WINE COMMENTARY
ITALY'S 9 GRAPES OF THE FUTURE - June 27, 2006
Italy’s 9 Grapes of the Future I recently asked some of my non wine-drinking friends to name the first three Italian wines that popped into their heads. The most frequent responses were “the kind with the straw basket around it, Asti Spumanti, and pinot grigio. Well at least they’re hip to pinot grigio. Their responses, in many ways, make plenty of sense. Inexpensive chianti, Asti, and Lambrusco (remember “Chill a Cella” and “Riunite on ice, that’s nice”) were the mules that brought the mass volumes of Italian wine into the U.S. to staggering heights. Obviously, the perceptions and types of Italian wines imported has changed over the years as consumers and enthusiasts have increasingly discovered what Italy has to offer. However, I propose that the grapes that initially put Italy on the wine map in the U.S. will change over the next 30 years. Below is a line up of the 9 grapes that I think will shape the Italian wine industry for the next 30 years. All of the grapes…………….. 1) vary greatly in style, which is important to attracting a very broad base of consumers. 2) are produced in enough quantity to supply the world’s thirst. 3) are primarily grown in areas that are both beautiful and unique geographically which not only attracts tourists from all over the world but spreads the risk of having all of Italy’s important wines coming from limited geographic areas. 4) Can produce wines that cover all the key price points which is critical in establishing a world presence and inviting new Italian wine drinkers. 5) (and last but certainly not least), are native and relatively unique to Italy which makes it harder for the rest of the world to play “copy cat”. In alphabetical order, here are the nine. Aglianico Unique, sexy, racy, & could become the cult red wine from Italy Although relatively unknown outside of Italy, aglianico is making a strong case to become Italy’s next red cult wine. Of ancient Greek origin, aglianico is capable of making sublime wines, especially those grown on the rather steep hills around Campagna and Basilicata. Newer styles of aglianico are starting to appear that are a pleasure to drink young, something that rarely happened even a decade ago. Quantities are somewhat limited of the better examples which is a plus in creating allure for the wines, but a minus when trying to gain critical mass with consumers. Aglianico’s flavors and aromas range from highly floral to black cherry, to leather to aged meat, lightly tannic to firmly tannic, and “pronto bere” to long lived, age-worthy wines. Taurasi and Aglianico del Vulture are two DOCG wines based on aglianico that have received the most attention to date, but I suspect that consumers will start to see some newer styles (and not necessarily from these appellations) that will show just what aglianico can do. Most of it is grown, made, and consumed off the beaten track and away from traditional tourists hot spots, so there’s not much buzz about it outside of its local area. However, these sexy and racy wines that are a soulful pleasure to drink with food, will gain greater acceptance outside of southern Italy and eventually abroad. Corvina Hedonistic, low/high pricing, strong local economy/consumption, vast exposure to tourists The base grape for the very popular valpolicella and amarone, corvina will continue to appeal to fruit loving wine drinkers at all budget levels. The quality of valpolicella classico superiore has greatly improved over the past decade and amarone continues to shock and awe consumers the world over. For variety sake, corvina is usually made in 3 styles: a rather simple but very pleasant dry to off-dry fruity style like valpolicella classico, in a “ripasso” style which incorporates valpolicella with a dose of the more gutsy amarone (giving it a curvaceous body), and amarone. Amarone ranges in style from pricey, full-throttled fruit bombs with scents of smoked meats and Asian spices to sexy and seductive relative values compared with other wines of top quality. They are often hedonistic wines, which today, are important to be able to offer the international market. Also, given corvina’s growing zone’s proximity to Venice, Milan, and Verona these wines are often enjoyed by tourists from all over the world which is critical for global “word of mouth” marketing. Corvina growers enjoy a financially enviable climate, as the local economy is one of the strongest in Italy, which helps maintain strong local consumption. Lagrein Fruit-driven, favorable geographic location, well-funded wineries It amazes me that lagrein, a grape grown in the higher altitudes of the Alto-Adige region, is not more popular on the world stage. Although made in relatively ample quantities, very little actually makes its way outside of the zone in and around Bolzano where it’s grown. Lagrein, in general is a very fleshy grape that yields fruit driven wines that are almost always immediately appealing to the novice drinker. Put a good lagrein in a blind tasting with some California cabernet sauvignon or cab franc and one may mistake one for another. Lagrein is grown in an area that offers great mountain climbing, hiking, and rafting and the zone is highly organized and suited for wine tourism. The wineries that produce lagrein are, in general, well funded which could make the job easier of getting the right message out to consumers. Alto-Adige is proximate to the rest of Europe and in my opinion lagrein will become a much more appreciated and sought after Italian wine in the future. Plus, even if tourists to the stunningly beautiful district prefer white wine, the zone is chock full of crisp, dry whites to be enjoyed. Lagrein is the hidden gem of northern Italy that merits the attention of all wine enthusiasts. Nebbiolo Traditional, age-worthy, expensive, complex, and limited production Nebbiolo, a grape primarily grown in Piedmont but also in Lombardia, is the base material for Italy’s most regal red wines. Barolo and Barbaresco have commanded the respect of the world wine community perhaps longer than any other Italian wine. At its best, nebbiolo creates among the most complex wines in the world and are usually made in smaller lots as many of the best vineyards are tiny. The wines are indeed expensive but I maintain that the wines are well priced when compared to top wines from neighboring countries. In addition the respect that barolo and barbaresco have garnered over the decades keeps well crafted nebbiolo in auction houses and in the best cellars all over the world. The wines are ageworthy which allows older vintages to still grace the top international wine lists. Small artisinal producers are the stars of the nebbiolo show, which lends a touch of romance to the Piedmont region. Nero d’Avola Hidden gem, rustic, unctuous, bold, gutsy Nero d’Avola could become Italy’s most important grape by 2020. What would happen if the largest wine-producing region in Italy carefully selected nero clones and replanted 20% of its vineyards to those select clones? But wait! Then if Sicilian wineries continued to invest in the best winemaking equipment money could buy and truly focused on documenting where the best clones grew with the best results? Hold on, there’s more. Then if Sicilian wineries and international importers sat down to plan and execute a masterful marketing campaign for nero d’avola? The result would be the equivalent of the world discovering a whole new country whose sole purpose was making outstanding wine using a grape that no one had ever heard of. The wines are stylish, well structured, unique and come from an island whose microclimate and soil could never be duplicated. Sicily has opportunities for tourism like few places in Italy and its warm and openly hospitable people are unmatched. This freight train has already left the station! Pinot Grigio Enough Said! Let’s be honest, it’s clearly not Italy’s most exciting white wine but people can pronounce it and the numbers don’t stutter either. It’s already the biggest selling imported white wine in the U.S. and that trend shows no sign of slowing down. However, if producers don’t begin to give consumers something in the bottle to get excited about, it’ll continue to be a price game and more serious growers of the grape will see only marginal bumps in sales. The overwhelming majority of sales in this category are in the under $10/bottle range which leaves huge potential growth in the $15-$25/bottle market. Santa Margarita’s sales alone prove every year that consumers will shell out serious loot for PG, but the choices need to expand and the quality must improve. Plus fine examples come from several regions, which helps spread the risk. The rest of the world now wants a piece of the action, evidenced by Yellow Tail and every other California central coast winery hopping into the pinot grigio sweepstakes. Primitivo Juicy, fruity, jovial, plentiful, affordable, appealing Every wine growing country needs a grape that they can count on. It needs a grape that consistently ripens, can be produced by the boatloads, and tastes good. Italy’s grape is primitivo and in my opinion should be Italy’s screaming response to Australian shiraz. These are wines that are very approachable and inviting even to non wine drinkers. Wines that consumers can buy by the case without bleeding! If producers in Puglia can be patient, not overcrop, and continue to invest in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, they can create a world market for primitivo that would make the rest of Italy blush. Yes, it will take the proper marketing and sales efforts, but the raw material is there. What’s not to like about affordable wines that are fruit forward and still pair well with food? Nothing, and that’s why I think it’s just a matter of time before Madison Ave. meets primitivo and the rest of the world takes note. Prosecco Jovial, celebratory, value, clean, all purpose Do you know who consumes more Champagne per capita than any other country besides France? That’s right, Italy. And no country, with all due respect to cava producers in Spain, makes better affordable sparkling wine than Italy. Prosecco, the actual name of the grape that makes the wine, is poised to become the world’s next celebratory wine. Prosecco is very food friendly, and should clearly be on every wine list in the U.S., as most is affordable, refreshing, and plentiful. Sangiovese Name recognition, food friendly, various styles, best grown in Italy This grape represents the biggest opportunity for Italy to bring “one if its own” onto the world stage and keep it there forever. Sangiovese already has great international name recognition thanks to many other countries planting it, however, I’ve yet to try a sangiovese grown outside of Italy that can touch the best from Italy. The wines it produces, brunello di montalcino, vino nobile di montepulciano, and chianti classico to name a few are already among the most famous in the world. Sangiovese can be crafted in a multiple of styles ranging from light and quaffable to wines that inspire meditation. While this range of styles may ultimately be a help or hinderence to the consumer, it is no different than bordeaux that offers a plethora of styles and weights of wine. Sangiovese is primarily grown in the north-central regions of Italy but is found as far north as the Veneto and as far south as Puglia. However, even the range of growing districts in and around Tuscany (where it comes in best) have enough micro-climates to spread the risk of losing vast amounts of potentially good grapes to bad weather. Sangiovese, in its various forms, will continue to attract the interest of the international wine community well into the 21st century.
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