Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine

The last weekend of October, Rome was a hotbed of activity for the maximum in Italian wine.

On Saturday, October 26, the Italian Association of Sommeliers (AIS – Associazione Italiana Sommelier) presented its guide, Vitae, at the prestigious Nuvola Convention Center designed by famed Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas. The Maximum in wine and architecture!

And on Sunday, October 27, the Gambero Rosso presented the winners of the prestigious Tre Bicchieri at Auditorium del Massimo (another Maximum!) followed by a mega-tasting at the Sheraton.

With Cinzia Tosetti, an official Gambero Rosso taster

Great videos welcomed the crowd

All of this in the EUR section of Rome, that jewel of fascist architecture created by Mussolini for a World Expo that never took place.

Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana is perhaps the best-known building and symbol of EUR

Yours truly was on location.

At the AIS event, I wanted to feature some of the sommeliers who were performing their duties to make this event a success. It is, after all, their Association that awards the Quattro Viti, or Four Grapevines, to what they consider the best wines in Italy.

The opportunity to sample some of the winning wines from the 2020 guide region by region is an event not to be missed! Chatting with the sommeliers on duty is also fun and edifying!

The happy taster on location

You have to be fit to tackle the challenge of so much wine tasting – and you must remember to eat! Sunday morning, it was the Gambero Rosso’s turn.

After the presentation at the Auditorium (above), we got down to the official business of tasting Tre Bicchieri winners.

Yours truly with Diego Bosoni (right) and the winning wine (left)

Best White Wine of the year went to Bosoni’s Cantine Lvnae black label Vermentino, from Liguria (see my piece on this wonderful winery!)

Getting around the tables loaded with everything from Amarone to Zibbibo, you have to be strategic about what you choose to sip (don’t miss the Ornellaia, Solaia, Sassicaia or Gaja — it’s easy, they rhyme!), and for heaven’s sake, spit!

WIth Luciano Piona Cavalchina and his winning Custoza

Marzia Varvaglione with Idea, a Primitivo rosé

But the best part is speaking with the proud producers, who have a reason to smile: they’ve just won the Tre Bicchieri!

Journalists, wine critics, the people who taste and who judge – so much goes into creating a guide so that the general public has something to refer to, to learn more about the vintages, which do change from year to year. Here I am with Marco Sabellico, of the Gambero Rosso, and Cinzia Tosetti, who dedicate their tastebuds to sampling for the interested readers!