The Italian wine industry is one of the most important economic sectors in the country and employs over 500,000 people. There are also tens of thousands of jobs in wine tourism or marketing. For a long time, “wine” was the only active item on the Italian agricultural balance sheet. Italy is one of the largest wine exporters in the world; With the exception of champagne, however, hardly any imports are made.
Classics and specialties
The Italian wine regions are extremely diverse, and so are their wines. Established varieties such as Merlot, Syrah or Sauvignon can be found on just 15 percent of the total vineyard area. The remaining 85 percent are reserved for autochthonous, i.e. indigenous grape varieties. Over 2000 different grape varieties grow under the most varied of conditions and are pressed using various techniques to make wines that are in the top league of the international wine market.
The land of wine – officially
Italy is one of the oldest wine-growing nations in the world. The beginnings go back to 1000 BC. The Romans cultivated viticulture throughout Europe, but in the land of the Roman Empire it was the Greeks who brought the grapes with them and gave Italy the name “Oinotria Tellus” – the land of wine.
A question of setting priorities
Even during the Roman conquest, there was still time to exchange grape varieties and knowledge of cultivation methods and processing techniques. The center of viticulture was the areas south of Naples, from where viticulture quickly spread to all provinces of the empire.
Collapse and resurgence
With the empire, the trade network of wine producers also collapsed. The wine culture fell into oblivion and was only cultivated by the monks of the Roman Catholic Church: officially to ensure the stock of mass wine. When the rich cities of northern Italy monopolized the wine trade in the 11th century, Italy rose again to become Europe’s most important wine supplier.
Regional, individual and above all traditional
Italian wine is held in high esteem all over the world, but the Italian winemakers, above all, have high demands on themselves. They carefully combine modern knowledge with old traditions and, despite their old knowledge, are curious and open to new innovations. The winegrowers attach great importance to giving their vines the right soil, and so some people forego a high-yielding variety when a less well-growing one delivers better wine. Pure passionata!