tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post588696343214563279..comments2023-07-11T04:05:22.683-05:00Comments on Reflections on Wine: Understanding Italian Winetom hylandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15059595835440742055noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post-69556633070196621492010-09-20T09:05:08.795-05:002010-09-20T09:05:08.795-05:00I would like to say first of all congratulations t...I would like to say first of all congratulations to you Tom for a wonderfully insightful review, I found the original article by Matt Kramer fascinating but the subsequent comments, including your lengthy response eye opening. I would love to see this discussion continued. I am currently on an internship with Gruppo Italiano Vini in Calmasino di Bardolino, Verona, Italy. As part of my work here I am conducting a research project in which I am trying to understand how consumers perceive Italian wine. To anyone who would like to discuss this further, please visit my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001567541388 or http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001567541388#!/profile.php?id=100001567541388&v=wall&story_fbid=103395186389702 ... Here I am hoping to provide a forum for topics such as this to be discussed at length. <br /><br />Thank you and good luck with your writing career. <br /><br />Joseph SquireJoseph Squirehttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001567541388#!/profile.php?id=100001567541388&v=wallnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post-4720840694542860062010-08-13T12:56:54.648-05:002010-08-13T12:56:54.648-05:00Daniele:
I'm actually working on one, but I n...Daniele:<br /><br />I'm actually working on one, but I need to find a publisher. It's difficult now in the United States to do this.<br /><br />Thanks for the encouragement!tom hylandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15059595835440742055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post-29001331672669687512010-08-13T10:17:20.302-05:002010-08-13T10:17:20.302-05:00Tom,
your blog and newsletter are great, but you ...Tom, <br />your blog and newsletter are great, but you can do more to update America's view on Italian wines - why don't you write a book?! Com'on!!!<br />-Daniele NardiAtreyuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09053763331772622031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post-23547013641998582792010-08-10T18:53:43.282-05:002010-08-10T18:53:43.282-05:00Thanks for your comment - I'm glad you agree w...Thanks for your comment - I'm glad you agree with me.<br /><br />You do bring up a good point - that there are many French wines that are confusing as well. But apparently that's fine, as they are French, which I guess makes them mysterious. But it's a problem if it's an Italian wine!<br /><br />The leading magazines need to enlarge their coverage of Italian wines.tom hylandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15059595835440742055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post-63216158548820464902010-08-10T18:36:05.806-05:002010-08-10T18:36:05.806-05:00Thanks for giving your perspective. I've alway...Thanks for giving your perspective. I've always found French wine labels more confusing that Italian wine labels. However, with Italian regions and grape varieties (rather than labels), the confusion comes from duplicate names, such as Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the Montepulciano grape, or the fact, which you stated, that there are so many different native varieties and unknown regions. Further, Italy mislabels its wine often, such as with Trebbiano D'Abruzzo, which is often made with Bombino rather than Trebbiano grapes. This, as you are arguing, could be a case of poor education, in which we (the public) should know that Trebbiano D'Abruzzo wines are made using both Trebbiano grapes from Abruzzo as well as Bombino grapes, but that's seriously specialized information. The question is, who wants to learn this kind of specialized information? Well, me. And I bet most readers of Wine Spectator do too. Italian wines have tons of interesting secrets. The Pecornino grape and wines made with it are worth learning (as I myself learned only a couple months ago), and man are they great with seafood!<br /><br />So, I'm with you on this: Italian wines deserve more coverage by journalists and they should not be penalized for being unique. I think your point is important, and I think it's important to add that French wines are just as confusing, but who is man enough to admit that? Especially when there are so many articles written about them.Mattie John Bammanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15341904224807622530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post-48674213600915362062010-08-09T10:32:25.985-05:002010-08-09T10:32:25.985-05:00One other point:
I don't understand Matt'...One other point:<br /><br />I don't understand Matt's comment about " knowing the terrain when looking at a restaurant wine list." <br /><br />What exactly does that mean? That a wine list should only be represented by famous territories such as Napa, Bordeaux and Tuscany? What about a Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills? Do that many consumers know where this district is in California? Does it make a difference? Shouldn't consumers be constantly educated?<br /><br />I would believe that the wine list at A16, which Matt listed in his post, was put together to represent a mix of grape types, styles and wine districts. The fact that someone goes there and sees some wines that he or she is not familiar shouldn't be construed as a negative. We should praise restaurant wine buyers for selling wines that aren't everyday household names, just as we should praise vintners from Abruzzo, Campania, Lazio and other regions in Italy for continuing to produce wines that represent their land and their heritage.<br /><br />Again, if Matt has a problem with Italian wine labeling, then write about that topic in a constructive way. Don't take the easy way out and say you've never heard of a grape type, wine district or producer. That helps no one.tom hylandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15059595835440742055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post-66270914262226001072010-08-09T08:50:17.575-05:002010-08-09T08:50:17.575-05:00Thomas:
Thanks for your comment. I wonder why Mat...Thomas:<br /><br />Thanks for your comment. I wonder why Matt didn't reply himself, but you did include a partial statement from him. <br /><br />As for that statement, he's trying to have it both ways. He loves the wines, but finds them confusing. Again when a consumer looks at a wine list, what is he or she supposed to find? The same wines made from the same varieties over and over again?<br /><br />He said he hadn't heard of Pecorino. So I guess in Matt's opinion, a restaurant shouldn't carry this wine. Otherwise, I don't get his point.<br /><br />As I wrote, if you don't know about a certain wine, ask someone at the restaurant. Let's hope they are familiar with the wines they carry. <br /><br />Education is a great thing. Perhaps Matt should try more of these unusual Italian wines and write about them and not complain about the fact that these wines - or their districts - are unknown.<br /><br />I don't expect your coverage of Italian wines at The Wine Spectator to suddenly change so that white wines from Abruzzo, Marche or Piemonte, among others, become a dominant feature. But there is an awful lot more to Italian wines that Barolo, Barbera, Amarone and Brunello. I'd like to see that change in your magazine. I've stated that before and if Matt won't write about them, then I'm sure you can find others who can. <br /><br />I might even be available myself - you never know!tom hylandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15059595835440742055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840230708436051577.post-57307439963276940162010-08-09T08:14:47.835-05:002010-08-09T08:14:47.835-05:00Thank you for calling attention to Matt Kramer'...Thank you for calling attention to Matt Kramer's column on WineSpectator.com, and for championing Italian wine. I think, though, that your "disappointment" is misplaced. Matt is observing a problem pertaining to some consumers, not to the glorious diversity of Italian wines. Here is his response in the thread:<br /><br />"Personally, I'm with all the folks here who are exhilarated by the fabulous variety--and sense of discovery--available with Italy's wines. But I can understand, and sympathize with, more "normal" sorts who want at least a vague sense of knowing the terrain when looking at a restaurant wine list."<br /><br />Thanks for doing your part to educate people about these exciting, but sometimes confusing, wines.<br /><br />Thomas Matthews<br />Executive editor<br />Wine SpectatrAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com