Italy is facing a quality revolution.
Posted on October 24, 2005 by Andrew Barrow in ArticlesItaly faces the major problem of dropping export sales in the face of energetic New World competition. Ten years ago, the Euro Old World controlled 90pc of the value of the international wine trade; today the figure is a startling 64pc. Yet Italy remains the world’s largest volume wine producer.
SundayLife.co.uk
“In the UK and Ireland, sad memories of cheap two-litre bottles of dilute Bardolino, Soave and the like leave a sour mouth-taste. Big pub wines, but very forgettable, apart from the possible hangover.The truth is that, for a time, many Italian winemakers simply went for big profits by mass-producing mediocre wines and undermining well-known regional names at the same time.
Thankfully, not all grabbed the easy money. And they’re the producers likely to survive the current downturn. Basically, a quality revolution is underway, largely exploiting the unique properties of local grapes.”
Scribbles on Photos
Catherine Granger says:
Post Author 25/10/2005 at 3:49 amAndrew,
I recently attended a 6 weeks course on Italian wines and I never tasted so many delicious ands well made wines from Italy’s North-East to the South and islands. Most of them were from native grapes, which is great news. I particularly enjoyed the 2002 Tre Vignis from Venica & Venica (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), the 2002 Brunello di Montalcino La Palazzetta, the 2003 Roero Arneis Recit Monchiero Carbone (Piedmont), the 2001 Barolo Mauro Molino, the 2003 Fiano di Avellino Feudi di San Gregorio (Campania) , and the 2001 Passito di Pantelleria Ferrandes (Sicily).
Andrew says:
Post Author 25/10/2005 at 11:26 amItaly was the first area I really ‘got into’ wine wise – there are so many obscure grapes and wines out there that it could take forever to try them all. I am sure I will try though!
Melgab International CC says:
Post Author 26/10/2005 at 12:48 pmItalian Investment in Quality Continues to Payoff
Ah, it warms the heart. John Hunter (sundaylife.co.uk) writes:
LIKE France, Germany and Spain, Italy faces the major problem of dropping export sales in the face of energetic New World? competition. Ten years ago, the Euro Old World? controlled 90pc