Planet Wine

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THE ITALIAN WINE INDUSTRY

When the Greeks colonized Italy, it was already known as Oenotria, the land of wine. This has not changed and only France produces more wine than Italy and that only in some years.

Basically the whole of Italy is wine country, with climates ranging from the cool and cold near the Alps all the way South to the heat of Sicily. Italy has made its name mainly through wines produced from its indigenous grapes: sangiovese and pinot grigio, rondinella and garganega, nebbiolo and moscato, amongst many others. These factors combine to allow Italy to produce highly distinctive wines which are appreciated all over the world. In more recent times, the warmer regions in the South have started producing wines in approachable New World styles. Also, in the 1970s, winegrowers started experimenting with merlot and cabernet sauvignon to add complexity to their sangiovese-based wines. These became knows as Super-Tuscan wines and now occupy the highest price points and gain the highest scores from wine magazines such as the Wine Spectator, Decanter and Wine Advocate.

The Riseccoli Estate is located in the Classico region of Chianti, the most renowned wine region of the 7 Chianti sub-regions. Their Super-Tuscan Saeculum di Riseccoli regularly attains over 90 points in reputable wine publications, their Riserva and standard Classico are more affordable but highly regarded and their rare Vin Santo is a delight of almonds, nuts, honey and apricots. Riseccoli also offer luxury accommodation in renovated farmhouses on the Estate. These can be viewed at www.quality-villas.co.uk under the "Italy" portfolio. They are called Villa Saeculum and La Riserva. Should you be interested in renting either of these, at preferential rates, please contact us at info@planetwine.co.nz. www.riseccoli.com

Roberto Anselmi, the owner and winemker of the Anselmi wines from the Soave region in Northern Italy is regarded as one of the leading white wine producers in Italy. His quest for quality above quantity has seen him clash horns with and step outside of the DOCG of Soave. www.robertoanselmi.com.

San Leonardo (established 1784) is rated as one of the Royal Family or Grand Cru producers of Italy. The estate is based in Trentino, in the Northern part of Italy, near the Swiss border. The cooler climate allows San Leonardo to produce Bordeaux-style wines of stunning quality and elegance. www.sanleonardo.it

Rivetto dal 1902 is the most recent addition to the Planet Wine portfolio. Rivetto is currently run by the 4th generation of the family. They are located near Alba, South East of Torino and produce fine wines from the Piemonte region: Barolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Barbaresco and Nebbiolo as well as Moscato, a fine Barolo Grappa and the traditional Chinato.
www.rivetto.it

WINES

Anselmi Realda Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

100% cool climate cabernet sauvignon from a small 1.5 ha single vineyard. Extremely elegant with superb structure and subtle oak treatment. 18 months in Troncais barriques.

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