Exploring Italian Wine One Grape at a Time
An evening walk in 2011 that changed everything! One day in late 2011, I was walking through the centre of Florence with my friend Giovanna when we saw a flyer for a sommelier course organised by Fisar, starting soon thereafter. It was to be held at a nearby wine bar. So, I told Giovanna, “Let’s … Read more
Zorzettig is a historic winery on the Spessa hills close to Cividale di Friuli in Friuli Venezia Giulia. The winery dates back to 1874, and the Zorzettig family has always been closely tied to their territory, focusing on native grapes. In recent years, they have been investing in a focus on biodiversity and sustainability. Today, … Read more
Lazio, a wine region, has been overshadowed by other, more prominent regions until recently, despite its rich viticultural history. In Lazio, we find well-known grapes such as Cesanese del Piglio and Cesanese d’Affile, as well as historical yet lesser-known varieties such as Bellone, Passerina del Frusinate, Capolongo, Pampanaro, and Nero Buono. Cincinnato is a cooperative … Read more
This article was first published at the beginning of 2020, while we were in the early days of the pandemic. My website was hacked during that period, and some articles never got republished automatically at the new website. So, here you can read about Cincinnato Winery again. The article was a part of the Italian … Read more
Valle d’Itria is a historical viticultural area in Puglia that has been revitalised in recent years thanks to the work of local vintners and wineries. This has also brought attention to local native grapes such as Bianco d’Alessano, Minutolo, Verdeca, and Maruggiu (or Maresco). These are the grapes used as a blend in the Locorotondo … Read more
About one year ago, I invited the wine professional, wine and marketing consultant Priscilla Hennekam from Australia, to talk about The Challenges of Wine Language on my show, Wines of Italy LiveStream. I decided to republish it as the topic is as current as ever. My idea was to discuss how language changes over time, … Read more
In January, I did a live stream together with Tomasz Steinmetz, owner of Velo Wino, about wine-making and wine tourism in Poland and Tuscany. (See more in the article Wine Tourism in Poland vs. Tuscany)We then decided to write articles for each other’s websites to further develop the collaboration between Poland and Tuscany. Tomasz Steinmetz’s … Read more
…a chat about wine tourism from different angles. Watch the Wines Of Italy LiveStream HERE. The other day, I “restarted” my Wines Of Italy LiveStream by having a talk with Tomasz Steinmetz, of Velo Wino in Poland, about wine tourism. We discussed the differences and similarities between wine tourism in Poland and Tuscany. Poland is … Read more
Capezzana is a historic estate in Carmignano, Tuscany, known for its wines deeply connected to the local territory. For the past few years, they have organized a vertical tasting every autumn to highlight the uniqueness and evolution of their wines. Each tasting focuses on a specific wine from their selection. These tastings are highly educational … Read more
The Viticoltori Montespertoli (the Montespertoli Vintners) was founded in 2022 by 15 vintners in the Montespertoli area to change the discourse and produce authentic, terroir-driven, and contemporary wines. On their website, they say that what unites them is “their pride and passion” for what they do and, while doing so, to safeguard the tradition of … Read more