Brunellogate: This wine scandal shocked Italy

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For a long time there seemed to be only one direction for Brunello di Montalcino: up. Nearly 60 years ago, only eleven wineries shared a viticultural area of ​​just over 60 hectares. Today, over 2000 hectares are cultivated and the number of producers has exceeded 250.

No wonder, because deep red wine from the heart of Tuscany has a unique profile with intense cherry flavors, full body, high acidity and an impressive number of fine tannins. One reason for this unique wine character is the strict rules that Brunello di Montalcino has to be made.

What was typical suddenly became atypical

Especially in cold years, Brunello, which is already quite heavy in tannins, can look more rustic, which significantly reduces the fun of drinking. By law, only the Sangiovese grape variety can be used in the production of Brunello di Montalcino.

Shortly after the turn of the millennium, the first reports emerged from wine journalists who were surprised by the lack of red fruit flavors typical of the Sangiovese grape variety in some Brunello. Even very early-accessible black berry wines, the almost jam-like aromas have raised doubts as to whether Sangiovese grapes were really used alone.

After a few clues, the Italian authorities launched an investigation at the end of 2007, but that investigation landed on the public’s radar. That changed with a report written on March 21, 2008, by, among others, wine critic James Suckling (64).

The investigation went public and several Brunello producers were accused of using illegal grape varieties. The purpose of illegal practices was apparently to bring the flavor profile of wines to a wider audience, thereby increasing sales.

More than six million liters were confiscated

The shock was profound when the Italian newspaper “L’Espresso” did the same a few weeks later, revealing that about 20 Brunello producers had concrete suspicions of fraud. As a result, several wineries decided to release questionable wines unclassified, resulting in lower prices than Brunello di Montalcino.

The scandal was relatively mild, although some producers were denied the right to print Brunello wines. It had neither a significant impact on the popularity of the wines nor long prison sentences. Today, the Brunellogate scandal is just an ugly footnote in history.

Source : Blick