The Tuscan anteprima week is by now an appointment not to be missed for Chianti lovers and wine lovers in general. The event for Chianti DOCG, held at Fortezza da Basso, this year saw more than 4000 people flock to sample what the over 100 producers present had to offer. Getting up early is a…
Does wine taste better when surrounded by great art? It very well may be. One thing is for sure: the 3rd annual Wine&Siena, an event organized and promoted by the Wine Hunter and the organizers of Merano Wine Festival, showcased both in a stunningly beautiful way. It's hard to ignore Simone Martini's exquisite fresco of…
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, I love, you love, we all love that Chianti from the Castle of Love that is Castello di Ama! And what a spectacular day greeted us for celebrating the latest acquisition in the vignerons' collection of contemporary art. Starting with the drive up from nearby…
It’s not just how wine is made, it’s where wine is made. And I don’t just mean terroir. The cantina is an important part of winemaking, and not always just for what’s going on in the barrels. Often the wine cellars are architectural gems. Italian Grapevine was lucky enough to visit Rocca di Frassinello last…
Wandering through the Tuscan countryside - something everyone should do at least once in a lifetime! - one stumbles upon hilltop towns that seem frozen in time. Montepulciano is a Medieval jewel, a place where the Medici family of Florence left their mark and who could blame them? Marvelous vistas inspire noble thoughts. Is…
Continue reading ➞ The Noblest of Wines: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
On Holy Thursday and Good Friday in Italy, it is tradition to visit the Holy Sepulchre of Jesus, but not just one... many! Usually, the magic number is seven - but as any old Italian lady will tell you, as long as it's an odd number, you're OK. (Yes, there's a veneer of pagan superstition…
Continue reading ➞ It’s Good Friday: Do You Know Where Your Sepulchres Are?
Or at least that is the message the producers wanted to send on this Saint Valentine's Day, when surely an extra bottle or two was uncorked to celebrate! Because this week of Anteprime Toscane - the new wine releases in Tuscany - coincided with that most romantic of holidays, and everything was red passion. Held…
Still reflecting on last weekend's event in Siena. The fun thing about these wine events is that you see old friends and make new ones. I haven't been to a wine event yet where I haven't met someone new or run into someone I wish I spent more time with. For instance, these two movers…
Benozzo Gozzoli has always been one of my favorite Quattrocento painters. How could you not love a guy with a name like that? Or a face like this? Benozzo was a busy guy: besides frescoing one of the great masterpieces of the Quattrocento for the Medici family in Florence, an Adoration of the Magi in…
Continue reading ➞ The Culture of Wine Part III: Montefalco and Benozzo
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 