Avid US wine consumers are often tempted to venture out of their comfort zone. A rewarding but potentially confusing journey can be the wines of Italy. Like other Old World wine production, Italian wines are historically linked to their locality, largely meant for local consumption and complement local cuisines. For outsiders gaining knowledge of local wines can be challenging. Further complicating matters Italy is home to at least 350 local grape varietals which some estimate may be as many as 2000.
As an illustration, consider Tuscany. It’s a region familiar
to many Americans for its natural beauty, its capital city Florence and wines
notably those from Chianti. Sangiovese is key grape of Chianti and most widely
planted red variety in Italy. In Tuscany alone, Sangiovese has at least ten
other clones or sub varieties. These in turn are used to produce at least ten
different wines native to their specific geographies / terroirs within Tuscany.
Bearing this in mind is it worth sticking your head above
the parapet to explore the vast array of Italian wines? The answer is yes, but pardon
the pun “Rome was not built in a day.”
In an effort to create uniform standards, Italy created a wine
regulatory body in 1963 modeled after the French system. It’s stated mission
was to protect and grow the international; reputation for Italian wines. This
in theory would provide potential buyers in the international market a reliable
benchmark for gauging wine quality.
The rating system uses a wine “quality” pyramid. The base of
this pyramid represents the simplest wines or ‘Vino de Tavoli. The only
requirement for this designation requires wines are produced in Italy. There
are no restrictions on use of native grape varietals.
The next pyramid block is the “DOC” designation. This
stipulates a wine as a quality wine. It must be produced using Indigenous grape
varietals and grown and produced in a specified region. For example, a “Chianti”
must originate in the Chianti region of Tuscany and contain only allowable grape
varietals dominated by the Sangiovese grape.
In 1992, a more rigorous subset of the DOC was introduced.
This was designed to recognize Italy’s highest quality wines This was the DOCG.
Qualifications for “DOCG” stipulate careful production standards including
specific allowable grape varietals crop yields and permissible alcohol levels.
The final and most significant requirement for DOCG wines requires a successful
passing of a blind tasting, by approved authorities.
As Italian wine production became more attuned to international
tastes selected Tuscan wine makers achieved great success combining the most
recognized grape native grape Sangiovese with international grape varietals
notably Cabernet and Merlot. These wines were given the label “Super Tuscans”
They generated high demand, especially in the international markets and correspondingly
high prices. Ironically Italian wine regulations didn’t allow use of international
grape varietals relegated Super Tuscans to the “Vino de Tavoli” quality classification.
In response, another quality designation was created IGT.
This in essence gave DOC or DOCG equivalent status to the Super Tuscans while
accommodating a blend of native and international grapes.
As a source for gauging quality the Italian system provides
a reliable benchmark, especially for those less familiar with Italian wines. Furthermore,
it closely corresponds to that used by other European (EU) wine producers, in
accordance to European Union wine directives.
Understanding how to choose an Italian wine is too much to
cover in a single post. Fortunately, the modern Italian wine label contains a
great deal of information, beyond the pure quality rating to style. For instance, label descriptors may include “Riserva”,
which certifies minimum aging requirements. It will (except for Vino de Tavoli)
include the region or appellation where a wine is produced. This may be
followed by the term “Classico” the part of the production region considered
the hub for a specific wine style. Finally, most quality wines will include the
vintage.
Rather than trying to memorize Italian wine terms, select a
small sampling of wines from key production regions. Always ask a wine professional at your local
retailer for help. There is no substitute for actual tasting (and it’s far more
fun) to see what pleases your palate. As a starting point:
Finally, As for Italian wine ABC’s
A – is for Amarone
B – is for Barolo or Brunello
C – is for Chianti
Just jump in its exciting and you will learn something new and
no doubt taste something great!
Cheers,
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