Feature Article
 An
Introduction to Italian Wine
There are lots of good
reasons to love Italian wine, maybe because there are so many Italian
wines to love. Four-fifths of the world’s wines are made in Europe, and
Italy exports more of them than any other European country.
The
geography of the place readily lends itself to viticulture, with its
mountainous spine and temperate climate providing plenty of sunny slopes
well-suited to grapevines. And Italians have been (literally) pressing
their advantages for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks found
winemaking already well-established when they arrived, and the Roman
Empire disseminated its considerable expertise on the subject across the
continent, along with its armies.
It
seems that grape-growing comes as naturally to Italians as breathing. By
the 19th century Italian vineyards were planted with hundreds
of indigenous grape varieties, and populated with legions of very
independently-minded vintners. Improvements in vinification, packaging
(corks!) and shipping methods paved the way for international distribution
of Italy’s well-known Barolos, Marsalas and Chiantis. It was a good time
to be an Italian vintner.
Then, in the 1880’s, phylloxera decimated Europe’s vineyards, and Italy’s
winemakers were faced with the Herculean task of rebuilding from scratch
what had seemed God-given all those thousands of years. Many of the
indigenous grape varieties were lost, and many more were replaced with
“international” varieties. Often, the need to generate cash flow resulted
in a push for high yields and production of wines suited to mass
consumption. By the early part of the 20th century, Italy’s
wine exports were largely devoted to inexpensive, over-packaged “jug”
wines, and her reputation as a producer of fine wines was severely
tarnished.
But
many of those independent vintners refused to sell out to the mass market,
continuing to cultivate the remaining indigenous grapes into wines unique
to the world. As the vineyards recovered, artisan winemaking flourished
once again, and in the latter half of the 20th century Italy
reasserted itself in the global marketplace as a producer of serious
wines.
While Chianti is unmistakably the best-recognized of Italy’s wines, it is
by no means her only, or always her best, product. From the misty Alpine
foothills of Piemonte (Piedmont) in the north to the sun-baked islands of
Sicily and Salerno off the tip of “the boot,” Italy produces an
astonishing array of red, white and sparkling wines. Many of them merit
lengthy discussion in their own right, but for now we’d like to introduce
you to a few varieties that might inspire you to further exploration on
your own.
Tuscany has become the media darling of Italy in recent years, with the
idyllic countryside competing with its famous Chianti for the limelight.
The landscape, architecture and agriculture meld here in ways that could
only be called poetic, but winemaking in Tuscany is an altogether serious
business, and Chianti is not the only language spoken. The Chianti region
was the first in Italy to impose some order upon the chaos that reigned
within the Italian winemaking industry until the 1970’s, dictating the
varietals and proportions allowable for Chianti and delineating the
boundaries of the Classico region.
But
Italians have never been known for their ability to construct orderly
government, or their willingness to allow it to restrict their creativity.
Even before the ink was dry on the Chianti guidelines, winemakers were
finding ways to circumvent them. The happy result was the arrival of the
“Super-Tuscans,” artisan wines (at first) blended from Sangiovese and
Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot and often far superior to the textbook
Chianti of the time.
The
success of the Super-Tuscans has fostered renewed creativity among the
Chianti producers, leading to hybrids like Brancaia’s Chianti Classico, a
well-balanced, fruity Sangiovese/Merlot blend that earns high marks from
Wine Spectator and Wine Expressions customers alike. Just south of
Tuscany the Sangiovese grape, in a late-ripening clone called Brunello,
reappears in powerful, barrel-aged Brunello di Montalcino, and again under
the guise of Prugnolo in the stately Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
While less well-known on the tourist circuit, Piemonte (in the northwest
corner of Italy) rivals Toscana in its reputation as a producer of
top-quality wines. Nebbiolo, the late-ripening superstar of the region,
is considered the finest red grape of northern Italy. Here, legendary
Barolo and Barbaresco wines, powerful, tannic and long-lived, are vinified
from Nebbiolo grapes, though they’re named for their villages of origin.
Interestingly, Nebbiolo was originally made into sweet wine until the
1850s, when a French oenologist schooled a local landowner in fermentation
methods that yielded a dry red wine of truly heroic proportions. Other
Piemonte reds include the softly perfumed, fruity Dolcetto, darling of the
region of Alba and perfect accompaniment to the region’s prized white
truffles, and plummy, acidic Barbera – dark, tannic, and charmingly
adaptable to less-than-perfect conditions.
And,
lest you think all of Italy’s great wines are red, a quick review of
nearly every region offers up a variety of well-crafted, interesting and
distinctive white wines. Antinori Bolgheri’s Tuscan Vermentino is fruity
and crisp, a perfect summer white or a nice accompaniment to a platter of
garlic shrimp. The Chardonnays produced by Cabreo in Tuscany and Pojer
and Sandri in the northern region of Trentino illustrate the differences
climate and terroir can exert on the finished product. Trentino’s short
growing season is evident in Pojer and Sandri’s crisp, clean, acidic
lines, while you can almost taste the Tuscan sunshine in Cabreo’s rich,
buttery fruit. And don’t overlook Greco di Tufo, a dry, brisk and
fragrant gem from Campagna in the southwest.
We
could go on, of course. There’s Pinot Grigio, Prosecco, and Moscato,
Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Aglianico and Malvasia. And a hundred winemakers
tinkering with the fine points of each. It’s a whole world to explore.
Come see us if you’re wanting a map, or a tour guide, or a taste of
something wonderful to get you started. Ciao!
To
provide a more in-depth experience of Italy’s wines, we’re pleased to
announce another Chicago Wine School course to be held at The Upper Crust
restaurant & bakery in Lisle. See announcement at the top of this
newsletter for details.
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Store Location
We are located in downtown Lisle at the southwest corner of Burlington
Ave. & Main St.
Extra parking is available behind our building.
Hours of Operation
Mon - Sat 10 am - 8 pm
Holiday Hours:
From Nov 7 - Dec 19,
we'll also be open
Sundays 1-5.
Friday, Dec 24: 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday, Dec 25: Closed.
Sunday, Dec 26: Closed.
Friday, Dec 31: 10 am - 8 pm
Saturday, Jan 1: Closed.
Sunday, Jan 2: Closed.
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About
Our Mailing List
The mailing list for this newsletter was gleaned from the personal email
archives of Wine Expressions' owners and from direct requests received
from our customers.
We hope you enjoy the newsletter and decide to remain on our distribution
list. You are welcome to pass this newsletter along to a friend, or
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unsubscribe
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By the way, we never share your email or address information with anyone
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Holiday Shopping Tips
Be sure and include Wine Expressions on your holiday shopping list!
We have a great selection of elegant gift boxes that are sure to please,
featuring our fine wines, micro-brew beers, cognac and single-malt
scotch.
See our website
for a complete list of our standard gift boxes. You can also
design your own custom gift.
Wine club memberships are another great gift idea, and a fantastic
way to learn about and experience new wines every month.
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Schedule
of Events
Prairie Sampling:
Friday, Dec 17
4 - 6:30 pm &
Saturday, Dec 18 1 - 6:30 pm: Wines for the Holidays
Friday, Dec 24:
1 - 5 pm: Christmas Potpourri
Saturday, Dec 25:
No tasting; store will be closed.
Friday, Dec 31
4 - 6:30 pm: Global Sparklers
Saturday, Jan 1:
No tasting; store will be closed.
Friday, Jan 7
4 - 6:30 pm &
Saturday, Jan 8 1 - 6:30 pm: Wines from Chile
Friday, Jan 14
4 - 6:30 pm &
Saturday, Jan 15 1 - 6:30 pm: Wines from Australia, Part 1
Saturday, Jan 15:
Riedel Stemware Demonstration: Shiraz
Friday, Jan 21
4 - 6:30 pm &
Saturday, Jan 22 1 - 6:30 pm: Mosel & Friends
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Sake & Sushi Evening
There's still
time to join us this Thursday, December 16th, for our Sake & Sushi tasting. We'll be presenting
another tasting of premium sake wines, paired with different types of
sushi.
Cost is $30 per person. We will run two flights, starting at 5:30 and 7
pm.
Call today to register!
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