Ryan Robinson, Director of Education, Brescome Barton and Worldwide Wines.
By Ryan Robinson, Advanced Sommelier-CMS, WSET Diploma and WSET Educator
When I think of wine habits in Southern New England, I’d be hard pressed to define a specific identity as each state is so uniquely different. But, if you want to understand the wine culture within the same geographic area, a front-runner starts to universally emerge: Italy. Of course, wines of France still carry prestige, California definitely dominates shelf space. But in Southern New England, Italian wine holds a different kind of power. It doesn’t just sell; it is richly steeped in our history and culture.
Part of the reason is obvious. The Northeast has deep Italian American roots, and those roots still shape the way people eat and drink. Across all three states, Italian restaurants remain some of the most consistent and successful dining concepts in the market. When Italian food is on the table, Italian wine almost always makes the most sense in the glass. That’s because Italian wine was built for food … while they are also build for my Yeti cup on the beach!
This is one of the great truths of the wine world, and it matters tremendously for buyers. Italian wines, at their best, are driven by freshness and structure. They refresh the palate. They sit comfortably beside tomato sauce, roasted meats, seafood, and the daunting pairing of bitter greens. Their intention when coupled with food, isn’t to dominate the meal, it’s a marriage of completing the meal.
In a restaurant setting, that matters. In retail, it matters even more. Consumers in this part of the country are still buying wine to bring home for dinner. They want bottles that work at the table, not just wines that taste impressive in a two-ounce tasting pour. Italian wines do that better than almost anyone because of the originality and in most cases, their affordability.
It’s that affordability conversation that shouldn’t be ignored. In an era where Burgundy feels financially out of reach and Napa pricing continues to climb, Italy remains one of the last great sources of authentic, terroir-driven value. You can still find compelling wines from Etna, Soave, Montefalco, Abruzzo, and Sicily that deliver real identity without forcing a customer into a special occasion purchase. That matters in New England, where many buyers are price conscious but still want something driven by quality and identity. Italian wine also offers flexibility.
That’s one of the reasons it performs so well in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. You’re not dealing with one style or one consumer profile. Italy can satisfy the casual Pinot Grigio drinker, the Barolo collector, the rosé customer, the orange wine geek, and the person who just wants something honest for pizza night. Few countries can cover that much ground while still maintaining a strong sense of place. This is why I find Italian wines to be so fascinating!
That sense of place is another reason Italian wines matter here. Consumers may not always know how to pronounce Greco di Tufo or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, but they increasingly care about authenticity or better yet, identity. They want wines with a story, a region, a family, a purpose. Italian wine has that in spades. It is one of the few categories where even an affordable bottle can still feel tied to something real.
I’ve come to appreciate that even more deeply through my work as an Italian Wine Ambassador with the VinItaly International Academy, a program created by Stevie Kim to build a global community of professionals who truly understand the depth of Italian wine. The program dives into the complexity of Italy’s native grapes, regions, and evolving DOC and DOCG laws. Stevie Kim has spent years pushing that idea forward through her work with VinItaly and through the Italian Wine Podcast network. That’s where I host a show called “The Art of Wine Storytelling,” based on Professor Attilio Scienza’s book of the same name. The premise is simple but important. Wine professionals often talk about scores, regions, and tasting notes, but the wines that actually connect with people are the ones tied to human stories.
I’ve seen the same pattern while judging at “5StarWines-The Book,” one of the largest wine competitions held in Verona. Each year hundreds of international judges taste thousands of wines blind, evaluating structure, balance, typicity, and overall quality. After several days of tasting flights from across the globe, you begin to notice something interesting. The wines feel profound with identity and purpose. That feeling translates to buyers, and ultimately to consumers.
Italian wines naturally deliver that sense of intention because they are so tied to place. Think about the volcanic edge of Etna Rosso, the salty freshness of Vermentino along the Ligurian coast, or the tension of Verdicchio in the Marche. These wines are not trying to imitate something else. They are expressions of where they come from.
In a reality where consumers are drinking less wine, that authenticity matters more now than ever. As wine consumption in many markets has slowed slightly, that doesn’t mean people have lost interest in wine. What’s actually happening is that people are becoming more selective. They’re drinking less, but their drinking and selection is more intentional. They’re choosing wines with identity rather than bulk blends that could come from anywhere. It’s the notion of “someoir over terroir”…wine needs to taste like they come from somewhere and are not bulk plonk without personality. Italian wines just aren’t sold here, they belong here.
For those of you who want to dive deeper into the grapes, regions, and stories that make Italian wine so compelling, stay on the lookout for the Italian Grape Geek course and certification at Commonwealth Wine School, in Cambridge. It’s a great next step for anyone looking to better understand why Italy continues to matter so much in the glass.
Ryan Robinson is the Director of Education for Brescome-Barton Inc., and Worldwide Wines in Connecticut, an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Haven, and is the Principal at SommCentric, a beverage education and consulting agency. He is a member on the USA Wine Tasting Team, representing the United States and the World Wine Tasting Championships and holds the credentials of Advanced Sommelier-CMS; WSET Diploma and WSET Educator in Wine, Sake and Beer; Rioja Wine Educator; VIA Italian Wine Ambassador; Wine Scholar Guild Educator and Italian and Spanish Wine Specialist; and Certified Scotch Whisky.
