WINE NEWS /
Survey Shows Italian Whites Most Popular for Summer
Although the love of wine does not die in
the summer, it does turn its attention to wines appropriate to the
season: a survey has shown that the whites of Friuli Venezia Giulia
are most popular, while those of Campania and Alto Adige came in
second and third,
respectively. Also popular are sparkling wines, and even reds sell
well in the hotter months. We can chalk the preferences up to traditional
associations: white wine is synonymous with freshness and is generally
envisioned with fish on the table. But wine drinkers are realizing
that wine varies as much as food: they take great care in how they
match their wine and food, yet there is an idiosyncratic tendency
both to over-categorize and to generalize too much. Many have broken
out of the molds, though, with non-traditional pairings like more
flavorful fish dishes with reds. Regardless, the overwhelming attitude
is that
wine
is
an indispensable
and ideal partner to any good meal and that it is best enjoyed in
that context.
Not surprisingly, those who responded to the survey were particularly
concerned with the price-quality ratio of their wines (their favorites
being the renowned Valentini’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and
Gravner’s Ribolla Gialla), but their choices also revealed
a fondness for niche wines and wines for connoisseurs.
The most cited wines in the survey were as follows: Planeta and
Bellavista tied for first place, followed by San Michele Appiano,
Ca’ del Bosco, Ferrari, Feudi di San Gregorio, Jermann, Castello
della Sala (Antinori), Donnafugata, Berlucchi, Venica & Venica,
Argiolas, Livio Felluga, Schiopetto, Mastroberardino, Santa Margherita,
Sella & Mosca, Umani Ronchi, and Cantina di Terlano. In short,
summer wine drinkers look for white wines from native varietals,
and they often break away from the usual, supposedly international
choices.
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