Influence of technology on wine
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Technology has influenced the wine industry for millenniums. From the first use of new materials like pottery and glass to the advent of the Industrial Revolution and the age of machines, new technologies of the day have profoundly influenced how wine was made and consumed.
Give or take, modern winemaking is half art, history and tradition and half technology and science. Technology and science play a role in understanding and managing the variances of Mother Nature, as well as micro-managing the ripeness, fermentation and aging of wines. Science is also quite important in the selection and planting of specially selected vine clones. Every modern, large-scale winery has a laboratory that analyzes the wines during every step of winemaking.
In his autobiography Harvests of Joy, American wine pioneer Robert Mondavi stated that 鈥渕aking good wine is a skill; fine wine is an art.鈥 That was written decades ago, but is still true today.
Arguably, the biggest technological influence over the past decade has been the Internet and more recently social media. There鈥檚 no shortage of websites selling wine in China. Specialty wine websites like Yesmywine, Winekee, Winenice, Jiuxian, Vinehoo and Wangjiu all compete with traditional importers. Most traditional wine importers and sellers have also launched digital initiatives.
By anyone鈥檚 estimate, the sales of wines online are growing and the percentage of total digital wine sales in China commands between 35 and 50 percent market share depending on whose statistics you believe. Social media channels now significantly impact both purchasing decisions as well as fulfillment. While many social media wine decision influencers may lack expertise, you can鈥檛 deny their influence.
There exists an Italian wine region with styles of wines that Chinese social media influencers by in large have yet to discover; with this in mind, allow me to introduce Abruzzo.
Some three hours or so drive east from Rome is one of Italy鈥檚 most overlooked premium winemaking regions. Abruzzo is a resplendently beautiful region with rugged mountainous terrain and a long beautiful coastline offering numerous unspoiled and unpopulated beaches. A number of years ago, as a guest of the Italian government I spent a week in Abruzzo. I was a speaker at a regional wine conference and in between speeches and seminars, I had time to discover the hidden gems of this region.
Truth be told, everyone at the conference rightfully spent more time drinking wine than speaking. Though still relatively anonymous in China, the wines of Abruzzo have become quite chic among wine lovers in the US and UK.
Wines have been made in Abruzzo since the sixth century BC when Italy鈥檚 original gourmets, the Etruscans, first started cultivating wines in Abruzzo as well as Umbria and Tuscany. The Etruscans were one of Europe鈥檚 all-time great culinary cultures but their empire lasted a mere three centuries primarily due to their overriding love of food and wine. Despite their short reign, the Etruscans played a primary role in establishing central Italy as an epicurean paradise.
The first documented wine from Abruzzo was a Moscato sweet wine enjoyed in pre-Roman times and few centuries after, the region became known for exceptional red wines. Roman emperors and Renaissance painters liberally partook of and gained inspiration from the welcoming red wines of Abruzzo.
The Industrial Revolution and much of the 20th century were less kind to the wines of Abbruzo as a general decline in population and economy compromised regional significance. Yet even in these adverse times, the region continued to make notable wines. Then, approximately half a century ago people in Italy and elsewhere rediscovered the voluptuous reds of Abruzzo. The wines became especially popular in the developed markets of the US, Germany, the UK and Scandinavia. As we enter the new decade of the 2020s, I have an inkling the wines of this eastern Italy enclave will become increasingly popular in China.
Abruzzo makes some of Italy鈥檚 most appealing red wines as well as some enticing whites. The region boasts one DOCG wine, the Montepulciano d鈥橝bruzzo Colline Teramane, and three DOC wines; namely, Montepulciano d鈥橝bruzzo, Cerasuolo d鈥橝bruzzo and Trebbiano d鈥 Abruzzo. There鈥檚 also an up-and-coming region called Controguerra.
The main red grape of Abruzzo in Montepulciano, a grape widely planted throughout central and southern Italy. The grape has no connection to the Sangiovese-based wines of the Tuscan wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Stylistically, the concentrated, round and generous red wines of Abruzzo are ideal for the Chinese market and lovely companions to a host of hearty Chinese meat dishes.
My favorite Abruzzo reds available in Shanghai are the Gran Sasso Alta Quoto Montepulciano d鈥橝bruzzo DOCG and limited release Villa Fantini Edizione Collection and Edizione Autoctoni. The first is a classic Abruzzo wine while the latter two combine Montepuciano grapes from Abruzzo with Primitivo and other native grapes of Puglia. In boxing lingo, all three wines punch well above their weight class.
Another can鈥檛-miss wine of the region is the Umani Ronchi Jorio Montepulciano d鈥橝bruzzo DOC, a 100 percent Montepulciano wine with weighty red cherry and plum flavors and a silky-smooth tannic finish. Should you favor whites, Umani Ronchi also makes a delightful 100 percent Pecorino white wine.
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