My articles in Meininger's Wine Business International

MEININGER'S WINE BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL is one of the best magazine specialized in the wine world you can read - shame it’s just bi-monthly. It’s the world's only genuinely international wine trade magazine, read in over 40 countries. It provides decision makers in the international wine trade with a comprehensive overview of the wine sector worldwide.

Extensive reports on new and emerging markets are given by recognised experts who are either resident in or have a detailed knowledge of the areas in question. Over 30 correspondents follow developments in such diverse markets as China, Australia, the UK, Brazil and Russia as well as smaller markets such as Korea and Bulgaria.

I am one of those contributors. The most of my articoles about Italian wine world are for the print copy only, but you can read some of them even online, as the following:

A new style of Italian wine network.

Durello’s sparkling makeover.

Wine tourism creates a blockbuster wine.

Innovativo, etico, sostenibile: così la Valpolicella progetta il suo vigneto del futuro

Mantenimento della biodiversità animale e vegetale; preparazione, conservazione e gestione del suolo; conservazione degli elementi tipici del paesaggio; buone pratiche d'impianto; difesa integrata e controllo infestanti; equilibrio del vigneto (inerbimento, concimazioni, irrigazione, ecc.); raccolta; tracciabilità.

Sono le parole chiave che compaiono nel nuovo protocollo di certificazione volontaria di produzione integrata messa a punto dal Consorzio di Tutela Vini Valpolicella (VR) dopo cinque anni di sperimentazione all’insegna del progetto delle 3 “R”: Riduci, Risparmia, Rispetta. Una iniziativa che in Valpolicella ha coinvolto aziende del vino grandi e piccole, enti di ricerca e amministrazioni, tutti (per una volta) concordi sull’obiettivo di dare concretezza ad una parola oggi molto di moda: sostenibilità. 

Vinix

Three secrets of a great wine: an interview with Federico Giotto

in

Hurdles, knowledge, thought. These sound like parts of a philosophical theory, or features of a poem. Yet Federico Giotto is not a poet or philosopher…or should I say he is? You decide, after reading this interview. To begin, I will only say that Federico is a young, renowned Italian winemaker and consultant. And he believes that “hurdles, knowledge and thought” are the three secrets of a great wine. And yes, he is also a romantic guy. Definitely.

Palate Press

4 Adventures in Valpolicella

If you love adventure movies just like me, chances are you would love to be like Indiana Jones or Alan Grant (Jurassic Park) at least once in your lifetime. Well, if you are the type, you can experience this in Valpolicella (with no risk to your life!). Here are the 4 places you should visit if you love this kind of travel. Bonus is the fact that you can stop for wine during your adventure, sip in the grape juice, take in the views, think of how amazing life is in that moment…

Winerist

The Salami Vineyard and the ham reborn in wine

Some days ago, on a cold morning, Eddy Marchi, a good friend of mine, rang me and asked, “Would you like to see something unusual?”

“Of course,” I replied “What and where?”

“Get ready, I’m coming to pick you up,” was all he said. A few minutes later, both of us were in his van. “I want to show you a unique place: the salami vineyard!”

Palate Press

Vernatsch, the Cinderella of Sudtirol, is ready for the ball

Who doesn’t love a place where the vineyards are steep, green gardens that produce fragrant white wines made with pinot blanc, sauvignon blanc, gewürztraminer and kerner? The elegant red wines here are made from pinot noir, lagrein and merlot grapes. This is in the far north of Italy, bordering on Austria, in a region with a dual Italian-Austrian identity: Alto Adige, also known as Südtirol.

Facing climate change

Do you know the grape balbiani? Ever read about a grape named sezannensis, or one called oiriki? Even if you’re an “expert” wine lover, curious to learn about everything in the wine world, it’s likely that you’ve never heard these names. Don’t worry if you don’t know about them. They were “ancestral grapes” that didn’t survive a glacial era more than 60 million years ago. Will modern grapes like cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay become extinct because of climate change in the future?

Old and new technologies collide to unlock the secrets of Amarone

If you were asked to name three or four Italian wines that are the most highly respected all over the world, I bet most of you would include Amarone della Valpolicella. This red wine made with dried grapes has been appreciated by wine lovers forever, but its popularity has shot up recently. So much so that wine producers in various other countries are trying to imitate Amarone by drying their grapes before pressing; today you can find “Amarone-style” wines even in Australia.

Palate Press

Wine Museum: Drinking with Culture

What if you decide to visit a wine collection on your vacation or, even better, a museum entirely devoted to the amazing world of wine, for a change?

When we say that “wine is culture” we are not just repeating a tremendous cliché, we are stating a simple truth. Wine is not merely vineyards and cellars – but also history and art. It is an important constituent of a people’s culture, meaningful as well as symbolic.

Palate Press

Eat on the Street (and Drink!) in Italy

One of the best parts of traveling in Italy is, without a doubt, the food and drink (mainly wine) that you find there. There are so many good restaurants everywhere in Italy you can choose where to go according to your taste – and your wallet of course. However, the best way to dive into the wine and food culture of any place is… eating while you are walking. 

Palate Press