It's official: Vinitaly 2015 is off and running. Just like every year, the sneak preview comes with Opera Wine, the kick-off event sponsored by Wine Spectator and Vinitaly. Held at the elegant Palazzo della Gran Guardia in Piazza Bra, it features 100 Italian vintages chosen as this year's 'Finest Italian Wines'. I like the stylized…
Month: March 2015
Peel Me a Grape!
OK, it doesn't get more luxurious than this: a hydromassage in red wine! And what an effect on the skin! So soft, so smooth -- it's all those anti-oxidants, right? When you emerge from the bath, a pleasant, smiling assistant gives you something to replenish the liquids you've lost: And this is supposed to be…
The Bacchus Treatment
Retreating into the Val d'Orcia for my pre-Vinitaly spring renewal. Driving through this part of Tuscany, I inevitably ask myself: do these greens really occur in nature? Got in just after lunch time. Now that is what I call a Room with a View! Do you really think those little lined-up trees happen naturally too?…
Winetherapy, the Perfect Preparation for Vinitaly!
Vinitaly is just around the corner... So how does one gear up for five days of sipping and spitting? Eating and greeting? To say wining and dining is an understatement... Fast? Feast? I have a ritual, and it includes bathing in thermal waters to detox my entire system, tired of the winter, craving the spring…
Continue reading ➞ Winetherapy, the Perfect Preparation for Vinitaly!
Roma Caput Mundi!
So this may be reason enough to make a trip to Rome. Don't tell me I have to explain what puntarella is... And can you identify 4 wonderful things in this photo that just make you feel oh-so-Roman? (Answers below!) So Rome is the happening place now in Italy... Great things are sizzling culturally (like…
The Java Jive
I love coffee... And don't the Italians too? Every time I go to Rome, I start my stay out with a cup of java from St. Eustachio. I love the welcoming, homey atmosphere, the incredible range of products and gadgets, all having to do with beans and their elaboration. But the most…