Italy’s most important grapes

(TheDrinksBusiness) - With France dominating the grape pantheon of the wine world, it is always reassuring to know that there are a few countries able to offer something a little different.

Italy is just such a place, with a viticultural heritage older than that of France, some of the most eclectic grapes on the planet and a bewildering array of vineyard classifications which sticks two fingers up to organisational good sense.

It is no wonder that some people find Italy a daunting prospect, but, demands Berry Bros & Rudd’s Italian buyer David Berry Green: “Why does the standard have to be Cabernet Sauvignon and co? Italian grapes aren’t ‘quirky’, they just have a different name.”

On the subject of tackling Italian wines and their regions he reasons: “We simply need to be very clear about which are the key varieties in each region just as we’ve been brought up knowing which varieties are key to each French region. In Burgundy they don’t talk about Aligoté or Pinot Blanc, they talk about Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.”

There’s no reason to be scared of Italy’s selection, agrees Gemma Adams, product manager at Grossi Wines. “I don’t think it’s the native grapes that are a hindrance. The Italians haven’t been very organised when it comes to talking about them. People are excited by new grapes.”