Italy Seeks to Catch Up With France as Wine Exporter to Asia

VERONA, ITALY — Long gone are the days when French soldiers or Italian farm hands were issued their daily ration of a liter of wine. Even the three-hour Paris lunch, accompanied by a few glasses of red, white or sparkling, is threatened by the ravages of globalization.

Across much of Europe, wine consumption is flat or sinking. The United States is only slightly more buoyant. To stay in the game, the industry is trying hard to develop new markets, especially in Asia.

In China, perhaps the most promising Asian country for European producers, France has so far been the main beneficiary of growing consumer interest in wine. Now Italy is trying to catch up.

This week at the Vinitaly wine fair in Verona, which bills itself as the largest wine gathering in the world with more than 4,500 producers represented and more than 150,000 visitors expected, the organizers announced a partnership with the Hong Kong International Wine Spirits Fair, under which they will promote each other’s activities.

Among other things, Vinitaly will encourage Italian producers to exhibit their wines at the Hong Kong event — an important promotional tool for a highly fragmented industry.

Over all, Italian wine exports rose 13 percent last year, to €4.4 billion, or $5.8 billion, according to figures from Vinitaly. But in Asia, Italy has some ground to make up. In the first six months of last year, France exported 5.5 million cases of wine to China, accounting for 48 percent of total imports, according to Chinese customs data. Italy, with less than 1 million cases, claimed a mere 8.3 percent of Chinese imports, putting it in third place, behind Australia.

“We need to do more to educate consumers,” said Lamberto Vallarino Gancia, president of Federvini, a trade group. “Asian consumers are very brand-conscious.”

Italy’s late start in Asia contrasts with its consistent strength in the United States, where it is the biggest foreign wine producer. In 2010, it supplied 30 percent of total U.S. wine imports by value, according to the Commerce Department, compared with 24 percent for France.

Cultural ties have helped Italian winemakers in the United States, where French producers are still recovering from anti-French sentiment following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, which the French government opposed.

In China, on the other hand, French wines have benefited from a perceived association with luxury and status. Wine from Bordeaux houses like Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild and Latour have soared in price in recent years, in part because of Chinese demand, wine dealers say. Chinese investors have even bought several historic Bordeaux châteaux.

Now there are signs that the Chinese enthusiasm for high-end Bordeaux may be waning slightly, with the price of Lafite-Rothschild easing from the highs recorded a year or two ago.

Is this the opening that the Italians needed? Italy has some iconic wines, like Sassicaia from Tuscany and those of the house of Gaja in Piedmont, but few of them fetch the four-digit prices that are not uncommon for top Bordeaux in great vintages.

To try to strengthen the link in consumers’ minds between Italian wines and other examples of the finer things in life, the country’s wine industry has recruited the Altagamma Foundation, which represents Italian fashion houses and luxury goods producers, as another partner.

Santo Versace, brother of the fashion designer Donatella Versace and president of Altagamma, said at a news conference during Vinitaly that members of the group would feature Italian wines at fashion shows and other events around the world.

“Fashion, design, jewelry, food, hospitality — they all give shape to the way in which Italy is identified abroad, being at the same time the true engine of our economy,” Mr. Versace said in prepared remarks, adding that promoting “synergy” between these industries could have beneficial effects.

To promote the association with fashion, Vinitaly organized an unusual tasting in which more than 100 of the best winemakers in Italy showed up in person to pour their wines to an invitation-only crowd — including a handful of Asian critics, bloggers and buyers.

Coordinated action like this is often lacking in the European wine industry, which celebrates the diversity of its producers, geographical origins and wine styles. Thierry Desseauve, a French wine critic who has been active in promoting the wines of France in Asia, said European vintners ought to look beyond age-old rivalries that have divided wine regions and countries, and instead work together to promote their products in growing Asian markets.

“We think there is not one country in the wine world, but one civilization, mostly a European civilization, and we need to develop this civilization in Asia,” he said at Vinitaly, which continues through Wednesday.

Bill & Sheila’s Wine
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Introduction to Italian Wine

Each year, it is not uncommon for Italy to find itself at the top of a number of wine-related lists, not the least of which ranks it as the largest producer, exporter and consumer of wine in the world. This fact is all the more impressive when you consider that Italy is not a very large country – indeed it is less than three-quarters the size of California. Even considering the roughly 8 billion bottles of wine it produces each year, the country manages to stay true to wine styles that go back four thousand years. As a result, Italy not only has more local grape varieties than any other country, but it also has some of the most distinctive wines on Earth.

One of the major considerations with Italy’s unique wine style is the wide range of diverse cultures that exist throughout its twenty wine regions. Each of these cultures has a robust sense of pride that translates directly into wine making. At best, understanding Italian wine is intimidating; at worst it seems all but impossible.

Like any journey of significance it’s best to take it one step at a time. While Italian wine is both vastly complex and inconsistent, there are some concrete starting points.

First, let’s take a look at the general qualities of Italian wine:

Italian wines tend to be high in acidity – This is because wine with a strong showing of acidity tends to pair better with food. No surprise then that the food oriented cultures of Italy have opted for wine that compliments their amazing dedication to cuisine! This means white wines tend to be crisp and red wines tend to be firm.

Subdued, earthy aromas – One of the overriding characteristics of Italian wine is the touch of the land that one can smell and taste in every bottle. The nose might have hints of mushrooms, soil, minerals or grass. These qualities are commonly referred to as an earthiness that prevents the wine from competing with food.

Medium Body – Though there are some excellent heavier wines in Italy (such as Barolo), the majority are more medium bodied in nature. Again, more suitable to the wide array of food dishes that perform better when not overwhelmed by a heaviness.

Distinctly Italian Grapes – While Italy does grow most of the grapes found throughout the world, it also has many, many local varieties that are only grown in their respective regions. Nebbiolo, for example, is the grape used to make Barolo and is only found in Piedmont and Lombardy. Because the Italian climate is perfect for grape growing, many varieties have evolved over thousands of years to respond specifically to one region. As such, it is extraordinarily difficult to try and transplant them to different countries.

Major Red Grapes

There are over twenty major types of red grape varieties in Italy, but we can start with what are arguably the most important three:

Sangiovese (san joe VAE sae) – Planted in plenty throughout the country, particularly in Tuscany and Umbria, this is the major grape of Chianti and the popular Super-Tuscan wines. Medium in body, the grape typically carries strong tannin, high acidity and flavours of herbs and cherries.

Nebbiolo(nehb be OH loh) – Specific to the Piedmont region, this grape makes two of Italy’s most notorious wines: Barolo and Barbaresco. These wines are a shoe-in for anyone building a cellar because they age particularly well. The grape is full-bodied with high acidity and strong tannin, invoking flavours of strawberries, mushrooms, tar and truffles.

Barbera (bar BAE rah) – This grape runs neck and neck with Sangiovese as the most planted in the country. It is a lighter grape with little tannin and high acidity. The fruit flavours tend to be more pronounced than in other varieties and as such it is an excellent summer red and great on its own.

Important Italian Whites

Pinot Grigio(pee noh GREE joe) – The Italian version of Pinot Gris, this white grape has won widespread acclaim all over the world. Though not as rich as its French counter-part, it carries flavours of peach with a high-acid, minerally quality.

Trebbiano (trehb bee AH noh) – Though undeniably common in Italy, it has also suffered from casual growing habits. It is primarily known for producing inexpensive whites that are crisp and bland. It is a wine that at best pairs well with food, particularly shell-fish, and rarely can be enjoyed on its own.

Tocai Friulano (toh KYE free oo LAH no) – Fans of Pinot Grigio tend to be pleasantly surprised by this grape. With characteristic Italian crispness and acidity, it can also carry rich and full textures that are more complex than is typical for whites. It grows primarily in the Friuli region.

Verdicchio and Vernaccia – These grapes have some of the same body, crispness and acidity as Trebbino, but with a bit more spunk. Richer flavours and aromas including hints of lemon and sea air are common. They are typically un-oaked.

One could spend a lifetime learning all there is to know about the dozens of grape varieties grown in Italy, particularly when you explore how they are best paired with foods from their respective regions. Further articles will explore some of the rules governing wine production in Italy, including how to sift your way through wine labels, but having a familiarity with the major grapes listed above will form a firm foundation for discovering the distinctive personalities of Italian wine!

author:Tynan Szvetecz

Bill & Sheila’s Wine

Fine wine often brings to mind images of French rolling hills and elegant dinners; however, Italy’s twenty regions bring to the pallet an array of fine wines for your dining pleasure.

Italian wine making enjoys tradition rich in both modern and rustic methods, although much of the country’s wineries now employ scientific and technological tools to create quality wines. The country’s wines are made primarily from two types of grapes, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. The Nebbiolo grapes are used in the northwester part of the country, creating the red wines Barolo and Barbaresco. The Sangiovese grapes create one of the better-known Italian wines, Chianti, and are native to the central Tuscany and Umbria regions.

Italy’s wines are divided into four categories based on origin, quality, and purity. When shopping for a fine Italian wine, look for those with the designation of “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita D.O.C.G.,” which is awarded to wines with a solid reputation. This designation considers region, production yields, and a DOC of at least five years. DOC indicates the origins of a wine, the type of grapes used in making the wine, and the methods of production. DOCG is a designation following stricter guidelines than the DOC, which includes a guarantee of origin.

The five regions of the Northwest produce over a quarter of the country’s DOC wines, but only about twenty per cent of the country’s total wine production. This, then, is a good place to begin when shopping for Italian wine, as many wine sellers group Italian wine by the region, whether in general terms, such as Northwest, or by specific region, such as Piedmont. The Piedmont region creates a number of DOC and DOCG wines.

The Northeast region is home to two of Italy’s wine schools, and generates about a third of the country’s DOC wines. The three regions create about a fifth of Italy’s total wine production. Veneto, one of the regions, now produces the most wine of any region in the country.

Central Italy, comprised of six regions, accounts for about twenty per cent of both wine production and DOC wines. The tradition of wine making in this region has often been traditional, the region is moving toward more contemporary wine making methods, and the overall quality has improved. Some wine experts believe that this region will continue to make great strides in wine making, so for those who love red wine, this is an area worth watching. Tuscany creates the well-known Chianti wine, as well as a variety of other

Tuscan reds.

The Southern region, which includes the islands, is comprised of six regions. These regions produce about forty per cent of the total production, but only about fourteen per cent of DOC and DOCG wines. The region is focusing on overall quality, and this, too, is a region worth watching. For those interested in consistent quality wines, many of the region’s production offer just that.

For those new to Italian wine or wanting additional information, there is an abundance of sources. An importer specializing in Italian wine is one of the best sources for information on fine Italian wines, and can provide suggestions based on your individual preferences. You can also do your own research and wine tasting based on your style and preference. As with many things Italian, the wines are among the finer indulgences.