At it for hundreds of years in Italy
By Deborah Walton and Peter Morice
Italy is home to more indigenous and interesting grape varieties than any other country, including France
Italy – a country steeped in centuries of tradition and also the producer of a quarter of the world's wine. Wine writer Tom Stevenson wrote that vines are so easy to grow there that "one even expects them to shoot up from cracks in the pavement".
Italy is home to more indigenous and interesting grape varieties than any other country, including France. Varieties like brunello de montalcino, barbera, canaiolo nero, corvina and dolcetto sound wonderful, and believe us – some wonderful wines are made in Italy.
The Italian winemaking tradition is the stuff of legends. In 1385 the first Antinori wines were made in Tuscany. One can only speculate where the New Zealand wine industry will be in 600 years, but it would be wonderful to think that some family names could last so long.
Anyone with an interest in wine would agree that there is often confusion over choosing a "good" Italian wine. Whereas it's relatively easy to navigate your way around the French regions, varieties and prestige brands, Italy has struggled to get its act together.
Trying to explain why isn't easy either. Until recently the country's wine regions tended to lack distinction while varieties and wine styles merged across the provincial boundary lines. The country introduced wine laws in 1963 but it was fatally flawed because amongst other failings, it did not establish a modest number of easily identifiable regions, each with its own name and style.
In 1992 Goria Law was introduced to try to improve the country's wine regime.
It wasn't entirely successful, and one of the challenges still confronting a buyer of Italian wines is whether or not the variety and region will ensure the purchase of a fine example.
Italian wines carry an image that is good and bad – but the good wines are very good and well worth seeking out.
The best way to find out which ones to buy is to ask someone knowledgeable – and that may be a good wine retailer or a fellow wine enthusiast.
All of which brings us to "A Taste of Italy", an event we recently attended at Nautilus Estate. Nautilus is a wholly owned subsidiary of Negociants NZ. Nautilus forms part of the company's domestic portfolio and Negociants also manages Nautilus Estate's export sales to 30 countries.
Negociants is also a fine wine importer, with a portfolio of more than 400 wines – and that's how we found ourselves seated at tables in a barrel hall ready to learn about some of the best Italian wines we've tasted in a long while. Andrew Parkinson, the fine wines manager for Negociants, hosted the tasting and typical of the most enjoyable tutored tastings, he presented the wines with intelligence, humour and some lively anecdotes.
Ad Feedback The wines we enjoyed weren't all expensive examples; prices ranged from the high teens to the best part of $300 so there was plenty of opportunity to add some classy Italians to the wine cellar.