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Issue 408 - February 18th - February 22nd - Expressly created for 11.897 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world |
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The wine world is in mourning: Gianfranco Soldera, the iconic wine producer of Case Basse in Montalcino, has died. Soldera, who was a controversial and much talked about figure has been the victim of an accident in the vineyards. His historic Brunello di Montalcino Reserves are still today among the most admired and sought-after Italian wines in the world. Soldera was born in Treviso in 1937 . He purchased Case Basse, in South-West Montalcino in the early ‘70s, which today counts 23 hectares, and planted the first vineyards with Sangiovese between 1972 and 1973, making viniculture and “natural” wine, the pillar of his production philosophy. |
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Volumes are down, while values instead, are growing on the market trio US-UK-Germany that, as always, takes the lion's share of Italian wine on world markets. Still wines have hit 3.7 billion euros (up from 3.6 in 2018), 1.2 billion liters (down from 1.3 in 2018) and sparkling wines reached 2 billion euros (up from 1.8 billion euros in 2018), for 633 million liters (down from 639 in 2018), for a total of 5.7 billion euros (up from 5.4 in 2018): According to data from the National Statistics Institute, Istat, this, then, is the state of Italian wine exports recorded between January and November 2018, which WineNews has analyzed, confirming that growth, even though moderate, is primarily due to sparkling wines. As far as still wines are concerned, the US is the number one market for Italian wine, at 943 million euros (up from 919 in the same period in 2018), followed by Germany at 705 million (up from 682 in 2018) and the United Kingdom at 335 million (down from 337 in 2018). Canada is the fourth market, at 266 million euros (up from 265 in 2018), ahead of Switzerland at 258 million euros (up from 246 in 2018). Next is Denmark at 107 million euros (down from110 in 2018) and Japan (also down from 112 in 2018), while the Netherlands reported 102 million (up from 97 in 2018). France also increased volumes, at 99 million euros (up from 91 in 2018) and completing the top 10 is Sweden at 98 (up from 95 in 2018), while China remained essentially stable at 89 million euros (up from 88 in 2018). The number one market, however, for Italian sparkling wines is the United Kingdom which, in the first 11 months of the year, has yielded 429 million euros (up from 408 in the same period in 2018), to Italian wineries, ahead of the United States, which grew from 374 to 412 million euros, and Germany, which saw an increase from 238 to 253 million euros. In addition, there are all the other most important markets for Italian sparkling wines, which have also grown; namely Switzerland (88 million euros), France (76 million euros), Sweden (67 million euros), Russia (52 million euros), Belgium and Austria (both at 46 million euros), Canada (44 million euros) and Japan (41 million euros). |
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“Ferrari has become an icon all over the world because of its excellent craftsmanship, and the same holds true both for great wine and for great food”. This is the message from Louis Camilleri, CEO of Ferrari owner and of Tenuta Il Giardinello in Montalcino, as told to WineNews at the “Benvenuto Brunello” event. It was also a symbolic date because February 15th marked the presentation of the new SF90, the car that will race for the title, driven by Vettel and LeClerc, of the F1 world championship, and it is also the debut of the new Brunello di Montalcino vintages on the market: 2014 and 2013 Reserve. “Furthermore, in both cases red dominates”, joked Camilleri. We are expecting a very exciting future, both for Ferrari, and for Brunello di Montalcino. They are both Italian excellences”. |
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“Any person who is dealing with difficulties is also looking for better ways to overcome them and even turn them into opportunities, just like happened to me. And, since it seems that vineyards do the same thing, we then have this strength in common, just like the wine producers and I have in common the passion to do the very best in what we do, in the vineyards, producing wonderful nectars, and as I do in sports”, Alex Zanardi told WineNews. Racecar driver, paracyclist winner of 4 gold medals at the Olympics, Zanardi has changed the results of the terrible accident that in 2001 took away his legs, into opportunities. He is also a lover of wine and Montalcino, and has celebrated the 2018 vintage at Benvenuto Brunello, creating the celebratory tile of the harvest that received 4 stars (the maximum is 5, ed.). “I am here”, Zanardi said, “also because of the great friendship that unites me to the Bianchini family, owner of Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, one of the most prestigious wineries in this wonderful territory”. The tile he has created features the stars and four sentences that express concepts very dear to him, and which summarize his philosophy and his approach to life, “standing still, nothing happens”, because luck gives us the best opportunities “when we are prepared to meet it”. |
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With 998 points out of 1,000, Sassicaia of Tenuta San Guido is the first place in the Italian ranking of the “Brand Score” of Wine-Lister, also strong in the awards of Italian and international critics in recent months (from No. 1 of the “Top 100” of “Wine Spectator” for the year 2015, to 100/100 for 2016 of “The Wine Advocate”). Then there is Tignanello di Antinori, with 995 points, a milestone in modern viticulture in Tuscany, the first Sangiovese aged in barriques, in front of Ornellaia, another big name in the luxury market, with 991 points. |
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There is more than one harvest, in the cellars of Italy: according to the latest bulletin issued by the Icqrf, on February 15 there was a figure of 60 million hectoliters (29.6 of PDO wines, 15.5 of PGI and 14.9 of generic wines) to be planted in the companies of the Belpaese. The Veneto, as always, is the richest region, and alone holds 25% of Italian wine, equal to 15 million hectoliters. The second is Emilia Romagna, with 7.6 million hectolitres, in front of Puglia, which has 6.5 million hectolitres in the cellar. 5.4 million hectolitres, however, rest in the barrels of Tuscany, 4.5 in those of Sicily, and 4.4 in the cellars of Piedmont. Among the denominations, Prosecco Doc beats all, with 4.3 million hectolitres (to which 997,245 hectolitres of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg must be added). |
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“Let’s say a strong and clear no to any hypothesis of elimination of the measures to promote the wine sector to third countries currently funded by Eu through the funds of the CAP, as proposed by the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. This would be a huge economic loss for one of the leading sectors of our agri-food industry which has succeeded in recent years in reaching success across the border,” explains the Alliance, in the aftermath of the approval of some amendments aimed at abolishing European funds to support business investment in promotion. |
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