Lucky me got to participate in a tasting sponsored by the Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC at this year’s Vinitaly. Led by wine expert at large, Filippo Bartolotta, this was one stylin’ tasting! Get a load of those graphics – so chic! Edoardo Peduto, the director of the Consorzio, gave a very professional, business-oriented intro, setting…
Re-imagining Italian Whites: this was a Master Class appropriately enough held by a Master.... of Wine. Gabriele Gorelli MW treated us to an informative, dare I say entertaining?, presentation of the unexpected: Italian whites. This was an unusual Vinitaly all around, from the freezing temperatures like some kind of April Fools joke, to a general…
The national association of the Women of Wine, Le Donne del Vino, is turning 35 years old. And to celebrate, a tasting was held. Led by the talented and lovely Cristina Mercuri, a WSET Diploma holder who is well on her way to being the first Italian female Master of Wine, the tasting was called…
There's a million reasons to love Italian wine and the Wine Spectator-sponsored Opera Wine that kicks off Verona's Vinitaly is proof. Yesterday, 130 (yes, 130) of Italy's top wines could be sampled by the lucky Opera Wine invited guests. Usually we are used to talking in round numbers, like say 100. Or even a million.…
Over the years, I’ve taken dozens of photos of stands at Vinitaly that struck me for some reason. Deciding how to portray your winery with a stand is no simple or laughing matter. It’s serious business and can cost quite a bit as well. Some elaborate, some simple (at times, too simple!), how you use…
Italian Grapevine concluded Vinitaly 2022 with a bang: Our post, Girl Power Forever! by contributing editor Francesca Giuliano, won a prize for best communication of the day in the Young to Young tastings. Contributing editor Francesca Giuliano at VeronaFiere Vinitaly receiving her award This annual feature at Vinitaly, created in 2015 by Il Golosario’s Paolo…
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…
Stately Villa Le Corti, a Tuscan jewel I had seen the villa with its symmetrical towers for years. Stately, it dominated its crest and serenely looked out over the valleys of San Casciano Val di Pesa. Lucky Yours Truly who gets to visit these beautiful places But when I finally met the owners, spoke with…
In the northwest corner of Italy, there lies the smallest and highest region of all: Valle d'Aosta. Here the mountains reach the sky, majestic Mont Blanc dominates the valleys, and medieval castles dot the crests. Impossible not to dream of princesses, knights, witches, and mythological creatures. MONTE BIANCO, aka Mont Blanc!Fénis, the most famous castle…
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…
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 