The 100 most famous names in the world of wine

Few Italians among the 100 best known names of wine Gaja, Masseto, Onellaia, Sassicaia, Solaia, Tignanello and Zenato. At international level all the big ones

Di Donatella Cinelli Colombini

The complete list is in Social Vigneron, one of the most influential and best made blogs in the world with an army of followers: 397 thousand on Twitter, 23 thousand on Facebook, 46 thousand on Instagram. His author, Julien Miquel is a winemaker, communicator, influencer really brilliant. In 2015 his blog won the title of Wine blog award that is the best wine blog in the world.
For this reason I advise you to follow him to have a more international point of view but also to learn.

The influencers of wine to keep an eye on

Who wants to create his blog and who wants to be always informed about the news of the world of wine: here are the Top Wine influencer

Di Donatella Cinelli Colombini

The list comes from Sommelier Choice Award and therefore expresses the point of view of sommeliers, that is of a very, very demanding and English-speaking internet users. I have summarized some concepts but I invite you to consult the original article for all the information.
The influencers are of increasing importance, they create a trend, they guide the choices of consumers, especially young consumers. Their target is less elite than the great gurus, the super tasters of the Wine Spectator, Robert Parker and similar.

They speak a simpler language and not strictly related to the quality contained in the bottles. In the world of wine critics, infuencers are looked upon with great suspicion and sometimes with explicit condemnation mainly because social media channels do not have the same ethical codes of journalism and in fact are teeming with fake news and “viral incompetents”. Also the great Luciano Ferraro expressed himself with very tough terms against the influencers during the forum of young wine organized during the Milano Wine Week 2019. In fact, almost at the top of the list there was also his Divine blog that is really trendy.

The War of the Great Selection

The Chianti Consortium approves the Great Selection and the Chianti Classico Consortium, which created this type in 2014 is angry

di Donatella Cinelli Colombini

I must say that I have vineyards of Chianti both at the Fattoria del Colle di Trequanda and at Casato Prime Donne di Montalcino. I am therefore involved in the dispute “Gran selezione” with a clear advantage to produce this premium type with my grapes.

GREAT SELECTION OF CHIANTI CLASSICO FROM 2014 TOP OF THE QUALITATIVE PYRAMID

Putting aside the personal interest I try to look at the whole affair objectively, noting how risky it can be and in some respects counterproductive for Tuscan wine, which is going through a complicated period with declining sales and starving exports.
For years I have been witnessing with regret the difficulties of dialogue between the Chianti and Chianti Classico consortia. I had hoped that with the constitution of the IGT Toscana consortium led by the very good Cesare Cecchi and the equally capable director Campatelli, the reasons for friction were overcome. All Tuscan consortia meet in AVITO and also have a body with which they collectively organize participation in Prowein.

Expectations affect the perception of wine

Wine looks good or bad, white or red depending on how the taster sees it or expects it. There is no objective judgment if not blindfolded

DI Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Do you remember in school when good students got high marks even in the case of mediocre performances? We have all seen cases of this kind.
And it does not depend on the

professor having a favourite student but on the expectations that condition those who express the judgment.

THE UNCONSCIOUS  SENSORY PROCESSES

In wine it is the same: the good ones are always good and the mediocre ones are always mediocre. Regardless of the objective quality of the bottle.

It is not a criticism of the critics but a fact that Vincenzo Russo, professor of
neuromarketing at IULM in Milan and Italian expert on brain processes related to perception explains us with crystalline clarity. Objective perception only exists in a tasting without images, sounds, smells, … and even tactile sensations that interfere.

In fact, 50% of brain cells serve visual informations. Seeing the label of a wine that pleases affects the other senses but even less is  necessary to obtain an alteration of the gustatory perception like being in an environment illuminated by red or green light, listen to music dominated by serious or acute sounds… to alter the taste.