Chianti – Page 2 – Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine

La Vie en Rosé

April 14, 2019April 19, 2019Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Made in Italy, Marche, Piedmont, ProWein, Puglia, Rosé, Sicily, Trentino Alto Adige, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Veneto, Vinitaly, Wine, Wine Spectator1 Comment

My father used to say I saw the world through rose colored glasses. That's what it felt like at this latest Vinitaly 2019. Never saw so much rosé in my life! Ophelia (Macchie Santa Maria, Avellino, Campania) Malgré (Tenuta Scuotto, Campania) Lilianne (Tenute Cuffaro, Sicily, Nero d'Avola) Not surprisingly, the displays featuring rosés often…

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Get the Party Started: Vinitaly 2019

April 6, 2019Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Made in Italy, Morellino di Scansano, Prosecco, Sassicaia, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Veneto, Vinitaly, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Wine, Wine Spectator1 Comment

Maybe it is the bubbly, colorful logo of this year's Opera Wine, but Vinitaly 2019 started with a bang! The cold and rather gray weather did not put a damper on the kick-off: Wine Spectator celebrated its choice of Italy's 100 Finest Wines and Producers, so yours truly was on location to sample vintages, meet…

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Countdown Vinitaly: Time to Detox!

March 28, 2018AIS Associazione Italiana Sommelier, Amarone, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Campania, Carlo Petrini, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Food, Juicing, Lazio, Liguria, Made in Italy, Milan Expo, mineral water, Montefalco, Morellino di Scansano, Piedmont, Pollenzo, Primitivo di Manduria, Prosecco, Puglia, Rosé, Sagrantino, Sassicaia, Sicily, Siena, Tuscany, Umbria, Uncategorized, Veneto, Vinitaly, WineLeave a Comment

Breaking with tradition: we are not going to talk about wine. This is the Lent period in preparation for Vinitaly: time to give things up, purify, detox, and get ready for the biggest wine event in Italy, held every year in Verona. This year, from Sunday, April 15 to Wednesday, April 18, tens of thousands…

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A Tuscan Hotbed

February 19, 2018Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Made in Italy, Morellino di Scansano, Sassicaia, Siena, Super Tuscans, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, WineLeave a Comment

Between Wine&Siena in January, and the Tuscan anteprima medley in February, things really heat up here in Tuscany in the wintertime. I have tasted my heart out at Chianti Lovers, Chianti Classico Collection, skipping Benvenuto Brunello (where it seems it was rather hard to get in this year) and the Vino Nobile anteprima in Montepulciano.…

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50 Shades of Red… and Even Some Blue

February 12, 2018architecture, Art, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Culture, Made in Italy, Morellino di Scansano, Renaissance, Siena, Super Tuscans, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, WineLeave a Comment

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…

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Three’s a Charm: Wine&Siena 2018

January 31, 2018AIS Associazione Italiana Sommelier, architecture, Art, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Food, Franciacorta, Made in Italy, Merano Wine Festival, Palio, Renaissance, Siena, Slow Food, Super Tuscans, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, WineLeave a Comment

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…

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Amo, Amas, Castello di Ama

October 28, 2017architecture, Art, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Made in Italy, Renaissance, Siena, Super Tuscans, Tuscany, Uncategorized, WineLeave a Comment

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…

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The Architecture of Wine

October 10, 2017architecture, Art, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Genoa, Liguria, Made in Italy, Renzo Piano, Super Tuscans, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Wine1 Comment

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…

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All That Glitters is Bottega!

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Food, Made in Italy, Prosecco, Uncategorized, Veneto, Vinitaly, Wine1 Comment

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…

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Mimosa Time!

March 5, 2017March 6, 2017Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Food, Made in Italy, Prosecco, Siena, Super Tuscans, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, WineLeave a Comment

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…

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