Postmodern Italy – in search of genuine wine
Tuesday 21 January 2020
Walter, an ex art history student, muses on the current, fluid state of Italian wine.
The natural wine debate has flared up again or, perhaps, it never went away. I was pondering this at the Centre Pompidou in Paris last June, while looking at Henri Matisse’s Luxe, Calme et Volupté, the neo-Impressionist painting from 1904, of which I took this picture. The short brush strokes with which the vibrant colours are applied to the canvas echoes the pointillism of Seurat’s Un Dimanche Après-midi à l’île de la Grande Jatte, painted 20 years earlier, but Matisse’s work is more radical...
Become a member or log in to continue reading
Go for gold with your wine knowledge.
The world just came together in Italy – and there’s never been a better time to explore its wines and beyond.
For a limited time, get 20% off all annual memberships by entering promo code GOLD2026 at checkout. Offer ends 12 March. Valid for new members only.
Member
$135
/year
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
- Access 290,077 wine reviews & 15,932 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
Ideal for collectors
- Access 290,077 wine reviews & 15,932 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
- Access 290,077 wine reviews & 15,932 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
- Access 290,077 wine reviews & 15,932 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
More Don't quote me
Don't quote me
A short month in London with just one sortie, to Barcelona for 48 hours. Nick took this picture of Jancis...
Don't quote me
Chris Howard contemplates the precarious balance of water, weather and vines in France’s Languedoc. Late summer sun beats down on...
Don't quote me
January is always a heavy month for professional wine tastings. This year Jancis fortified herself beforehand. 2026 got off to...
Don't quote me
Jet lag, a bad cold, but somehow an awful lot of good wine was enjoyed.
This diary is a double...
More from JancisRobinson.com
Tasting articles
A flurry of wines to chase the winter blues away. Above, Ina and Heiko Bamberger, makers of one such wine...
Book reviews
The enduring power of truly great writing. The New France A complete guide to contemporary French wine Andrew Jefford Published...
Nick on restaurants
The Australian chef who used to be in charge of Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant in London now has one of...
Free for all
An overview of the 2016s tasted at 10 years old. See tasting articles on right-bank reds and sweet whites and...
Wines of the week
Two wines to conjure up spring. Flower Girl Albariño 2025 from €20.95, $25.65, £23.95 and Big Flower Cabernet Franc 2024...
Tasting articles
Impressions from the most recent Ten Years On tastings held by Bordeaux Index and Farr Vintners. See this report on...
Tasting articles
The first of three articles about this lauded vintage. See this guide to our comprehensive coverage of Bordeaux 2016. This...
Mission Blind Tasting
The power of scent, and how to harness it to figure out what’s in your glass. In last week’s MBT...