The wines of Cantina Peppucci stem from the yearning of parents to raise their children well in the countryside of Umbria to commune with nature. It was in the late eighties when Piero Peppucci and his wife Luisa Giontella bought the Monastery of Sant’Antimo, an abandoned 13th-century Benedictine monastery in the middle of the countryside of Todi. Years of big work progressed in restoring it … Continue reading Cantina Peppucci in Todi (Umbria), Italy
Staying at a hotel as the first group of guests while it was still closed to the public has a surreal effect. Porta Caeli was at its opening phase when our press group was welcomed to indulge in all the facilities the hotel has to offer, including tasting the wines that were aging and the menu proposals that the restaurant was going to offer when … Continue reading Porta Caeli (Vinero) Winery, Hotel and Spa in Thrace, Turkey
As we veered off the main road, another path in the countryside led us to the entrance of Cantina Todini (Todini Winery) on the left side. The place is tranquil with a picturesque front area. External garden chairs and tables are scattered in an orderly fashion and they overlook a vast landscape of Umbria. There are patches of land, luscious trees and rows of vineyards … Continue reading Cantina Todini in Todi (Umbria), Italy
Collenottolo Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG and Arnèto Spoletino Umbria IGT by Tenuta Bellafonte, two wines that express elegance and the authenticity of the grape varieties in the heart of Umbria. Tenuta Bellafonte owned by Peter Heilbron, is located in a 30-hectare estate in the region of Umbria, not far from the town of Bevagna, near the village of Torre del Colle which is divided into woodlands, … Continue reading Tenuta Bellafonte in Bevagna (Umbria), Italy
There’s a peculiar myth behind the name Scacciadiavoli. If you translate it to English, it means to banish the devils. A legend from Johaness de Ruescissa’s Trattato sulla Quintessenza says that in the 18th century, a young woman who was possessed by the devil was made to drink some local red wine by an exorcist who succeeded in dispelling the devil. This particular exorcism event … Continue reading Cantina Scacciadiavoli in Montefalco (Umbria), Italy
Drinking the wines of Paolo Bea tilts a lot of things that I learned about wines from my wine classes. To get to know their natural wines, you will just have to leave your bag of knowledge and thoughts outside the door and close it behind you. The best thing to do is enter with a fresh mind, to easily perceive the diverse philosophy of … Continue reading Paolo Bea Winery in Montefalco (Umbria), Italy
Umbria, with all its panoramic splendor of soft monochromatic green hills with olive orchards, vineyards and ancient hamlets played host again to more than 200 international and local experts in the sector of wine as they opened up the Sagrantino 2014, the latest vintage of the wine, for a preview tasting. The Fourth Edition of the Anteprima Sagrantino 2014 was held in the ancient hamlet … Continue reading Preview Tasting of Sagrantino 2014 Vintage in Montefalco, Italy
The second edition of The Wine Hunter Roma 2017 concluded successfully last 3 December in the Acquario Romano (Roman Aquarium) in Rome. Hunters of excellent wines were treated to a two-day (2 – 3 December) tasting of the wines that were awarded with high points in quality and excellence during the recent Merano Wine Festival 2017 last 10 – 14 November 2017 in Merano, Italy. … Continue reading The Wine Hunter Roma 2017 in Rome, Italy
March has gone by quite fast and I didn’t even get the chance to write about my extraordinary experience with the Turkish wines in the Sommeliers’ Selection held in St. Regis Hotel in Istanbul last 25 – 26 February that was organized by Gustobar. I had a very fast-paced trip to Istanbul arriving from Rome at midday on the 25th just in time for a … Continue reading Sommeliers’ Selection 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey
If you are flying over Rome and landing in Ciampino Airport, then you must have seen patches of large combed vineyards around it. Riserva della Cascina is just about a kilometer from the Ciampino Airport. The winery is located inside the Appian Way Regional Park, along Regina Viarium, an ancient tree-lined cobblestone Roman road that goes back more than 2,000 years ago. The scenery, as … Continue reading Riserva della Cascina in Rome, Italy
The year 2018 saw more than 150 wine producers as the protagonists of a 4-day wine event in Rome between 15 to 18 February. Entitled I Migliori Vini Italiani di Luca Maroni 2018 (The Best Italian Wines of Luca Maroni 2018), the event took place in Salone delle Fontane in EUR, Rome with more than 1,600 square meters of space dedicated to more than 900 … Continue reading I Migliori Vini Italiani di Luca Maroni 2018 in Rome, Italy
You know that something special awaits you as you enter the Cypress Avenue in Bolgheri lined with elegant cypress trees standing like royal soldiers, because like any cypress-lined road in Tuscany, something supremely beautiful is at its midst. My destination – Tenuta dell’Ornallaia (Ornellaia Estate), the winery where excellence is supreme, in both its wines, art and passion. Bolgheri is a town in Northern Maremma, … Continue reading Ornellaia Winery in Bolgheri, Italy
If you love Italian red wine, then you must have heard or tried Sagrantino di Montefalco and if you liked it, then you must know about its leading top quality producer, Arnaldo Caprai. Arnaldo Caprai does not only have the prominence in the quality of its Sagrantino wine but it also has the notability in its role in reviving this autochthonous grape variety in Montefalco, … Continue reading Arnaldo Caprai Winery in Montefalco (Umbria), Italy
The first thing that was taught to us in my sommelier course was to go out and taste as much wines as we can to build our knowledge about them. It is not enough to sit down in our classes listening to the teachers, take down notes and study them. What matters most is to practice what we are studying. That means to analyze them … Continue reading Vinitaly 2017, 51st Edition in Verona, Italy
One hundred and eighty years, five generations, 1876 to present. From Azienda Agricola Barzanò Barboglio to Il Mosnel and finally, simply Mosnel. It all started in in a sixteenth-century villa with vineyards and cellars that was inherited by Rosina Rosa Cacciamatta in the town of Camignone, in the heart of Franciacorta. Rosina is the grandmother of the maternal grandfather of Lucia and Giulio Barzanò, the … Continue reading Mosnel Winery in Franciacorta, Italy
