On Friday, 28-February 2020, Wide Roots attended the Tre Bicchieri roadshow in New York City. The event was hosted by Gambero Rosso, a publication with a focus on the food, wine, and travel experiences of Italy.
Each year, Gambero Rosso recognizes “above average” Italian wines in its publication Vini d’Italia. The ratings are done through blind tastings; wines are rated with one, two, or three glasses according to quality. The most prestigious rating is three glasses, the literal translation of “Tre Bicchieri.”
The roadshow, a trade-only event that will visit 6 US cities, includes over 200 wineries from Italy that had been awarded 3 glasses for one or more of their wines. All 20 of Italy’s regions were represented, making the show a great opportunity to really appreciate the variety of Italian wines.
A few highlights from the show:
- Italy is truly diverse as a wine-making country. Its wines include indigenous and ancient grapes, along with more international varieties like Chardonnay and Merlot. Red, white, rose, sparkling…and quality to be found everywhere.
- There was definitely heavy representation from regions well known in the US, like Toscana (Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino), Piemonte (Barolo), and Veneto (Prosecco, Valpolicella). For me, as a wine enthusiast based in the US, the fun was in exploring the less represented regions. I tasted a beautiful Vermentino from Liguria, poured by the winemaker. Puglia seems to still be on the rise, with several high quality Primitivos, genetically the same as Zinfandel. And Marche seems poised for a breakout, with several different Verdicchios that are making the case to be world class white wines.
- One of my favorite moments was at the table of Centopassi, a winery from Sicily. The Catarratto, a white wine, was well balanced and had some character of the minerals from the land. The Nero D’avola was one of the best I’ve tasted. The winery itself dedicates each of its wines to a social cause; for example, victims of a massacre, or climate change.
- There was very little discussion of the coronavirus outbreak, with several people going as far as comparing it to the excrement of a male bovine animal. Given the rapidly developing situation, caution and good judgment are still the rule of the day. But attendees were very clearly there to celebrate Italian wine and the coronavirus could do nothing to mute that.
If you know and like Italian wine, I would encourage you to seek out some of the off-the-beaten-path wines. If you are just beginning to get familiar with wine and Italian wine, then consider taking a chance on a $10, $15, or $20 bottle of something that you’re not familiar with. Don’t worry about specific flavor profiles or food matching; see it as a low-risk way to learn something. If you are having Italian food then an Italian wine will probably be a good accompaniment!
Congratulations to all the winemakers recognized with the Tre Bicchieri award! I can say with confidence that it is well deserved.