Piedmont – Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine

La Vie en Rosé

April 14, 2019April 19, 2019Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Made in Italy, Marche, Piedmont, ProWein, Puglia, Rosé, Sicily, Trentino Alto Adige, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Veneto, Vinitaly, Wine, Wine Spectator1 Comment

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…

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Roaring Roero

April 19, 2018April 26, 2018Barolo, Culture, Dolce Vita, Food, Made in Italy, Piedmont, Slow Food, Uncategorized, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vinitaly, WineLeave a Comment

Roero may not be a name on everybody’s lips, but it is certainly the Italian area with the most roaring name. Try practicing the difficult Italian ‘R’ sound: Roero! Along with the Langhe and Monferrato, Roero is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Vineyard Landscapes of Piedmont. Roero takes its name from a noble…

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Stars and Stripes Forever!

April 14, 2018April 14, 2018Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Made in Italy, Montefalco, Sagrantino, Sassicaia, Tuscany, Umbria, Uncategorized, Veneto, Vinitaly, Wine, Wine Spectator1 Comment

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…

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A Rare Opportunity

April 9, 2017AIS Associazione Italiana Sommelier, Amarone, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Made in Italy, Piedmont, Sicily, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Veneto, Vinitaly, Wine1 Comment

Today I had the rare opportunity to taste 19 rare wines made from little known indigenous grapes. Since I decided to focus during this Vinitaly 2017 on lesser known Italian wines and wine regions, this was the perfect tasting for me! I have to admit, I had not heard of the grape varieties Minutolo or…

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Bring on the Bubbly!

December 29, 2016AIS Associazione Italiana Sommelier, Culture, Dolce Vita, Franciacorta, Liguria, Made in Italy, Piedmont, Prosecco, Sicily, Uncategorized, Veneto, Wine3 Comments

'Tis the season to be jolly, and no matter what your mood, the bubbly will improve it! So since this is the ITALIAN Grapevine, make sure the bubbly that graces your New Year's table is something from the Bel Paese: Spumante - that's the Italian word for bubbly, but don't jump to conclusions! It doesn't…

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A Midsummer Night’s Wild Dream

July 30, 2016Barolo, Carlo Petrini, Culture, Dolce Vita, Food, Made in Italy, Music, Piedmont, Slow Food, Uncategorized, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vinitaly, Wine1 Comment

Collisioni - that's what this mega-festival in the tiny hamlet of Barolo is called. And collide you do! With people, with ideas, with tastes, with energy. Talk about bringing things together. I'd heard about Collisioni for years. I'd viewed their over-stuffed programs with skepticism: how could they lure Elton John, Sting, Mark Knopfler to this…

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Great Italian Wine You Can Bank On!

June 30, 2016AIS Associazione Italiana Sommelier, Barolo, Carlo Petrini, Culture, Dolce Vita, Made in Italy, Piedmont, Pollenzo, Slow Food, Uncategorized, WineLeave a Comment

For those of you who don't know it, the University of Gastronomical Sciences in Pollenzo was the world’s first university entirely dedicated to the science of Food & Wine, promoting a new, ecologically sustainable, quality-based standard that also focuses on what is right and just for producers. Founded on an idea from guru Carlo Petrini,…

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Arrivederci Verona!

April 16, 2016April 17, 2016AIS Associazione Italiana Sommelier, Amarone, Barolo, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Food, Made in Italy, Piedmont, Uncategorized, Vinitaly, Wine, Wine SpectatorLeave a Comment

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 the passion for the grape,…

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To Life, To Life, L’Chaim!

April 12, 2016Amarone, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Culture, Dolce Vita, Made in Italy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Vinitaly, WineLeave a Comment

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 (more than the 'terroir'). This…

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La Famiglia, and the ABC’s of Winemaking

April 11, 2016Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Culture, Dolce Vita, Donne del Vino, Made in Italy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Uncategorized, Vinitaly, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, WineLeave a Comment

Here 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 Italy with less than 250…

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