese and
Barbera as one of Italy’s most planted red varieties, and accounts for many of Italy’s best
value-red wines. It is the main variety in
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo is the
grape’s native province), and is also the prime
variety in Marche’s Rosso Cònero;
Montepulciano is also blended into many
other wines in central Italy. The most commonly planted white variety, by far, in Italy is
the indigenous Trebbiano. Although it is the
main variety in so many of Italy’s value-priced
white wines, Trebbiano’s various sub-varieties,
when planted carefully so as to not over-crop,
can make fine wines. The principal Trebbiano
strains are Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbiano di
Romagna, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano
Giallo, Trebbiano di Lugana, and Trebbiano
di Soave.
All these grape varieties—numerous as
they are—represent only the tip of the indigenous Italian iceberg. Previously unheralded
native varieties are finally receiving their due
recognition. Nero d’Avola, undoubtedly
Sicily’s top red variety, is now credited as one
of Italy’s finest red varieties. Negroamaro is
the most renowned red variety in Puglia,
accounting for an incredible amount of wine
from Italy’s largest wine-producing region.
Two exciting white varieties from
Campania—Fiano and Falanghina—have
earned new recognition for the wines they are
making around Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
It is possible that Fiano and Falanghina might
have had their roots in Greece (along with
Campania’s Greco variety, which is definitely
from Greece)—nobody is certain—but they
have been in Italy for well over 2,000 years,
perhaps even longer. Food lovers have always
known about the incredible vegetables and
fruit from Campania, not to mention the pizza
and mozzarella di bufala. But now wine lovers
have their own Campanian specialties to
applaud.
Alto Adige
Friuli
Trentino
Puglia
The Three “V’s”
Three other white varieties that have helped
the white-wine segment in Italy are the three
“V” grapes: Verdicchio, Vermentino, and
Vernaccia.
There are over 1,000 grape varieties in Italy, the majority
of which are unique to its land. Here are just a few:
Grape Varieties
Color
Most Important Wines
Major Regions
Arneis
Carricante
Catarratto
Coda di Volpe
Cortese
Falanghina
Fiano
Garganega
White
White
White
White
White
White
White
White
Piedmont
Sicily
Sicily
Campania
Piedmont
Campania
Campania
Veneto
Grillo
Inzolia
Picolit
Ribolla Gialla
Tocai Friulano
Traminer
Trebbiano
White
White
White
White
White
White
White
Verdicchio
White
Verduzzo
Vermentino
White
White
Vernaccia
White
Roero Arneis
Etna Bianco
Bianco Alcamo, Catarratto
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco
Gavi
Falanghina
Fiano di Avellino
Soave, Recioto di Soave,
Gambellara
Grillo
Inzolia (Ansonico), Menfi Bianco
Prosecco Veneto
Ribolla Gialla
Tocai Friulano, Breganze Bianco
Traminer Aromatico
Trebbiano di Romagna, Vin Santo,
Lugana (Trebbiano di Lugana),
Bianco di Custoza, Frascati
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi,
Verdicchio di Matelica
Verduzzo, Verduzzo di Ramandolo
Vermentino, Vermentino di
Sardegna, Vermentino di Gallura
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Aglianico
Barbera
Red
Red
Campania, Basilicata
Piedmont
Corvina
Red
Dolcetto
Red
Gaglioppo
Lagrein
Lambrusco
Monica
Montepulciano
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
Nebbiolo
Red
Negroamaro
Nerello Mascalese
Nero d’Avola
Pignolo
Refosco
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
Sagrantino
Sangiovese
Red
Red
Taurasi, Aglianico del Vulture
Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti,
Barbera del Monferrato
Valpolicella, Amarone della
Valpolicella, Bardolino
Dolcetto d’Alba, Dolcetto di
Dogliani, Dolcetto di Diano
d’Alba, Dolcetto d’Asti
Ciró Rosso, Ciró Rosato
Lagrein
Lambrusco
Monica di Sardegna
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Cerasuolo,
Rosso Cònero
Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara,
Ghemme, Roero, Nebbiolo d’Alba,
Carema, Donnaz, Sassella
Salice Salentino
Faro, Etna Rosso, Etna Rosato
Nero d’Avola
Pignolo
Refosco, Refosco dal Peduncolo
Rosso
Sagrantino di Montefalco
Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino
Nobile di Montepulciano,
Sangiovese di Romagna,
Carmignano, Rosso di Montalcino,
Santa Maddalener, Lago di Caldaro
Schiopettino (aka, Ribolla Nera)
Teroldego Rotaliano
Castel del Monte Rosso, Rosso
Barletta
Schiava
Schiopettino
Teroldego
Uva di Troia
Red
Red
Red
Red
Sicily
Sicily
Veneto
Friuli
Friuli
Alto Adige
Tuscany, EmiliaRomagna, Lombardy,
Veneto, Latium
Marche
Friuli
Tuscany, Liguria,
Sardinia
Tuscany
Veneto
Piedmont
Calabria
Alto Adige
Emilia-Romagna
Sardinia
Abruzzo, Marche,
Molise
Piedmont. Valle d’Aosta
Puglia
Sicily
Sicily
Friuli
Friuli
ITALY’S FUTURE “STAR”
INDIGENOUS VARIETIES
■ Verdicchio had been popular in the 1960s and ‘70s, but became a victim of its
own popularity and was over-produced, not always in the best areas. Thanks
to Franco Bernabei and other Italian enologists, Verdicchio has been “reborn” during the past decade, and is now making teriffic, crisp, flavorful white
wines—and at astonishingly moderate prices!
■ Vermentino just needed a few champions to gain popularity. Always a leading
varietal wine in Sardinia and Liguria, it is now receiving new acclaim in
Tuscany, especially in the Maremma region along the Tuscan coast; the two
Cottarella brothers, Renzo and Riccardo, both among Italy’s leading oenologists and winemakers, are strong advocates of Vermentino.
■ Vernaccia is actually two distinct white varieties—as well as a red variety, the
lesser-known red Vernaccia in Marche. The best-known Vernaccia makes the
popular Vernaccia di San Gimignano wine in Tuscany; the other Vernaccia
variety (not related to its Tuscan namesake) makes Vernaccia di Oristano, an
aperitif wine very much like Sherry on the island of Sardinia.
Italy has its own grape variety for sparkling wine, as well—Prosecco. Its home
is the eastern Veneto, and the wine comes in fully sparkling (spumante), slightly
sparkling (frizzante), and still versions. A rosé version—Prosecco Rosato—also
exists. Prosecco has been wildly popular in the U.S. lately. It has floral and fruity
aromas, is fairly dry—especially when labeled “Extra Dry” or “Extra Brut”—is
inexpensive, and is the perfect accompaniment to antipasti. For those who prefer
their sparkling wine sweet, we should not forget the Moscato Di Canelli grape
which produces the famous Asti Spumante, traditionally appreciated by consumers worldwide and still today, Italy's leading exported sparkling wine.
Notable Advances In Italian Wines
During the past twenty-five years, Italian wines have experienced such enormous
improvements that one can say a true wine renaissance has taken place. Quite fitting for the country where the original Renaissance of the Middle Ages began!
Wine has been so much a part of Italian life for so long that most Italians,
even winemakers, have had quite a casual attitude towards wine. It was always
there; they took it for granted. But no more! Realizing the highly competitive
nature of the world market today, with new challenges arising from New World
countries such as Australia, Italians have become very serious about their wines.
Here are some of the major advances that we have noted in Italian wines during the past twenty-five years:
A new focus on viticulture. Winemakers say, “It all starts in the vineyard,” and
in fact, improvements in viticultural practices are central to Italy’s wine industry.
Vineyards have been re-planted with a higher density of vines, in a move to produce smaller, more concentrated grapes. Research has been undertaken to identify
Vineyard in Friuli - Venezia Giulia
We predict that wine lovers will shortly be
discovering these great Italian indigenous
varieties, which are known and respected by
connoisseurs, but haven’t yet reached
super-star status:
Lagrein — This red variety is one of the most
admired grapes of the dramatically beautiful
Alto Adige area; fairly high in tannin and acidity,
with grapey, vibrant fruit character, this variety
is now making some great wines, as winemakers become skilled in managing the tannins.
Pignolo — At this point, only dedicated connoisseurs might know about Pignolo, but this
should change. This red variety from Friuli has
been making impressive, full-bodied wines.
Within ten years, the wine world will have discovered Pignolo.
Refosco — The great indigenous red variety
from Friuli makes velvety, plummy wines.
Another variety whose time is coming!
Ribolla Gialla — Ths white variety flourishes on
the slopes of Collio and Colli Orientali in Friuli.
Its wines are not as full-bodied or textured as
Tocai Friulano wines, but are good-quality,
easy-drinking, inexpensive white wines, a category that is always popular.
Sagrantino — Umbria’s premium red variety is
definitely on the brink of stardom. Sagrantino di
Montefalco, the most important wine made
from this variety, already has DOCG recognition.
Schiava — The most common red variety in
Alto Adige (some German-speaking locals call
it Vernatsch); it’s the main variety in the local
Santa Maddalener and Lago di Caldaro wines.
Teroldego — A neighbor of Lagrein, hailing
from just south of Alto Adige, in the Trentino,
area, Teroldego is similar to Lagrein but a bit
more tannic. A few producers make stunning
varietal Teroldego wines.
Tocai Friulano — Friuli’s great, flavorful white
variety makes weighty, viscous wines; it has
been flirting with stardom for quite a while, and
now its time has come.
the best clones of various grape varieties—such as Sangiovese—
and those clones were planted. Pruning and green harvests are now
routinely done. On the average, Italy’s vineyards today are 100 percent better than those of twenty-five years ago.
Chianti now a world class wine. Few, if any, wineries in Tuscany
would have made this statement twenty-five years ago. In the early
1970s, Chianti was over-produced, and much of it was not of high
quality. Some wineries went out of business, and other estates
pulled up their vineyards and planted other crops. A few leaders
recognized the problem and took the necessary steps to improve
their wines. One plan was to make a premium wine, even if it did
not follow the grape-variety regulations for Chianti; these wines, of
course, are today the “Super-Tuscans.” The new recognition that
Tuscan wines gained—thanks in part to the success of the SuperTuscans—led to huge improvements in Chianti itself, starting in
the vineyards.
Vast improvement in the wines of Southern Italy. Who would
have believed 25 years ago that Campania, Sicily, Puglia, and
Sardinia would be making some of Italy’s most sought-after, fashionable wines? Sicily and Puglia, in particular, were regarded as regions
for industrial, bulk wines. Now first-rate white and red wines are
being made in both regions, many from wineries that did not exist 25
years ago, or at least were not in the premium wine business then.
Sicily’s Marsala is a prime example. Regarded as nothing but an inexpensive cooking wine 25 years ago, today Marsala has gained limited
recognition as both a fine aperitif and dessert wine.
2005 MARKET SHARE OF TABLE WINE
IMPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES
(excludes sparkling wines)
BASED ON DOLLAR VOLUME
New
Zealand
2.91%
Germany
3.14%
Others
7.5%
Spain
5.25%
Chile
5.37%
France
20.1%
Italy’s table
wine imports
to the U.S.
amounted to
$978 million in
2005, an increase
of 11.66% over
2004. By comparison,
Australia’s table wine
imports totaled $737 million.
Italy
31.78%
Australia
23.95%
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Town of Montalcino, Tuscany
Huge advances in white wines. The word on Italy used to be,
“Good red wines, forgettable whites.” What a difference time can
make! Italian white wines are now among the best white wines in
the world, with vibrant, fresh flavors—a far cry from the bland and
sometimes dull Italian whites of yesterday. The movement towards
improving white wines began in Friuli and Alto Adige, and spread
to the Veneto. Now, you can find great Italian white wines in
Campania, Sicily, and in fact, throughout Italy. The quantity of
white wine produced has also increased, to about 40 percent of
Italy’s total production.
Other developments in the last quarter-century involve the
emergence of specific types of Italian wines on the world stage—
such as the re-birth of Soave and Verdicchio.
Both Soave and Verdicchio had their moments in the sun in
the 1960s and 1970s. They grew to such demand that both were
over-produced, and quality suffered. But Soave and Verdicchio
have both experienced a dramatic turn-around in quality during
the past decade, and are now among the best whites in Italy—even
if both are value-priced.
Three previously unsung Italian red wines have also made their
mark. Take Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, for example. It is perhaps the
best value-priced red wine in the world. This delicious, medium-bodied wine, made from the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo variety (85 to 100
percent), wholesales for as low as $40 to $48 a case at discount!
Rosso Cònero hails from the Marche region, just north of
Abruzzo, on Italy’s eastern (Adriatic) coast. If Rosso Cònero were
from Tuscany or Piedmont, it would have been discovered a long
time ago. This velvety, well-balanced red wine, made primarily
from the Montepulciano variety, retails for $15 to $20.
Umbria also has its previously unsung red wine—Sagrantino di
Montefalco. Some people were surprised when Sagrantino di
Montefalco was recently granted DOCG status, because it was so
little known, even in other parts of Italy. Actually, the Sagrantino
variety has been making wine locally since the Middle Ages, but it
was a sweet wine then. Now it’s a dry, robust red that retails in the
$24 to $30 price range, well-priced for a wine of this quality.
As Italian producers and their wines face the challenging new wine market of the 21 st century, they are fortunate
to be in a position of strength, based on solid, long-term
and steadily increasing success.
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