Italy: South Whites, including Sicily & Sardinia
2015: Gold 2 Silver 6 Bronze 2 Commended 6
2014: Gold 1 Silver 3 Bronze 4 Commended 7
There’s a real mixed bag of varieties here, from ‘internationals’ like Chardonnay and even Sauvignon Blanc, to the indigenous classics like Grillo, Fiano and Carricante. Our tasters enjoyed the combination of naturally ripe fruit and sea breeze-inspired acidity, and there were even signs that they felt that the more expensive wines were starting to deliver, too, which is a heartening development.
FOOTNOTE: Includes wines from Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily & Sardinia.
From the Tasting Teams
‘Fiano, Insolia and Cattarato are wines with varietal character that deliver real affordability and pleasant, even interesting, drinking at the entry level, but are increasingly showing their mettle with some good quality wines.’ Martin Lam, team leader
‘While we don’t really deal with Italian wines I could definitely place these on the list, I am a big fan of Fiano and Greco and they make lovely food wines.’ William Sheard, Donostia Restaurants
‘I think southern Italian wines are definitely growing in popularity. Many people will like these. They have structure and acidity.’ Gareth Ferreira, Launceston Place