WHINE # 66

Wines from the South of Italy 

After leading the world in wine production for most of the past decade in 2014 Italy dropped into second place (behind France).  Italy is also second in terms of wine exports; this time slipping behind Spain.  To the surprise of some, France’s exports have slipped to third.

Italy, of course, has been making wine for more than 4,000 years and over that time it has developed a huge number of indigenous varietals; perhaps as many as 2,000.  As a relatively large country, that more-or-less runs North-South, Italy covers 10 parallels (from the 36^th to the 46^th).  For that reason there is considerable variation in temperatures and rainfall.  Temperature and length of growing season both influence the varietals that can be successfully grown as well as the style of wines.  In cooler climates wines tend to be lower in alcohol and higher in acidity.  Hotter climates tend to produce wines with more tannins.

For most of the modern age, wines from Northern Italy were much better known both inside and outside Italy, and they commanded, and still command, much higher prices.  The best known wines come from regions such as Veneto (Amarone made from the Corvina grape being the most famous), Piedmonte (Barolo from the Nebbiolo grape is considered to be one of Italy’s top wines) and, of course the best known Sangioviese grape of Tuscany (from which is made Brunello di Montalcino and Vino nobile de Montepulciano).  Chianti is also made from Sangiovese, but only some Chianti’s are of decent quality.

On the other hand, it was long believed that the South of Italy could not produce quality wines.  In fact, for a long time the wines of Southern Italy were not very good.  In part this was a self-fulfilling prophecy as producers in the south aimed for quantity over quality.  For many years bulk wines from Southern Italy were shipped north to be used in blends, giving body to their thinner Northern cousins.  The grapes were grown on small farms and were then sent to politically run and sometimes outright corrupt co-operatives.  Additionally, not so many years ago Bordeaux and Burgundy were considered to make the world’s best wine.  Thus, there may have been a preference or bias against the wines of Southern Italy which were more robust with higher alcohol content.  

As wine laws strengthened and became more rigorously enforced the market for bulk wines declined.  For the past three decades or so Southern Italian wine producers have increased the quality of their wines to the point that today there are readily available high quality wines that sell for very reasonable prices.  This is partly due to the decline of the co-operatives and partly due to the increase of foreign ownership which brought investment monies for equipment, expertize, etc.

In any event, if we ignore history and historical biases and only look at wines in 2016, we would perhaps come to the conclusion that the best value Italian wines are not from the North but from the sunny South.  Of course, this statement is made by someone who likes big, bold, high alcohol wines.

Below I shall give a brief description of some of the major wine producing areas of Southern Italy.  Each area produces many different varietals but I shall describe only the ones that are best known for each area.  Almost all of these wines can be purchased for less than $ 20, which makes them high value.

ABRUZZO:   This isolated region lies due east of Rome and for that reason may perhaps be described as being part of Central Italy rather than being truly part of Southern Italy.  Nonetheless I’ll include Abruzzo in this list because it is a huge producer of wine (almost twice as much as Tuscany) and its most famous wine, Montepulciano, has all the characteristics of wines from further south.  Montepulciano has an alcohol content of 14% or more and the wine is dark, fragrant and softly tannic.  It is capable of aging and is a great wine to accompany spicy foods.  It must be noted, however, that Montepulciano is a completely different wine than the Tuscan wine Brunello di Montepulciano.  In the case of the Tuscan wine the grape is Sangiovese, the name coming from the Tuscan town of origin.  Montepulicano di Abruzzo is a wine made from the Montepulciano grape.  The Tuscan wine costs three times the Abruzzo wine and is much lighter and more acidic, exemplifying the characteristics of Northern Italian wines.

CAMPANIA AND BASILICATA:   The region around Naples (Campania) and the isolated and underpopulated region between the toe and the boot of Italy (Basilicata) compete for being the home of one of the Italy’s best grapes (Aglianico).  This grape was brought to Basilicata by the Greeks around 600 B.C.  It was thought to have healing powers, and in 212 B.C. Hannibal sent his troops to Vulture in Basilicata to restore their strength by imbibing in this wine.

Aglianico is a black grape that produces wine that is high in both tannins and acids.  For that reason Aglianico can be rough in its youth, but if aged a few years becomes one of the Italy’s finest wines, giving hints of tar and coffee.  Unfortunately, the production of Aglianico is relatively small.  For example there are more than 10 times as many acres of Sangiovese planted than Aglianico.  For that reason some of the best (e.g. Aglianico del Vulture) command higher prices than other wines of the South.  For example, various Agliancios range in price in LCBO stores from $16 to $ 36.

Nonetheless, it is well worth seeking this fabulous wine and laying down a few bottles.

PUGLIA:  The heel of Italy’s boot is a region called Puglia (do not pronounce the “g”) and this area exclusively produces two inexpensive wines that are worth mentioning.  Both are widely planted.  Negroamara (meaning black and bitter) is a big tannic wine that needs spicy, heavy food.  Nonetheless, it is very cheap and can be a very drinkable “plonc” to enjoy with your summer barbeque.  However, it is not a sipping wine to serve your 90 year-old aunt.  The other wine of Puglia is Primitivo, which once was thought to be the origin of California Zinfandel.  It turns out that the origin plants for Zin did not come from Puglia, yet there is a close genetic relationship between Zin  and Primitivo.  This soft, but spicy and slightly acidic, wine is a great substitute for its more expensive California cousin.

SICILY:  I have twice visited this beautiful island and provided you don’t try to drive yourself I recommend it to any tourist.  The indigenous wine of Sicily is Nero d’Avola and this grape is now planted far beyond Sicily.  The wine is dark and well-structured and reminds many of Syrah.  Nero’s have a wide range of prices, but even at the lower end these wines are worth a try.

PETER MONDAVI:  The wine world recently lost one of its great innovators.  Peter Mondavi (brother of Robert Mondavi) managed the Charles Krug winery for many years and was responsible for vintage-dating varietal wines and was the first in California to import French oak barrels.  He attributed his longevity (he lived to 101) to good genes, hard work, pasta Bolognese and daily Cabernet Sauvignon.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 240:  This offering has lots of high-priced wines from Northern Italy but in keeping with the theme of this Whine I shall restrict my recommendation to just one wine:

8568 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, DOC, Corsi, 2014.