Awsome Winemaker or War Criminal, You Decide!

[Thomas]

I believe him. My mother was from southern Italy, my father from northern Italian stock; she had a decided Greek temperament and he an Austrian one, complete with beer in hand. How the two ever got together is a family mystery.

[mrdutton]

As I understand it, Rome "stole" viticulture and winemaking from the Greeks.

[Thomas]

That's what I posted a couple of posts back. Wake up Dutton, and smell the Salice Salentino... .

[RAD]

Okay, so my earlier post wasn't my last in this thread. I found the following from an article by James Suckling in the archives of WS [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/rolleyes.gif[/img], which seems to support my thesis that new varieties can coexist with traditional ones.

>>Carlo Ferrini, a well-respected consulting enologist in Tuscany, looked slightly annoyed as he described how the region's indigenous grape, Sangiovese, appeared to be taking a back seat to such international varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in gaining the attention of wine connoisseurs around the world. "It is a genuine dilemma for us," Ferrini said during a dinner with three other wine producers at the one-star restaurant La Tenda Rosa in Cerbaia as we drank a silky 1990 Chianti Classico riserva. "Should we simply gain quick recognition through using international varietals, or should we focus our energy on Sangiovese, which is a uniquely Italian grape but takes much more effort to achieve good results?"

There was a minute of silence while the rest of the diners thought about his question. Then Francesco Ricasoli, the owner of Castello di Brolio and whose family created the original blend for Chianti Classico, vocalized what seemed to be the general view of the rest of us at the table. "We should not just keep to tradition and make only Sangiovese," he said. "Of course, Sangiovese is a variety, like Pinot Noir, which is almost impossible to duplicate in other wine-producing regions of the world, and it produces superb wines in Tuscany, but if Tuscany can be successful with other grape types then we must also make wines from them."<<

Beating a dead horse, [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/tongue.gif[/img]

RAD



[This message has been edited by RAD (edited 10-08-2000).]

[mrdutton]

Well heck, I was just trying to provide some support..........

I'd rather smell the Serrano and basil, especially when I use some to help make my brasciole. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]