What italian wine do you prefer?

S

Stefano Pozzi

Location
Milan
In italy i work with wine, i have a small winery, and i'd like to know what kind of italian wine is common all around the world? Prosecco, amarone, lambrusco or what else?
In germany i sell lots of prosecco and Buttafuoco, a red wine originated near Pavia, in the Oltrepò Pavese aerea.
 
Thom Blach said:
My favourite is Conterno's Barolo Monfortino 1952, riserva speciale. though I suppose that's not very helpful!
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everything it's helpful! so you like red strong wine. I've discuss my thesis in University about the consumer beahviour of wine and now i'm trying to expand my knowing. sorry for my english, i'm just learning!
 
Stefano
No need to apologise for your English!
With italian wines, I prefer the three B's - Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino. But I like any good red from Italy, although some wines at 15% alcohol are too much for me.
For whites, I like particualrly Falanghine and Fiano di Avellino from the south. I find these more characterful than whites than other parts of Italy, although I must admit my knowledge of Italian whites is a bit thin!
 
David Pope said:
Stefano
No need to apologise for your English!
With italian wines, I prefer the three B's - Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino. But I like any good red from Italy, although some wines at 15% alcohol are too much for me.
For whites, I like particualrly Falanghine and Fiano di Avellino from the south. I find these more characterful than whites than other parts of Italy, although I must admit my knowledge of Italian whites is a bit thin!
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Of course about fiano i think the best is Mastroberardino, fantastic!!
 
I've been really enjoying discovering some less well known Italian wines such as Orvieto and the wines from alto adige such as lagrein, Pinot Nero and others.
 
Stefano Pozzi said:
Wow, curious! Can you find easly montepulciano in england?
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It is quite easy - available in large supermarkets. But the wines most people would recognise are probably Chianti, Prosecco and Valpolicella.

Personally I like many italian wines, from all over the country. But in terms of number of bottles bought over the last decade or so, most come from Sicilly, especially COS. If I were richer and had more patience I would buy a lot more Barolo.
 
I drink very little Italian wines and only limit to these few producers: Elio Altare, Clerico, and Paolo Scavino from Piedmont, Paolo Bea and Arnaldo Caprai from Umbria if I can find them!
 
Nero d'Avola is a cheap, reasonable, widely available wine.
At the other end of the country I like Teroldego Rotaliano but you don't see it much in the shops.
Prosecco is currently very trendy in the UK and available everywhere but you probably won't find many fans of it here.
 
Paul Matthews said:
Nero d'Avola is a cheap, reasonable, widely available wine.
At the other end of the country I like Teroldego Rotaliano but you don't see it much in the shops.
Prosecco is currently very trendy in the UK and available everywhere but you probably won't find many fans of it here.
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Uk is, after USA, the biggest importer of italian prosecco in the world! i'm surprised that here no-one speak about this!
 
Andrew Stevenson said:
The white wines of Friuli and Trentino
Chianti
Brunello di Montalcino
Moscato d'Asti
Franciacorta
Moscato di Pantelleria

seem to be my most popular Italians, roughly in that order.
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what do you think about franciacorta? In Italy they are very very appreciated. but, i think, they're in the middle between champagne and prosecco: if one want spend much money, he'll buy champagne and no franciacorta, if he want less expensive sparkling wine, he'll buy prosecco!
 
Stefano Pozzi said:
what do you think about franciacorta? In Italy they are very very appreciated. but, i think, they're in the middle between champagne and prosecco: if one want spend much money, he'll buy champagne and no franciacorta, if he want less expensive sparkling wine, he'll buy prosecco!
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That's probably correct here too. Franciacorta probably offers better value than champagne at the price level of the champagne grandes marques, but it is little known among the general public. I think English Sparkling Wine has a higher profile than Franciacorta, and might be what a general consumer would turn to if they wanted an alternative to Champagne, without sinking to the level of prosecco.
 
Stefano,
You won't get a good general view of the market in the UK by asking here. We're quite a serious bunch when it comes to wine.

There is a lot of prosecco drunk in the UK, it in all the pubs, bars and supermarkets. My female friends drink it without fail when they can. They like to add flavour beads and cordial to sex it up. They aren't at all interested in where in comes from or it's quality at all really. This is prosecco's place in the market. as far as I can see.

When it comes to still white, Pinot Grigio is the same, all the pubs,bars and supermarkets will have it as the house wine, and it's rated on it cheapest v blandness.

There are I know better quality levels in both these wines, but the "man on the street" will not know much about these. As well as the above he will be aware of Chianti.

Hope that helps, I'm sure you get plenty of good producers recommended, thought you might like a "man in the street" view.

Russ
 
Whites: I purchase each vintage of Cà dei Frati Lugana I Frati & regularly buy Pieropan Soave Calvarino & Chiarlo Moscato d'Asti Nivole.
Red: I intermittently buy Marcarini (mainly Dolcetto), Cogno Barolo* & Riecine Chianti. I try to buy Poliziano, Fontodi, Tignanello & (best of all) Sassicaia when the bank manager allows.
Saying that my preference is to try new-to-me Italian wines - the options are nigh on endless. Currently undertaking a mini exploration of Etna & stocking up on Brunello.*

* Avoided the plurals as no doubt I'd be incorrect.
 
Hi Stefano - always interesting to be asked about eg Britain by those from other countries:

  1. Firstly, this is a very knowledgeable wine forum, but not typical of British wine drinkers I don't think, so bear that in mind if you're trying to find out what the average Brit would drink!
  2. As you probably know, we only have a very small wine industry of our own, so our shops and bars are filled with wines from around the world - Italy has to fight very hard for space!
  3. Most common Italian offerings in Britain I'd guess are Prosecco & Pinot Grigio (because they're cheap) and most supermarkets will have old favourites which been around since the 70s / 80s like Valpol, Chianti, Soave, Lambrusco, Asti Spumante. Wines like Barolo and Amarone will be known by a lot of people, and poorer versions stocked by supermarkets. I agree there seems to be an increase in Southern varieties - Fiano, Falaghina, Greco, Nero d'Avola, partly because Sicilian wine is also quite cheap I would think. There seems to be a lot of interest among wine fans (like those on here) in wines from Etna, and these are finding their way into more and more shops.
  4. Italy's probably my favourite wine country - there's always something new to try. I love (reds) Barbera, Corvina blends (especially Ripassos), Aglianico, Montepulciano (usually in blends in the UK), Nebbiolo, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, (whites) Garganega/Grecanico, Greco di Tufo, Vermentino/Favorita, Vernaccia and some Trebbiano/Malvasia blends.

I'm thirsty now!
 
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Steve Slatcher said:
It is quite easy - available in large supermarkets. But the wines most people would recognise are probably Chianti, Prosecco and Valpolicella.
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As others have mentioned, Pinot Grigio should probably be on that list.

But I usually think of it as Italian for Pinot Gris, or a drink totally devoid of interest, rather than a proper "Italian wine". No disrespect to decent Italian wines that use the variety of course!
 
Steve Slatcher said:
Italian for Pinot Gris
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Like the idea of quoting yourself Steve - I'll be doing that at the earliest opportunity!

Pinot Gris can be almost unctuous in Alsace and the NZ examples I've had (even when dry); the Italian version - at least as we usually see it over here - seems an exercise in getting it as close to water as possible. Ditto Prosecco, cooking lagers, creamflow beers etc etc.
 
Hi Stefano
A few of us here have a very strong interest in Italian wines. It certainly dominates my cellar these days. Barolo tops the list, with Barbaresco in 2nd place, due to them cellaring so well, but also like many it is an obvious entry point to Italian wines. Gattinara/Ghemme/Colline Novaresi/Boba/Carema/Bramaterra come next, reflecting a love of these leaner nebbiolo / blend wines and also the region (so unspoilt by tourism with great food). Chianti not so far behind, more for the wines than the region, along with Valpolicella/Recioto/Amarone/Soave (a recent trip ignited our interest)
Then in smaller numbers are
- Sangiovese di Romagna (not many great producers, but there is good wine & good value to be found here)
- Trentino / vigneti delle Dolomiti (Recent trips have excited, not least for the wonderful Vino Santo wines from the Nosiola grape)
- Moscato D'Asti (Such simple pleasure, but I'd also love to find more Brachetto)
- Castel del Monte (Nero di Troia grape really excites)
- Valle d'Aosta (a trip a few years ago revealed the charms of Fumin, a grape that deserves much greater coverage)
- Taurasi (I really should have more)
- Roero (yet to get really enthused)
- Lambrusco (my enthusiasm isn't often shared by others - for me it is a great wine for showing how wine and food influence each other)

The rest are single bottles, with the following a real surprise as I do like the wines of the region and should have more:
Vino Nobile del Montepulciano (I like the leaner style to the more rounded nearby Brunello)
Colli Tortonesi Timorasso
Salice Salentino

Franciacorta has impressed, but not enthused me, however Trentino sparkling wines have excited.

In addition, I regularly read Ian d'Agata's 'Native grapes of Italy' and I'm more enthused than ever to try some of the lesser seen grapes. There are some great Italian wines made from French grape varieties, but I tend to get more excited about tasting a new Italian grape (wine) than another made with Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot. I used to also buy the Duemilavini / Bibenda Wine guide every 2-3 years as a way to help me learn a little more Italian language, especially wine terms, though 2015 was the last edition in print form.

Finally, I never seem to see Oltrepò Pavese wines in England. The DOC name is not well known. Surprisingly I've yet to taste one in Italy either, where good wine by the glass is much more common in the enoteche.

regards
Ian
 
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