How do trends in the wine world start? | New Brief #205

How could pinot grigio from Italy become such an export success? A grape that was barely even found in Italy 20 years ago. It appeared out of nowhere, was shipped across the Atlantic and became America’s most popular white wine.

A new DOC was created a couple of years ago. It covers almost all of north-western Italy and is primarily dedicated to pinot grigio. The grape is now one of Italy’s most planted and is rapidly getting closer and closer to sangiovese. But in most cases, it produces relatively unremarkable wines. How did this happen?

The success was a given in the United States as soon as the Italians put the name of the grape on the label. Pinot grigio, easy to pronounce but still wonderfully Italian. I do not think the French would have had the same success with pinot gris. It doesn’t have the same feeling to it.

You attract customers with the packaging, with a beautifully designed label. And with the grape name. Virtually all grapes have synonyms. Why not look for one that looks enticing on the bottle?

Think of the story with zinfandel and primitivo. The first is firmly rooted in California, the second in Puglia in southern Italy. What a boost it must have been for the producers when it was discovered that it is the same grape.

Both regions suddenly had a new grape to attract customers without having to replant the vineyard. Primitivo from California for customers who want to discover something new. In the United States, primitivo sounds more sophisticated. And Italian. Zinfandel from Apulia for those who think that primitivo needs extra everything. You can choose the name according to the target group.

You can also choose a synonym that will give an indication of the style of the wine. It has been done for a long time with shiraz and syrah. Shiraz on the bottle and the consumers will guess that the inspiration comes from Australia, with syrah, they will more likely think France. In Germany, they have their own name for pinot gris/grigio, namely grauburgunder. Another German synonym for the grape is ruländer, but then the wine is sweet. The name of the grape can be a wealth of information.

Because unknown grapes are so popular today, why not call your chardonnay morillon blanc instead, a synonym used in Austria? But also sometimes in Languedoc – we know at least one producer in Languedoc who does so – to (maybe) fool those who do not want chardonnay but instead something new and exciting. It worked on us. But it doesn’t matter. The wine was good.

But maybe it’s a tendency that is about to be reversed? Is the next trend to put the soil type on the label? We have already seen “schist” (slate) on labels. And a hot theme today is wines from volcanic soils. The fact that virtually all soil types (except the sedimentary ones) are volcanic, including granite, perhaps matters less?

In the Brief

This month we continue our series on organic wines and similar methods. This month’s two articles are about topics that are often misunderstood and often cause heated debate: biodynamic wines and “natural wines”.

If you want to know what these concepts stand for, without the controversy, with facts and with our analysis, then read this month’s articles. See more below.

In the Brief, you can read about plenty of other things as well, for example, about the National Wine day in Moldova, which you can participate in on Saturday, wherever you are.

Travel

It’s still calm on the travel front. Not totally “all quiet” but pretty close. We have just completed a fantastic trip to Sicily, an island with many surprises. And with volcanic wines.

Otherwise, it will be a wait until next year. We have some great classics on the program for spring 2021 and are just putting the final details in place for autumn 2021. If you want to plan long-term, the magnificent winter tours to the southern hemisphere will return in winter 2022.

See more below.

We look forward to the world eventually returning to a little more normal and to that you will soon start to crave travel again. We already feel it.

And when you long to get out in the vineyards, we hope you choose to travel with someone who specializes in wine travel, who can give you that exceptional experience, someone whose aim is not lure you to buy certain producers’ wines, and who really knows about wine.

You know who we mean, I hope.

We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Feel free to send us an email and tell us about your longing for the vineyards.

Enjoy the Brief!

Britt & Per

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