Today, the wine landscape of Italy is reaping the benefits of change. A new generation of winemakers are bringing energy and innovation to complement the knowledge and experience of their forebears.
So we thought it was time to highlight this reinvigorated Italy. Loosely inspired by the SuperTuscans – those wines that side-stepped Tuscan traditions and regulations five decades ago to forge a new path for quality-minded producers – our concept of the ‘new Super-Italian’ is to group together wines from across Italy that merit attention for their forwardlooking, even groundbreaking philosophies.
These new Super-Italians are not only excellent wines in their own right, they represent the best that the future of Italian winemaking has to offer.
We asked four of our Italy experts to nominate three wines each from their respective regions of speciality. And the wines they chose certainly reflect the new, progressive Italy.
High-altitude and morning sun-facing vineyards are becoming increasingly important as a way to combat the ever-warming climate – indeed, the Brunello di Montalcino authorities have removed the region’s upper altitude limit of 600m, effective from the 2016 vintage.
Fungus-resistant ‘PIWI’ hybrid varieties are gaining traction too, especially in the cool northeast, to reduce pesticide usage and provide a gateway to organic farming (piwi-international.de).
Indigenous varieties are championing terroir and sympathetic winemaking on a scale not seen before. Meet the new Super-Italians.
Northwest
Escalating land costs in Barolo and Barbaresco combined with the changing climate have drawn attention to Nebbiolo’s lesser-known, cool alpine zones. These stretch from Valtellina in
