I love visiting the Bottega stand at Vinitaly - it's so glamorous! Besides, Prosecco makes me happy. This year was special: Bottega was celebrating 40 years of distilling and winemaking. Founded in 1977 near Treviso in the Veneto region, the company has continued to expand. Leaders in brand recognition, who doesn't know these shiny bottles…
Each year at Vinitaly, there are three important tastings sponsored by two famous food&wine journalists, Paolo Massobrio and Marco Gatti, of Il Golosario fame. The tastings are called Young to Young because they feature three young winemakers each day who present one of their wines to bloggers. I have had the privilege to participate over…
And no, I am not talking Sunday Brunch! The real thing – the flowers – are given to women here in Italy on March 8, International Women’s Day. Oh, that’s not celebrated where you live? Well, it should be! Ever wonder why March is Women’s History Month? Hint: the event took place in New York…
Hit 'em with the one-two... Having tried the Chianti DOCG new releases on Sunday, Monday it was the Gallo Nero's turn. Chianti Classico unveiled its Anteprima vintages at the old train station, now a congress center, Stazione Leopolda in Florence. Not hard to notice the old train station structure, a tad too minimalist for my…
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…
The second grueling day of Wine&Siena found yours truly participating in a tasting - here called Wine Master Classes - of 8 Chianti Classicos, starting bright and early at 11 a.m. in the stunning Palazzo Sansedoni located right on Piazza del Campo. Is every room in Tuscany A Room With a View? (Is it time…
This weekend in Tuscany, the 2nd annual Wine&Siena was held in this charming medieval jewel of a hilltop city that is still contained by its ancient walls. Organized by the same people who put together Merano Wine Festival, it was an opportunity to taste the bounty of the land that is Italy, both wine and…
No, I am not talking politics! I am talking about Donatella Cinelli Colombini, one of Italy's premier Brunello di Montalcino winemakers. This week we visited Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda and Casato Prime Donne, Donatella's two estates that have been in the family since the 1500s. This is big red country, but Donatella does it…
Today I participated in the Young to Young tasting for up-and-coming winemakers. It was a morning filled with emotions. Three heavy hitters: a Brunello di Montalcino, a Barolo and an Amarone. All this before noon! At this 50th annual Vinitaly, we've been talking about traditions and family and the land (more than the 'terroir'). This…
Here at this 50th annual Vinitaly, I am reflecting on family, traditions, values, and the land that is Italy. Let's face it, this country is one of the world's most industrial, and it has a unique model to propose: the small- and medium-sized business. There are 4.4 million companies in Italy with less than 250…
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 