Q&A: Wine & Food Questions
Super Tuscon Wine
Super Tuscons are among my favorite wines. Since all the grape varieties that comprise this wine are also grown in California, including the Sangiovese grape, why doesn't California produce a Super Tuscon and if they do, can it be called a Super Tuscon?
Answer From Expert Roger C. Bohmrich, MW
The so-called Super-Tuscan concept dates from the late 1960s and early 1970s as a response to restrictive regulations with respect to permitted grape varieties, mainly in the Chianti Classico area. The term has evolved, and the number of these wines has multiplied, even though the term has yet to be defined or controlled other than by prevailing practices (notably, the grapes that are included and their proportions). Some of the most famous wines called Super-Tuscans do not include Sangiovese and rely instead on varieties originating in France (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot). With respect to California, there is nothing preventing a winery from making a Super-Tuscan, presumably from Sangiovese and other Italian varieties. I suspect, however, that it would never be used widely since California today, unlike earlier in its history, stands on its own reputation, and not on the protected names of European regions or wine types. This is part of the explanation for the adoption of the trademarked term "Meritage" in California to replace "Bordeaux blend."
About The Expert
Roger has enjoyed a lengthy career in the wine trade as an importer and retailer, and at present he is an educator, speaker and consultant. He set up and managed Millesima USA, a New York merchant affiliated with Europe's leader in direct sales of fine wines to consumers. Previously, he served as senior executive of Frederick Wildman & Sons, traveling regularly around the world to visit wineries and taste the new vintage from barrel. Roger became one of America's first Masters of Wine in 1993.
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