There are events designed to produce a ranking. And then there are events designed to leave people with something more. The day organized by Wining.it on May 24 at Parco de’ Medici Golf Club undoubtedly belonged to the latter.
For some time now, we have believed that wine needs to step beyond its traditional boundaries. Not because it should lose its identity, but because it too often continues to speak only to those who already know it. This is a dynamic shared by many industries: wine speaks to wine lovers, golf to golfers, gastronomy to industry professionals. But what happens when these worlds begin to converse with one another?
That question is exactly where our approach to events begins.
The official golf tournament held at Parco de’ Medici Golf Club was the starting point—not the final destination. Around the competition, we built a day of encounters, stories, territories and flavors, transforming a sporting event into a broader experience.
One of the guiding themes was wine tourism, developed through our collaboration with Emilia Golf Experience, a project that demonstrates how golf can become an extraordinary way to showcase destinations, wineries and local food culture. It is a different way of traveling, discovering and building relationships, perfectly aligned with our belief that meaningful connections emerge when different passions come together.
Alongside this, we wanted to give a voice to local territories through their products. From the traditional caciocavallo impiccato to the wines of Poggio Le Volpi, every tasting was conceived not simply as a gastronomic experience, but as the expression of a place and its identity.
The same philosophy shaped the two masterclasses that accompanied the event. There were no academic lectures and no technical language reserved for specialists. On the contrary, our goal was to make exceptional products accessible, inspiring curiosity before expertise.
Together with Irene Taormina from Cantine Florio and our own Sara Calimari, participants embarked on a journey into the world of Marsala. More than just a wine, Marsala became a story about Sicily itself. Through the history of the region, its traditions and its winemaking culture, participants discovered a side of Marsala that goes far beyond the stereotypes still associated with it, appreciating its remarkable versatility when paired with refined finger food.
It was a journey that surprised many guests, proving once again that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for bringing new audiences closer to wine. The same happened during the caviar masterclass.
From wild Alaskan salmon roe to Baerii caviar, the experience culminated with the tasting of Beluga caviar provided by LuxurEat’s William and Roberto Ugolini, served in the traditional way with a mother-of-pearl spoon. Participants were guided through the differences in texture, flavor and character of products that are rarely presented in such an approachable way. The experience was completed by a pairing with Chinggis Khan Vodka from Mongolia, presented by Non Solo Bolle, carefully selected to enhance the elegance and persistence of each tasting.
By the end of the day, some participants may have remembered a birdie, others a decisive putt. We hope many of them also remembered the aroma of a glass of Marsala, the discovery of a territory, the unexpected taste of caviar, or simply a conversation shared over a glass of wine.
Because that is precisely what cross-pollination is all about. For Wining.it, wine is never just what is inside the bottle. It is culture, travel, history, relationships and conviviality. It is a language capable of connecting with tourism, sport, gastronomy, art and every experience that gives life to a destination.
To tell only the story of the wine itself is to tell only part of the story.
We prefer to tell everything that surrounds it.
Our sincere thanks go first and foremost to Alessandra Giovenchi, our long-standing and much-valued sommelier, and to everyone who contributed to the success of this event: Emilia Golf Experience, Florio, LuxurEat, NonSoloBolle, Poggio Le Volpi, GD Tecnologie, WayFinance Ltd, the Lazio Regional Committee of the Italian Golf Federation, WineWas, and our friends at Tipografare, all of whom shared our belief that the best ideas are often born when seemingly distant worlds come together.
