Eve's Wine 101

Native Grapes Academy 2019 by numbers

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – Three nations, 490 wines tasted, and 120 “heroes”: these are the 2019 achievements of the Native Grapes Academy (NGA). NGA is a project co-financed by the European Union and coordinated by Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) and Organización Interprofesional del Vino de España (OIVE) aimed at training wine specialists on PDO, PGI and TSG wines of Italy and Spain in three target countries, Canada, Russia, and Japan.

To train the “European Quality Wine Heroes”, NGA created the Native Grape Odyssey (NGO) Maestro, course which, in 2019, was held in three cities in three different countries: Toronto (15-19 September), Moscow (28 October-1 November), and Tokyo (2-6 December). In five days and 30 hours of lessons in total, participants discovered Italian and Spanish wines studying these countries’ enological production. They immersed themselves into Italian and Spanish grape varieties, wine regions’ climate, history, and culture. Rebecca Lawrence, education development manager of the NGO course, described the methodological approach of the lessons: “The NGO Maestro is a course that has based its methodology in understanding the quality of European wines, in particular Italian and Spanish wines, by exploring the native grape varieties specifically as they relate to their territories as well as making the connections between the shared heritage (both cultural and genetic) of Mediterranean grapes. The course first describes the territory and then explains why native grapes have thrived there and places them into the broader context.”

To study the viticulture and wine-making tradition of these countries, NGA supplied students with a course text characterized by a multidisciplinary approach. Native Grape Odyssey Volume I was written by Prof.
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Attilio Scienza, Full Professor at the University of Milan and renowned expert in vine genetics, together with science writer and researcher Serena Imazio. Complimentary copies of the book were distributed to the 120 participants of the NGO’s educational activities. The volume is the first of six publications which will be compiled throughout the three-year period of the project (2019-2021).

In the NGO educational experience, wine tasting takes central stage. In addition to the tastings during the lessons, each course also featured a final Walk-Around Tasting, where importers could showcase their portfolios of Italian and Spanish wines to a bigger audience of students, professionals and wine lovers who gathered for the occasion.
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The NGA project strives to furnish students and wine lovers with free and open access training tools. Through the project’s official website and social media channels updates about the world of Italian and Spanish wines are shared on a daily basis. In addition, in November 2019, NGA launched its NGO Tasting Webapp. The Webapp allows users to record tasting notes, working as a sort of online tasting diary; moreover, with the app, users can share their tasting notes with other members of the community. Furthermore, by subscribing to the NGO Tasting Web-app, users who will compile the best tasting notes, will be selected for participation in the Vinitaly 2020 Incoming program and for the Spanish 2020 Incoming program. Selected users will have their travel and accommodation expenses covered and will join an exclusive program of b2b meetings, thus becoming active members of the NGO community.

In the next two years of the project, NGA initiatives will grow exponentially: new destinations for educational and trade activities will be added and new “European Quality Wine Heroes” will join the community after taking part in the NGO program of discovery of Italian and Spanish wines. In 2020 and 2021 one-day seminars and Walk-Around Tastings will be organized in five different cities in each of the three target countries (15 events per year).

Updates on the next NGA events are available on the official website nativegrapeodyssey.com and on the project’s social media channels.

About: Native Grape Odyssey (NGO) is a brand of the Native Grapes Academy (NGA) project. NGA is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and Interprofesional del Vino de España (OIVE) for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad, in particular in three countries: Japan, Canada and Russia. In order to achieve this, the NGA educational program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Verona, Italy, inviting wine experts and influencers from these countries. These events realized across the span of three years (2019-21) aim to create awareness about European native grapes abroad, as well as the wines produced from them, in particular Italian and Spanish wines, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.

Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio’s nonfiction bestseller about the historical and genetic journey of European grapevines – finally published in English

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio’s wine history opus ‘Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories’ is finally available in hardback, following its official launch in the European market on Thursday, October 17th, 2019. The publication, which is the English translation of Italian nonfiction bestseller ‘La Stirpe del Vino’ (Sperling & Kupfer, 2018) can now be purchased in Italy and, through Amazon.it, also in Europe; the digital version is also widely available through Amazon Kindle. Focusing on a number of iconic vine varieties (Sangiovese, Lambrusco, Pinot, Chardonnay and others), the book reconstructs the lineage of wine by analyzing stories of migration, conquest, and cross-cultural exchange underpinning wine commerce and viticulture. It is a must-read for wine professionals and enology students, while wine lovers and the general public will be drawn into learning more about the topic by the authors’ accessible prose.

From the website: Silvano Romani Parma

The book focuses on the history and ancestry of vines that are cultivated in Italy (e.g. Sangiovese, Ribolla, Primitivo, Traminer, and the many Moscato, Malvasia, and Lambrusco grapes), but also includes international varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot in the conversation, highlighting cross-currents and contamination: “What is certain is that research into the origin of the vine—as well as man in Europe, by a singular analogy—highlights a plurality of roots and matrices,” write Scienza and Imazio in the Introduction, “This is what happened in Italy […]: the variety of approaches demonstrates and confirms that our wine civilization is the result of a tormented hybridization of cultural contributions from the most diverse origins, ranging from Europe to Africa, from the Middle East to Central Asia. In this sense, the Italian case is archetypal for the whole of Europe: from the research on the identity of the vine in the different regions, emerges a continent without rigid borders, a continuous crossroads of migrations, interactions, hybridizations, contrasts and conflicts between peoples, which has drawn fundamental sap from the diversity of roots, on a cultural and political level.” (XXII)

Authors Scienza and Imazio have worked extensively on vine genetics. Scienza, who is Full Professor at the University of Milan, specializes in genetic improvement of the grapevine; he has published over 350 scientific articles and 15 books aimed at both academic and non-specialist audiences. He has also served on many national and international research committees and participated in the zoning of over 35 viticultural areas throughout Italy. A biologist by training, Imazio was a researcher in vine genetics at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and at the Centro di Trasferimento Tecnologico dell’Emilia Romagna; she now works as a science writer for various outlets and has published books and articles on wine history, ampelography, and genetics. Thanks to both authors’ untiring curiosity for all-things vine, the book successfully blends together genetic research on grapes’ DNA, ampelography and botanical studies, anthropology, the history of ancient civilizations, linguistics and literary studies in a monograph which also critically expands on the notion of ‘native’ or ‘indigenous’ grape: “…the word ‘autochthonous’ gradually loses its meaning: the vines are the result of an intense and ancient varietal circulation between areas sometimes even spanning great distances, often without geographical boundaries, so the term no longer refers to a place, but to a time, in which the vine is manifested in an optimal way through its production characteristics. The meaning of autochthonous can also be extended to the place where the vine gives its best, such as Sangiovese which, although of southern origin—as we shall see—expresses its DNA in the best way in Tuscany and Emilia, where it is now considered autochthonous” (Scienza and Imazio, XXV).

In the book’s Preface, Vinitaly International’s Managing Director Stevie Kim, who has been working with Scienza since 2018 on the Vinitaly International Academy project, comments on the educational value of this publication for the international community of professionals working in the beverage sector: “The English translation of ‘La Stirpe del Vino’ (which literally translates ‘the lineage of wine’) is another powerful tool to assist wine professionals in their study of Italian wines. The revised title—Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories—aims to give prominence to iconic Italian grapes and wines that are well-known internationally. […] To our Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) community no glass of Italian wine will ever taste the same after reading Attilio and Serena’s ‘Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories’: this book […] will bring them closer than they have ever been to the wines that they taste, professionally assess, or drink for pleasure.”

‘Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories’ can be purchased on Amazon Italy for €18,90 and on Amazon Kindle for $9,99 (€ 9,02). Publisher Positive Press also provides shipping options. Additional information on the book can be requested by emailing info@italianwineunplugged.com.

Authors’ biographical note:

  • Attilio Scienza is Full Professor at the University of Milan, where he taught genetic improvement of the grapevine. His research interests include the genetic improvement of grape varieties and rootstocks by crossbreeding and clonal selection, the appraisal of old vines, and the study of interactions between the vine and the environment to enhance wine quality. He also worked on the preservation and enhancement of the Georgian germplasm. He is the author of 350 scientific publications and 15 books—both academic and of wider appeal—on topics related to the description of grape varieties as well as their relationship with the environment and historical origin. He also serves as the Chief Scientist of the Vinitaly International Academy, wine education provider specialized in teaching the diversity of Italian wine to international professionals.
  • After completing her degree in Biology in 2000, Serena Imazio begins her extraordinary journey into the wine world by pursuing doctoral studies on the origin and genetics of the grapevine. After her doctorate, she worked as a researcher at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and at the Centro di Trasferimento Tecnologico dell’Emilia Romagna, where she started to get in touch with the world of communication and scientific dissemination of knowledge to wider audiences. She considers herself very lucky since she managed to turn her unabashed curiosity for all things science and her love for the wine world into a fantastic job.

Praise for the book:

  • “The unique triumph of Scienza and Imazio’s new book on Italy’s viticultural heritage is how, rather addressing it in isolation, it successfully sets Italy’s story in a larger geographical, historical and scientific context. In so doing, the authors reinforce rather than diminish Italy’s importance, expertly demonstrating how the peninsula and its myriad peoples were often key connectors joining the dots of seemingly disparate traditions. Sweeping in its scope, but retaining the intimacy of a personal anecdote, this book is a must for anyone who would seek to truly know Italian wine.” Sarah Heller MW, Proprietor, Radix
  • “Wine grapes are the most human fruits. Wherever they are planted, if successful, they not only represent in their wines the societies that took care of their cultivation, but also mark the character of the lands in which they grow. Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio share a series of most exciting real stories about grapes travelling and transforming landscapes. Their angle—solidly based upon science and knowledge with as much global perspective as depth—is unique. They are like this book’s grapes, well traveled and exceptional. I have not seen many books so soundly structured and so easy to read, books that provide knowledge while stimulating the imagination of the reader. I enjoyed the Italian version first and then its English version masterfully translated by Joy Livingston. Thanks, Serena, Attilio for your contribution to the understanding of the world of fine Italian wine and, most of all, for giving to me (and I think that to many readers too) lovely hours of intellectual enjoyment.” Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, International Wine Judge
  • “To speak with Professor Scienza, to read his books, and to listen to him is always a great experience as well as a profound learning journey that we can teach us new notions which at times were overlooked. For decades, Attilio Scienza has stimulated and energized the production sector of the agronomic and enological world. I don’t think we would have reached today’s results without his scientific commitment. Even now, every time I meet him, I always feel the excitement and reverence of a student. Thank you Professor Scienza!” Lamberto Frescobaldi, President, Marchesi Frescobaldi
  • “Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio’s scholarly quest to understand the genetics of the vine and their passion to narrate their lineage weaving together anthropology, archaeology, sociology, and linguistics make this book a perfect learning tool for people who work in wine, but also for wine lovers at large.” Stevie Kim, Managing Director, Vinitaly International

About:
Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories (Positive Press, 2019) is the English translation of Italian nonfiction bestseller about wine history La Stirpe del Vino (Sperling & Kupfer, 2018). In the book, vine genetics experts Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio illuminate the interaction between human communities and vines, in a journey which will reveal the lineage of wine through stories of migration, conquest, and cross-cultural exchange. Using DNA analysis, archeology, anthropology, myth, and literary sources, authors discuss the origin and ancestry of vines such as Sangiovese, Ribolla, Primitivo, Traminer and the many Moscato, Malvasia, and Lambrusco grapes. Chapters also cover more widely planted varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot, as well as the impact of the phylloxera epidemic in the nineteenth century. Maps and genealogical charts of vine families also grace the book. Available on Amazon for €18,90 and on Amazon Kindle for $9,99.

Vinitaly International Academy proclaims 12 Ambassadors in New York City

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VERONA, Italy (PRWEB) – After an intense week of lectures and tastings as well as a final examination in New York city, Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) has just certified 12 new Italian Wine Ambassadors. The new Ambassadors are all operational in the United States:

  • •    Rose Thomas Bannister, Sommelier, Rose Thomas Bannister, New York;
  • •    Bobby Domenick, Sommelier, Vetri Cucina, Philadelphia;
  • •    Tiziana Forni, Brand Ambassador, Dark Star Imports, New York;
  • •    Paola Pavan, Marketing & Sales, Italian Trade Commission, New York;
  • •    Matteo Bolla, US & Canada Development Manager, Valdo USA, New York;
  • •    David Pinzolo, Marketing & Sales, Ca’ di Rajo USA, New York;
  • •    Gianluca Queiroli, Wine Director, Wine Empire, Ashland, Massachusetts;
  • •    Susannah Gold, Marketing & Sales, Vigneto Communication, New York;
  • •    Amy Ezrin, Wine Consultant, Amy Ezrin Consulting, New York;
  • •    Alessandro Boga, Importer/Distributor, Wilson Daniels, New York;
  • •    Diane Heck, Importer/Distributor, Southport Wines LLC, New York;
  • •    Stefano Campanini, Marketing & Sales, Wine by the Bay, Miami.

The re-formatted, tasting-intensive VIA Italian Wine Ambassador course saw the participation of 39 highly-qualified candidates, who joined the VIA Faculty and Team in New York from June 26th to 30th. The 2019 New York cohort featured wine professionals who are active players in the New York wine and restaurant scene, as well as importers and marketing specialists operating, for the most part, in New York city and states such as Florida, Massachusetts, California, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. The group also included a small number of professionals from Canada and the U.K..

VIA New York proceedings were officially opened by Gioia Gatti, the Head of the Wine and Food Section at ICE – Italian Trade Agency in New York. In 2019, ICE – Italian Trade Agency supported also the Los Angeles and Verona editions of the Italian Wine Ambassador course. During the New York course, students sampled 215 wines: 70 during the guided tastings led by Faculty members, and 144 during the additional tasting sessions labelled “Tasting Labs” which of walk-around tastings with wines offered by VIA Supporters Italia del Vino, Italian Signature Wines Academy, Famiglie del Vino, Wi-Fi Wine from Irpinia, Consorzio Franciacorta, Consorzio Vini del Trentino, Consorzio Vini d’Abruzzo, and Sicilia DOC.

The 70 wines sampled during the guided tastings and studied for the blind tasting component of the Italian Wine Ambassador final exam represent benchmark Italian wines and have been carefully selected by VIA Faculty and team of specialists to reflect global market trends combined with local winemaking expertise. In New York, candidates trained their palates and improved their tasting skills with benchmark wines from key denominations across the 20 regions of Italy, native grape varieties and different styles. VIA Faculty Henry Davar commented on the wine selection: “With every new edition of the Vinitaly International Academy Ambassador Course, thanks to the continuing participation of our producer, supplier, and consorzio partners, we’re able to offer benchmark wines from the top producers in the most important wine growing areas. In our the section on sparkling wines for example, we had the opportunity taste iconic wines such as Ca’ del Bosco’s Franciacorta Annamaria Clemente and Ferrari’s TrentoDOC Riserva del Fondatore. I’d say that was a pretty good start!” Candidates also availed of the new VIA Tasting Schematic booklet, VIA’s standardized tasting grid with descriptors which are specific to Italian wine. The selection of benchmark wines per categories, VIA’s Tasting Schematic and the increase of the number of wines sampled in both guided tastings and Tasting Labs partake in VIA’s mission to maximize international candidates’ exposure to Italian wines.

Additionally, In New York, VIA’s constant commitment to become the gold standard of Italian wine education was reflected in the course’s attention to market niches such as the Organic, Biodynamic, and Natural wine markets. During the five-day of lectures on Italian wines, VIA guest lecturer and Biodynamic wine expert Monty Waldin, led a module on “Biodynamic and Organic Wines in Italy.” Waldin commented on the importance to learn more about this category: “Italy is one of the world leaders in terms of the surface area of its organic vineyards, so it is natural for VIA students to immerse themselves in Italy’s burgeoning organic and Biodynamic wine categories. Understanding how such wines are grown and made and how they taste enhances a deeper understanding of their intricacies and attributes to both trade and private buyers.”

The next VIA Italian Wine Ambassador course will be held in Hong Kong from November 3rd to 7th, 2019, a few days before the International Wine and Spirits Fair (November 7th to 10th) where Vinitaly will also organize a dedicated expo of Italian wines (Vinitaly Hong Kong). Applications to the VIA course in Hong Kong are currently being received.

About: Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) aims to be the gold standard of Italian wine education. It offers a complete educational path with standardized courses that will teach professionals and educators to master the diversity of Italian wine in a rigorous, organized manner. VIA’s main objective is to foster a global network of highly qualified professionals such as Italian Wine Ambassadors and Italian Wine Experts: in turn, they will support and promote Italian wine throughout the world. VIA was founded by Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International. The new VIA ecosystem avails of the guidance of Italian trade associations Federdoc, Federvini, Vignaioli Indipendenti FIVI, and Unione Italiana Vini as members of the Institutional Advisory Board. Italian vine genetics scholar, Prof. Attilio Scienza, oversees VIA’s scientific and educational direction as the Chief Scientist. VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar teach the flagship Italian Wine Ambassador course. The following trade associations in the Italian wine industry have also joined as VIA Supporters: Italia del Vino; Italian Signature Wines Academy; Le Famiglie del Vino, Wi-Fi Wine from Irpinia, Consorzio di Tutela Vini del Trentino; Consorzio di Tutela Sicilia DOC; Franciacorta; Consorzio di Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo. To date the VIA community comprises 202 certified Italian Wine Ambassadors and 14 Italian Wine Experts. Since its foundation in 2014, over 560 candidates from all over the world have taken VIA’s courses.

Wine Spectator Reveals Selection of OperaWine 2019 Italian Producers

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VERONA, Italy (PRWEB) – Wine Spectator’s senior editor and tasting director Alison Napjus announced the 103 wineries that will pour their signature wines during OperaWine 2019, Vinitaly’s opening gala to be held in collaboration with the prestigious wine magazine in Verona, Italy, on Saturday 6 April. As is been customary for the past three years, the announcement has been made in Verona during the wine business convention wine2wine organized by Veronafiere, Vinitaly, and Vinitaly International. Napjus proclaimed the 103 finest Italian producers for 2019 on Monday 26 November at wine2wine in the presence of Maurizio Danese (President of Veronafiere), Giovanni Mantovani (CEO of Veronafiere), Gianni Bruno (Area Manager of Vinitaly), and Stevie Kim (Managing Director of Vinitaly International), and called the wineries’ representatives on stage for the traditional group photograph.

Every year, Wine Spectator’s selection of Italian wineries strives to showcase both the high quality and regional diversity of Italian wines. For the 2019 selection Wine Spectator chose 15 producers that had never participated before. Moreover, as Napjus pointed out in her announcement speech, the Montalcino area and its Brunello producers have undergone the most significant change in the magazine’s selection process: “To keep the tasting interesting and fresh we change part of that roster of producers every year. Over the course of 7 OperaWine, we highlighted more than 200 different producers and this year 15 producers will be pouring at OperaWine for the very first time. The biggest change in this line up is seen from Brunello. All 6 of the Brunello producers who poured at last year’s OperaWine will not be there in 2019, instead we will see 6 faces who are making equally outstanding examples from Montalcino. We also have 7 wineries returning to OperaWine after a hiatus of a year or two and all together it’s a beautiful group of wines with representation from every region of Italy, encompassing more than 70 red wines, 15 whites, and 10 sparkling and dessert wines, and including bottlings all the way back to the 1998 vintage.”

The 100 top Italian wines have been selected among 2600 samples from Italy that Napjus along with Wine Spectator Senior Editor Bruce Sanderson received in 2018. Criteria for the selection are the quality of the wines as showcased during the rigorous blind tasting process the magazine is famous for as well as, in Napjus’s words, “leadership, historical significance, diversity for the tasting itself.” The wines will be poured to a select cohort of press and trade professionals during the 8th edition of OperaWine Grand Tasting that will take place in the heart of Verona city center in the historic Palazzo Gran della Guardia on Saturday 6 April 2019.

Wine Spectator’s list of the 2019 100 best Italian wine producers is available below and additional information on OperaWine can be accessed on its website.

OperaWine: 100 Great Producers
1.    Aldo Conterno | Barolo Romirasco 2010
2.    Allegrini | Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013
3.    Antoniolo | Gattinara San Francesco 2012
4.    Argiolas | Isola dei Nuraghi Turriga 2013
5.    Arnaldo Caprai | Montefalco Sagrantino 25 Anni 2012
6.    Avignonesi | Merlot Toscana Desiderio 2013
7.    Baricci | Brunello di Montalcino 2010
8.    Bastianich | Venezia Gulia Plus 2009
9.    Bellavista | Brut Franciacorta La Scala 2013
10.    Benanti | Etna Rovitello 2004
11.    Binomio | Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2008
12.    Bisci | Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva Senex 2010
13.    Bortolotti | Dry Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze U. Bortolotti NV
14.    Boscarelli | Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2012
15.    Braida di Giacomo Bologna | Barbera d’Asti Bricco dell’Uccellone 2016
16.    Ca’ del Bosco | Franciacorta Cuvée Annamaria Clementi Riserva 2008
17.    Canalicchio di Sopra | Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006
18.    Cantina Sociale di Santadi | Carignano del Sulcis Superiore Terre Brune 2012
19.    Cantina Terlano | Sauvignon Alto Adige Terlano Quarz 2013
20.    Cantine Lunae Bosoni | Vermentino Colli di Luni-Liguria Black Label 2015
21.    Carpineto | Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2013
22.    Castellare di Castellina | Toscana I Sodi di San Niccolò 2014
23.    Castello d’Albola | Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2013
24.    Castello di Ama | Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista Gran Selezione 2015
25.    Castello di Volpaia | Chianti Classico Coltassala Riserva 2015
26.    Cavallotto | Barolo Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe Riserva 2011
27.    Cesari | Corvina Veronese Jèma 2010
28.    Cleto Chiarli e Figli | Secco Lambrusco di Sorbara Vecchia Modena Premium 2017
29.    Di Majo Norante | Molise Don Luigi Riserva 2015
30.    Donnafugata | Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé 2015
31.    Elena Fucci | Aglianico del Vulture Titolo 2003
32.    Elena Walch | Alto Adige Beyond the Clouds 2016
33.    Elvio Cogno | to be confirmed
34.    Eredi Fuligni | Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2007
35.    Falesco | Lazio Montiano 2005
36.    Falletto di Bruno Giacosa | Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche Riserva 2012
37.    Fattoria di Fèlsina | Chianti Classico Berardenga Rancia Riserva 2009
38.    Ferrari | Extra Brut Trento Perlè Nero 2008
39.    Feudi di San Gregorio | to be confirmed
40.    Feudo Maccari | Sicilia Saia 2015
41.    Fontodi | Chianti Classico Vigna del Sorbo Riserva 2010
42.    G.B. Burlotto | Barolo Acclivi 2013
43.    Gaja | Barolo Sperss 2014
44.    Garofoli | Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Podium 2016
45.    Gianfranco Fino | Primitivo di Manduria Es Riserva 2014
46.    Gini | Soave Classico Contrada Salvarenza Vecchie Vigne 2010
47.    Giuseppe Mascarello & Figlio | Barolo Monprivato 2013
48.    Grosjean Freres | Pinot Noir Valle d’Aosta Vigne Tzeriat 2016
49.    Hofstätter | Pino Bianco Alto Adige Barthenau 2016
50.    Jermann | Venezia-Giulia Vintage Tunina 2014
51.    La Stoppa | Emilia Macchiona 2007
52.    Le Colture | Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Rive di Santo Stefano Gerardo 2016
53.    Le Macchiole | Bolgheri Paleo 2004
54.    Leone de Castris | Salice Salentino Per Lui Riserva 2014
55.    Leonildo Pieropan | Soave Classico La Rocca 2015
56.    Lisini | Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2011
57.    Livio Felluga | to be confirmed
58.    Livio Sassetti | Brunello di Montalcino Pertimali Riserva 2004
59.    Lungarotti | Torgiano Rubesco Vigna Monticchio Riserva 2011
60.    Maculan | Veneto Acininobili 2011
61.    Mamete Prevostini | Sforzato di Valtellina Albareda 2015
62.    Marchesi Antinori | Chianti Classico Badia a Passignano Gran Selezione 2013
63.    Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi | Toscana Montesodi del Castello di Nipozzano 2015
64.    Marchesi di Barolo | Barolo Sarmassa 1999
65.    Marco Felluga | Collio Russiz Superiore Col Disôre 2013
66.    Masciarelli | Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Villa Gemma Riserva 2012
67.    Masi | Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe 2009
68.    Massolino | Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva 2008
69.    Mastroberardino | Taurasi Naturalis Historia 2011
70.    Mazzei (Castello di Fonterutoli) | Chianti Classico Castello Fonterutoli Gran Selezione 2013
71.    Montevetrano | Colli di Salerno 2009
72.    Morgante | Nero d’Avola Sicilia Don Antonio 2014
73.    Nino Franco | Brut Vino Spumante Grave di Stecca 2012
74.    Nino Negri | Sforzato di Valtellina 5 Stelle Sfursat 2013
75.    Odoardi | Calabria GB 2014
76.    Ornellaia | Bolgheri Superiore 2011
77.    Paolo Scavino | Barolo Monvigliero 2011
78.    Paternoster | Aglianico del Vulture Don Anselmo 2013
79.    Pietradolce | Etna Vigna Barbagalli 2015
80.    Planeta | Etna White 2017
81.    Prà | Soave Classico Monte Grande 2016
82.    Produttori del Barbaresco | Barbaresco 2009
83.    Quintodecimo | Aglianico Irpinia Terra d’Eclano 2013
84.    Renato Ratti | Barolo Marcenasco 2010
85.    Roagna | to be confirmed
86.    Roberto Anselmi | Veneto White Capitel Foscarino 2017
87.    Rocca delle Macìe | Chianti Classico Sergio Zingarelli Gran Selezione 2014
88.    Salvatore Molettieri | Taurasi Vigna Cinque Querce Riserva 2009
89.    San Felice | Chianti Classico Poggio Rosso Gran Selezione 2015
90.    San Filippo | Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucére Riserva 2012
91.    San Martino | Aglianico del Vulture Arberesko 2013
92.    Tabarrini | Montefalco Sagrantino Colle Grimaldesco 2010
93.    Tasca d’Almerita | Contea di Sclafani Rosso del Conte 2008
94.    Tenuta delle Terre Nere | Etna Calderara Sottana 2015
95.    Tenuta di Trinoro | Toscana 1998
96.    Tenuta Pederzana | Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Cantolibero 2016
97.    Tenuta San Guido | Bolgheri-Sassicaia Sassicaia 2006
98.    Tenuta San Leonardo | Vigneti delle Dolomiti Red San Leonardo 2013
99.    Tormaresca | Aglianico Castel del Monte Bocca di Lupo 2013
100.    Umani Ronchi | Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Casal di Serra Vecchie Vigne 2016
101.    Vietti | Barolo Lazzarito 2013
102.    Vincenzo Ippolito | Calabria 160 Anni 2013
103.    Zenato | Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Sergio Zenato Riserva 2006

About: The grand Vinitaly 2019 will be held from April 7th to the 10th. Every year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” which will be held on the 6th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly will unite international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the seventh edition of its Certification Course and today counts 157 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 13 Italian Wine Experts.

Over 20 natural wines have been selected at third edition of Wine Without Walls

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(PRWEB) – Italy is in pole position for organic, natural and biodynamic wine-growing. The country also has the largest surface area of vines under certified organic management worldwide, ahead of both Spain in second place and France in third. In light of this important reality, Vinitaly International added the “Wine Without Walls” section to its annual wine selection 5StarWines. Held April 11th to the 13th 2018 in Verona, the third edition of 5StarWines welcomed over 2,700 wines from around the world and showcased 45 bottles in Wine Without Walls. Chaired by biodynamic wine expert Monty Waldin, Wine Without Walls gives recognition to the ever-present growing importance and relevance of natural wines. The section is solely dedicated to wines either without added sulphites or wines with total quantity of sulphites (naturally produced and added ones) not higher than 50mg/l. During the last edition, 24 Italian wines made it through the selection, once again proving Italy as prime location for organic wine growing. The selected organic wines will be published on the 5StarWines – the Book, which will be available from July 2018.

maxresdefaultDuring the first two editions of Wine Without Walls former Chairperson Alice Feiring devised criteria for judging to include the descriptors: ‘liveliness’, ‘evolution’, ‘balance’, ‘drinkability’, ‘savoriness’, ‘sense of place’, ‘emotional impact’, and ‘transparency’. Based off these editions, Monty Waldin decided to use and adapt six of the descriptors, changing ‘emotional impact’ with ‘individuality’ and ‘transparency’ with ‘clarity.’

Waldin chose ‘individuality’ to represent the individuality of a wine that can only come from vineyards and each individual vine transmitted from its particular piece of terroir: the exact type of soil and sub-soil it is on, the exact part of the slope, the exact amount of sun, rain, and wind that it gets. Individuality also stems from the human factor, i.e. how the vines were planted, picked, and pruned. These aspects, combined, affect how each berry will taste and how they are measured; whereas descriptors such as ‘emotional impact’ are less measurable and therefore more subjective.

Substituting ‘transparency’ with ‘clarity’, Waldin sees that clarity in wine not only comes from the winemaker, but also from the grapes themselves. A wine embodying clarity shows that the winemaker has a clear vision of how the wine will be made. Winemakers whose aim is to make wine as naturally as possible, must guide every step of the winemaking process with their mastery, skills and knowledge to include—date of harvest, choice of fermentation vessel, choice of bottling date—in such a way that the wine clearly expresses the terroir, grape and human touch. A wine with clarity will always be transparent, from the beginning to the end.

On the the experience, Monty Waldin commented “One of the delights of judging wines made by people working in tune with nature, rather than working against it, is that the wines show a brightness and levity which makes wine tasting a joy rather than a chore. We all felt refreshed at the end of the day’s judging as these natural, organic and Biodynamic wines tend to have lower levels of alcohol compared to conventional wines because the vines are in balance.”

Accompanying Monty Waldin in this year’s tasting, Wine Without Walls included 4 natural wine connoisseurs. Regine Lee, Christopher Barnes, Richard Kershaw MW and Gill Gordon Smith, all coming from various countries around the world, joined together at wine2digital. The panel agreed, at the end of the selection, that the wines far exceeded their expectations in terms of quality, complexity and, most importantly, value. Furthermore, the judges were pleased to see that the wines came from not only from small, artisan producers but also from medium to large scale producers. Despite their size, they showed that they are well organised and fully capable of bringing grapes into the winery at optimal ripeness and with diverting flavours.

Here’s the list of the Wine Without Walls selected wines:

ADRIANO GRASSO with BARBERA D’ASTI DOCG

CANTINA ALDENO S.C.A. with TRENTINO DOC GEWURZTRAMINER VINO BIOLOGICO

AZIENDA VINICOLA ATTILIO CONTINI S.P.A. with CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA DOC VINO BIOLOGICO

SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA TENUTA MARA SRL with RUBICONE IGP SANGIOVESE VINO BIOLOGICO

AZIENDA AGRICOLA LUSENTI DI LODOVICA LUSENTI with COLLI PIACENTINI DOC MALVASIA

BORTOLIN F.LLI SRL with VALDOBBIADENE PROSECCO DOCG SUPERIORE SPUMANTE BRUT

TENUTE DEL GARDA SRL with VINO SPUMANTE EXTRA BRUT

PIEVALTA SOC. AGR.R.L. with VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI DOC CLASSICO SUPERIORE VINO BIOLOGICO and CASTELLI DI JESI VERDICCHIO RISERVA DOCG CLASSICO VINO BIOLOGICO

OLIS SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA SRL (FATTORIA LA MALIOSA) with TOSCANA IGT BIANCO VINO BIOLOGICO

AZ. AGR. LE CARLINE DI PICCININ DANIELE with VENEZIA DOC PINOT GRIGIO VINO BIOLOGICO and LISON PRAMAGGIORE DOC REFOSCO DAL PEDUNCOLO ROSSO VINO BIOLOGICO

AZ. AGR. CARLO TABARRINI “CANTINA MARGÒ” with UMBRIA IGT BIANCO

CASCINA DEL COLLE DI D’ONOFRIO A. & C. S.S. with ABRUZZO DOC BIANCO VINO BIOLOGICO and ABRUZZO DOC ROSSO VINO BIOLOGICO

LA CAPPUCCINA SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA S.S. with SOAVE DOC VINO BIOLOGICO

POSSENTE SOCIETÀ COOPERATIVA AGRICOLA with SICILIA DOC GRILLO VINO BIOLOGICO and TERRE SICILIANE IGP CATARRATTO VINO BIOLOGICO

FOLICELLO SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA S.S. with PIGNOLETTO DOC FRIZZANTE VINO BIOLOGICO

MARCHISIO FAMILY ORGANIC ESTATE S.S.A. with ROERO DOCG ARNEIS VINO BIOLOGICO and LANGHE DOC NEBBIOLO VINO BIOLOGICO

AVIGNONESI SRL with ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO DOC VINO BIOLOGICO and TOSCANA IGT ROSSO VINO BIOLOGICO

ERNST TRIEBAUMER with BURGENLAND QUALITÄTSWEIN BLAUFRÄNKISCH

5StarWines Proclaimed Over 600 International Treasures – Scoring 90+

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Verona, Italy (PRWEB) – On April 13th, the third edition of 5StarWines came to a close at wine2digital, Verona. Organised by Vinitaly, 5StarWines is a three-day tasting aiming at shedding light on wineries investing in the improvement of their products. During the event, a highly qualified panel of wine professionals tastes and gives score on a 100-point scale to more than 2.700 wines.

VINI-SELEZIONATI-960x400Under the guidance of Vinitaly International Managing Director Stevie Kim and Vinitaly International Academy Scientific Director Ian D’Agata, the international team of judges is led by 3 General Chairmen: Bernard Burtschy, president of the French Wine Press; Robert Joseph, Editor at Large for Meininger’s Wine Business International; and Spanish Master of Wine Pedro Ballesteros Torres. Main task of the Chairmen is to re-taste wines with an initial score of 90, that is the score a wine needs to be published on 5StarWines-The Book. On the selection he chaired for two years in a row, Joseph commented, “There are new producers, new regions, and new grapes every year. I just love being here, discovering all these flavours, and then go on to Vinitaly to meet the actual people that produced them and understand why and how they are making these wines.” Ballesteros Torres, who finds 5StarWines enriching from a personal point of view, added, “I think it is a great opportunity for the Italian wines participating. 5StarWines is a major tool for Italian producers because they will have the chance to have a feedback from top level experts from all over the world. Another quality of the event is that while tasting, judges get the chance talk with each other, creating an environment of exchange and growth.”

5StarWines-The Book is a wine-guide including all the wines selected at 5StarWines that aims at giving visibility to worthy wineries. A special feature of the guide (and of the event) is Wine Without Walls, a section solely dedicated to wines either without added sulphites or wines with total quantity of sulphites (naturally produced and added ones) not higher than 50mg/l. Chaired by biodynamic wine expert Monty Waldin, Wine Without Walls gives recognition to the growing importance and relevance of natural wines. In the case of Wine Without Walls, the tasting’s assessment criteria are not numerical but rather descriptive like liveliness, individuality, sense of place, etc. Regine Lee, Head of Customer Business Support at Liberty Wines and one of the judges of the Wine Without Walls section observed, “WWW is a really interesting opportunity for us to valuate a lot of natural wines through quantitative and qualitative assessments that really look at whether the wine is of quality or not. US judges are able to look across wide diversity styles, mostly Italians, and I think it’s a really nice way to understand what makes natural wines particularly good and whether they can be judged in themselves or across wines as a whole.”

Coming from all over Italy, California, Argentina and other countries, the wines participating at this edition of 5StarWines were around 2700, 500 more than last year’s. Out of these 2700, more than 600 scored more than 90 out of 100 and therefore will make it on The Book.

For the second year in a row Italy stood out as one of the best producers at the selection, with Cantine del Notaio Soc.Agr. A R.L. taking home the “Best Winery of the Year – Gran Vinitaly 2018”. Worth a mention is the fact that this year, the selected 5 star wines will also be indicated as 5StarWines on Wine-Searcher’s online listings, one of the most famous web search engines for wine. Moreover, The 5StarWines label will also feature on the Vinitaly App during and after Vinitaly ,for all buyers and trade.

You can see the complete list of wines on http://www.5starwines.it/

About
The grand Vinitaly 2018 will be held from April 15th to the 18th. Every year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (https://www.vinitalyinternational.com/?page_id=646) “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” which will be held on the 14th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly will unite international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the third edition of its Certification Course and today counts 122 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 9 Italian Wine Experts.

8 “lucky” Italian Wine Ambassadors proclaimed in Chengdu, China

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(PRWEB) – Under the good auspices of Chinese lucky number 8, the 8th edition of the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) Certification Course in Chengdu welcomes 8 new Italian Wine Ambassadors (IWA) to the evergrowing VIA community. VIA adds another Chinese city to its map, with Chengdu being the third city in China to hold VIA courses after Beijing and Shanghai last year.

Banner_Vinitaly_China_copyspace

Vinitaly China

Chengdu is renowned for being the homeland of Chinese national drink Baijiu (a grain based spirit), therefore the city has a thriving beverage industry where Italian wine can shine brightly. For this reason, Chengdu was the perfect place to gather Chinese aficionados of Italian wine and spread its story of biodiversity.

The Certification Course comprised a week of training with internationally renowned wine critic Dr. Ian D’Agata and a challenging final exam held on March 20th. “I’m so honored to have taken this class and exam. The course is intensive and hard but definitely worth it!” says Joseph Cheng, Director at Story Wine Company in Hong Kong and one of the newly proclaimed IWAs. Sylvie Xuan Zuo, wine consultant at Peng She Da International Trade Company, also confirms, “Now that I’ve got the title of IWA, there’s much more out there for me to learn. I’ll do my best to make Italian wine better known in China; it’s such a beautiful shining pearl in the sea of wine.”

A unique opportunity for wine professionals to enhance their knowledge of Italian native grapes and distinctive wines, the VIA Certification Course enables all professionals to speak of Italian wine in a unified, organized, and thorough manner. Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International, speaks highly of the Chinese students’ commitment to Italian wine studies: “Sometimes we are criticized by the low percentage of pass rate but in the end candidates will often resit the exam. I’m always amazed by how much enthusiasm and determination exist amongst the Chinese candidates, despite the difficulties in broaching the course in English, not to mention the less familiar pronunciation of the most obscure native grapes.” Further evidence of the students’ passion for Italian wines was the fact that many of them provided tips to pair Italian wine with Chinese food from their personal and professional experiences, as recorded in the entertaining video “Best Italian Wine to Pair with Chinese Hot Pot” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2sq4y-x4JE&feature=youtu.be&a).

After the proclamation of the 8 new IWAs in Chengdu, there are now 139 VIA-certified IWAs worldwide. Currently, VIA is home to 3 IWEs and 41 IWAs from USA, and 2 IWEs and 38 IWAs from the Greater China area. After the “lucky” Chinese edition, the next VIA Certification Course comes home to Verona, Italy, from April 6th to 10th, 2018, in the lead-up to Vinitaly.

Full list of our 8 newly certified Italian Wine Ambassador Chengdu Edition 2018

Jing Zhang, Shanghai, China, Sales Manager, EMW Fine Wines
Joseph Cheng, Hong Kong, Director, Story Wine Company
Yan Zeng, Senior Manager of Strategic Development at CIMIC Enric
Ada Xiaowen Zhang, Shanghai, China, Sales Manger, Le Service Divin
Maria Grazia Furbato, Jakarta, Indonesia, Wine Educator and Consultant, reWined
Haixia Xu, Chengdu, China, Co-Founder of Sichuan Ocean International Trade
Chunnju Emilia Hsiao, Taiwan, Co-Founder of Enjoyino Co.
Sylvie Xuan Zuo, Kunming, China, Manager and Wine Consultant, Zhong Peng Shi Da International Trade Company

For more details about the VIA Certification Course and the Ambassador’s BIO see:
https://www.vinitalyinternational.com/?page_id=663

About:
Veronafiere is the leading organizer of trade shows in Italy including Vinitaly (http://www.vinitaly.com), the largest wine and spirits fair in the world. During its 51st edition Vinitaly counted more than 4,270 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 128,000 visitors from 142 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers (up by 8%). The next edition of the fair will take place on 15 – 18 April 2018. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (http://www.operawine.it) “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” will unite international wine professionals on April 14th in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the fourth edition of its Certification Course and today counts 130 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 9 Italian Wine Experts.

10 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 1 Expert of High Calibre Certified

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(PRWEB) – Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) forges ahead its Certification Course in San Francisco, USA, and welcomes 10 new Italian Wine Ambassadors and 1 Expert (the higher title). With an overall of 116 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 8 Italian Wine Experts to date, the San Francisco edition, held from October 16th to 20th, closes the third year of worldwide VIA courses organized in Europe, China, and USA, and was characterized by the high level of the candidates.

26 wine professionals from the USA and one from as far as Singapore gathered for an intense week of theory and tastings at the San Francisco Wine School. They all had one thing in common: the undeniable enthusiasm for Italian wine. All lessons were conducted by Dr. Ian D’Agata, author of Native Wine Grapes of Italy (winner of the 2015 Louis Roederer International Wine Book Awards as Book of the Year) who has been running the course since 2015. In addition to D’Agata’s groundbreaking treatise on Italian indigenous grapes, for the first time, candidates also took advantage of the new reference text Italian Wine Unplugged Grape by Grape. Available for now in ebook format on Amazon but soon to be published in print, the ebook guided VIA candidates in their learning, since everyone was ipad- and smart phone equipped and followed the lessons with the assistance of the ebook.

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAqVAAAAJDM3MzcxNWMzLTNlZDgtNDcwNC05N2E5LWViMDkzOGRkNjIzYgRepresenting the one and only opportunity for wine professionals to gain extensive knowledge on the vast subject of Italian grapes and wines, the Certification Course enables all professionals to speak of Italian wine in a unified and organized manner, with true in-depth knowledge. The new VIA Italian Wine Expert, Corinne Keddie, comments on the rigor and depth of the course: “I met Ian D’Agata two years ago, when he was a guest lecturer for the WSET Level 4 Diploma course I was taking. I did not realize it when I first started, but that course only touched on such a small number of the sheer amount of native grapes of Italy. But hearing Ian and reading his book definitely made me want to learn more. Unfortunately, many of Italy’s native grapes have little exposure internationally. The course allows us to not only learn about, but taste many of these wines. It is by far one of the most rigourous study programs I have ever taken, including my four-year Master of Architecture degree. So, I was very excited and proud to be the eighth person to have achieved the title of Italian Wine Expert. I look forward to continue this journey, through visits to producers and regions and sharing this knowledge with others, through teaching, tastings and writing.”

Among the 10 new Italian Wine Ambassadors, VIA also welcomed the Master Sommelier (MS) Brandon Tebbe, who states that the course was for him “the most in-depth study I’ve ever done, going deep into the world of all things Italian. Truly looking forward to participate in the course again and achieve the Expert title”. With Tebbe, VIA is now home to 2 MSs (the other one being Yang Lu) and to 3 MWs: Fongyee Walker from China, Sarah Heller from Hong Kong and Nicholas Paris from USA. Newly-certified VIA wine specialists will be able to support VIA in teaching the courses around the world and broadcasting the excellence of Italian wines.

This San Francisco edition concludes the third year of the VIA Certification Courses and the very first year of a world VIA tour that started in Verona, Italy, during Vinitaly in April, then continued to New York City, USA in June, and to the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing in September. Stevie Kim, the founder of Vinitaly International Academy, explains this recent development, “The reason we’ve decided to accelerate in both US and China was that America has always represented the most important market for Italian Wines and China is the most important in terms of potential growth, albeit its lackluster results as of today. In general, we simply need more, many more, Italian Wine Ambassadors to be effectively targeting these markets. There are currently 73 Italian Wine Ambassadors and Experts in US and China; we are looking to increase that number consistently until end of next year. We are currently going into our fourth edition of the VIA certification program in Verona but we also wanted to respond to the needs of those who cannot take so much time off from their commitments to travel all the way here to Vinitaly. To my surprise, some had never travelled to Italy, not to mention Vinitaly. Naturally, they will now have all the reasons to travel to Italy.” The next edition of the Certification Course will be held in Verona, Italy in April 2018. Registrations are already open: http://www.vinitalyinternational.com/vinitaly-international-academy/certification-course/verona2018.

Full list of our 11 newly certified Italian Wine Ambassadors and Experts from the San Francisco Edition 2017

Italian Wine Expert:
Corinne Keddie, Calgary & Southern Alberta Area Representative at Opimian

Italian Wine Ambassadors:
Brandon Tebbe (MS), Wine Director at Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
Randall Bush, Retail Associate at Independent Spirits
Jahde Barasch-Grose, Sommelier at L’Amico
Phoenix Murchin, Lead Sommelier at Carnevino Italian Steakhouse (Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group)
Mark Middlebrook, National Sales Manager at PortoVino
Rose Johnson, Sommelier at Rao’s (Ceasar’s Palace)
Marin Preske, Sommelier at Mozza
Mary Beth Vierra, Manager Wine and Spirits Education at EJ Gallo
Laura Donadoni, Sommelier at La Com
Anna Bartolini, Owner of Restaurants, La Balena and Il Grillo
For more details about VIA Ambasadors and Experts see: http://www.vinitalyinternational.com/vinitaly-international-academy/expert-ambassador

About:
Veronafiere is the leading organizer of trade shows in Italy including Vinitaly (http://www.vinitaly.com), the largest wine and spirits fair in the world. During its 51th edition Vinitaly counted more than 4,270 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 128,000 visitors from 142 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers (up by 8%). The next edition of the fair will take place on 15 – 18 April 2018. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (http://www.operawine.it) “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” will unite international wine professionals on April 14th in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year concluded the third edition of its Certification Course and today counts 116 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 8 Italian Wine Experts.

Release of New eBook, Italian Wine Unplugged: Grape by Grape

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New York, NY (PRWEB) – A new ebook that unpacks the biodiversity of Italian wine and its grapes has just been released online on Amazon in its beta version. Italian Wine Unplugged: Grape by Grape offers a concise yet comprehensive cultural and scientific introduction to Italian wine and its hundreds of native grapes in a visually compelling layout.

grape-slider-04Compiled by a team of Italian wine experts and educators, the ebook analyzes over 430 Italian native grape varieties in accessible and easy-to-remember entries. Designed to offer the contemporary wine lover a new reading experience, it includes an extensive visual apparatus featuring grape variety flash-cards, mind maps, photographs of grape bunches, and maps of Italian wine appellations. The ebook provides introductory chapters that offer essential historical, cultural, geographical and scientific information necessary to understand the richness and complexity of Italian grapes and their wines. It is also a schematic reference tool that will help readers and students of Italian wine find order in the seemingly chaotic world of Italian grape varieties.

With 591 officially recognized indigenous grape varieties and more being discovered, Italy has more native grapes in its national territory than any other country in the world. Bernard Burtschy, wine expert and author at Le Figaro Vin, emphasizes how the ebook achieves the important goal of teaching about native Italian grapes. “The corollary of the return in force of the diversity in Italian native grapes is the learning of these varieties. All these grape varieties, we will have to tame them, understand them, love them, make others love them. The ebook fulfils a huge and crucial task.” Similarly, Adam Teeter, co-founder of Vine Pair, stresses the importance of continuing to communicate Italian wine and its biodiversity: “Italy is one of the most fascinating wine countries in the world, but many people, including top wine professionals, are still confused about the plethora of indigenous grapes that make Italian wine so special. Italian Wine Unplugged: Grape by Grape finally brings these grapes into the light in a way everyone can understand.”

The mastermind behind Italian Wine Unplugged is Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International. Kim has engaged a team of experienced authors and Italian wine educators coordinated by Ian D’Agata, Scientific Director of the Vinitaly International Academy and author of the award-winning treatise Native Wine Grapes of Italy (Univ. of California Press, 2014 and winner of the 2015 Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Award as Book of the Year). Kim and D’Agata’s dream team includes Geralyn Brostrom, co-founder and education director at Italian Wine Central in Napa, California; Lingzi He, wine educator and journalist based in France and Hong Kong; Michaela Morris, wine writer, educator, and presenter based in Vancouver, Canada. Brostrom, He, and Morris have distinguished themselves within the Vinitaly International Academy exam, earning VIA’s highest certification title, “Italian Wine Expert,” attesting to their profound knowledge of Italian wine and its grape varieties. Some of the ebook’s sections have also been curated by Michele Longo, Italian wine writer, sommelier, and experienced judge for wine competitions. JC Viens, Deputy Editor of Spirito di Vino Asia and WSET Educator, contributed the mind maps in the final section. The Italian Wine Podcast host and wine writer Monty Waldin wrote the preface to the ebook. All contributors met and worked together thanks to the educational work of the Vinitaly International Academy, the international institution and community committed to explaining, divulging, and broadcasting the science and culture of Italian wine around the world.

The ebook is aimed at wine lovers and professionals all over the world who would like to begin discovering Italian wine and Italian grape varieties. The ebook will also be used as a course book for the entry-level Italian Wine Maestro course, a new course soon-to-be organized by the Vinitaly International Academy.

The ebook version released on Amazon is a pilot version designed to elicit feedback from the international Italian wine community, with the aim of publishing a definitive digital version and a paperback version by the end of 2017. Stevie Kim comments on the collaborative spirit underpinning the project, stating, “In the collaborative and convivial spirit of the Vinitaly International Academy that has brought together the contributors, the publication of Italian Wine Unplugged in beta version first also aims to foster connections and intellectual exchange to improve its content.”

About Italian Wine Unplugged:

Written for both wine lovers and wine professionals, Italian Wine Unplugged: Grape by Grape is a concise yet comprehensive cultural and scientific introduction to Italian wine and its hundreds of native grape varieties. The ebook analyzes over 430 native Italian grape varieties in accessible and easy-to-read entries. It also features color-coded grape variety flash cards and an extensive visual apparatus with mind maps, photographs of grape bunches, and maps of Italian wine appellations. Available on Amazon in beta version.

A Podcast Dedicated to Italian Wine Personalities

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The marketing extraordinaire and wine producer Renzo Rosso inaugurates a new series of Italian Wine Podcast, the first podcasting project dedicated exclusively to the Italian wine world and available on Soundcloud and iTunes. On March 31st, during the first day of tastings for the new Vinitaly guide 5StarWines – the Book, the fashion tycoon Rosso introduced a wine tasting of red and white wines produced in his winery near Vicenza and recorded an interview with wine writer and Italian Wine Podcast host Monty Waldin.

indexRenzo Rosso is generally known for being the “denim genius” who founded Diesel Jeans and a number of global fashion and lifestyle brands like Maison Margiela, Viktor & Rolf, and Marni. Albeit traveling internationally for his business, Rosso is deeply attached to his home region, Veneto, and in the mid-nineties purchased a winery in Marostica. Rosso’s winery, Diesel Farm, features over 100 hectares on the Marostica hills at 300 meters of altitude and grows Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Nero. In the interview (available on https://soundcloud.com/italianwinepodcast/monty-waldin-interviews-renzo-rosso-of-diesel-farm), Rosso speaks about his humble beginnings, growing up on a farm and helping his father with the land and the animals: “My father taught me values like how to be loyal to the people, how to respect the people, the kind of education that it is hard to find nowadays in the new generations.” Rosso also discusses his lifestyle and his love of simplicity: “I travel all over the world all week so at the end it is very nice to be home. I live in a very simple way. I like staying at home, I invite my friends, I spend time with my family, my children.”

Rosso’s personal story told wholeheartedly to Monty Waldin is a fitting example of the great communicative power of the podcasting medium, whose beginnings date back to the early 2000s, when MTV VJ Adam Curry and IT programmer Dave Winer pioneered a way to sync audio content to portable players through RSS feeds. When the method was perfected in 2004, Curry launched his own show, which was initially categorized as audio blogging. The coinage of the word “podcast” is generally attributed to BBC journalist and broadcaster Ben Hammersley shortly afterwards. A recent survey on media usage in the U.S. conducted by Edison Research and Triton Digital established that “four in ten Americans listen to podcasts.” Podcast listening is growing steadily in the U.S. with an overall 40% rate of podcast listeners (estimated 112 million) (Source: http://www.edisonresearch.com/infinite-dial-2017/). Despite not being a mainstream medium, podcast practitioners have created communities of loyal aficionados, who regularly listen to podcasts on various devices and faithfully subscribe to their favorite shows.

In the wine world, various podcasts both instruct and entertain professionals and amateurs. However, unlike these shows which generally cover wines and wine cultures all over the world, Italian Wine Podcast is the first podcast which focuses solely on the Italian wine universe. With the largest number of native grape varieties in the world concentrated on its national territory, the Italian wine biodiversity is a story worth telling. So is the growing popularity on an international scale of Italian wine. This increasing appreciation is undoubtedly linked to the fact that wine in Italy is inextricably connected with Italian culture, from its centrality in Italian cuisine and lifestyle, to its prominence in Italian agriculture and in shaping distinctive Italian landscapes. Through engaging conversations with key protagonists of the Italian wine scene, Italian Wine Podcast illuminates the milieu in which the Italian wine culture takes shape. Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International speaks highly of Monty Waldin’s broadcasting and interviewing skills: “I am not very spiritual but I believe in destiny. When I chose Monty I had no idea that his father was a radio broadcaster and he had been exposed to recordings since he was little. I think the Italian Wine Podcast is right up his alley because he can relate to the interviewees in such a likable and accessible form, it must be in his DNA.”

Renzo Rosso’s podcast officially launches Italian Wine Podcast second series, in which Monty Waldin will uncover additional compelling stories from wine producers, leading figures in the wine business, but also broader issues affecting wine-making such as global warming and zoning. Stay tuned for more passionate storytelling about Italian wine.

About:

veronafiere__1440154352_88.86.182.206Veronafiere is the leading organizer of trade shows in Italy including Vinitaly (http://www.vinitaly.com), the largest wine and spirits fair in the world. During its 50th edition Vinitaly counted more than 4,100 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from 140 different countries. The next edition of the fair will took place on 9 – 12 April 2017. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (http://www.operawine.it) “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” united international wine professionals on April 8th in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the second edition of its Certification Course and today counts 55 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 6 Italian Wine Experts.