Rioja has a long history of winemaking and in 1925 became the first wine region in Spain to obtain Denominación de Origen (DO) status. At both home and abroad, Rioja is most well known for the production of red wines.
Over the last quarter century, the total productive vineyard area of the Rioja D.O. has increased from ca. 40,000 ha to just over 60,000 ha. During this period black varietals have increased their area whilst white varietals have shown a small decrease. As a result, white varietals have moved from occupying 23% of the total productive vineyard area in 1985 to occpying only 6% of the total vineyard in 2012.
Over the last five years the areas of total black and total white varietals have remained more or less unchanged. Yet this should not be mistaken for a period of stasis in the vineyard. Following years of consultation, the Consejo Regulador for D.O Rioja allowed the introduction of nine new varieties in 2007. This led to a minor revolution in the vineyard, the results of which are only just beginning to be experienced.
White Rioja is produced predominantly from the varietal Viura (which is known outside of Rioja as Macabeo). In 2008 Viura accounted for 96% of the white varietals vineyard, but in the wake of the new regulations growers have taken the opportunity to replace Viura with other varietals. The apparent reason for this is that Viura, with its tendancy towards low aromatics and neutral characteristics, often yields wines which are of simple nature and soon forgotten. Only careful vine management, which usually means lower than average yields on sites away from the valley floors, can produce quality fruit. A small number of producers such as Allende and Marqués de Murrieta couple carefully selected fruit with barrel fermentation and battonage which yield complex wines capable of ageing, but these are perhaps of minority interest.
The traditionally permitted blending partners for Viura have been Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca. Together these account for less than 100 ha of vineyards, so supply is very limited. The Consejo Regulador revisions of 2007 permitted the use of three native white varietals, namely Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca and Turruntes. More controversial was the decision to allow plantings of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo, which are neither native nor traditional varietals. To date growers have tended to opt for the non-native varietals, with Tempranillo Blanco being the only new native varietal to be taken up to any significant extent. Verdejo is now the most planted secondary white grape varietal in Rioja.
Looked at in terms of export volumes, in 2012-13 Australia, the UK and the US were the three largest makets and were each importing 40 – 50 million litres of wine (the vast majority of it Sauvignon Blanc). The UK had been the largest market by volume for New Zealand wine since 1990, a position it has just given up to Australia. The recent sharp drop in exports of New Zealand wine to the UK is entirely due to a reduction of bulk wine exports from 27 million litres to the UK in 2011-12, down to 17 million litres in 2012-13. Over the corresponding period, bulk wine exports from New Zealand to Australia dropped by 4 million litres while bulk wine exports to the US increased by 1 million litres. The overall decline in bulk wine exports was a consequence of the smaller 2012 vintage (194 million litres produced, compared with 235 million litres the previous year). With 2013 providing the largest harvest ever, and a production of 248 million litres, some producers are likely to again turn to bulk exports rather than increase inventories. UK supermarkets’ own brand Kiwi Sauvignon may well still have life left in it and the UK could return to being the largest importer country by volume in 2013-14.
Yet for all the upbeat talk of volumes and revenues, it shouldn’t be forgotten that New Zealand wine producers have had their fair share of backruptcies and liquidations in recent years. Export values (expressed as NZ$/litre) to the three largest markets have declined significantly, even ignoring the effects of inflation, over the past five years. While this is only one factor affecting winery profitability, it remains an important one. Until this downward trend can be reversed, further consolidation within the New Zealand wine industry seems highly likely.
Exports have continued to grow and appear to be an increasingly important priority for producers. The Americas account for the majority of exports by volume, of which the US is by far the largest market. Europe has shown
In 1987 Sicily had 202,000 ha of wine vineyards. The following year the EU introduced a vine pull scheme in response to its structural problem of wine overproduction. This resulted in the uprooting of many Sicilian vineyards, so that by the beginning of the 21st century the Sicilian wine vineyard totalled ca. 138,000 ha. White varietals then occupied 78% of the vineyard area. During the early 21st century the total vineyard area has continued to decrease and had declined to 108,595 ha by 2012. Initially decreases were primarily due to the loss of white varietals, but more recently the overall ratio of black to white varietals has remained roughly constant at approximately 36% to 64%. There is though considerable regional variation. Western Sicily (provinces of Trapani, Palermo and Agrigento) contains 90% of the Sicilian vineyard, of which 71% is white. By contrast, in eastern Sicily (provinces of Catania, Messina, Siracusa and Ragusa), which contains only 6% of the Sicilian vineyard, 90% of the vines are black varietals.
White Varietals
Chardonnay is the most notable white international varietal in Sicily and is used to produce table wine, sparkling wine and even desert wine. Its growth pattern appears to have leveled off, as does that of the more recently introduced Viognier. Grillo has traditionally been used as a component for high quality Marsala. Increased recognition of its potential as a table wine has come about as clonal selections have helped reduce problems of coulure. Grillo’s presence in the Sicilian vineyard has shown impressive growth during the 21st century.
Compared with their white counterparts, black indigenous varietals have fared rather better in terms of retaining their place in the Sicilian vineyard. The most import black varietal, and the second most planted varietal in Sicily, is Nero d’Avola. Its area peaked in 2008 at 19,304 ha. Although this area had declined to 17,580 ha by 2012, this figure is still well above its area at the beginning of the centruy. Nerrelo mascalese and Narello cappuccio are both natives of Etna. Despite increased interest in table wines from Etna, both varietals have been in decline this century.
