In a period marked by numerous postponements and cancellations, there is one competition whose organizers have managed to devise a formula capable of preserving, even for the upcoming 2021 edition, the values that have characterized previous editions. (more…)
Roussillon is a rather unusual land. I say unusual because when people think of France, they usually think of Paris, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire, or Provence — but rarely of this southern corner of the country, which is nevertheless capable of offering some wonderful surprises. (more…)
Three beautifully designed boxes. Three small surprises waiting to be opened. Three different gins for a tasting that goes beyond the usual format. Today’s focus is Anonima Distillazioni, an artisanal distillery we have already mentioned a couple of times on this site. (more…)
I didn’t know much about Hungarian wines. A few encounters with Furmint in its pure form and Tokaji on a handful of occasions — and little else. When this bottle arrived, the first thing I did was check where it came from. (more…)
“Es”, “Jo” — the names of Gianfranco Fino’s wines are short, but wonderfully long in the way they unfold on the palate. For this shared tasting, Gianfranco chose, for a moment, to set aside his celebrated “Es” and let us experience “Jo.” (more…)
When Gabriele Persichetti of Anonima Distillazioni told me, “Giacomo, the master distiller, will be here shortly,” I imagined a man with white hair and a long beard walking through the door of the distillery. (more…)
It’s easy to talk about “sharing” when you realize that everyone in the group of guests already knows each other — and everyone knows the producer as well. (more…)
Finally, Marche. And finally I managed to involve Cesare Bocci in the tasting of a wine from his own land… and what a wine it is. (more…)
The first time I spoke with Gabriele Persichetti of Anonima Distillazioni, he told me that it all began by chance, glancing at the back label of one of the most…
Souplesse—this is the word Carlotta Salvini used at the end of the tasting to describe Nicola Chiaromonte’s wine. That sense of smoothness that, on an unmistakably rainy day, allowed us to drift across the most varied topics, all while sharing a glass of Nicola Chiaromonte’s Primitivo. (more…)
Yes, by now my way of tasting wine is “blind.” For those less familiar, blind tasting means pouring a wine into the glass without knowing what you’re drinking—so the bottle is completely covered beforehand. (more…)
Sharing a tasting with Tiziana Foschi and Roberto Ciufoli is something I wish for everyone. The two of them are so close, so in sync, and so genuinely engaging that the atmosphere becomes immediately convivial and fun. (more…)
