The ITALIAN DISPATCH By Eric J Lyman

The ITALIAN DISPATCH By Eric J Lyman

Wine Land's Redemption

How Italian vino went from plonk to prestige -- and where it goes from here

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Eric J Lyman
Jun 17, 2025
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On my first trip to Bordeaux in the early 1990s, I met an opinionated wine merchant during a tasting at Château Prieuré-Lichine. I was with friends, and we must have been tasting the ’86 or the ’89. One of my friends -- like me, American -- said something innocuous, like “Hey, this is pretty good.”

The wine merchant scoffed. “Mais bien sûr!” he blurted.…

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