The 90s: Growing For Greatness or Grappa

Many growers “started to believe” in the 90s which became a pivotal decade in the period of the Italian wine revolution. Growers were forced to make critical decisions, sometimes very financially tough ones that affected their family’s future. Should they mortgage their house to invest in a winery and vineyards that would grow for greatness or would they contribute to the Italian “lago di vino” and over-crop grapes, making thin bulk wine for distillation. Families were literally torn apart over which path to choose as a growing number of producers quickly realized that the future would demand more quality than quantity from their products. Even the Italian government knew that bigger was not always better when it came to wine production. It began to offer incentives to land owners to pull grape vines from their land and replant them with other crops to help decrease the amount of “schlock” wine that was produced in gargantuan proportions in the mid 80s through early 90s. Many of those that decided to pull up grapes got out of the wine business all together, while others decided to replant with better clones and with different, more cutting-edge techniques to inspire quality.

But what else happened to get the fire started? The rest of the world began to take note that countries like Australia and Chile were making very drinkable wines for very reasonable prices, the foundation on which Italy had previously built its reputation. These countries from below the equator began to pump very drinkable wines into the world market via what seemed to be an endless pipeline straight through the ocean. Chilean merlot retailing for US$3.99 was on par with more expensive basic chianti and chardonnay made with the consumer in mind was finding much more favor than Galestro. As U.S. importers had to constantly defend Italian wines to U.S. retailers and restauranteurs, the discussion turned back to the producers. “Get it in gear or forever grow for grappa!”, chanted the importers and distributors. Italian wine importers demanded more from their producers and let them know that Chilean merlot and Australian chardonnay were fast becoming popular with consumers, which, in turn, meant important cash flow.

The message in Italy was heard loud and clear. In the early 90s, consulting enologists such as Riccardo Cottarella and Franco Bernabei were called upon primarily in Tuscany to help style wines that would be more appealing to foreign markets. New-world wine drinkers now demanded cleaner, more modern wines and more up to date winemaking would need to be employed to meet those demands. A young upstart wine broker based in Florence named Marc De Grazia prodded, poked, and convinced his producers to truly believe in their vineyards and began shipping thousands of cases of stunning nebbiolo and sangiovese all over the world that made consumers’ jaws drop. Increased interest in Italian cuisine around the world also helped expose millions of people to wines that almost never left Italy. The best Italian restaurants in major cities must take much of the credit for exposing previously unheard of wines to consumers. By the end of the 90s exotic white wines that once never left Friuli began to show up on the tables of the best Italian restaurants in New York. Shelves at the best retailers in Tokyo had 30 chianti classicos that would make anyone’s list of wine all-stars. By the end of the 90s many Italian winemakers had achieved “rock-star” status in wine circles and the international press finally realized that Italy was more than a two-trick pony. Not only did the growers believe; they started to act on their beliefs.