The last weekend of October, Rome was a hotbed of activity for the maximum in Italian wine. On Saturday, October 26, the Italian Association of Sommeliers (AIS – Associazione Italiana Sommelier) presented its guide, Vitae, at the prestigious Nuvola Convention Center designed by famed Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas. The Maximum in wine and architecture! And…
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…
Over the past few weeks, I've been sipping and tasting with the lovely Italian Women of Wine in Liguria. Le Donne del Vino in Italy numbers over 800 members, with winemakers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, journalists, wine shop owners, etc. Two restaurants hosted special events to feature the wines of Emilia-Romagna paired with Ligurian cuisine. Get out…
Nestled into the hills of Chianti is a magical place called Vignamaggio. The name has nothing to do with the month of May (Maggio in Italian), but is rather a direct reference to its prominence as a vineyard (vigna) that is the best (maggiore). Lucky me that I got to visit it on a balmy…
Calabria is off the beaten path, which may be why I don’t know it as well as I should. But the wines have long intrigued me… so that and the sirens’ call of the Ionian Sea made me venture there late this spring. Is it any wonder that Ulysses was lured here? After all, Scylla…
On a recent trip to taste Aglianico del Vulture, I discovered the birthplace of Horace, that fun-loving Latin poet who coined the phrase Carpe diem! Or Seize the day! My suggestion: take his advice and hurry up and visit the region of Basilicata. The lovely piazza dedicated to the monumental poet, Horace, in his birthplace,…
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…
Adhering to the 'Just say Yes to life' philosophy, I recently accepted an invitation to visit Rinaldini Vini, near Reggio Emilia. A lovely spring day awaited me, and the sunshine and the warm welcome reminded me that this region is known for its hospitality. And great food - but I'll get to that part in…
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 