THE DIVERSITY OF TERRITORIES AND GRAPE VARIETIES UNEQUALED IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THE SIMPLICITY OF PAIRING WINE WITH FOOD AND THE HISTORIC CHARM OF CERTAIN AREAS, THESE ARE THE FOUR ACES OF ITALIAN WINE, SAYS ANTONIO GALLONI, MR.WINE ADVOCATE EUROPE

Diversity of territories and grape varieties unequaled in any other country, simplicity in pairing food with wine and the historic (and exclusive) charm of certain areas- these are the four aces of Italian wine on the world market, as Antonio Galloni, Mr. “Wine Advocate” in Europe for Robert Parker, explained to WineNews. This vision is also endorsed by the U.S. market, the most important market for Italian wine today, where “it is true that for years,” said Galloni, “we have been looking for more and more wines from special territories and grape varieties, because now you can find good wines the world over, so our focus is on excellence that is often located in wines from unique territories and grape varieties.” 

And Italy dominates in this combination, to the point that, Galloni adds, “you can taste Italian wines for a lifetime and never get bored. There is also the Italian skill in pairing food and pleasure at the table that no other country can offer, which is a great opportunity”. Further, Italy has a history of wine, especially in some areas, that no one, except in some cases France, can boast: “the charm of the castle on a hill in the Chianti Classico, the walled city of Montalcino, or Piedmont for Barolo, which definitely take a hold on the public”.
But, says Galloni, the attitude in the territories must change. They must realize that the big wineries have the numbers but also have opened markets to support the smaller artisans who make excellent quality, and vice versa: “the biggest challenge for Italy is to fight the tendency to quarrel and let the public know about it. If you go to a producer in Burgundy, for example, and ask him what he thinks of his “neighbor” he will not say a bad word. They have the same controversies and discussions like anywhere else but keep them inside and keep their image intact on the outside - because certain details and issues should be discussed behind closed doors, so as not to unnecessarily destroy value”.

Focus - Antonio Galloni: The weight of criticism...
We asked Antonio Galloni, exponent of one of the most “ feared” wine critic journals in the wine world, “The Wine Advocate”, if he feels the weight of this responsibility when he tastes a wine and then reviews it. His answer? “At “Wine Advocate” we have always tried to appreciate the value of the many styles of wine and not choose the “best”. I have been working for Parker for five years, and have given top grades to totally different wines: in Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino of Soldera and Masseto; in the Veneto Dal Forno or Quintarelli wines; in Piedmont, Elio Altare or Roberto Voerzio, Giacosa or Conterno; in Friuli, Miani or Borgo del Tiglio, Gravner.
Our judgment is independent of the style; we are looking for excellence and personality in the wine. I would not want our criticism to affect how to make wine - that would be dangerous. The influencing factor does not depend on us, we work very hard, and then the market decides the value of our work. If our votes have some weight that means the market values our opinion. Our job never changes, it is always the same – we taste wines and say what we think, freely. We do not advertise and never have. The press, in general, might have an important role in the immediate, but not in the long term. The market is very intelligent, and it is the market that decides the value of the wine, not the newspapers. There are companies whose wine producers are “allergic” to the press and without great visibility and reviews, they sell wines at high prices because the market realizes that there is a value and is willing to pay, reviews or not. On the contrary, for instance, Australia that had received high scores not only from us is in big trouble with the wine market. This means that the market did not like that wine, going beyond the scores. It is normal to think that criticism can guide tastes, and perhaps it is true in the short term, but over time quality is rewarded beyond criticism, and this is noticed”.