Wine, if the producer’s brand is stronger than the denomination and brand “Italy”

For a system like that of Italian wine, which bases its structure on the system of denominations, the belonging of a label to a PDO or PGI is, without doubt, an added value. As it is, in itself, the “brand” Italy. Yet, some of the greatest wines of the Belpaese, especially those that make people talk about themselves for their performance in the market of investments and auctions, have brands now so strong as to go beyond the territory and Italy, recognizable to the point of providing almost “shadow” to the brand of their denominations, or of the Belpaese itself. This is one of the reflections, at WineNews, of Tom Hyland, the historic enological signature of “Forbes”, the most widely read and influential economic magazine in the USA and beyond, which has been writing about Italian wine for over twenty years.
“It is a good thing, for Italian wine, that Sassicaia, as well as Masseto and Gaja wines, for example, are enjoying great success, proves that Italy can produce great wines. But - Hyland brakes – let’s take the case of Gaja: it is first of all the wine of Gaja, only secondly it is a Barbaresco, and this also applies to Sassicaia and Masseto (which is even a Tuscan IGT, ed.). They are unique wines that are approached by investors and collectors who consider them as alternatives to Bordeaux and Burgundy, rather than as expressions of Italian viticulture. They are brands so powerful that they overshadow both the denominations they represent and the Italian brand itself. It is certainly a positive phenomenon, but not representative of Italian wine, especially because, when we talk about Masseto and Sassicaia, we talk about wines produced with international varieties”.