Bottega Gold... Does that ring a bell? It should. They were celebrating 15 years yesterday at Vinitaly. Stunning packaging to match the bottle contents - award-winning Prosecco DOC Spumante! Anna Pesenti is a mover and shaker and one of the Donne del Vino (Women of Wine). She loves shiny things, and was proud to show…
When is 'So many' 'Too much'? The question was actually posed at the Masters of Wine Symposium in Florence last year, when it came out that Italy had over 440 varietals. If we want to talk DOC, there are over 330 of them, not to mention the 73 DOCG wines. If you don't believe me, check…
Happy New Year! Buon Anno! Bonne Année! Whether it's Prosecco, Franciacorta, Trento, Asti Spumante, Champagne..... Have a BUBBLY 2015!!!!! Best wishes from Italiangrapevine!
On a recent jaunt to Acqui Terme, in lower Piedmont, a man drove up in an old jalopy of a car and showed us this: My friends had never seen such a treasure trove before -- truffles, fresh from the earth! I complimented him on his catch, but rightfully, he attributed the great find to…
Oh, the elegance of it! A recent evening at the Rapallo Yacht Club featured the wines of Bellavista, best known for its fabulous Franciacorta. While everyone and their brother seems to know Prosecco, why is Franciacorta Italy's best-kept bubbly secret? What is in a name? Franciacorta is no ordinary bubbly (and of course, we are…
As you've gathered, I'm still digesting my experience at the Florence Symposium of the Masters of Wine. The farewell dinner was an appropriate send-off, held at the spectacular Antinori Winery in the Chianti Classico. Designed by architect Marco Casamonti, this stunning state-of-the-art Cantina wowed the crowd. How can I begin to describe this magical evening? The…
I am still digesting last weekend's Symposium with the Masters of Wine in Florence... It's an event I may not stop talking about for some time to come... Does anyone know what these are used for? It didn't take yours truly long to figure it out, but can I say something? I need practice!! I'm…
Have I convinced you yet that all this tasting is hard work? When you start sipping at 10 in the morning, your taste buds are begging for a break by mid-afternoon. I don’t know if this is harder on the legs or on the taste buds. Tuesday is dedicated to some serious conferencing, as…
Racing around Vinitaly is grueling work … but someone’s got to do it, right? The numbers would seem to be good – all the winemakers I talked to, indicated that the first day (Sunday) seemed like a record-breaking day, with lots of foreigners (always a good sign in times of crisis!) Warm spring temperatures make…
This past weekend, I had the good fortune to participate in the International Forum on Made in Italy held in Monte Carlo (I know, I know – it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!) The debate was at times heated, as it should be – we’re talking about the economy, the excellence…
