NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Jeff Porter, beverage director of the Bastianich Group and one of the most influential sommeliers in the US for fine Italian wine, together with I.E.E.M. (http://www.ieemusa.com) and Colangelo & Partners (http://www.colangelopr.com), has created ‘Sip Trip,’ a new Web-based show that will give Italian wine lovers an up-close & personal view into some of Italy’s top wineries and wine regions. The Sip Trip crew ─ which includes Jeff accompanied by two wine pros and a journalist from leading wine and spirits website, Vinepair (http://www.vinepair.com) ─ hits the road this November and December with stops in Piedmont (the Asti and Nizza Consortia, Renato Ratti, Pio Cesare and Fontanafredda), the Veneto (Masi, Zenato), Lombardy (Ca’ del Bosco), Tuscany (the Brunello Consortium and Castello di Monsanto), Umbria (Falesco), Le Marchè (Ciù Ciù) and Campania (Mastroberardino).
“The concept for Sip Trip is simple: I travel to Italy’s greatest wineries and wine regions with two top Sommeliers, drink great wine, interview interesting people and explore the culture and history of Italy. What could be better than that?” explains Jeff. The tone of Sip Trip will be fun and informative. Jeff and friends will tell compelling stories of great wines, estates and regions in their historical and cultural context while avoiding technical wine jargon and repeated shots of swirling wine glasses.
“Americans love Italy and Italian wine but don’t have access to the places Jeff will visit and the people he’ll meet,” says Marina Nedic, founding partner of I.E.E.M. “Sip Trip will allow viewers to vicariously experience these beautiful places and leading Italian wine personalities.”
The Italian road trip will be bookended by a trip across America by Jeff and Somm friends during which he’ll drink the great wines he tasted in Italy with more Somms in the US. “We want to share our love for Italy and Italian wine with as many wine industry pros and wine enthusiasts as we can touch, whether in a tasting or digitally,” said Gino Colangelo, owner of Colangelo & Partners. “Jeff is the perfect host for this. He knows what he’s talking about technically and he can speak to wine lovers at all levels of knowledge.”
The first Sip Trip episodes will begin airing in the Spring of 2019. Currently, there are 12 episodes planned for Season 1.
About Jeff Porter
Originally from Texas, Jeff’s passion for wine started while at the University of Texas at Austin. He began his career at Central Market in Austin, Texas. After graduating, Jeff moved to California where he worked as a sales person for a wholesaler in the Bay Area. His sommelier career began in Napa Valley working at Tra Vigne Ristorante in St. Helena, California. He joined the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group in 2009 at Osteria Mozza. In 2011 he moved to New York to become the wine director for Del Posto, and in 2014, Jeff became the Beverage Operations Director of the B&B Hospitality Group, overseeing the beverage programs for Babbo, Del Posto, Esca, Lupa, Otto, Babbo Pizzeria & Enoteca in Boston, MA, and the group’s newest restaurant, La Sirena at the Maritime Hotel.
About I.E.E.M.
I.E.E.M.: (International Event & Exhibition Management), the Miami-based branch of I.E.M. (International Exhibition Management), is a comprehensive agency specializing in marketing, events production and public relations for the wine industry. Driven by a passion for trade shows and a flair for flawless organization, I.E.M. was founded in 1999 by industry veterans Giancarlo Voglino and Marina Nedic. A reputation for reliably delivering high-quality events, coupled with its extensive network of wine trade professionals and international media, places IEEM/IEM among the most highly regarded Italian wine event organizers in the world. Learn more by visiting http://www.ieemusa.com.
About Colangelo & Partners
Colangelo & Partners (http://www.colangelopr.com) specializes in premium food, wine and spirits, and has long established relationships with the key press that drive these business categories and help determine the industry leaders. Agency principals have years of experience in retail and distribution as well as communications, a rare combination that gives Colangelo & Partners invaluable insights into consumer purchasing behavior. The agency focuses on ‘closing the loop’ between creative communications programs, distribution, promotion, publicity and the consumer in order to maximize the efficiency of its communications programs and deliver measurable results. Founded in 2006, Colangelo & Partners was honored as one of the year’s top integrated communications firms at the 2013 Agency Elite Awards and for one of the best digital marketing campaigns at the 2014 Digital PR Awards.
