The thing about IGT is that it’s given the opportunity for growers across Italy to get out those local grapes, dust them off, and make some quality wine out of it. IGT is a regional thing, so you get IGT Campania, or IGT Toscana. Within those IGT’s though, certain grapes more than others have become little stars that we’re all loving to drink across the globe.
Puglia’s the stunningly beautiful heel of the boot of Italy. The economy is based around agriculture. Think anything that likes the heat, so olives, tomatoes, and artichokes, oh and Primitivo too. For years this had been used as a filler for the softer, northern Italian wines, and was only known on it’s own under another name on the other side of the world – Zinfandel. IGT Puglia has given growers a chance to bring it back home.
Campania’s the same. Campania is basically the base of the shin on the boot. For years the ruler of the roost was Taurasi DOCG. Loads of people drank it, loved it, and hadn’t a clue which grape it was. IGT Campania now means that Aglianico is made in more affordable, but still high quality wines.
I could go on across the South of Italy. Calabria has its Gaglioppo, Sicily it’s Nero D’Avola, and so on. All these grapes are rising to fame thanks to the IGT system.
That can only be a good thing.
Cheers
