421 Reasons to Drink Italian Wine in 2016

3 Glasses? Yes, please.

Parker has points. Gambero Rosso has glasses.

3 Glasses, to be exact. That’s the top distinction awarded to some of Italy’s best wines by Gambero Rosso, a rather famous Italian journal that celebrates the hedonistic pursuit of food, wine & culture.

Every year in the Fall, Gambero Rosso announces their short-list of Tre Bicchieri winners (pronounced “tray bee-kee-AIR-ee”, which means “3 Glasses”).  These are the wines that are judged as the best from a massive collection of 22,000 wine contenders from 2,400 Italian wineries. Taste testing 22,000 wines over a 6 month period is a rather daunting task.

This year just 421 wines earned the Tre Bicchieri distinction. That’s the top 2% of all wines taste-tested.

Releasing the good news.

Gambero Rosso “previews” (leaks out) the list of Tre Bicchieri winners, one region at a time every few weeks, until all of Tre Bicchieri winners are announced with great fanfare in Rome.

They publish a hefty wine guide called Vini d’Italia listing all of the wines receiving an award, with detailed information about the producers, winemaking methods, contact info, and other info useful for fans of vino Italiano. They publish the Italian version first, then follow-up with an English version in the Spring.

Wines are categorized in an easy to read table, with winning wines receiving either a One, Two or Three Glass designation:

	Uno Bicchiere A good wine within its category. Great for everyday drinking.
	Due Bicchieri A very good wine within its category. Special, tasty, and really quite nice.
	Due Bicchieri Rossi A very good wine within its category and also made it to the Tre Bicchieri final tasting. These “almost 3-glass” wines are often a good value.
	Tre Bicchieri An excellent wine within its category, and the top award. Italian wine fans in-the-know seek these out.

What’s the big deal?

It’s tough to be objective when tasting wines, and even the best known wine critics like Antonio Galloni and James Suckling have palates that differ from yours, no doubt.  Still, it’s a pretty sure bet that a Tre Bicchieri winner is going to be a crowd pleaser.

And that’s why these awards matter – if you’re a wine producer and your wine receives a 3 Glasses award from Gambero Rosso, break out the bubbly (Franciacorta will do).  You can charge a bit more for your wine, and rabid wine importers will beat a path to your door to buy out your inventory.

Drinking well in 2016.

Whether or not you’re a believer in wine scores and all the wine critic hubub, you can pretty much select any wine from the list below and happily enjoy some of Italy’s finest wines in 2016.

Not all are available in the shops yet, and some may already be sold out. Check online wine shops or ask the Wine Director at your local wine shop.  If there’s a particular wine you’re looking for but can’t find it, contact me – I can help.

Get your own copy of Vini d’Italia 2016.

You can pick up a copy of the 2016 edition of Vini d’Italia in our online shop. The Italian version is available now, followed by the English version (called “Italian Wines 2016”) when they get around to translating 1000+ pages of Italian wine reviews; Usually it’s out by March.  Yes, the Italian version is usable, even if you don’t speak Italian – just check out the 1, 2 or 3 glass ratings summarized for the 2,400 wineries reviewed. There’s also good info on how to contact or visit the winery, total wine production, website addresses and more.

Order your own copy of the Italian Edition of Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia 2016.

The 2016 Tre Bicchieri (3 Glasses) Winners:

Sorted in alphabetical order.

You can learn more about Gambero Rosso and their annually published Tre Bicchieri list on their website at www.gamberorosso.it.