Uncorked visited Sydney Town Hall on March 2 to taste 61 wines which took *** three glasses by Italy’s most prestigious ratings agency-Gambero Rosso (established 1986) as part of its Tre Bicchieri 2015 World Tour.

The “Pink Prawn” book has been my reliable guide for some time now. While the Uncorked tour is in Tuscany annually in September, the awards are  announced with a great fanfare in Rome. It would be great to attend one! Unfortunately the English version of the annual Gambero Rosso book is usually delayed by six months (Italian efficiency) yet now the web version gives us information zealots the immediate results.

Memorable in Sydney was the divergence of Italian wine styles and the continual innovation from producers in unexpected regions. All regions were on taste.

The Winery of the Year, Tenuta Sette Ponti, which is on the far eastern outskirts of Tuscany near Cortona, showed two super international Super Tuscans (Oreno 2011 and Crognolo 2012).

Also notable were the wines made from old vine malvasia (Friuli) and carignan (Sardinia).

As with Australia’s interest in bubbly, there is massive investment in metodo classico wines from long lees age chardonnay (Lombardy and Trento), and given the Australian popularity of champagne.