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Valentini
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Montepulciano
The deep and dark wines made from the Montepulciano grape varietal have been hugely popular in Italy for over a thousand years, and remain popular to this day due to their large ripe flavors, and easy drinking character. Indeed, the Montepulciano grape is the second most cultivated red wine grape in Italy, with it being grown in twenty of the country's ninety five wine provinces. In recent decades, it has been cultivated in several other countries in the New World, in places with the correct warm and dry climatic conditions it thrives in. The Montepulciano grape has a low acidity, and medium levels of tannin, making it a smooth wine with a relatively light body, allowing the delicious flavors of ripened autumn fruits take center stage. It produces high yields, and matches well with many different foods.
Region: Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a fascinating part of Italy, and one which is quite ideal for viticulture. With a stunningly mixed landscape featuring mountains and coastlines, there is plenty of variation in Abruzzo when it comes to terroirs and climatic conditions. As such, across the region there are many different wines made with the grape varietals which flourish there, despite the vast majority of the region's vineyards being used only for Montepulciano and Trebbiano varietal grapes. As with many of Italy's ancient wine regions, the historic area of Abruzzo suffered a drop in reputation during the mid twentieth century. However, recent decades have seen a real effort made by the region's wineries when it comes to improving the quality and character of their wines, and today, the region is producing several impressive wines, packed full of character, history and tradition, alongside superb flavors and aromas.
Country: Italy
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.