Two of the powerhouses of this year’s Vinitaly, Wine Spectator and Veronafiere-Vinitaly, have paired up on more than just Opera Wine this year. There is a whole calendar of tastings and master classes to complement the pavilions that feature, region by region, Italy’s vast array of vintages. Powerhouses of Italian wine (left to right: Marilisa…
Back in the saddle, sipping again! Last Saturday I had the great good fortune to attend Wine Spectator’s pull-out-the-stops event, Opera Wine 2021 live and in person in Verona. This was one of the first live tasting events since the pandemic, and it brought together – as is tradition – producers, buyers, journalists from around…
On March 25, Italy celebrated the second Dantedì (Heaven forbid we use English and call it Dante’s Day, Dante would roll over in his grave!). This important celebration marks the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death in 1321. I hear you: “Why the Inferno March 25?” As recognized by most scholars of the Divine Comedy, on…
Milano Wine Week recently gave me the excuse to flit through Via Montenapoleone dressed to the nines and sip vintages while taking in the view of fancy pants fashion-conscious wine lovers. From the Duomo (left) to Via Montenapoleone, it's all a catwalk! A lot was going on during this Wine Week, from workshops to master…
Tenuta Sant'Antonio offered journalists and experts a wonderful opportunity at Vinitaly 2019: a series of guided tastings with famous somms. Special mention honors go to the four Castagnedi brothers for organizing this event. The whole Italian Grapevine team was involved in covering the three tastings. On Monday, a vertical tasting of Lilium Est Amarone Riserva…
Nice thing about Vinitaly is getting to see the wine producers, whether old friends or new acquaintances. Meeting who is behind the wine is what it's all about. And besides, it's fun! So here are some of my highlights of the last Vinitaly! Just another Italian American from New York living in Italy? Joe…
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…
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…
It is always nice when a nice new wine event appears in the panorama of opportunities to taste. Last weekend in Milan, on May 12 and 13, Best Wine Stars kicked off with a splendid tasting in the Museo Diocesano of Milan, which provided the perfect spring background for tasting in the cloister area. As…
Get the party started! Wine Spectator's mega-event kick-off to Vinitaly, Opera Wine, is a feel-good event that showcases Italy's Top 100 wines (which for some reason, this year were 107!) Maybe because it was the 7th annual Opera Wine? The event sported an oddly American stars-and-stripes theme. Crank up the volume, because this blog post has…
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 