A
short trip into Italy's wine-producing country hot
on the heels of Vinitaly, Italy's International
Wine and Spirits Exhibition. As the Italians say…salute!
The
35th edition of Vinitaly
went down well with 3,300 exhibitors, from
21 countries throughout the world, all gathered
together in Verona, to toast the success of the
wine industry. And success it most certainly is
with wine sales in 2000 totalling more than ITL
3,000 billion, and a predicted doubling in sales
for 2005.
What are the best Italian wines? We asked three
wine experts: Roberto Messini, a wine writer
and Italian wine columnist for the international
magazine "Vinum",
as well a consultant for some of Italy's most important
wineries; Giancarlo Moretto, a wine retailer;
and Massimo Pastura Barbero, the owner of
the "Cascina
La Ghersa" winery in Piedmont, Northern
Italy.
IP:
White wines seem to be increasing in popularity
again. What would you say? Roberto Messini: It's too soon to talk about
a revival. I do think that white wines will become
fashionable again as people have started looking
for cool, refreshing drinks. However red wine is
much more in demand than white. Giancarlo Moretto: I don't agree, at least
I haven't noticed any change. Reds are still more
popular than whites. Massimo Pastura Barbero: I believe that this
supposed boom in white wines is a media invention.
80% of the demand I receive is for red wine - this
speaks for itself, doesn't it?
IP: What wine would you recommend? Roberto Messini: The Brunello
di Montalcino from the Casanova di Neri
estate in Tuscany is exceptional. Giancarlo Moretto: The white wines from the
Planeta
winery in Sicily. Massimo Pastura Barbero: The wines from the
San Michele Appiano estate in Trentino.
Look out for anything from 1999, a particularly
good year.
IP: Any particular trends Roberto Messini: In the last few years the
quality of wine has gone up considerably.
There are a lot of good reds on the market and much
less plonk. There's also a high level of competition
between wineries and wines from Southern Italy
have begun to be appreciated in the own right rather
than being considered as wines for blending. Now
big names such as Antinori and Mezzocorona
are investing in South Italian estates, drawn by
the sun and the real possibility of producing good
wines at a relatively low cost. Giancarlo Moretto: Wines from Southern Italy
have become increasingly popular. They're good value
and very drinkable, plus there are a wide choice
of good single estate wines which the market currently
favours. Try anything from the Planeta estate,
Cirò or Funtanaliras from Calabria
and Vermentino di Gallura from Sardinia. Massimo Pastura Barbero: From a sales point
of view the export market is holding its own: just
think, I export some 60% of my wines, mostly
to Switzland and Germany. The average tippler is
upper-middle class and in his/her thirties or forties.
Another flourishing sector well worth a mention
is that of wine tourism and travel. Heady figures
speak of 11 million Italians who, according
to a recent survey carried out by Censis Veronafiere
(the statistics service sponsored by Verona trade
show), plan their holidays around their favourite
wines. This boom is reflected in the number of Wine
Ways which many regions have mapped allowing
tourists to explore the countryside while learning
more about the grape of their choice. But before
you head off on a vineyard crawl take time to check
out some of wonderful wine guides available on the
Net such as Slow
Food, Tigulliovino
or Velier,
the Genoa-based company which can organise tours
of your favourite winery- the last two are in Italian
only. Wine heaven is just a click away.
Vinitaly
- the official website of the International Wine
and Spirits Exhibition Slow
Food – a shrine to good food and drink both
in Italy and around the world Planeta
– the site of the acclaimed Planeta estate in Sicily.
You may not be able to drink the wine, but you will
get a taste of Italian wine culture Ulysses.it
- the self-coined first Italian web server for wine
enthusiasts lives up to its promises and offers
a host of interesting information for wine-buffs
and winos alike
THE SURVIVOR'S 
The
35th edition of 
IP:
White wines seem to be increasing in popularity
again. What would you say? 