Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine

Have I convinced you yet that all this tasting is hard work? When you start sipping at 10 in the morning, your taste buds are begging for a break by mid-afternoon. I don’t know if this is harder on the legs or on the taste buds.

Tuesday is dedicated to some serious conferencing, as you can see here.

Yes, that is Roger Nabedian, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Premium Wine Division, Gallo Wines with our very own muse, Patrizia Marin, Marco Polo Experience and IULM University Milan. The topic was the promotion of Italian brands on the American market.

A jaunt among the stands of Piedmont and Tuscany turn up some interesting finds.

At the Castello di Gabiano of Marchese Cattaneo Adorno, a lovely Monferrato Bianco DOC called ‘Corte’ sports this lovely 15^th century illuminated manuscript with the C – for Corte, or Cattaneo?

Here is yours truly with the Marchese sipping a superb Barbera d’Asti called Adornes. Cin-cin!

And from the Veneto, a Prosecco accompanied by hand-cut Mortadella – did you know it tastes better that way? It loses something in the mechanical process of slicing! This is Bosco del Merlo, with producer Lucia Paladin.

In the Tuscan region, we find the ‘new entry’ of Chianti Classico – the Gran Selezione designation. This means it is made exclusively from a winery’s own grapes grown in its finest vineyards, making it a truly premium wine. This is only 10% of the Chianti Classico production. Here you have Castelvecchi Madonnino della Pieve.

And in the Franciacorta section, Lucia Paladin offers winetasting on furniture made by Riva 1920, unique wood furniture of great design, featuring Made in Italy products in this week that kicks off another great event – Milan’s Salone del Mobile or Furniture Show. I love this clothespin table! The atmosphere is like a big picnic in the vineyards.

  Italian taste, in all the senses, is what it is all about here at Vinitaly!!!