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…
Tag: Wine
People Who Need People
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…
Dante’s March
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…
Moonshine and Negroamaro
If you know what these two things have to do with each other, you are on top of your Italian culture! Last Saturday night, the 71st annual Festival di Sanremo, Italy’s annual music festival, concluded with a surprise win. The rock band Måneskin took first prize with a song called Zitti e buoni (Shut up…
Buon Appetito! Support the Restaurants!
On this Valentine’s Day, I would like to say ‘I love you’ to all the restaurateurs out there. These are the people who have prepared our special Valentine’s Day dinners over the years (and on all those other special occasions we’ve shared with friends and loved ones in restaurants). They are people who have cuddled…
Red, Red Wine
While the holiday season was quieter this year than in recent memory, it has taken a while to post this Highlights of 2020 Red Wines, a companion piece to the December post that talked about whites. If you read to the end here, you’ll know why. Red, red wine, Stay close to me... The Top…
May Your Days Be Merry and Bright…
And may all your Christmases ... and wines... be white! Italian Grapevine is going to dedicate two posts to a review of the year’s highlights – the best of the reds and the whites we’ve sampled this year. Granted, it was a tough year: practically no wine fairs, no travel, no restaurants. For heaven’s sake,…
Over the Moon at Lvnae
Yours truly with Diego Bosoni Good thing I live so close to the Winery of the Year 2020 in these no-travel Covid times! Lucky me, I got to visit Cantine Lvnae twice, in late summer and early fall. We are talking southern Liguria, getting close to the Tuscan border. Can I say what a pleasure…
Tuscan Quintet Part V: Tenuta Il Corno
Welcome to Tenuta Il Corno Tenuta Il Corno sits on a ridge in the Tuscan countryside just outside San Casciano Val di Pesa. The first time I visited the estate was on a dark and rainy January late afternoon. Struck by its austere and impressive façade, with a medieval bell tower to boot, the place…
Tuscan Quintet Part IV: Az. Agr. Tamburini
Beautiful at any time of year... Let me tell you a modern day fairy tale:Once upon a time, there was a dynamic dark-haired beauty. She made wine in Tuscany (I said this was a fairytale!) in a place called Il Castelluccio (which roughly translated means ‘the cute little castle’.) Emanuela Tamburini The beauty’s name is…
Continue reading ➞ Tuscan Quintet Part IV: Az. Agr. Tamburini