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 The Consortia of Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino have been jointly organising every February an Anteprima of their wines when the new vintages to be released are available for tasting to the Italian and international journalists, buyers, sommeliers and consumers. Traditionally, the Consorzio of San Gimignano has been also holding tasting for seven years of the signature white wines fermented from the local Vernaccia grapes, one day prior to this world famous trio of tastings.
With the Economic Promotion Agency of Tuscany, Toscana Promozione stepping in this year, not only did the San Gimignano tasting become a formal part of the ‘Tuscany Taste’ week but also joining were other areas of Tuscany, in a common programme entitled Anteprime de Toscana in which the visitors could taste practically from all the wine producing parts of Tuscany, the wines to be released in the market , according to the criteria set for the earliest release date as specified by the respective consortia. At most places wines from the vintage of 2013 could also be tasted from the barrel or the bottle depending upon the state of elaboration of the wines.
 This implied that not only the wines from the well established regions but also the emerging areas could be showcased. There was also a concurrent running of B2B workshops for the buyers under the programme called ‘Buy Wine’ in which the national and international buyers from the designated countries were invited to taste and perhaps order wines they deemed fit for ordering or to continue the serious dialogue.
A brief workshop on the Tuscan wines organised on February 15 was followed by a one-day programme- Anteprima Chianti and emerging territories associationsheld at the Fortes da Basso Spadolini Pavillion in Florence where there was a hectic activity with the journalists and buyers jostling with one another in otherwise relaxed settings in order to cover the maximum ground during the short period of a day. There were buyers who had already pre-fixed appointments but journalists could also touch base with the producers from all over Tuscany-except the other three of the main Consortiums.
Anteprime di Toscana of Chianti Rufina, Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Chianti Colli Senesi, Carmagnano DOCG and of Emerging Tuscan Terroirs that include DOC Bolgheri, Consorzio Terratico di Bibbona, Consorzio di Tutela Vini Elba (on the island off the western Tuscany), Consorzio Tutela Vini Doc Val di Cornia, Consorzio Tutela Montecucco (near Montalcino), Consorzio di tutela Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Consorzio Vini Cortona, Consorzio Valdarno di Sopra DOC were the other participants.
Those who wished to taste the wines privately could be served wines at their table in a separate room with the sommelier service.
Anteprima is organised in many wine producing regions of Italy. It is different than the annual En Primeur in Bordeaux where wines from the top Chateaux are tasted from the barrel to give an idea of how the wine is evolving in order to help establish a price for the wines payable in advance. Journalists, sommeliers and buyers congregate in Bordeaux in March-end to April- beginning to assess the 2013 vintage that may not be ready for release until 2-3 years later. In Anteprime, explicitly the wines with their earliest legally allowed date of release are tasted. For example, Brunello di Montalcino is allowed to be released on January 1 in the 5th year after the harvest. Therefore the 2009 Brunello di Montalcino was the Anteprima for this year even though some producers may not release it till Vinitaly in April, this Fall or even next year. Riserva of a year prior were available for tasting.
 Thus, the Chianti Classico Collection 2014 presented in the traditional venue of Leopolda for 2012 (though many producers offered 2011 vintage),where Gran Selezione 2010 were introduced for the first time since the government decree was passed in January this year. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2011 and Rosso 2012 carried the torch for Montepulciano. Similarly Rosso di Montalcino had wines from 2009 to showcase. San Gimignano showcased 2013 although many producers had 2012 because of their ageing programme.
This being the first year of joint collaboration under the state government umbrella ,it had a few stressful moments due to the lack of co-ordination with the various agencies and the confusion that arose because of the visitors lacking a clear orientation. However, the following days continued to be as professional as in the previous years, even as the visibility of Toscana Promozione was not in the fore.
As with any new programme involving hundreds of visitors across the globe, such glitches are unavoidable in the first attempt and one hopes to see a better programme co-ordination next year. Even though the event offered in the beautiful, The Event at the historic Fortezza might have been too much on the plate for a one- day event, it was an excellent way to showcase the other parts of Tuscany which also have plenty to offer –and at lesser prices as they are not very well known so far and have yet to create their own brand image.
Subhash Arora
Glimpses of Tuscany Taste |