glass of vintage Champagne, followed by a Burgundy, and then a Apstein says, “Unlike grand cru white Burgundies, there are precious few Italian whites that require a decade to hit their stride.” Here are some of the best Italian wine producers that make collectible white wines: Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia Typical Characteristics: Rich, dense, and powerful. According to the report, annual global wine production stood at 27.421 million tons, and 96% of the total global output came from the top 15 wine producing countries. Producing approximately 1.5% of the world’s wines, however, makes them a force to be reckoned with, and their sights are well and truly set on further growth over the next few years. All Rights Reserved. What makes this producer so popular among serious collectors is that Gaja wines age especially well. But everything changed for him when he tried Masseto at a recent tasting event. Typical Characteristics: Complex aromas, refined tannins, and a velvety finish. Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese (and Merlot for the Masseto and Le Volte labels). Ageability: 5-10 years. 200 Green Street Likewise, mature Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello di Montalcino typically appeal more to those who already collect Old-World wines, as these usually taste more elegant and subtle. Recently, one of these collectors in particular has made it a goal to start tasting wines from a variety of areas, and he has become much more open-minded about Italian wine, branching out to try offerings from other great producers like Bruno Giacosa and Vietti. Notable Recent Vintages: 2010, 2012, 2013. This is a great wine for collectors who prefer to drink their own wines, or who have enough willpower to wait patiently for their bottles to mature so that they can resell them later. We Recommend Trying: Black Label. This is why we recommend starting off small at first, beginning with the best Italian wine producers in the classic regions of Piedmont and Tuscany. Heir to a winemaking tradition that has its roots in ancient Greek civilization, Puglia has always been one of the most exuberant viticultural areas of Italy. Best for: New-World wine lovers who want to try Italian wine. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. Typical Characteristics: Intense, complex, and well-balanced. This was a distortion of Italian reality, it also meant Sangiovese was often unable to express its own character,” argues Walter Speller. VIA this year launched the seventh edition of its Certification Course and today counts 215 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 15 Italian Wine Experts. Solaia’s sublime quality highlights how Tuscany shined so, so brightly in the 2015 vintage, which is why five of the Top 10 Italian Wines of the Year came from Italy’s premier wine region from that year. OperaWine 2020 is scheduled to take place on April 18 2020, in Verona. Position on the Power 100 List: 88. These seven Italian producers and labels on Liv-ex’s Power 100 list are each excellent, but they are by no means the only producers worth trying or collecting. While Ornellaia often isn’t as high in value on the secondary market as Masseto, it tends to be slightly more elegant in style, making it appealing to those who drink other Old-World wines. Established in the early 20th century, Domaine Armand Rousseau played a key role in shaping wine production as we know it today. Italy's Top Wine Regions . As much as he wanted to store this wine long-term, he couldn’t resist the temptation to drink them. It’s common for even the most experienced collectors to struggle when learning about Italian wine. His Collina Rionda Barolo DOCG ($963) takes second place in our "most-expensive" list. Knighted sommelier Shelley Lindgren, from A16 pizzeria in San Francisco, matches her favorite wines by small Italian producers with zodiac signs for your 2021 Italian wine horoscope. Vie-Del Completes Acquisition of Constellation Brands’ High-Color and Standard Grape Concentrate... Republic National Distributing Company Board Member Alan Dreeben Retires. Italy is not only the largest wine-producing country in the world by volume (ahead of France with about 5 billion liters produced in 2016 against France 4.5 billion), it is also the uncontested champion of wine diversity, counting with more unique grape varieties than any other countries on Earth.. OperaWine 2020 is scheduled to take place on April 18 2020, in Verona. In this year’s edition, Wine Spectator featured 11 new producers who will pour their wines for the first time at OperaWine 2020 and 10 wineries that will be returning to the event after a hiatus of a few years. The most recent 2017 Power 100 list included seven of the best Italian wine producers and labels in the country, including Masseto, Sassicaia, Gaja, Solaia, Dell’Ornellaia, Antinori Tignanello, and Giacomo Conterno. Notable Recent Vintages: 2010. In addition to these iconic producers, I also recommend tasting Italian white wines like Etna Bianco, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, Müller-Thurgau, Vermentino, Verdicchio, as well as Franciacorta, Lombardy’s traditional-method sparkling wine. While certain wine styles and subregions may have had different growing conditions, overall, the following recent vintages produced the most age-worthy, collectible wines all over the country: If you’re looking for vintages that produced excellent early-drinking wines, then you’ll want to consider wines from the following years: Research each vintage before you invest in any wines, especially if you’re going to store them long-term. Liv-ex founder Justin Gibbs explains, “It has top scores, the supply is limited, and it seems to be successfully distributed through ‘La Place.’” Masseto is both an excellent source of profit for serious collectors and a delicious, complex wine for drinking. Top Barolo & Barbaresco producers During 30 years of visiting the Barolo area, I’ve witnessed the shift from old-school wines to more modern styles. Notable Recent Vintages: 2011, 2007, 2006. Varieties: Fiano. Of special interest is that this year the top-ranked selection for both magazines is an Italian wine. Varieties: Sangiovese. Our archives contain every Top 100 list from 2020 back to the debut year, 1988, with full reviews, including rank, score, release price, tasting note and recommended timeframe to drink. Villa Mangiacane. The obvious choice for the majority of collectors will be the estate’s cru Barbaresco, as it is the most valuable label and a big hit among wine critics. Here are some other Italian wine producers that craft legendary red wines in these areas: Region: Piedmont. The enormous fruit flavors in the nose made the attendee believe that he was drinking a late harvest California Cab. Key to finding whites you enjoy is to choose traditional Italian wines out of the most top italian wine producers trend is all., citrusy whites…choose Vermentino or Verdicchio, Gewürztraminer, or Müller-Thurgau from Alto-Adige Top producers from … Italian wine Industry! 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