See also:
The Up and Coming Premium Sparklers of Franciacorta (#EWBC), Italy
This is the 26th edition of Vini d’Italia, which was first published in late 1987 in newsletter format with reviews of a limited number of wines. It has grown in size and coverage each year since then. The latest edition is over 1,000 pages.
The Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2013 was issued in November 2012. The German and English versions are scheduled to be released in February 2012.
See here for previous years:
Italy’s Top Wines and Wine Makers – The 2012 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia
Italy's Top Wines - 2011 Gambero Rosso's Vini d'Italia Wine Guide
Italian Wine
Italy is home of some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in the country long before the Romans started developing their own vineyards. Two thousand years later, Italy is world leader in wine, accounting for about 20% of world wine production. Italians also lead the world in wine consumption by volume, 59 liters per capita, compared with 8 liters per capita in the US. Wine is grown in almost every region of the country.
See also:
Visiting Barone Francesco Ricasoli and his Castello di Brolio in Chianti Classico, Italy
The Classification System
Italy's classification system has 4 groups of wine. The 4 classes are:
(1) Vino da Tavola (VDT): A very basic wine, made for local consumption; the bottle label does not indicate the region or grape variety. This is the wine you typically get served in a Pizzeria or Trattoria in Italy, when you ask for the “house wine”. Simple, cheap and decent. Sitting late in the evening at a Piazza in Italy and eating Pizza with a Vino da Tavola, served in a 1 liter jug, is just great.
See also:
Pio Boffa and the Wines of Pio Cesare, Piedmont, Italy
(2) Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT): Wines that are considered to be of higher quality than simple table wines, but which do not conform to DOC and DOCG regulations. Sometimes, these are premium wines of winemakers who dropped the DOC/DOCG designation and instead carry the broader IGT designation, allowing them to try to improve quality by using nontraditional grapes, blends, viticultural practices or vinification techniques that are not allowed under the DOC and DOCG standards. A typical IGT wine is the so-called Super Tuscan.
(3) Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC). Soave is currently the largest DOC appellation in Italy, with 15,500 acres of vines.
See also:
Extraordinary Art and Wines at Castello di Ama in Chianti Classico, Italy
(4) Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). DOCG wines are a tick higher in terms of quality requirements than DOC wines (maximum yield for example), which is the highest category in Italy's wine-classification system. About 13,000 acres of vine of the 15,500 acres of the DOC appellation also qualify for DOCG. Presently, there are about 120 IGT zones, 310 DOC and 30 DOCG appellations.
Wine Regions
There is wine everywhere in Italy, from the Alps in the North to Sicilia in the South, clustered into 20 wine regions, which correspond to the 20 administrative regions. The about 30 DOCG wines are located in 13 different administrative regions but most of them are concentrated in Piedmont and Tuscany.
See also:
Kobrand’s Impressive Tour d'Italia 2011 in Washington DC, USA
The Piedmont area of northwestern Italy is further divided into the two popular regions of Barbaresco and Barolo. The predominant grape there is the Nebbiolo. Northeastern Italy has the Veneto area. Soave and Valpolicella are two important regions that produce many local varieties.
The large area in central Italy is Tuscany and is known for Chianti. The Sangiovese is the predominant red grape in Tuscany. The Chianti area of Tuscany is a large geographic area that is divided into eight zones. Each zone has a Chianti DOCG that regulates the Chianti made in that zone.
See also:
Wining and Dining at Badia a Coltibuono in Tuscany with Wine Makers and Owners Roberto and Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti, Italy
In Italy’s South are Puglia and the island of Sicily. The Negroamaro grape is widely grown in this area.
Italy’s Grapes
There are several hundreds of indigenous grapes in Italy. The following is a list of the most common and important ones.
Rosso
Sangiovese - Italy's claim to fame, the pride of Tuscany. It produces Chianti, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino.
Nebbiolo - The most noble of Italy's varietals. Nebbiolo is difficult to master, but produces the renowned Barolo and Barbaresco.
See also:
Blogging, Wining and Dining at the European Wine Bloggers Conference (#EWBC) October 2011 in Brescia, Italy – A Tour D’ Horizont
Montepulciano - The grape of this name is not to be confused with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano; it is most widely planted on the opposite coast in Abruzzo. Its wines develop silky plum-like fruit, friendly acidity, and light tannin.
Barbera - The most widely grown red wine grape of Piedmont and Southern Lombardy, most famously around the towns of Asti and Alba, and Pavia. Barbera wines were once considered as the lighter versions of Barolos. But this has changed. They are now sometimes aged in French barrique, intended for the international market.
See also:
Dining and Wining where the Royals Eat: Dario Cecchini’s Solo Cicca Restaurant in Panzano – the Butcher of Chianti Classico
Corvina - Along with the varietals Rondinella and Molinara, this is the principal grape which makes the famous wines of the Veneto: Valpolicella and Amarone.
Nero d'Avola - Nearly unheard of in the international market until recent years, this native varietal of Sicily is gaining attention for its plummy fruit and sweet tannins. The quality of Nero d'Avola has surged in recent years.
Dolcetto - A grape that grows alongside Barbera and Nebbiolo in Piedmont; a wine for everyday drinking.
Bianco
Trebbiano - Behind Cataratto (which is made for industrial jug wine), this is the most widely planted white varietal in Italy. It is grown throughout the country, with a special focus on the wines from Abruzzo and from Lazio, including Frascati. Mostly easy drinking wines.
Moscato - Grown mainly in Piedmont, it is mainly used in the slightly-sparkling (frizzante), semi-sweet Moscato d'Asti.
See also:
The Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta, Italy
Pinot Grigio - A hugely successful commercial grape, known as Pinot Gris in France and Grauburgunder in Germany. Produces crisp and clean wines. Typically mass-produced wine in Italy.
Arneis - A crisp and floral varietal from Piedmont, which has been grown there since the 15th century.
See also:
The 1 Star Michelin Food of Chef Stefano Cerveni from the due colombe Ristorante and the Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta - Wining and Dining at il Mosnel, Italy
Garganega - The main grape varietal for wines labeled Soave, this is a crisp, dry white wine from the Veneto wine region.
The 2013 Gambero Rosso Tre Bichieri Wines
This year, 399 wines got the top award of Tre Bichieri. This compares with 375 wines in the 2012 guide. 47 wines have received the Tre Bicchieri for the first time. 93 wines received the Tre Bicchieri Verdi for being a top “green” wine.
The 2013 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia Awards
Best red wine of the year is the Bolgheri Sassicaia 2009 (Tenuta San Guido).
Best white wine is the Collio Friulano Sauvignon Zuc di Volpe 2011 (Volpe Pasini)
Best sparkling wine is the Trento Aquila Reale Riserva 2005 (Cesarini Sforza)
Best sweet wine is the Valle d‘ Aosta Chambave Muscat Flétri 2010 (La Vrille)
Best winery of the year is Sella and Mosca from Alghero (Sardinia).
The title “best value for money” went to family Cantele from Apulia
for their Salice Salentino Rosso Riserva 2009.
The title “winemaker of the year” went to southern Italy – to Nicodemo Librandi from Cirò Marina (Calabria).
The award “up and coming winemaker” of the year went to family Terenzi from Scansano (Tuscany)
Cantina Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio from Marsciano (Umbria) received the award for sustainable wine production.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
The Wines of the 2010 Giro d'Italia
Italy’s Top Wines and Wine Makers – The 2012 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia
Italy's Top Wines - 2011 Gambero Rosso's Vini d'Italia Wine Guide
Meeting Winemaker and Owner Massimo “Max” di Lenardo from Friuli, Italy and Tasting His di Lenardo Vineyards Wines
Kobrand’s Impressive Tour d'Italia 2011 in Washington DC, USA
Blogging, Wining and Dining at the European Wine Bloggers Conference (#EWBC) October 2011 in Brescia, Italy – A Tour D’ Horizont
Wining and Blogging in the Soave Region, Italy
Christian G.E. Schiller’s Views on Soave – a Video Interview
Wining, Dining and Blogging in Chianti Classico (#EWBC), Tuscany, Italy
Dining and Wining where the Royals Eat: Dario Cecchini’s Solo Cicca Restaurant in Panzano – the Butcher of Chianti Classico
Meeting Wine Maker Paolo Cianferoni at his Caparsa Estate in Chianti Classico, Italy
Wining and Dining at Badia a Coltibuono in Tuscany with Wine Makers and Owners Roberto and Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti, Italy
Extraordinary Art and Wines at Castello di Ama in Chianti Classico, Italy
Tasting Wines where Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was Born – With Wine Maker and General Manager Francesco Nardi at Vignamaggio Estate in Chianti Classico, Italy
The Up and Coming Premium Sparklers of Franciacorta (#EWBC), Italy
The Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta, Italy
Visiting Barone Francesco Ricasoli and his Castello di Brolio in Chianti Classico, Italy
Pio Boffa and the Wines of Pio Cesare, Piedmont, Italy
The 1 Star Michelin Food of Chef Stefano Cerveni from the due colombe Ristorante and the Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta - Wining and Dining at il Mosnel, Italy
Clear and useful descrition.
ReplyDeleteAs Etruscans and Greeks started wine production long before 1000 B.C., it's three thousand years, not two thousand
ReplyDelete