Vini bianchi (Italian white wine) has had a journey of several centuries in the U.S. since the mid-1900s.
Once, Italy's most important exports to the States were Chianti and Enrico Caruso. Then came the "War to End All Wars," then World War II. By 1945, the spigot of Italian wine imports had slowed to a trickle.
In 1946, a canny Italian producer figured that even if Americans weren't currently partial to Italy, there were plenty of loyal Italian-Americans thirsting for wine from their homeland. Tankers loaded with Soave hit our shores; soon all the U.S. -- Italian and otherwise -- was enjoying this light, bright refreshing white. In the 1970s, Soave sales eclipsed even Chianti.
Source: http://www.dailyherald.com/
