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WINE NEWS / When
the King of Wines travels...
The following passages have been translated from
an essay entitled "How does the King of Nebbiolo fare when he
travels?" by leading Italian wine writer Franco Ziliani (published
this week in the Corriere Vinicolo, the Italian wine industry’s
weekly newspaper).
How are things going abroad for an Italian flagship
wine like Barolo? How is it doing in the principal foreign markets
(which speak English, not German) like the United States (14.4%) and
the United Kingdom (14.3%)?
During the current widespread economic crisis and
a weakened propensity to spend (factors that inevitably penalize top
wines), what is Barolo's state of health? Production of Nebbiolo,
the king of wine grapes, and the number of hectares under vine have
increased steadily in recent years—a sign of faith in the marketplace's
constant growth.
In order to understand better the problems faced
by Barolo, we decided to ask the opinions of some of the most important
merchants of Barolo and Barolo experts.
Our first call was to Sergio Esposito, owner of New
York's Italian Wine Merchants, the most important Italian wine store
[in the U.S.]. Esposito acknowledged that Barolo suffered a mild crisis
last year. At the same rate, as someone who sells not to average consumers
but to collectors who have cellars worth millions of dollars, he maintains
that things are going well for Barolo. What's more, he told us, is
that if the world of Barolo were to work together, it could enjoy
success similar to that of Bordeaux.
The real problem in the U.S., he said, is the overwhelming
influence of the specialized press, who tends to favor wines that
are ready to drink instead of wines that, thanks to their structure,
can evolve magnificently over time when cellared properly. As a result,
their readers drink great wines like Barolo as soon as they are released,
when they are too young and when they express only a small part of
their personality. Barolo would surely benefit if consumers were better
informed, he explained.
Visit Franco Ziliani's website here.
Related Wines and Links: Abbona,
Altare, Famiglia
Anselma, Bovio, Cascina
Ebreo, Ceretto, Clerico,
Aldo Conterno, Giacomo
Conterno, Conterno
Fantino, Paolo
Conterno, Alessandro
& Gian Natale Fantino, Gaja,
Giacosa, La
Spinetta, Marchesi
di Barolo, Bartolo
Mascarello, Massolino,
Parusso, Pio
Cesare, Prunotto,
Giuseppe Rinaldi,
Rocche dei
Manzoni di Valentino, Sandrone,
Scavino, Vietti,
Voerzio.
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