The Grand Tasting and old varietals

The Big Boys came out to play on the final night of VINO 2009, which featured the Grand Tasting with more than 300 Italian produttori showing off the best of their best. It was noisy, crowded, a hubbub of different languages all trying to be heard over the crazy din. In other words, a typical mass-market wine tasting but with a wonderful Italian twist, although Terry Hughes evidently wasn't as pleased. Ensconced among the long tables groaning with wine bottles were a handful of producers from the Consorzio (trade association) del Vino Brunello di Montalcino offering tastes of their mysterious (in a good way) wine. There were plenty of Brunellos to sample at VINO 2009, and big buckets to spit in. Brunello is a delicious wine but it's a hard sell in this economy with its $40 and up price tag. What's Italy to do? Wine writer (and renowned opera aficionado) Fred Plotkin lamented that "People still don't know enough about Italian wine," a backhanded slap of sorts about all those nights spent slurping spaghetti and swilling Chianti out of a squat fiasco while paying no attention at all to what was in your glass. And later David Pinzolo of Winebow Imports wondered aloud how the U.S. could possibly absorb any more Italian wines, given that Italy has about 32 percent of the U.S. import market valued at close to $80 million, according to the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies. Pinzolo's solution? "Sensitize and educate the consumer, especially with lesser-known varietals." This echoes a sentiment expressed by blogger Susannah Gold on her site "avvinare." Gold is a certified Italian wine sommelier and recently returned to the U.S. after 15 years in Italy. She says, "After the Brunello scandals of 2008, I was cheered by the discussion to see that people are thinking about different varietals, regions and areas without rejecting what is currently in favor." That urges importers to stay with the current round of popular offerings but don't wear blinders, look to some of the traditional wines that rarely make it out of Italy. Last spring in Friulia, Rino Russolo offered me a sample of a Raboso di Piave, round tannins and good acidity, great with food and aged for two years in wood, including one in oak and one in massive chestnut botti. It's never been in the U.S., I believe he told me. Rabosos, pignolettos, verdicchios and marzeminos, the list goes on. Little-known and less understood grapes that can open new horizons for wine lovers and new markets for Italian winemakers. Italy is in a good spot since it has plenty of good, affordable ($25 and down) wines. Those Brunellos sipped during the seminars were delicious but too pricey (think $45 and up, way up) although we didn't learn that until after the tasting since whoever supplied the wines forgot to supply prices, too. But the opportunities are there, waiting for someone to open the door.