Everything's Coming Up Super

This week everything seems to be “super” to me, from Jersey’s own Super Bowl champion Giants (hooray!) to a category of wine called Super Tuscans.

Super Tuscans are not big strong Italian men, although that wouldn’t be too bad. In the wine world a Super Tuscan is a red wine from Tuscany that uses international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah, either to blend with the traditional Sangiovese grape or as the main grape for the wine. They can also be produced using winemaking techniques that were not traditionally used in this region, such as aging in smaller oak barrels. The addition of grapes not indigenous to Tuscany and innovative winemaking creates a bolder style of Tuscan wine perfect for pairing with hearty Italian meals such as osso bucco and lamb dishes.

These Super Tuscans fall into a quality wine category created in 1992 called IGT—or Indicazione Geografica Tipica—which is clearly displayed on the label. The impetus for creating this new category of quality wines was the advent of two wines marketed by Antinori, an Italian wine firm. The wines, Tignanello and Sassicaia, were made using grapes and methods uncharacteristic for Tuscany in the 1970s. Tignanello blended Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese, while Sassicaia was 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. These non-traditional wines were forced to be labeled as simple vino da tavola, the lowest quality wine, yet were high-quality wines commanding high prices. In order to regulate these wines the IGT designation was established.

IGT wines come from all wine regions in Italy, not just Tuscany. The category includes reasonably priced wines, as well as the famed Super Tuscans, which sell for well over $100 per bottle.

Tags: Wine | Italy