Eve's Wine 101

Vinitaly International Academy Celebrates 7 New Italian Wine Ambassadors and 1 new Italian Wine Expert

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – The VIA Italian Wine Ambassador course is one of the most rigorous wine education programs available. Students participated for 3 days, tasting 38 Italian wines and taking a difficult 2.5 hour exam. The course took place in two parts; first, with students following a syllabus of required reading and a series of 30 online lectures created by the VIA Faculty for a total of 60 hours listening time. Second, the in-person tasting sessions were then led by Sarah Heller MW on remote link, with Alice Wong IWA present to assist the students and ensure a smooth learning experience. The result? Seven students became newly certified Italian Wine Ambassadors, and one previous Ambassador was promoted to Italian Wine Expert, based on an exceptional exam score of over 90 points, followed by a blind tasting of 6 wines, and a specially designed marking protocol and oral defense of the tasting notes. New Italian Wine Expert, Alan Kwok, received his new pin with resounding congratulations from the VIA Community all around the world.

The Vinitaly International Academy certification course is recognised as the gold standard of Italian wine education. The VIA community comprises over 1000 candidates, of whom 307 have now achieved the title Italian Wine Ambassador and 16 of those are qualified as Italian Wine Experts. All elements of the course are carefully curated by the VIA Faculty team, made up of Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar IWE, assisted and advised by scientific advisor Professor Attilio Scienza. The ethos behind the course is a sound scientific focus on the native grapes of Italy and on the characteristics of the 20 regions’ biodiversity, history, culture, and business.

The VIA Community, composed of all students who have ever studied the program since its inception in 2017, welcomes wine professionals and wine enthusiasts from all over the world, forming a supportive and professional network that extends far beyond the limits of the classroom and includes lasting friendships, an open forum for sharing wine information, and career opportunities. Members continue to participate throughout the year in events such as Academic Field Trips all across Italy, gathering in Verona to judge at 5StarWines and Wine Without Walls, attending OperaWine and wine2wine Business Forum, and continually increasing their knowledge and growing their connections across the wine sector.

Students who take the VIA course come from every aspect of the wine sector, including educators, journalists, importers, hospitality, retailers, and beyond. Faculty member Sarah Heller MW reflected on the impact of VIA, “We invite students to join a profound and up to the minute conversation about Italian wines and what makes them so unique in the world, giving them new tools to communicate these wines and the solid foundation to become true Ambassadors, promoting Italian wines around the world.”

Upcoming VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Courses: VIA holds satellite courses at various times during the year. The Flagship Course is held annually in Verona in the days leading up to Vinitaly International Wine and Spirits Exhibition. The next Flagship course will be held 24-27 March 2023. Applications are now open. Satellite courses in other locations around the world will be announced later in the year, through VIA social media and on the VIA website.

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. To date, there are 307 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 16 are also Italian Wine Experts.

Behind the Wine: Story of Soil By Dawn Abasta

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Jessica Gasca’s journey to winemaker started out in unfamiliar territory. She is a native Californian but had ventured out to New York to explore her options. She worked in a French restaurant there and learned from their onsite sommelier who offered regular classes on wine. Jessica fell in love with everything about wine but she did not love the New York weather so she came back to California and continued her education. She read everything she could get her hands on, did tons of research and when she felt she was ready she reached out to her uncle Gary Burk who founded Costa De Oro Winery. She interned for him at the winery during harvest. Jessica loved the magic around harvest. She continued to learn everything she could, hands on and in the dirt.

She began saving all her pennies to buy one ton of Pinot and two tons of Syrah and in 2012 she made her first wines: a Gold Coast Vineyard Pinot and Larner Vineyard Syrah. These were released in 2015 making her one of the only female Latina winemakers in Santa Barbara. She now sources most of her wines from all over Santa Barbara County including Ballard, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria and Happy Canyon. She believes that wine is about the place it’s grown and the land it’s grown on. Thus, her winery name Story of Soil.

When asked what skills a winemaker should cultivate, Jessica said flexibility and patience. She endeavors to keep her wine in its truest form possible without additives. The result is a beautiful and delicious wine.

I asked her who influenced her along her journey and she said her Uncle was her mentor. She was also inspired and influenced by Jim Clendenen who helped her with her initial process and Amy Christine who is a Master of Wine and a wealth of knowledge. She advises that if you would like to get into the wine business, that you should reach out to your known sources and ask questions, get involved, taste more and most importantly don’t be afraid to take the leap of faith and follow your gut. When asked what the most rewarding thing about being a winemaker was she said it was being outside in nature every day. “The vineyard is my church”!

Prior to our interview I had been reviewing the Story of Soil Facebook page and noted that the team at Story of Soil starts every day with a motivational quote. I asked her which one meant the most to her. She answered, “Having a kind smile can go a long way.” She honestly believes that to be graceful in all things is important. You do not know what someone else is going through so smile, you might just turn their day around.

Jessica’s second passion is the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation. As current President she is trying to help get a healthcare program together for vineyard workers. In 2021 she and the foundation helped get 1,000 vineyard workers vaccinated. They have also helped open Los Alamos Health Centers. To find out more about the foundation go to: http://www.sbvf.org/home.html

I have been to Story of Soil numerous times and I make sure to keep their pinot in my wine fridge. If you haven’t gone out to the Los Olivos area, be sure to add it to your next wine tasting trip. Story of Soil is located at 2928 San Marcos Ave, Los Olivos, CA 93441.

100 Percent Cork Launches Salon Series To Raise Awareness Of The Importance Of Sustainability

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – 100% Cork and the Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) launched a series of virtual educational seminars to address sustainability in the wine industry with the goal of better understanding what it means, what the challenges are, and how the industry can improve. The seminars feature leading voices from all sides of the industry, including wine producers, Masters of Wine, retailers and environmental certifications, alongside forestry and packaging experts. Discussion topics focus on the ways that sustainable practices and messaging are being implemented in the industry today, the future of sustainable forestry, the role of packaging in reducing the carbon impact of wine producers, and corporate responsibility to local communities.

“I’m excited to be working with prominent figures in wine to address some of the most pressing topics in the industry today,” noted wine writer and educator Liza Zimmerman, who is moderating the seminars. “With the launch of the salon series we will be exploring and sharing sustainable practices and innovative concepts with the entire wine community as we look to the future of wine and winemaking in the U.S. and abroad.”    

For its first seminar, 100% Cork focused on the core question – why can’t more entry-level wines be sustainable? The discussion covered consumer trends and challenges and emphasized how the industry can help support sustainability at the retail level, while also highlighting how certifications and environmentally friendly packaging choices can be presented to consumers to help them participate in sustainably focused buying choices. The four-person panel of industry experts included Dr. Stephanie Bolton of the wine certification Lodi Rules, Benjamin Neyman of Shannon Family of Wines, Sandra Taylor of Sustainable Business International and Ryan Woodhouse of K&L Wine Merchants.

The seminar can be viewed in its entirety here at the 100% Cork YouTube page.

Dr. Bolton began the discussion by speaking about Lodi Rules and its sustainable certification program, which includes more than 70 registered wineries and 64,000 acres of vineyards across California, Washington and Israel. She defined sustainability as farming in a way that is environmentally and socially responsible while also being profitable or economically viable. Dr. Bolton said that many wineries are recognizing the value in vineyard certification and are paying farmers higher prices for their grapes.

“The world is changing rapidly and we need to figure out ways to preserve our agriculture and our business,” said Benjamin Neyman, the production and procurement manager at Shannon Family in Lake County, which is certified sustainable and will become certified organic this year. He noted that sustainability is different for wineries since they have to take energy use, packaging and CO2 emissions into account. Shannon Family is taking steps to lower its carbon footprint such as reducing the weight of its glass bottles, using regenerative and recyclable materials such as cork for closures, plus operating its own fleet of trucks to have control over the end-to-end wine production process.    

According to Taylor, younger consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability and are willing to forgo convenience to purchase products that are sustainable. Taylor, who is the president and CEO of Sustainable Business International noted that there are actually numerous sustainable wines available for less than $20 even featuring cork as a stopper. While she believes that certification seals are beneficial, she said that “there is still a lot of confusion in the marketplace about what sustainability means and what wines are indeed sustainable.”

Woodhouse, the domestic wine buyer for K&L in California, believes that one of the biggest challenges for sustainable wine is connecting practices such as renewable energy, environmentally friendly packaging materials like cork and water management to wine quality. While he thinks that work still needs to be done, he noted that certified sustainability is a huge opportunity for inexpensive wines and emerging brands.

Future 100% Cork salons will feature discussions on the importance of forests – particularly when it comes to the wine and spirits industry, why wine certifications matter in the age of climate change, and the essential role that recycling plays in sustainable wine and spirits packaging.

As sustainability becomes an increasingly important topic for the wine industry, one way it can address its carbon footprint is through the use of traditional materials such as cork. As an organic material, cork is 100% renewable and recyclable making it a small but vital piece of the sustainability equation as the industry seeks to become more environmentally friendly.    

About 100% Cork
100% Cork is an educational communications campaign about wine cork stoppers. The mission of the campaign is to provide the wine industry and consumers with the latest information and research on the benefits of natural cork. The campaign was established by the Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) with support from the Cork Quality Council to increase awareness of the unique qualities and sustainability of natural cork.

About APCOR
Associação Portuguesa da Cortiça (APCOR) represents and promotes the Portuguese cork industry and its products. APCOR is the employers’ association of national scope, created in 1956 and is based in Santa Maria de Lamas, at the heart of the cork industry around 30 kilometers from Porto, Portugal’s second largest city. Membership of the association is open to all companies operating in the fields of production, marketing or export of cork products. The organization advocates on behalf of the Portuguese cork industry worldwide and is the driving force of an industry based on tradition, innovation and sustainability.

Vinitaly International Academy Celebrates 7 New Italian Wine Ambassadors

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – The Course
July 2022 marked an exciting foray into the UK and Europe for VIA. The July course was held in London and Austria for the very first time, bringing Italian wine education to two new countries. In London, the course was taught live by VIA Faculty member Sarah Heller MW at the Institute of Masters of Wine, with the satellite venue in Austria was the Weinakademie in Rust participating by live link. Managing Director of Vinitaly International, Stevie Kim, remarked, “I was delighted to be able to host our first UK edition of VIA at the Institute of Masters of Wine, a location that represents the pinnacle of wine education. Likewise, the Weinakademie in Rust presents the largest WSET program available in Europe.”

Students participated for 3 days, tasting 38 Italian wines and taking a difficult 2.5 hour exam. The result? Seven students became newly certified Italian Wine Ambassadors. London student Richard Taylor summed up his experience, “Taking the VIA Italian Wine Ambassador course moved me such a long way on in my Italian wine journey, and it is such a joy to be part of this community over the last few weeks and heading into the future.”

What is VIA
The Vinitaly International Academy certification course is recognised as the gold standard of Italian wine education. The VIA community comprises over 1000 candidates, of whom 307 have now achieved the title Italian Wine Ambassador and 15 of those are qualified as Italian Wine Experts. All elements of the course are carefully curated by the VIA Faculty team, made up of Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar IWE, assisted and advised by scientific advisor Professor Attilio Scienza. The ethos behind the course is a sound scientific focus on the native grapes of Italy and on the characteristics of the 20 regions’ biodiversity, history, culture, and business.

The VIA Community, composed of all students who have ever studied the program since its inception in 2017, welcomes wine professionals and wine enthusiasts from all over the world, forming a supportive and professional network that extends far beyond the limits of the classroom and includes lasting friendships, an open forum for sharing wine information, and career opportunities. Members continue to participate throughout the year in events such as Academic Field Trips all across Italy, gathering in Verona to judge at 5StarWines and Wine Without Walls, attending OperaWine and wine2wine Business Forum, and continually increasing their knowledge and growing their connections across the wine sector.

Students who take the VIA course come from every aspect of the wine sector, including educators, journalists, importers, hospitality, retailers, and beyond. Faculty member Sarah Heller MW reflected on the impact of VIA, “We invite students to join a profound and up to the minute conversation about Italian wines and what makes them so unique in the world, giving them new tools to communicate these wines and the solid foundation to become true Ambassadors, promoting Italian wines around the world.”

Upcoming VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Courses
VIA holds satellite courses at various times during the year. The Flagship Course is held annually in Verona in the days leading up to Vinitaly International Wine and Spirits Exhibition. The next Flagship course will be held 24-27 March 2023. Applications will open in January 2023. Satellite courses in other locations around the world will be announced later in the year, through VIA social media and on the VIA website.

For more information, please visit our website at:
https://vinitalyinternational.com/vinitaly-international-academy/
Instagram: vinitaly international
To Apply: https://eventi.vinitalytour.com/en/sign-up-via/
Send us an email at: via@justdothework.it if you have further question
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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. To date, there are 307 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 15 are also Italian Wine Experts.

Vinitaly International Academy Welcomes 21 Italian Wine Ambassadors

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) The 23rd edition of Vinitaly International Academy was a joyful week full of intensive learning experiences, networking, tasting, studying, and a little bit of good old panic.

VIA is the gold standard of Italian wine education and this year showed off the course to its fullest potential. With the in-person return of both faculty members, Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar IWE, the course rebounded from COVID restrictions with a subscription of over 50 international students and a tasting list over three days that encompassed close to 140 wines in preparation for a grueling exam that has a typical pass rate of 25%.

This edition of VIA saw an enthusiastic, passionate and seriously studious group of selected students with a broad base of experience in the wine sector spanning buyers, retailers, educators, writers, enthusiasts, sommeliers, and those very new to the world of Italian wine. VIA aims to create the longest table, welcoming everyone who is curious about Italian wine to join the conversation.

The course offers students a hybrid learning format, with a series of online lectures in preparation for the in-person event in Verona, where students are immediately immersed in the Italian wine world, with unique experiences such as an opportunity to taste the wine of the historic families of Valpolicella at the famous Antica Bottega del Vino at a private event, as well as master classes hosted by various wine consortiums from all over Italy. Professor Attilio Scienza, the VIA scientific advisor, also attended the course and delivered spectacular lectures with up to the minute research in vine DNA and history, specifically for the benefit of VIA students.

Students faced a challenging 4-part exam on Thursday 7 April, which resulted in the inauguration of 21 new Italian Wine Ambassadors, the most successful class to date. Congratulations to all the participants, all of whom have now become members of the VIA family, intent upon spreading the love for Italian wine across the globe.

The list of Italian Wine Ambassadors, Verona Flagship Class of 2022: Peggy Baudon, Bev Bourdin, Julian Di Donato, Noell Dorsey, Jodie Hellman, Cedric Izri, Elissar Kurban, Jules Lamon, Chunxia Liu, Michael Markarian, Hee Sung Park, Gabby Rossouw, Christpher Sachs, Thomas Sartori, Erik Schneider, Rodrigo A. Sepulveda Schulz, Emiliano Stratico, Scott Thomas, Jessica van der Schee, Ezra Wicks, Ashlee Brianne Howell.

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. To date there are 292 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 15 are also Italian Wine Experts.

Sunset Magazine Partners with Wine Access to Launch the Sunset Wine Club

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NAPA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Wine Access, the premier online destination for expertly curated wines, has partnered with Sunset Magazine, the premier resource for achieving the ultimate Western lifestyle, to launch the Sunset Wine Club. The Sunset Wine Club will provide members with wines that represent the poetry and history of California, Oregon and Washington, each hand-selected to perfectly pair with recipes from Sunset Magazine’s latest issue, which hit newsstands February 1.

“The Sunset Wine Club is aligned with our mission to connect people and place through wine through a direct integration with the renowned content and recipes Sunset Magazine produces,” explains Wine Access CXO AJ Resnick. “Every wine is hand-selected to shine alongside each issue’s recipes, and features exclusive tasting notes and guided virtual tastings with our Chief Wine Officer Vanessa Conlin, MW and Sunset Magazine Editor-in-Chief Hugh Garvey.”

“The Sunset Wine Club is the culmination of a longtime dream of ours,” states Sunset Magazine Editor-in-Chief Hugh Garvey. “We seek out the best of the West to share with our readers and we are excited to partner with an expert retailer like Wine Access, who understands both our mission and our audience. These wines have been expertly curated to amplify our regionally authentic, original recipes, so with every bottle you open and sip you take, you are not only receiving a wine shipment, but partaking firsthand in the story of the wine in the West.”

The Sunset Wine Club includes six bottles of wine which will be delivered four times a year. Each shipment is priced at $120 (shipping included) and corresponds with the Sunset Magazine “Perfect Pairing” sidebar in each issue. For more information, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/sunset.

About Wine Access
Founded in 1996, Wine Access is the leading online direct-to-consumer wine platform offering the world’s most coveted wines. As one of the earliest adopters of ecommerce and DTC offerings in the digital wine space, Wine Access curates high quality wines from every wine region around the globe, creating more accessible ways to enjoy wine that extend beyond the bottle. Wine Access’ Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, and team of industry experts taste over 20,000 wines a year, offering only those that exceed the expectations defined by their prices. Through Wine Access’ network of family-owned, legendary winemakers, and coveted marquees, customers have access to an inspiring curation of unique and often unattainable wines. To build a deeper understanding and connection to each bottle, every shipment includes original tasting notes, flavor profiles, pairing recommendations, and compelling original stories that capture the authentic personality, passion, and philosophy of the producer. Wine Access also offers a Wine Club membership that unlocks access to rare and highly coveted wine selections from every major wine-growing region around the globe four times a year. In 2021, Wine Access was named the official wine provider of the MICHELIN Guide. To find out more, visit https://www.wineaccess.com/.

Carter Creek Winery Racks Up 12 Awards at TXIWC

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JOHNSON CITY, Texas – Carter Creek Winery, located in the heart of Texas Hill Country and owned by the Carter Family, accepted 12 awards at one of the largest wine competitions in Texas – the 5th Annual Texas International Wine Competition (TXIWC). The mission of this yearly competition is to highlight Texas as a prominent viticulture and wine-making region while also raising funds for charitable donations for local community organizations.

Entries from six countries and over 11 U.S. states were blind tasted and judged by panels of three or more industry qualified judges – master sommeliers, masters of wine, certified wine educators, enologists, wine writers, professors, beverage directors, buyers and other influencers – all chosen for their vast experience and well-trained palates.

“We are most pleased that 12 of our Texas High Plains wines from Carter Creek Family Winery won distinguished recognition at TXIWC and especially proud our Plateau Red was awarded Best of Class Texas Red,” said Jeff Carter, president of Carter Hospitality, operating company of Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa. “We too, like the organizers of this competition, are passionate about bringing recognition to Texas viticulture and supporting local community causes,” Carter added.

Veteran master winemaker Jon McPherson, who oversees production of Carter Creek’s award-winning wines, points out the winery’s vineyards in Texas Hill Country produce varietals that are especially unique because of the combination of an extremely warm growing season and an early harvest delivering softer, earth driven wines. McPherson likes to talk about the qualities of Best of Class Texas Red winner, Plateau Red, which is a blend of tempranillo, grenache, touriga nacional and tinta cao, showing a very exotic fruit aroma of spiced black cherries and raspberries. He says that Plateau Red is a rich, full-bodied wine due to 18 months of barrel aging and pleases the palate with bold lingering fruit flavors.

The 12 Carter Creek Winery, Texas High Plains award winners include the Best of Class Texas Red, one double gold, two gold and eight silver medals. Award winning wines include:

  • Best of Class Texas Red Wine Blend: Plateau Red, 2016
  • Double Gold Red Wine Blend: Maverick, 2018
  • Gold Medal White Wine Blend: Gloriosa, 2017
  • Gold Medal Red Wine Blend: Maverick, 2017
  • Silver Medal Sparkling White: Brut, NV
  • Silver Medal Dessert, Port: Dominum Tinto, NV
  • Silver Medal Other Flavored Grape Wine: Sangria, NV
  • Silver Medal Sparkling Fruit: Sparkling Peach, NV
  • Silver Medal Red: Tempranillo, 2016
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Plateau White, 2017
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Viognier Roussanne, 2017
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Viognier Roussanne, 2018

Producing award-winning wines since 2016, Carter Creek Winery’s production facilities are in Johnson City along Old Hwy 290 in Texas Hill Country, complementing Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa. Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa features 78 luxury villas, tasting rooms, a restaurant, its own onsite microbrewery creating small batch craft beers and an outdoor event center. It is a counterpart to Temecula, California’s award-winning South Coast Winery Resort & Spa and Carter Estate Winery and Resort.

 About Carter Hospitality Group

Established in 2011, Carter Hospitality Group, LLC. is a family-owned hospitality company with four hotels and resorts as well as three wineries across the United States. Based in Orange County, California, the company manages and owns a portfolio of luxury properties including South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Temecula, California; Carter Estate Winery and Resort, Temecula California; and Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa, Texas Hill Country. Carter Hospitality Group additionally serves as the owner-franchisee for Red Lion Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista South, Orlando Florida. For more information, visit www.carterhospitality.com.

Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening Event Is Back With 2022 Edition In Los Angeles

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LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) – The Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, the association representing over 500 wineries in Piedmont, Italy, is pleased to announce the second annual edition of Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening in Los Angeles. The upcoming event will feature the most recently released vintages of Barolo and Barbaresco, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening is a unique occasion to learn more about the two iconic red wines of Piedmont. Through this comprehensive event, the consortium aims to increase awareness and build excitement in the United States market by providing direct encounters with the most influential wines of these famous appellations.

BBWO 2022 will begin on April 28th with a preview tasting for Master of Wine, critics, sommeliers and journalists from Europe and the United States to analyze the overall quality of the 2018 and 2019 vintages. The tasting will be followed by an exclusive gala reception in Hollywood at Paramount Pictures Studios, featuring a celebration of Piedmontese food and wine culture.

On April 29th, at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, over 150 producers will present their Barolo and Barbaresco wines to press, trade, and consumers with a walk-around tasting. Both the Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG appellation wines will be poured during the tasting, as well as select single-vineyard labels.

“After the tremendous success of the inaugural event, we are thrilled to return to the United States with the second edition in Los Angeles this year,” said Matteo Ascheri, President of the Consortium. “The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening is an incredible opportunity to present our wines, our traditional food and our culture to the most influential wine personalities in the United States, ​​our highest-volume export market.”

The renowned Barolo and Barbaresco wines, often called the “king and queen” of the Langhe region where they are made, are produced from 100 percent Nebbiolo grapes. Age-worthy and complex, these wines have a long history of production in Piedmont and express the nuances of the region’s microclimates. In addition to the Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG appellations, producers may use the term MGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive) on qualifying labels to indicate single-vineyard bottlings. The Grand Tasting will feature an area dedicated to these MGA wines.

The Langhe region, situated in the southern part of the Piedmont region between the Alps and the Apennines mountains, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the cultural history of its vineyard-covered hills, a manifestation of wine traditions that have evolved since pre-Roman times, yet remain central to the daily economic activity and social life of the region. The region’s distinctive microclimates and unique geological soil types can be tasted in the glass year-after-year, making the Langhe home to some of the world’s most respected wines, among them Barolo and Barbaresco. To uphold the quality of these wines and its land, the Consortium maintains strict agriculture guidelines, such as the yield per hectare planting regulations set in 2011.

The event will also include cheeses of Fontina Valle d’Aosta PDO, and rice of Biella and Vercelli Barraggia PDO. Over two days, participants will have the chance to take a culinary journey to Italy, tasting Barolo and Barbaresco wines paired with Fontina PDO cheeses and risotto prepared with Baraggia rice. The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening event is part of the European campaign “Top Tales: A piece of Europe on your table,” created to increase awareness of these three PDO products in the United States market.

For more information about the Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening events, contact BBWOevents@colangelopr.com, for media inquiries contact merland@colangelopr.com.

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About Top Tales: Top Tales is a project supported by the European Union aimed at promoting Fontina DOP from Valle d’Aosta, Rice di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese DOP, as well as the DOCG’s Barolo and Barbaresco. The European communication campaign Top Tales: A piece of Europe on your table, is designed to increase the awareness of the three DOP products in the United States market.

About the Consorzio Di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe E Dogliani: Founded in 1934 and representing 537 wine producers across multiple appellations, the Consortium is committed to the management, protection, and promotion of the Langhe, Alba, and Dogliani wine denomination. The Consortium ensures high quality by a set of formal production guidelines for the entire winemaking process, from agronomy to market surveillance. The Consortium continues to perform periodic sampling of wine products on the market to prevent fraud and to protect the wines’ authentication and reputation. Barolo & Barbaresco are registered trademarks in many countries throughout the world.

About Consorzio Tutela Fontina: The Consortium was created in 1957 to protect Fontina DOP, its production and distribution. The entity releases the Fontina DOP trademark on every wheel of Fontina produced following the Consortium’s rules.

About Consorzio Tutela Riso di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese: the rice from Biella and Vercelli was awarded the PDO status in 2007 after the European Union verified its unique quality and nutritional characteristics. Today, the denomination covers 22,000 ha of paddy fields across 28 communes.

The New Masters of Wine Virtually Explore Tuscany

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TUSCANY, ITALY (PRWEB) – Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Marchesi Frescobaldi, and Gabriele Gorelli, Montalcino native and the first Italian Master of Wine, hosted this year’s newly appointed Masters of Wine, in a guided virtual tasting on the terroir and flavors of Tuscany’s most important denominations, across the 7 iconic estates of the historic Frescobaldi winery. The annual event is intended to support the Masters of Wine as they continue their careers as Italian ambassadors of wine and provide ongoing education, insights and dialogue.

The virtual tasting and tour explored the hills of Castello Pomino, the maritime climate of Tenuta Ammiraglia’s Maremma, the island of Gorgona, quintessential Chianti Classico in Tenuta Perano, the family’s history in Tenuta Castiglioni, the surprising international blend in the Chianti Rufina of Castello Nipozzano, and finally timeless elegance of Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta CastelGiocondo.

“We like to think of Frescobaldi as an authentic agricultural reality that has allowed us to truly represent Tuscany through the different estates,” says Lamberto Frescobaldi, “This fortune has always reminded us of the importance of sharing our experience and the beauty of the land we have lived in and cultivated for generations. This is why we decided to organize this virtual trip dedicated to people that we consider as important ambassadors of wine culture in the world.

A moment of togetherness and an encounter that has been more special thanks to the presence of Gabriele Gorelli, the first Italian Master of Wine, who shares our origins and love for Tuscany.”

“It was an honor and pleasure for me to be able to share the story of my native land through an ideal motorcycle trip across the Frescobaldi estates,” adds Gabriele Gorelli MW, “Most importantly, it was my great joy to have accompanied my fellow Masters of Wine who have travelled a tough and challenging road. It is surprising how great ideas can arise from an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. I wish that welcoming the new MW can become a new tradition for Frescobaldi.”

The event was well received by the attending Masters of Wine and is planned to take place annually for the new class of MWs to fully discover the richness of Tuscan territory and its wine production.