Events

Great year for Gambero Rosso
October 2005

In the end of October Gambero Rosso together with Slow Food Editore presented Vini d’Italia 2006.

The nineteenth wine guide comes in difficult for Italy times, comment the publishers Daniele Cernilli and Gigi Piumatti. The country is faced with the overproduction crisis. But, on the other hand, volumes of high quality wines seriously increase every year.

Strong evidence to that is the record number of wines which received the top prize in Vini d’Italia. The system of rating comes in glasses, or bicchieri, best wines get 3 bicchieri. Of 15,476 wines from 2,126 producers, 246 got three glasses. By funny coincidence, all important statistical figures of 2006 end in 6.

Piemonte was the absolute leader in the number of awards, having scooped 56 prizes. It was partly explained by a great Barolo vintage in 2001 the wines of which are being released now (37 three glasses wines in Barolo alone). Second is Tuscany with 42 prizes, third is Friuli Venezia Giulia with 26 three glasses wines.

The wines of the year in Vini d’Italia 2006 are sparkling Bellavista Franciacorta Gran Cuvee Pas Opere ’00, white Ronco dei Tassi Collio Bianco Fosarin ’04, red Molettieri Taurasi Vigna Cinque Querce ’01 and sweet Murana Moscato Passito di Pantelleria Creato ’76.

The producer of the year is Arnaldo Caprai — Val di Maggio.

Gambero Rosso held a mega-tasting of 233 tre bicchieri wines at the Turin fair Salone del Vino. Out of 56 wines that I tasted the most memorable were the following six:

Puglia
Cantele Amativo 2003

Valle d’Aosta
Les Cretes Chardonnay Cuvee Frissonniere Les Cretes Cuvee Bois 2003

Veneto
Viviani Amarone della Valpolicela Classico Casa dei Bepi 2000

Piemonte
Elio Altare Cascina Nuova Barolo Vigneto Arborina 2001
Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sori S. Lorenzo 2001

Friuli Venezia Giulia
Bastianich Vespa Bianco 2003