Exploring Italian Wine One Grape at a Time
Pecorino is one of my favourite white grape varieties. I often drank Pecorino wines when I went to Le Marche years ago, before I got more into wine and wine writing. It is a white wine that is perfect for an aperitivo on the beach or for pairing with seafood at sunset. So, when Mike … Read more
Eleva Winery in Sant’Ambrogio in Valpolicella, Veneto, is owned by Prof. Davide Gaeta and enologist Raffaella Veroli. I got to know Prof. Davide Gaeta a couple of years ago thanks to a fellow wine writer. I was collaborating with the Barrel Hunter Club in Canada and looking for a smaller organic winery in Valpolicella with … Read more
This episode of the WinesOfItaly Show was a collaboration with Susannah Gold and our Substack project All That Wine. Susanna and I explore a lesser-known wine region in Veneto: the Valle d’Agno, northwest of Vicenza. Our guest, Massimo Dal Lago, co-founder of Masari Winery, guides us into the heart of this valley, where volcanic soils … Read more
In this episode of the newly rebooted The Wines of Italy Show, we travel—virtually—to the windswept coast of southwestern Sicily to explore Sicilian wine and the history, culture, and wines of Tenuta Gorghi Tondi, a unique, women-led winery located in the heart of a WWF nature reserve near Mazara del Vallo. I welcomed Marilena Leta, … 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
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
…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
Donato D’Angelo Winery is a winery in Rionero in Vulture, the heart of the Vulture area. They are producing classic Aglianico del Vulture wines and more. I met oenologist Emiliana D’Angelo last year, she is one of Donato D’Angelo’s daughters. I talked to Emiliana to learn more about Emiliana pointed out that Aglianico del Vulture … Read more
The word on everybody’s lips during the last year has no doubt been the need to go digital, especially in the wine world. Digital marketing for wineries has become of the essence. Earlier this year, in February, I had the opportunity to talk more about the digital transformation in the world of wine with Paul … Read more