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Winery
Vinosia
Vintage: 2008
2008 saw very high yields across wineries in much of the southern hemisphere, as a result of highly favorable climatic conditions. Although in many areas, these high yields brought with them something of a drop in overall quality, this could not be said for South Australia's wines, which were reportedly excellent. Indeed, the 2008 Shiraz harvest in South Australia is said to be one of the most successful in recent decades, and western Australia's Chardonnays are set to be ones to watch out for. New Zealand's Pinot Noir harvest was also very good, with wineries in Martinborough reportedly very excited about this particular grape and the characteristics it revealed this year.
Pinot Noir also grew very well in the United States, and was probably the most successful grape varietal to come out of California in 2008, with Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley delivering fantastic results from this grape. Elsewhere in United States, Washington State and Oregon had highly successful harvests in 2008 despite some early worries about frost.
However, it was France who had the best of the weather and growing conditions in 2008, and this year was one of the great vintages for Champagne, the Médoc in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes leading the way. Italy, too, shared many of these ideal conditions, with the wineries in Tuscany claiming that their Chianti Classicos of 2008 will be ones to collect, and Piedmont's Barberesco and Barolo wines will be recognized as amongst the finest of the past decade.
Varietal: Fiano
Fiano varietal grapes have been cultivated in the Campania region of Italy for thousands of years, where they thrive under the warm Mediterranean sunshine and reach full ripeness on the superb terroir the region holds. Historians believe that Fiano grapes were a favorite of the ancient Romans, who adored the fact that these pale skinned fruits contained such deep, complex and fascinating flavors, often including dark honey, hazelnut and various spices – something unusual for white wine grapes, and something which made them famous and prized across the ancient Roman empire. Today, the grapes are cultivated in the New World as well as the Old, and are still prized for their unique character and strong, large flavors balanced nicely by a delicate floral aroma.
Region: Campania
Campania may well be Italy's oldest wine region, with a history which spans over three thousand years and has endured throughout the rising and falling of empires. Today, the region's wine industry is as strong as ever, and consistently producing excellent wines of character and distinction, thanks to the dedication the wineries of Campania have for quality over quantity, and the love they have for their traditions and time honored practices. Of course, the region is helped enormously by the ideal climatic conditions it receives on the west coast of Italy, and the fact that the soils of Campania could be amongst the finest on earth for viticulture. For thousands of years, Campania has been the beating heart of the Italian wine industry, and this is one thing which is unlikely to change any time soon.
Country: Italy
Italy is recognised as being one of the finest wine producing countries in the world, and it isn't difficult to see why. With a vast amount of land across the country used primarily for vineyard cultivation and wine production, each region of Italy manages to produce a wide range of excellent quality wines, each representative of the region it is produced in. Any lover of Italian wines will be able to tell you of the variety the country produces, from the deliciously astringent and alpine-fresh wines of the northern borders, to the deliciously jammy and fruit-forward wines of the south and the Italian islands. Regions such as Barolo are frequently compared with Bordeaux and Burgundy in France, as their oak aged red wines have all the complexity and earthy, spicy excellence of some of the finest wines in the world, and the sparkling wines of Asti and elsewhere in Italy can easily challenge and often exceed the high standards put forward by Champagne. Thanks to excellent terrain and climatic conditions, Italy has long since proven itself a major player in the world of wines, and long may this dedication to quality and excellence continue.