Salut: Italian wine is having a moment

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The Vancouver International Wine Festival is approaching quickly, led by 71 Italian wineries, one of the largest single-country contingents in the history of the 44-year-old event.

The festival couldn’t be happening at a better time for wine in this region, where growers, producers, retailers, and consumers are reeling from a calamity of events, some natural, others human-made.

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Perhaps some Old World enthusiasm will inspire the B.C. wine industry to try to look more long term at its challenges.

Italy has been at or near the centre of wine almost from the first accidental fermentation over 8,000 years ago and most certainly since Roman times. The span of millennia has given Italian wine a perspective we in B.C. can only dream of as we stumble through the aftermath of the pandemic, devastating winter freezes, summer wildfires, a fickle economy and worrisome political events across the globe.

Many Italian wines trace some of their lineage back to Roman times and beyond. Today, a decade of generational ownership is not unlikely at some wineries, while some of the country’s most famous producers have over 20 generations of winemaking history. It hasn’t been all good times for wine. The fall of the Roman Empire led to decreased production across the land, while the Middle Ages saw wine consumption shrink to the churches, mainly kept alive by the monks and doctors.

The Renaissance marked a return to science, art, culture and wine, each helping to launch an extraordinary age of Italian life. By the late 1800s, the wines of Chianti and Piemonte were on the rise before Mother Nature once again stepped in, introducing the likes of numerous vine calamities, including the all-consuming phylloxera louse, which came close to wiping out most of the European wine landscape. Throw in two World Wars, a recession and a pandemic, and surprisingly, we arrive at modern-day Italy.

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In 2023, the production value of all Italian wine was about 11.6 billion euros, 7.3 billion of which came from exports. Italy leads the world in wine production by volume (20 per cent of the total), followed by historic competitors such as France and Spain (14 per cent each). While wine, in general, is fending off every other alcoholic beverage and a growing non-alcoholic market, Italian wine is having a moment globally.

The diversity in Italian wine is mind-boggling and a big reason for its current success. In a wine world dominated by Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian winegrowers have diligently protected their past and future by cultivating the most extensive collection of native grape vines. Some 600 indigenous grapes have been identified and documented, and hundreds more have yet to be classified, bolstering Italy’s wine repertoire, leaving it as robust as it is interesting. Beyond that, the attractive nature of Italy’s vineyards and grapes appears to be reversing a mass exodus of young people to the cities, enticing an increasing number back into the business to work locally and sustainably to live and protect their wine culture and way of life.

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And speaking of the culture of wine, nobody is more bought into Italian wine than Italians. I take my watch off whenever I’m lucky enough to be in Italy. It’s not so much that time stands still but rather that it moves at its own pace and almost always includes more than 60 beats per minute. Italians are passionate about their wines, the grapes they are made from and the regions where they grow. For every Barolo or Chianti, there are hundreds of other wines to discover that tell their story in a glass, especially when served alongside the local fare.

The Italians spend little time thinking about pairing wine and food. They generally serve what comes naturally or locally in their region. There is a simplicity and clarity of flavours on the plate, making Italy an oasis of wine and food matching. Often, only one or two flavours are present on any plate and rarely more than three; this reliance on simplicity and uncluttered flavours gives Italian cuisine its broad appeal.

If you attend wine festival, you will quickly sense the buzz in the room. Much of it will emanate from the 71 Italian suppliers working the tasting room floor. Best of all, it is infectious and, as mentioned, we could use a little buzz in B.C. It is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in their wine culture for an evening and come away with renewed interest in wine and what has been happening in B.C. See you in the tasting room.

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Italian diversity

So many wines are made in Italy that covering them all in any single story is impossible. We encourage you to seek some diversity while in the tasting room and look to taste a wide variety of wines. Here is a list to get you started.

• Cantine Aldegheri 2022 Lugana Ca Perlar le Riserve, Veneto $26.99

• Altesino 2018 Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello $64.99

• Tenuta di Arceno 2019 Strada al Sasso Gran Selezione Chianti Classico, Tuscany  $74.99

• Marchesi di Barolo 2019 Barbaresco Tradizione, Pedmont $73.99

• Bocale di Valentini 2016 Montefalco Sagrantino, Umbria $70

• Boscarelli 2020 Prugnolo Rosso di Montepulciano, Tuscany $36.99

• Bosio 2021 Passato Roero Arneis, Piedmont $26.99

• Bottega Gold N/V Prosecco Brut, Veneto $34.99

• Damilano 2021 Langhe Arneis, Piedmont $29.99

• Fontanafredda 2019 Serralunga d’Alba Barolo, Piedmont $49.99

• Frescobaldi 2018 CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello $60.99

• Masi 2021 Dogliani Papa Celso, Piemont $55

• Masi Agricola Serego Alighieri 2015 Vaio Amarone $95.99

• Medici Ermete 2020 Concerto Lambrusco Reggiano, Emilia Romagna $21.99

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• Michele Chiarlo 2022 Gavi di Gavi Rovereto, Piedmont $38

• Monte del Frà 2020 Custoza Ca del Magro, Bardolino $24.99

• Ricasoli 2020 Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Tuscany $76.99

• Ridolfi 2020Rosso di Montalcino, Montalcino $38.99

• Rocca delle Macìe Tenuta Fizzano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Tuscany $49.99

• Tua Rita 2021 Tua Rita Redigaffi, Tuscany $371.99

• Umani Ronchi 2022 Casal di Serra Verdicchio Classico Superiore, Marche $21.99

• Vietti 2020 Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco, Piedmont $53.99

• Cantine Volpi 2021 Colli Tortonesi Timorasso, Piedmont $41

Locavore wines

B.C. wine producers will be under some strain for the next two or three years, making this year’s contingent an important part of the festival pouring wines that may disappear for a bit while the vineyards are reset. Remember, you can buy all the wines poured at the booths at the on-site liquor store. It is also a good chance to speak directly with producers across the province about what you can expect in the coming months and years.

• Bench 1775 2021 Syrah, Okanagan Valley $28.75

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• Black Sage Vineyard 2011 Pipe $29.99

• Blasted Church Vineyards 2022 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Skaha Bench $24.49

• Blue Grouse 2022 Chardonnay, Vancouver Island $31.99

• Bordertown 2019 Cabernet Franc Reserve, Okanagan Valley $50

• Burrowing Owl 2021 Merlot, Okanagan Valley $41.99

• Chaberton Estate Winery, 2022 Madeline Sylvaner, Fraser Valley $21.99

• Chronos 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley $29.99 Rosé

• Church & State Wines 2019 Roussanne, Black Sage Bench, Okanagan Valley $26

• Culmina Family Estate 2018 Hypothesis, Okanagan Valley $50

• Da Silva 2019 Legado Nobreza, Naramata Bench $105

• Fort Berens 2021 Riesling Reserve, Lilloett $33.99

• Frind Estate Winery 2022 Regent, Okanagan Valley $33

• Hester Creek 2020 Garland, Okanagan Valley $75.99

• Lake Breeze 2016 MacIntyre Ardua Merlot, Naramata Bench $80.99

• Moon Curser 2022 Arneis, Osoyoos East Bench $30

• Moraine Estate2022 Pinot Noir Naramata Bench, $28.99

• Nk’Mip Cellars 2022 White Mer’r’iym, Osoyoos $35.99

• Osoyoos Larose 2019 Le Grand Vin, Okanagan Valley $57.99

• Phantom Creek 2020 Petite Cuvee, Okanagan Valley $39.99

• Spearhead Winery 2022 Clone 95 Chardonnay, Kelowna $33

• Terralux Estate 2019 Meritage, Okanagan Valley $35

• Unsworth Vineyards 2022 Pinot Gris, Vancouver Island $25.90

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