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Continue reading →: The Culture of Wine Part II: Masi AgricolaTalk about brand recognition! Masi‘s unmistakable label is synonymous with Amarone. The Boscaini family, with papà Sandro at the helm – but also Sandro’s children Alessandra and Raffaele, not to forget brothers Bruno and Mario – are giving back in spades! Their devotion to culture equals their passion for great…
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Continue reading →: The Culture of Wine Part 1: Tasca d’AlmeritaDid you know that Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world? All that art and nature… wonderful, right? But how can one little country afford to preserve and promote all that beauty? We all have to pitch in, that’s how! And the world…
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Continue reading →: Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a Wine of Great HistoryIt’s a year of anniversaries and celebrations: Vernaccia di San Gimignano was declared the first Italian DOC wine (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) in 1966, and thus turns 50 years ‘young’ this year. And here in Tuscany, the famed Chianti Classico of the Gallo Nero logo, is turning 300 (but that…
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Continue reading →: Arrivederci Verona!And another Vinitaly – celebrating its 50th anniversary – comes to a close. By all accounts, this year was a success; producers big and small sold more wine to more markets than in the past. And that’s what it’s all about, right? Wrong! It’s about people, personalities, communication, sharing, spreading…
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Continue reading →: Women of Great Taste (and Style!)Tuesday afternoon at the 50th Annual Vinitaly, a special homage to women winemakers at the Allegrini stand. The event featured 5 Italian women winemakers – Marilisa Allegrini, Raffaella Bologna (Braida), Francesca Planeta, Marina Cvetic, and Elena Walch – who welcomed two foreign visitors, women winemakers Andrea Wirsching of Germany and…
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Continue reading →: To Life, To Life, L’Chaim!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…
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Continue reading →: La Famiglia, and the ABC’s of WinemakingHere 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…
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Continue reading →: A Presidential InaugurationThe 50th annual Vinitaly was inaugurated yesterday by none other than the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. Italians love all the pomp and circumstance of ribbon cutting and speeches. Yesterday, it was standing room only to hear what the President and Minister of Agriculture had to say. The people were…
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Continue reading →: Now That’s a Vintage!When they say it’s wonderful to age like a good wine, do they really contemplate a wine that is 50 years old? Today, the Donne del Vino – the Women of Wine – held a unique tasting: 10 women producers presented their wines. First, a recent vintage, something we all…
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Continue reading →: Libiam, libiamo!The people who came up with this idea of Opera Wine really were on to something. The combination of opera and wine isn’t incidental: there are divas in both worlds. Great personalities, dramatic stories, love affairs, betrayals, elaborate plans, soaring emotions, figures that are somehow larger than life, exquisite beauty… All the…
Suzanne Branciforte
has one foot firmly planted on either continent
is New York born and Harvard educated
is Italian and American and Italian-American
has resided on the Italian Riviera for the past 15 years
has a Masters degree and a Ph.D. from UCLA
is a writer, translator and interpreter
interpreted for the President of the Bundesbank and Nobel Prize winning economists and authors
is the author of the international best-selling textbook Parliamo italiano!
has lived extensively in California, France and Italy
knows that good wine doesn’t grow in ugly places
is convinced that living is your greatest work of art
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 