Italian Wine
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated
Authentic Italian Food. The Quality of Life
THE WINES OF ITALY Italy is a wine phenomenon. From Apulia and Campania in the south to Alto Adige and Friuli in the north and the great offshore islands, Sicily and Sardinia, all regions of the country produce fine wines in an awesome array of types and styles. Today, there are, in fact, over 2,000 varieties of Italian wine, an output that no other country can come close to matching. Since the sheer multiplicity of the origins as well as the wines can be intimidating at first glance, this brochure divides Italy and its 20 official regions into six areas. While their selection is somewhat arbitrary, the areas are discernibly different in their climates and terrains as well as in the histories and psychologies of the people who inhabit them. The true creators of wine are the sun, soil, air and rain. The variety and characteristics of each vine are also important, of course, as are the yeasts that convert the raw juice of the grape into wine. Yet the essential qualities of a wine are always determined by climate and terrain. If either is unsuitable, no winemaker, no matter how competent and imaginative, can succeed in producing a wine that people will enjoy. On both counts, climate and terrain, Italy is supremely fortunate. The entire country enjoys a temperate climate from the snow-clad Alps in the north to the sea that separates Sicily from Africa in the south. The climate is further tempered and shaped by the seas that surround Italy on three sides and by numerous large lakes, especially those situated at the base of the Alps. Terrains also vary enormously, with large expanses of clay, sandy and pebbly plains, deep deposits of rich loam in the river valleys, volcanic soils and limestone slopes. Each type marks a wine, giving it a special character, flavor or aroma that ties it to the land where the vine that yields it is grown. Indigenous vines were first used to make wine in Italy more than two thousand years ago: Tuscany’s Sangiovese, for instance, was probably being cultivated by the Etruscans before the Romans rose to power. Greek colonists in southern Italy brought other varieties to the peninsula Aglianico, for example, and Greco - well before 500 BC. 1
Over the centuries, those vines adapted to differing climatic and geographical conditions throughout Italy, producing new varieties and unique types and styles of wines. It was a process that was guided and assisted by Italian winemakers, whose individualism and vivid personalities are faithfully reflected in their wines. Since fine foods have always ranked high in their scale of values, Italian vintners have created wines that set off and complement the flavors and aromas of their numerous regional and local cucine. Today, no other wine-producing country approaches Italy in the range and versatility of its wines or the savor and natural wholesomeness of its foods, both of which are essential elements in the Italian quality of life. Nature is not the sole factor in determining the quality of Italy’s wines. The country’s government and thousands of winemakers have also played vital roles in improving standards that have led to a veritable renaissance of Italian wines. A major step toward higher quality was taken in 1963, when a new law establishing a system to denominate wines by origin was adopted. Only wines made exclusively in specific production zones and made only from grapes traditionally cultivated in those zones according to prescribed techniques can be admitted to the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) category. The system has grown steadily over the years - there are now more than 300 DOC wines - and the basic legislation has been modified and improved several times. In the 1980s, Italy introduced the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation for elite wines. They are subject to all of the DOC regulations and, in addition, must pass a strict chemical analysis and be approved by panels of expert tasters. There are far fewer wines in this top category than in the DOC class: among the most significant are Piedmont’s Barbaresco and Barolo; Tuscany’s Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano; and Campania’s Taurasi, Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo. As of 2007, there are only 35 DOCG wines. Many other candidates await screening and approval. 2
In 1992, a major modernization of Italy’s wine laws created a whole new category, Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT). It applies to wines of large areas where natural conditions favor uniformity in style, as well as accommodating experimental or innovative wines that fall outside the traditional kinds covered by the DOC and DOCG: for example, many of the group of highly successful wines known as “Super-Tuscans,” which used to have no legal status except the humble Vino da Tavola designation, are now classified as IGT wines. IGT wines throughout Italy now number about 150. So as Italian wine law now stands, the basic designation Vino da Tavola - table wine - forms the broad base of a pyramid of quality, with IGT wines representing the middle level (though many exceed that), and the DOCs and especially the DOCGs, the apex. The introduction of the DOC system strongly encouraged Italian winemakers to improve their production. They responded by launching a vast program of renewal that is unparalleled in their craft’s history, ancient or modern. In fact, Italian winemaking has changed more in the past 50 years than it had in 25 centuries. Italian winemakers revived and improved the reputation of their traditional production and, without pause, pressed on to create innovative wines that have won international acclaim. Vintners have experimented, for example, by blending grapes in ways that are not customary in the areas where the varieties originated and have traditionally been used, or by creating wines from single types of grapes that have traditionally been blended with others. They have introduced new, internationally known, varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. They have improved their field techniques, choosing better clones and reducing yields to ensure maximum quality. And they have modernized their vinification procedures, employing stainless steel fermenters and controlled temperature fermentation to preserve in the cellar the high quality of the grapes from the field. It is no exaggeration to say that, across the board, Italian wine is better and better made now than it has ever been.
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THE NORTHWEST Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta The area is defined by mountains, with the Alps to the west and north and the Apennines dividing Liguria from Piedmont. In the center, the river Po has carved out a fertile valley that widens into a vast plain to the east. The mountains shield the areas from winter’s most frigid winds, yet the climate is still brisk in comparison with other parts of Italy. Because of the cooler weather, the region’s wines can be somewhat austere. They are also blessed with distinctive personalities. The reds tend to be full-bodied and long-lived, like the aristocratic Barolo, its close kin Barbaresco, and the elegant Gattinara of Piedmont, all made from the native Nebbiolo grape. Lombardy’s Valtellina wines also derive from Nebbiolo and can be quite substantial, though they rarely have the breed of the Piedmontese wines. Although perhaps less “noble,” Barbera, Dolcetto and Grignolino all have characters that have won them regular places at the regional tables: Barbera in particular seems to adapt well to all sorts of dishes. The area’s dry whites, especially those of the Aosta Valley, where the vines cling to rocky ledges at great heights, are crisp and fruity. The Gavi of Piedmont and the Pigato and Vermentino of Liguria are fresh and subtle enough to complement the delicate flavors of the superb fish dishes of the coast. Piedmont’s recently rediscovered Arneis makes both a pleasing aperitif wine and a substantial dinner wine, depending on exactly where it’s grown and how it’s handled. The Northwest is also a major producer of outstanding sparkling wines, especially the sweet dessert wine Asti Spumante, which is made from native Moscato grapes, and the dry sparklers of the Oltrepė Pavese and Franciacorta in Lombardy. In addition, winemakers in Lombardy and Piedmont have recently been producing world-acclaimed proprietary dry red and white wines from imported grape varieties.
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THE NORTHEAST Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige The Dolomites and the Carnic and Julian ranges of the Alps protect northeastern Italy from the frigid air currents that sweep down from Siberia during the winter months, while the Swiss mountain chain acts as a bulwark against the icy winds blowing south from the North Atlantic. The climate of the area is much cooler than in other regions, and the extensive system of foothills and valleys in the shadows of the peaks provides a multitude of different soil types and exposures for vineyards at altitudes up to 1000 meters. That, in turn, produces wines with pronounced personalities and especially delicate, aromatic whites. The flatlands in the south of the area are much warmer, so that growers there must constantly battle the vine’s natural fertility through use of severe pruning to assure higher quality. Those impressive mountains have not stopped the mass migrations of tribes and nations. Invaders have repeatedly swept through the passes and down to the rich plain to the south in search of plunder or new homes. The Sud Tirol or Alto Adige, which forms the northern half of the region of Trentino-Alto Adige, is an enclave of German-speaking Italians who use their native language, rather than Italian, on their wine labels. The eastern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia has long been open to the influences of the Slavic countries of the Balkan peninsula. Both regions are strongholds of wines made from single varieties. In almost all cases, the percentage of other grapes used is limited by the DOC rules to no more than 5%. This doesn’t mean any loss of complexity: the wines offer the unique characteristics of the varieties themselves in clear and consistent fashion, combined with the nuances given by their unique terroir. The range of wines is vast in both the Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where winemakers use a host of varieties. The imported types have been around so long - in some case, over 150 years - that they can almost be considered natives. Since those grapes have been grown in 5
the area for many decades, there has been less interest than in other areas in producing proprietary wines outside the official system, and less reason to do so. Among the white wines, the production of which is steadily growing, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Bianco, as well as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, have enjoyed the greatest popularity at home and abroad, along with the native Tocai and Ribolla of Friuli and the equally native Gewurztraminer of Alto Adige. Red wine still leads in both regions, however, with Cabernets and Merlots that are often never exposed to wood and do not require it. Trentino-Alto Adige also produces light, pale reds from native Schiava grapes and a more sturdy red from Lagrein, both native grapes, while Trentino’s Teroldego Rotaliano is a sturdy red quickly establishing an outstanding reputation. Recently, Friuli has initiated a revival of some of its ancient red varieties. Those showing the greatest promise so far include Refosco, Schioppetino and possibly Pignolo as well. The Veneto, the area’s third region, is known for two wines that have long been leaders in the world’s markets - the white Soave and the red Valpolicella. Each is currently experiencing a sweeping revival, produced by a steep upgrade in quality. The region’s remarkable Amarone, vinified from partly dried grapes of the same varieties that make Valpolicella, is an opulent red that retains its strength and rich aromas and flavors for years. Trentino-Alto Adige is a major producer of dry sparking wine made by the classical method, while the Veneto’s Prosecco is an easy-going sparkler that develops its bubbles in sealed tanks. Among the numerous dessert wines, Friuli’s Picolit is the rarest and perhaps the most appealing and subtle, though the Veneto’s Recioto di Soave should not be overlooked. 6
CENTRAL TYRRHENIAN Tuscany, Umbria and Latium The area’s climatic pattern is determined by the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the west and south, and by the Apennine Mountains, to the north and east, which temper the heat, ensure rainfall in the summer and shield the steep hills and few valleys from the cold of winter. Winters can still be brusque and summers torrid and arid, however. The soils are highly varied, with clay, which was laid down in remote geological periods, predominating in the north and rich volcanic terrains in the south. Limestone is the principal element along the line of the Apennines. Tuscany, which owes its name and much of its culture to the ancient Etruscans who settled there, is the leading winemaker among the area’s three regions. The Etruscans are credited with bringing the vine to central Italy, or with radically improving its cultivation there. The region has been a leading wine producer since ancient times. Its worldwide reputation for premium-quality, long-lived reds is relatively recent, however. The renaissance of enological Tuscany began with a thoroughgoing renewal of the Chianti tradition, based on increased use of the native Sangiovese grape. This followed the path already blazed by Brunello di Montalcino, a one-hundred-percent Sangiovese wine which rivals Piedmont’s Barolo in terms of staying power and class. Brunello is a regionally evolved clone of the Sangiovese variety, which with its myriad other clones forms the backbone of Tuscany’s red-wine production. Another of its clones, Prugnolo Gentile, is the principal element of the now reviving Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Carmignano, a stylish red from the center of Tuscany, can be regarded as having been the historical signpost to a second route to worldwide acclaim that the region’s winemakers have taken. The world’s first controlleddenomination wine (officially declared in the 18th century), Carmignano has always been made from a blend of both native grapes (Sangiovese) and “international” varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon). The “Super Tuscans” now on domestic and foreign markets are proprietary wines that are almost 7
always produced from non-traditional varieties or innovative blends of grapes; often, such wines come from a single, designated vineyard - a “cru.” Winemakers have principally used Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and recently Syrah, alone or blended in varying proportion with Sangiovese, in making the Tuscan giants, although recently they have begun experimenting with other varieties, sometimes foreign (for example, Petit Verdot) and sometimes resuscitated natives (for example, Colorino and Mammolo). Most Tuscan whites are derived from the Trebbiano variety. They are fresh and drinkable even though not suited to extended aging. An exception is Vernaccia di San Gimignano, which is made from a variety that has been grown around the medieval hilltown for centuries. As in the field of reds, the region’s winemakers are tapping the resources of other lands to produce whites of increasingly finer class and consistency. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are their principal vehicles to international stardom, although other varieties are being given close attention. In landlocked Umbria, the native Sagrantino variety yields a hearty red — especially the dry version made from partly dried grapes. Sagrantino di Montefalco is one of Italy’s latest DOCG wines. Another regional red of sustained power and breeding, the Torgiano Rosso, enjoys seniority in that elite category. Umbrians share or even surpass Tuscans’ enthusiasm for Vin Santo, a dessert wine that can be dry or sweet and is made from partly dried Malvasia grapes. Latium is noted for its light, quaffable white wines, produced in the Alban hills to the south of Rome. Frascati and Marino are the most widely known of the Castelli Romani wines.
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THE ADRIATIC APENNINES Emilia-Romagna, The Marches, Abruzzo and Molise The climate of the Apennines’ eastern slopes is shaped by the waters of the Adriatic, which mitigates the ferocity of the chilly winter winds from the Balkans and ensures substantial rainfall at all times of the year. Except in the flat plain of Emilia-Romagna in the north, virtually all of the wines are produced on the slopes of the mountains and their foothills in a long line stretching from the border of Lombardy in the north to Apulia in the south. That exception, the Emilian plain, is a prolific producer of Lambrusco, the bubbly red that, in its sweetish version, was long a mainstay of Italian wine exports. Fully dry Lambrusco serves as the red wine for all meals throughout Emilia. Vintners in the hills overlooking the plain, however, are well embarked on a concerted effort to improve quality through innovation, and an increasing number of good wines are being made there. To the south-east, in the Apennine foothills of the Romagna, a clone of central Italy’s Sangiovese is extensively cultivated and supplies a sturdy red that is slowly attaining higher levels of quality. The area also produces Albana, which was Italy’s first DOCG white wine. The version made from semi-dried grapes, especially when affected by noble rot, is a richly stimulating wine that deserves slow and meditative sipping. In the Marches, the next region to the south, the wine list is headed by the dry white Verdicchio, which first caught the attention of domestic and foreign consumers because of its unusual, amphora-shaped bottle. Verdicchio serves as an excellent companion to the many outstanding local seafood dishes, and its Riserva versions have shown themselves capable of graceful bottle-age. The Marches also produces an extremely drinkable red, Rosso Conero, which is still not as widely known as it deserves to be. Farther to the south, in Abruzzo and Molise, the native Montepulciano d’Abruzzo variety yields a full-bodied red wine that superbly complements the hearty dishes of the local cucina. Many first-rate producers are now turning out extremely elegant and long-lasting versions of this once-rustic wine.
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THE SOUTHERN PENINSULA Campania, Basilicata, Apulia and Calabria While the sun is the vine’s friend, too much sun is the winemaker’s enemy, a rule that is all too well known to vintners in the deep south of Italy. Growers intent on obtaining fine quality must constantly battle the vine’s natural fecundity; turning out a premium wine in such conditions is the prize of persistence as much as of enological competence. Both those virtues have paid large dividends in the hilly Avellino district of Campania, which is sealed off from the Bay of Naples by the enormous bulk of Vesuvius. The area is the homeland of three of Italy’s most impressive wines, the white Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo and the red Taurasi. These three vines are now being nurtured in several other Campanian wine districts, most notably, Sannio, Cilento, Taburno and Falerno the latter district home to the revival of Falernian, the most famous wine of antiquity. The native varieties that yield all three wines - Aglianico, Fiano and Greco - are believed to be direct descendants of vines prized by the Romans and cultivated by the Greek colonists of southern Italy before them. In fact, the ancient Greeks so valued this part of Italy that they called it Oenotria - the land of wine. The region’s Lacryma Christi, made from grapes grown on the lush slopes of the volcano that buried Pompeii and other ancient cities, is justly famous, as are the whites of Ischia and Capri. While both the red and the white Lacryma Christi have been steadily rising in quality, however, the production 10
of the two island whites has been steadily shrinking, in spite of the fact that their fame has traveled throughout the world, carried by the legions of travelers who enjoyed them in their scenic homes. In the mountains inland from the instep of the “boot” of Italy, the volcanic soils of Basilicata also nourish another ancient vine, the Aglianico. High on the slopes of a spent volcano, Monte Vulture, the vine yields an intriguing red, Aglianico del Vulture, that ages quite gracefully. Since the grapes are grown under difficult conditions in a rather remote area, the output is not substantial, but it has been slowly growing as the wine’s reputation has spread. Apulia, which forms the “heel” of the Italian boot, is a major wine producer. In the past, a few producers of outstanding Salice Salentino, vinified from the indigenous Negroamaro grape, have been the bearers of the quality standard in the region. Now, although it has yet to tap its full potential, Apulia has begun attracting attention from serious producers from other parts of Italy and, indeed, from around the world. They have introduced international varieties like Cabernet and Chardonnay and are stimulating an improvement in field and cellar techniques throughout Apulia’s several wine zones. Good reds and whites are starting to come from the deep south (especially Brindisi and Manduria), while further north, the white Locorotondo already enjoys an established reputation. So too do the rosés produced in the Salento peninsula. In central Apulia, the Castel del Monte DOC has long been home to fine whites and long-aging reds. Apulia’s wine future seems highly promising.
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THE ISLANDS Sicily and Sardinia Sicily and Sardinia amount to worlds apart, separated from each other and from mainland Italy as much by history, language and culture as by water. The two islands resemble each other, however, in that each is a prolific producer of grapes and wines in an ample range of types and styles. Some of the best Sicilian output consists of proprietary wines outside the DOC system. These include newly introduced varieties - some remarkable successes have already occurred with the international favorites Cabernet and Chardonnay. But by and large, Sicilian winemakers appear to be banking much of their enological future on the development of native varieties, some of which - such as the red Nero d’Avola - certainly offer outstanding promise. The once-obscure Faro DOC has produced at least one worldclass red, and the exciting zone around Mount Etna shelters a whole range of native red and white varieties, many of which yield wines that are not only delicious but also unique. They should appeal strongly to wine lovers who are seeking new horizons. Sardinian vintners have never relegated their indigenous varieties to the background. They have simply found a place in their vineyards for new types as they arrive on the island, usually in the baggage of another invading power. That was
certainly the case with Vermentino, a white variety that apparently originated in Spain: Sardinian Vermentino ranges from light and refreshing to medium-bodied and elegant. Moscato appears to have entered Sardinia during the period when Piedmont ruled the island. The island also claims a red, Cannonau, that ages well and that seems to be developing additional premium characteristics. Cannonau was probably introduced from Spain. In Sardinia’s stony fields, it yields a big, husky wine of decided character. Sicily and Sardinia can boast a proud tradition and newly strengthened popularity in one special field: dessert and aperitif wines. Sardinia produces Moscatos that can be bubbly or still, lightly sweet or extremely rich. Sicily is noted for two superb sipping wines, the Malvasia delle Lipari, made on the cluster of islands off the north-eastern coast, and the Moscato Passito di Pantelleria, produced on the wind-swept isle that is closer to Africa than it is to Sicily. Yet Marsala is unquestionably the greatest of all of Sicily’s dessert wines. After a long period of decline, this wine, which was created in the 18th century by English wine merchants, has been restored to its ancient glory. In its wines and its enological tradition, Italy still manifests the variety and vitality that are entirely appropriate to a country that occupies a central position in the Mediterranean. For thousands of years, Italy has been the very heart of Western civilization.
Italian Trade Commission 33 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065 tel. 212.980.1500