I was thinking that, having reached article number 424, I could probably allow myself a slightly flattering piece. But then, reflecting on the reasons that pushed me to write this article straight off the cuff, I realized that there is actually nothing flattering about it.
I usually make a point of expressing my emotions—letting people know whether I’m happy or completely beside myself—and in this case my enthusiasm truly deserves to be shared. I therefore consider this article number 424 a celebratory one, dedicated to a night worth remembering.
Yes, worth remembering, because on the same evening several emotions came together: those of Federico, my son, celebrating both his high school graduation and his successful completion of the WSET Level 2 exam with merit; the emotions sparked by a truly stellar tasting; and the awareness of being part of a group of friends—those from vinodabere.it—with whom it is possible to share experiences of the highest level.
If, in a single evening, you have all of this together, you can consider yourself lucky. If on the table you have all—and I mean all—the producers of Vigna Rionda ready to pour into your glass. If sitting next to you there’s a crew of enthusiastic friends ready to uncork the treasures of their cellars. If in just one evening you manage to taste in your glass what many colleagues—bloggers, sommeliers, and others—will drink over the course of their lifetime (not all of them of course, but allow me to bask in the enthusiasm of the evening)… well, allow me to talk about luck.
Then, after luck, comes everything that isn’t accidental—and here I’m referring to vinodabere.it, or rather vinodabere(bene).it. I suggest an upgrade to the name. Ever since I’ve known you, I’ve done nothing but drink well. In some cases, very well. This time, in a truly stratospheric way.
The stratosphere was reached thanks to the extra tasting bottles—Burgundy, other Barolos, and many other heavyweights—because for Maurizio, Daniele, Paolo, Gianmarco, Antonio, Salvatore, Stefano, Gianni, and Emanuela (and I’m mentioning only those who were present that evening) any excuse is a good one to share the best that lies in their cellars.
After all, when a glass of wine creates sharing, an exchange of sensations, culture, emotions—and even, at times, a critical approach—isn’t that the best possible way to bring a great wine to life?
I’ll close this article by expressing my gratitude to those who allow me—and now also my son Federico—to share so many experiences, giving us the opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun.
And then, just to make those who weren’t there suffer a little, I’ll only publish the photo (I don’t want to be too cruel) of the wines we had the pleasure of sharing:
