There is no doubt that the world loves Italian food. I suspect though that other than Italians the world is less passionate about Italian wine. The problem has been partly one of image whereby most Italian wines with notable exceptions have tended to be associated with terms such as rustic, robust and old fashioned. While the rest of the wine producing world, particularly New World countries such as Australia, USA and latterly Chile and Argentina, were upping the quality to value for money ratio, Italy continued to produce an ocean of mediocrity, or, and let us be honest, plonk. The good news for wine drinkers is that things have changed for the better. Italy has undergone its own wine modernization revolution. What is particularly exciting for we wine geeks is that the improvement in the general quality has not been at the expense of jettisoning tradition and most importantly maintaining Italy’s grape diversity. While it is true the plantings of French grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay have over the last two decades increased, the most interesting Italian wines are still based on Italy’s unique stock of around 1,000 indigenous grape varieties.
Italy vies with France as the world’s largest producer of wine and the Italians still consume most of that wine themselves: about 50 to 60 litres per capita per year. While this still puts Italy near the top of the world’s league table of consumers the figure has halved over the last fifty years. The key to understanding Italian wine is first and foremost to understand the critical link with the country’s food. In the past Italians like much of the rest of Europe drank wine primarily as a safe alternative to water. Fermented grape juice has the advantage of killing many of the harmful bacteria associated with poor quality water and is certainly more interesting, not to mention the pleasant effectsdue to alcohol. Among foodies and wine lovers there isa somewhat esoteric debate that goes along the following lines. Did the different styles of wines to be found throughout Italy’s regions develop to match the food, or, did the regional foods of Italy develop to match the wines?
The answer is of course probably a bit of both, but what is striking, if you ever have the good fortune to travel in Italy, is the superb match between local foods and local wines. In Sicily in the hot south of Italy the white wines made from the grape variety Catarratto Blanco and the red wines made from the grape variety Nero d’Avola go fantastically with the seafood and predominantly vegetarian cuisine. From the Piedmont region in the north west of Italy can be found Barbaresco, Barbera, and Barolo wines. These red wines are a match made in heaven for dishes such as tairin, narrow tagliatelle enriched with aromatic truffles, or, Brasato al Barolo, braised beef with Barolo. Italian cuisine is all about the quality of the ingredients epitomized by the humble tomato, of which there are over three-hundred varieties grown in Italy. It is no accident that the wines of Italy and above all the famous Sangiovese grape variety indigenous to the Tuscany region in central Italy, match exquisitely the tomato based foods. Whether it is beautiful ripe red tomatoes on a plate of antipasti, or, a rich tomato pasta sauce, Italians reach for theirTuscan Sangiovese based wine such as Chianti and Brunello diMontalcino.
In terms of wine production Tuscany is not the largest producing region in Italy; in fact it is third behind Piedmont and Vento regions, but it is perhaps the most exciting. Tuscany has achieved a double trick whereby it has managed to maintain tradition while at the same time pioneered new methods of production that put it at the forefront of innovation in Italian wine making. The most concrete example of innovation was in the 1960’s and 1970’s with the introduction of the so called “Super Tuscans”. Super Tuscans are based on a "Bordeaux-blend", meaning a combination of grapes typical for the Bordeaux region in South West France (especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). These grapes are not originally from the region, but imported and planted later. The climate in Tuscany has proven to be very good for these grapes. One of the first successful Super Tuscan based a "Bordeaux-blend" was Sassicaia, by Tenuta San Guido a wine tasted for this article and reported on below.
The success of Super Tuscan wine particularly outside of Italy has had the effect of encouraging innovation and improved quality of wine production in Chianti, other Tuscan areas of wine production and to a certain extent throughout the rest of Italy. Chianti produced in the central part of Tuscany used to be bottled in a distinctive dumpy-shaped bottle enclosed in a straw basket that spurned a world wide craze in home table lamp production. The wine itself was unexciting, but with the introduction of a new classification of Chianti Classico, Chianti production has improved in quality dramatically. These Chianti and Chianti Classico wines are still predominantly based on the Tuscans’ beloved Sangiovese grape, but the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in varying amounts, combined with modern wine making, has made them some of Italy’s most sought after red wines.
Before we move to the Tuscan wine tasting, let me turn to a wonderful quirk, which is Kenya’s own Italian wine. Meru Wine based not far from the town of Meru close to Mount Kenya, produce Barbera a Red Table Wine as well as a White Table Wine and a Communion Wine. The text on the back label of the Barbera wine is wonderfully romantic describing how in 1904 Monsignor Perlo and Father Carliero planted the first vines around Muran’ga and Nyeri. Following the success achieved from wines made from the grapes of these first vines, vines were also planted on the Ruiri plains in Meru. It was on thisunknown root stock variety that Monsignor Perlo’s brother grafted Barbera vines brought from the Piedmont region in the north west of Italy. Barbera next to Sangiovese is Italy’s most planted red grape known for its high level of natural acidity a desirable attribute in hot climates; perhaps this is why the brother chose the Barbera grape for Meru? How does it taste? Well the label describes it as, “A mature, full-bodied and honest wine”, and for me that is pretty good description of what it tastes like.
As with the last wine column in the last edition of the Kenya Kitchen, I and a select group of wine tasters (the Winettes) recently enjoyed a sample of Tuscan wines which are all available in Kenya. Here are the results of our dedication to seeking out Tuscan excellence.
Castello Di Ama 2007 Chianti Classico
A great example of the improvement in quality of Chianti wines this wine is made from 100% Sangiovese. The wine is bright medium red in colour with plenty of tomato and red fruits on the nose. On the palate it has a rich and ripe style that has a strong black cherry and tobacco flavours.
Brunello Di Montalcino 2002 DOCG
Brunello is the name of the local Sangiovese variety that is grown around the village of Montalcino. Located south of the Chianti Classico zone, the Montalcino range is drier and warmer than Chianti. The Brunello variety of Sangiovese seems to flourish in this terroir, ripening easily and producing consistently wines of deep color, extract, richness with full bodies and good balance of tannins.
Sangiovento De Toscana 2007 IGT
Another Tuscan wine based predominantly on the Sangiovese grape with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon another grape originally from the Bordeaux region of France. The wine is deep red in colour with an expressive bouquet of dark red fruits such as blackcurrants and blackberries. On the palate the tannins are well integrated even though the wine is relatively young. The fruit is well represented on the taste with a satisfying long finish. This was the favourite wine of our tastings.
Sassicaia 2007 Bolgheri Sassicaia
The original “Super Tuscan” a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc this wines reputation goes before it and indeed lives up to the high praise. Sassicaia is known for aging well, meaning it can develop and improve in the bottle for up to 20 years. On the nose the typical Sangiovese dark fruit and tomato is apparent. The palate is smooth although the tannins indicate the wine still needs some bottle age to integrate fully. A fabulous and world class wine capable of rubbing shoulders with the finest wines of France or anywhere for that matter.
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