Italian Wine UK
Italian Wine UK – Italian wine, after a dramatic fall in the past decade, is once again picking up steam in the UK. Last year saw a 20% increase in the number of imports to the UK as the Brits find those old Chilean and Argentinian wines are shooting up in price. This is great news for our business, while we are based in Italy, the majority of our sales are to the UK Market, followed closely by Italy then Scandinavia. The UK Market is buying Tuscan wines by the bucket load, probably thanks to some fantastic Brunello scores and improved marketing campaigns by the leaders in Chianti Classico. The recent scandals in Italian wine may have worked only to remind the British wine drinking public of Italian wines. Of course, these figures are coming off the back of the 2004 and 2005 vintages, a stunning double vintage in Tuscany with our Sassicaia allocations exhausting days after upload.
However, I have to make another very public plea to the blog readers and Cellar Door customers, please, experiment! There are so many quality wines being produced throughout Italy and these Tuscan wines, while some are very good, they are not exactly QPR. Life is about variety and in my humble opinion, these Brunello fruit bombs getting top marks from Wine Spectator are not always indicative of Italy’s unique terroir. We have the wines split into regions for a very good reason, each region is bringing different soil, grapes, weather and I press you all to try wines from the length and breadth of Italy.
If you like Australian Syrah, go get some cheap Nero d’Avola from Sicily, very similar flavour profile and a fifth of the price. If you like Bordeaux wines, try some of the glut of blended wines coming out of Italy, the Super Tuscans (or even Super Umbrians or Super Lazioans – I made that up, but blended Umbrian/Lazio wines are becoming huge) and for white fans, get some Gava, try some Italian Chardonnay, Falanghina, Soave, Processco is a highly underrated Fizz. Wine is fun and there is more to Italy than Tuscany *points at the Piedmont with both fingers*
***OK Lecture over. :o)
I work in the wine trade and have noticed a general increase in interest in Italian wines across the board.I’m really pleased the UK market is picking up and ditching the new age wines. I would estimate the real reason is the price of Bordeaux.– Graham Penfold
Here HereI am always trying to educate my friends about the great wines throughout Italy and steer them away from Tuscany. You didn’t mention Taurasi and Primitivo, the southern wines are at a great price at the moment.I.Grey