The United Kingdom is ''rediscovering'' Tuscan wine, with Made in Italy red wine exports were up 20% in value and 18% in quantity for 2007 with respect the previous year.
White wines also performed well with a 14% jump.
The news comes at the end of a vintage that saw Tuscan wine exports collectively increase by 5.6%. These are the most significant numbers that Tuscany has as they take off for the London International Wine Fair being held in the capital city until May 22.
Tuscany is one of the principal exhibitors at the show, with 11 producers in attendance. The wineries are being coordinated by the Agenzia di Promozione Economica Toscana Promozione, at Stand T20 in the Excel centre.
In the Tuscan area, sector operators can taste wines that made it past the prestigious jury of the VII Selezione dei Vini di Toscana the competition organized by the regional government every two years to highlight the best wine production in the territory and push Tuscan producers to reach even higher quality.
This very quality was illustrated today by English journalist Michele Shah during the seminar/tasting, ''A Regional Profile of Tuscany'' held at the exhibition centre.
Shah, who has lived in Tuscany for over 20 years and who writes for important magazines like Wine Spectator, guided participants in the discovery of the area's principal denominations and production areas: Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti and Maremma coast wines.
The goal of the seminar was to highlight the ''stylistic'' differences of each denomination, and present production and export data for the last ten years.
It was also a chance to ''travel'' through Tuscany's wine regions with the producers present at the show. (Agenzia per l'informazione della Giunta Regionale)
