Italy makes more wine than any country on Earth. Yet for most of the 20th
century, people thought of France first when they thought of fine wine.
Italy wasn’t unified until 1861, and the fragmentation that lingered from
its divided past slowed down quality standardization — then a 1986 methanol
scandal cemented a “cheap wine” reputation.
But that very fragmentation eventually became a strength. Because it was
never standardized, Italy kept hundreds of native grape varieties — and when
the world started chasing diversity, those varieties earned a second look.
#wine #winehistory #historyshorts #italianwine #superTuscan
