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Adulteration or enhancement? Italian prosecutor probing big-name Brunello producers
Here’s a potential scandal the wine world doesn’t need: An Italian prosecutor is has seized more than a million bottles in his investigation of whether some big-name producers of Brunello di Montalcino used unapproved winemaking techniques or grapes other than sangiovese in their wines, according to a New York Times story entitled ‘Bolt from the Blue’ on a Tuscan red.
The prosecutor is quoted in the story as suggesting some brunello di Montalcino makers “used different grapes to make the wine more tasty.” Wines the prosecutor impounded included bottles from some of the region’s biggest-name producers, including Antinori and Frescobaldi. (How deep are the roots of these two legendary producers in Tuscan soil? About this deep.) Here’s more from the NY Times story:
Why would anyone want to use unapproved grapes? “Very simple,” said Franco Ziliani, the Italian wine expert who helped spread the word about the scandal on his blog, vinowire.com. “Adding cabernet or merlot, which are more pleasant to the American palate, makes for a more appealing wine for the average consumer as well as critics.”
The American market, Mr. Ziliani said, is among the most lucrative and prestigious. Merlot in particular, he said, “makes sangiovese’s acidic tannins rounder, and more ready to drink,” and these grapes give these wines a darker color. Such wines regularly score in the high 90s with American critics, which usually translates into big sales. He and others believe winemakers in the region have been doctoring their brunello for much of the past decade.
Hmmm. If the practice IS widespread, let me ask: To what degree should we care?
If you’ve been buying a particular brunello over several vintages and liked the way it tastes, does it matter whether the wine had some other unapproved grapes in it? Does that practice amount to adulteration or enhancement?
I lean toward the camp that says each region’s rules DO matter — that the surreptitious addition of unapproved grapes, if it occurred, would amount to fraud. But a part of me whispers, “if it tastes good, who cares?”
Do you?
Mark Fisher
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Comments
By Bob
April 28, 2008 4:10 PM | Link to this
There is a huge market for the so called “super Tuscan” wines that are blends of the traditional sangiovese with merlot or cab or whatever they chose. I have no problems with these wines but they should not try to pass them off as Brunello di Montalcino . Look at Banfi. They are up front with all of their various blends. They actually seem to get more money for the blends like Summus, which is sangiovese, cab and syrah and Excelsus which doesn’t even have the sangiovese (its just merlot and cab). But they are very up front with what they are producing. Does that guarantee that they aren’t slipping something other than sangiovese into their Brunello, no but I don’t see why they would need to if they are up front with what their wines are. Personally I like all of them for different reasons. Since there are specific rules as to what is allowed in Brunello di Montalcino they should strictly enforce them. I would like Brunello to continue to be what it used to be. This is probably wishful thinking as the new world effect is changing so many traditional wines� but if the producers there want to make new world style wines with no traditional blends� go right ahead� just don’t pass them off as Brunello di Montalcino.By chiefwino
April 28, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this
If the producers would add a nutrition label including which grape and non-grape ingredients are included; there would not be an issue. Every other prepared/packaged food is required to be labelled. Wine will not receive broader acceptance among the general population until it stops hiding behind tradition and snobbery. Forcing consumers to learn which combination of grapes (or other enhancers-acid, sugar) are exceptable from a region is a form of the elitism that wine geeks continue to perpetuate. Some people want to know what is in their foods (calories, ingredients, flavorings, preservatives) others do not. Just give me the option in legible, standardized format.By MAP
April 28, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this
If they were in trouble locally for adding grapes, but it was clearly marked and labeled, I would say “who cares?” But if they’ve falsified their process and added something to the process it’s a slippery slope that has to be stopped early.By Tony
April 28, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this
Same discussion we had a few blogs ago: winemakers are under the influence of critics and consultants to cater to a common “universal” taste.By John
April 28, 2008 7:59 AM | Link to this
The question is can we rely on any label to keep us informed about what’s in the bottle if winemakers can just ‘enhance’ the flavor by adding something, be it grapes, or chemicals, that aren’t mentioned? What’s at stake here is the credibility of the winemaker. Trust is something very hard to win, and very easy to lose.