Super Tuscans?

[Thomas]

At the risk of starting another firestorm, let me try to explain the so-called Super Tuscan.

It really is a marketing term and not a wine descriptor, but it does refer to a certain kind of wine. In Tuscany, they refer to the wine as an "international style," which is key to why we had that amazingly vitriolic conversation earlier.

The "international style" referred to is not so much grape varieties, although that is an important ingredient in the determination of whether a Super Tuscan or not, but in winemaking style--the Supers generally are big, powerful, extracted wines, often with a great deal of oak integration.

Importantly, products like the Supers are produced elsewhere in Italy, but the shift from local identity to "international style" I believe started in Tuscany.

Hope that helps.