Wine Blog Archive: My Life
In this category of the wine blog I collect all those articles I have written to take snapshots of my life and emotions. The first time I read Bridget Jones's Diary I found myself in that 30-year-old girl who eats too much, drinks too much, smokes too much, talks too much and collects one asshole after another. Then I stopped smoking, started wine tasting for work and being called as a guest at events. And it's been 10 years now. Ah, of course I've never stopped talking too much... but now if you send me a wine I don't like or invite me to a tasting that may not be one of my favourites, I'll sugarcoat it without shoving it up anyone's nose. And love? I have an intelligent husband with a big heart who differs from Mark Darcy only in that he is better looking and younger. For the 'Bridget of wine', the happy ending is only the beginning... even if she still fights with the scales every day.
Salame di Varzi PDO: a tasty castle
Salame di Varzi DOP is a versatile Italian gastronomic speciality capable of making any gourmet fall in love with it. And, since we are in the extraordinary lands of Oltrepò Pavese DOP wine, what better occasion to discover it with two tasting masterclasses and...
Montepulciano wine: the passion of podere casanova
Tuscany is a marvellous region, made up of a multiplicity of landscapes that are also very different from each other, but all united by the beauty of the landscapes and the cult of oenology. Montepulciano is a town of about 13,000 inhabitants in the province of Siena that lies...
Italian restaurants in Paris: do you know the Shardana?
I have always wondered why an Italian would go to an Italian restaurant in Paris. In an Italian restaurant in any other foreign city. Why not discover different tastes and flavours and seek out a taste that is often not so 'at home' when you are in a...
Damiano Carrara: creative pastries Made in Lucca
I have been following Damiano Carrara ever since I first saw him on TV as a judge on Bake Off Italia and then with Katia Follesa on Cake Star pastry challenge. From the very first time I found him to be 'real': a straightforward, sincere, passionate and very, very...
Autoctono si nasce 2023: tasting notes
Autoctono si nasce 2023 organised by Go Wine at the Hotel Melià in Milan was, as always, a highly interesting event to find some goodies and get some confirmation. After sharing with you my tasting notes of Emilio Bulfon's wines, I...
Emilio Bulfon: tasting notes at Go Wine
Last week I went to Go Wine's Autoctono si nasce 2023 and tasted many excellent wines. In particular I was happy to (re)appreciate the wines of Emilio Bulfon and since I tasted so many and liked them all, I decided to...
What to do in Livigno? 10 tasty and unmissable activities
What to do in Livigno? Perhaps the first things that come to mind are skiing, snowshoeing or snowmobiling (but I've even seen people climbing vertical mountains with snowmobiles)... what if you went to Livigno...?
Oysters and champagne: a toast to 2023!
I know, I know... I'm a little late in wishing you a Happy New Year this year! In fact, it has been a while since I wrote on my beloved wine blog, but I will make up for it with a nice reflection dedicated to one of the most beloved pairings of all time: oysters and champagne! A pairing...
Genuino Del Duca: my letter to your daughter Claudia
Dear Claudia Del Duca, I am writing to you because I cannot do without you and this letter is not only for you, but for all those daughters in love with their fathers who have lost them too soon like us. Dear Claudia, I am writing to you because I do not need to be your best friend....
Buon Ricordo Restaurants 2023: 10 special dishes +1
When I think of the most beautiful and best organised events in the food sector, at the top of my list is definitely the presentation of the Buon Ricordo 2023 Restaurant Guide. I love the format from appetiser to dessert: it starts with a welcome drink where you taste the...
Chianti Colli Fiorentini: Tasting of historic vintages
Last Wednesday I went to the technical tasting reserved for the press of Chianti Colli Fiorentini and for me it was a wonderful opportunity to re-embrace part of my family who live in Florence. I slept at the B&B da Olga, which boasts a...
La Montina Franciacorta Riserva: tasting notes
How many times have I said and written that I adore La Montina? So many, I know... but I'll say it again because arriving at sunset with all the little lights was beautiful. It was since 2019 that La Montina Franciacorta didn't organise the tasting of Franciacorta Riserva...
Blend 2022: tasting notes of 38 wines
This year it took me a while to publish the second Blend 2022 article, but with the master's degree and my constant living between Rome and Monte Isola, time is really tight. Then I managed to take a lot more notes than other years that I wanted to share with you....
Chocolate orange salami: foolproof recipe
Chocolate orange salami is one of my favourite desserts to make: it's easy, it's cheap and practically everyone likes it. Also, in a time like this where expensive energy seems to be giving us a bad winter, the fact that it is unbaked is a...
Dolada Restaurant for Blend 2022: great start!
Another year has passed, and so another Blend 2022 has come, as punctual as an early autumn dream. A dream, like Umberto Cosmo's, in which I read the desire to create a sustainable alternative to the usual events of the wine world. And a certainty, the...
Lambrusco: why did Berlusconi choose it for Putin?
Yesterday, one of the guests on the master's course in food and wine journalism that I am following at Luiss Guido Carli in Rome was the journalist Anna Prandoni. She talked about many things, but one in particular struck me: her reference to Lambrusco as an object of...
Modena Champagne Experience 2022: 27 tastings
Last Sunday I was at the Modena Champagne Experience 2022, an event that I think is worth attending if you are a fan of perlage or are looking for a good sparkling wine of this type to add to the menu in your restaurant or in your...
Pizzeria Napoletana Roma Nomentana: Terra Mia
Terra Mia is a Neapolitan Rome pizzeria on a side street of Via Nomentana that welcomes you to a well-kept place with warm and inviting lights. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Given that it is within walking distance of the Luiss Guido Carli university where I am attending the...
Cristina Bowerman: being a female chef
Being a woman means having to prove that you deserve a position even after you have obtained it, all the while being asked - condescendingly - whether you will be adequate in your role as wife and mother. Being a woman in an industry that, since it has a connotation of...
Barcolana 2022 with wines from Torre Rosazza
When I think of the Barcolana regatta I think of my father. I remember that he would have loved to see it, but unfortunately he didn't make it in time. I remember Luna Rossa, the sailboat he used to cheer for. I remember him watching the Barcolana on TV and he loved it.
School of Journalism: a day in Rome at LUISS
It's 8:40 on a Saturday morning in early October and it's still quite warm in Rome. I have been awake for exactly three hours, which is rare for a night owl like me, let alone for the second day in a row. My iPhone tells me that I have already walked more than 5,000 steps - yesterday more...
Sour cherry wine: the Fabrizi Family's King of Hearts
If you know me at all, you know that I love tasting the 'unusual' and sour cherry wine fits perfectly into this category since I have tasted very few of them in my life! So first I want to thank Fabrizi Family for giving me the idea....
New Zealand wines: history, grape varieties, zones, pairings...
New Zealand wines reflect the southernmost land of the wine world and is characterised by the ruggedness of the mountains that conceal perpetually active volcanoes, blending with the softness of green pastures. New Zealand viticulture is young and...
Doctor wine 2022: 14 red wines from Piedmont
Last Saturday I went to the presentation of the Guide Vini Doctor Wine 2022 and, after a series of tastings (some very interesting, others a bit 'borderline'), I attended the tasting 'The great red wines of Piedmont'. I could have chosen... but to the grape variety....
Geo e geo: Monte Isola documentary
Gosh, it was 23 June 2021 when we filmed the documentary 'L'isola del lago' with director Gioacchino Castiglione for Geo e Geo (or is it just called Geo?) on Rai 3. I admit I had - almost - forgotten about it by then... so imagine what a pleasure I had to...
Big tits, wine and ignorance
Every day I read articles of the lowest quality and nipple-stiffening posts and not for pleasure (to stay on topic, that is), and let's just say that I choose to make my own so-called clusters (have you ever noticed that certain somewhat scattered, 2-winged clusters have a certain...
Malolactic fermentation... with tasting!
It occurred to me to write this article on malolactic fermentation because, while waiting to pick up my husband's car at the coupon, I went to 'Questione di gusto' a bistro wine shop in Iseo and I am drinking a knockout chardonnay from...
Israeli wine: history, oenology and pairing
The deep connection between Israel and wine is documented in the Bible, but modern viticulture, and modern Israeli wine, was born in 1848 with the founding of the Rabbi Shore winery. The father of wine growing in this country was Edmond de Rothschild,...
Sommelier uniform: an 'atheist' reflection
Today I read - a little late, I know - this article in Intravino dedicated to 'Quer pasticcio brutto della skirt per sommelier (con tanto di querela FIS annexa)'. A piece by Tommaso Ciuffoletti that I found very intelligent and fluent on a controversy that,...
South African wines: history, oenology and pairings
Before taking the sommelier course, I had never considered the Republic of South Africa as a wine-producing location. Yet, South African wines are extremely interesting and easy to appreciate even for a non-expert audience, especially if you...
Swiss cheese and Chasselas wine
I have just returned from an extraordinary experience in Switzerland where, in just two days, I visited Lake Thun (and in particular Sigriswil, Thun and Oberhofen am Thunersee (where I would gladly go to spend the winter...), Lake Brienz (and in particular Iseltwald) and...
AIS 2022 exam questions: let's study together?
In this article, I want to share with you AIS exam questions that have cropped up over the years and will be perfect to help you revise and check your preparation. To help you study, I have set them up graphically so that the answers do not...
Chinese wine: history, oenology and pairings
Rarely do we talk about Chinese wine, rather the interest revolves around how to sell wine in China or, at best, the Chinese rice wine that we have become accustomed to tasting - along with sake - in Chinese restaurants scattered around our cities. Sometimes there is talk of...
Cellar practices: wine treatments and corrections
Cellar practices are a fundamental step in the production of wine in order to improve its stability and organoleptic qualities. Of course, not all practices are good and make us a better wine. in this article I will tell you about the...
Influencer marketing: let's expose the hoax!
It is almost two o'clock in the morning and a fabulous breeze comes in through the door and caresses my cheeks. It feels really good. And since I love writing at night, this really is the perfect time to share with you some passages from Francesco Galvani's new book...
AIS wine charge: how to calculate the price
As I wrote yesterday in this article on wine cellar management, wine for a restaurant can be a great source of income or a huge source of financial problems. However, before I share with you the AIS wine mark-up I learnt during...
Wine cellar: 8 tips for managing it well
The wine cellar can be defined as the cross and the delight of every restaurant as it is a double-edged sword: if badly managed it can bring the restaurant to ruin, if well managed it can bring great financial satisfaction and customer loyalty. Therefore in...
In vino veritas: how to make a good impression?
In vino veritas... it is said because a glass of wine can make us let our guard down and prompt us to tell things that we would otherwise keep to ourselves. After all, this Latin proverb means 'in wine is truth' and Horace himself wrote that kings tortured with...
Wine in Venice: presentation press conference
On Wednesday, I went to the first press conference of Wine in Venice, a wine-themed event organised by Wine Tales that aims to rewrite the classic canons of traditional industry events. Venice is a unique city in the world (well in Portugal there is...
AIS sommelier exam: all my notes
It is almost 8 years since I started this wine blog with the intention of making my notes from the sommelier course I was taking at the time available to everyone. Since high school I have always been very good at both organising my notes and 'distilling' them,...
Vinchio vaglio: wine and food experience
I have chosen this cover photo to tell you about two really beautiful days I spent as a guest of the Vinchio Vaglio winery between Nizza Monferrato and Asti. The very pleasant company certainly contributed to this experience among the wines of Piedmont in a very special way.
CMO wine 2022 - contributions by the Emilia-Romagna Region
On this sunny Sunday I want to point out to you the call for contributions of the CMO wine 2022 that, if you are a wine cellar or a consortium, may be of interest to you. With this article I want to explain in simple terms the call for contributions, which you can find on the website of the...
Barbera wine: 6 tastings Vinchio Vaglio
Before I tell you about the Barbera wine I tasted today at Vinchio Vaglio, I want to pay a compliment. I am in the station at Torino Porta Nuova waiting for my Frecciarossa train to Brescia, and I am pleasantly impressed by this station that is so people-friendly. Bathrooms...
Hotels Selva Val Gardena: Granbaita Dolomites
When I was a child, my favourite time was writing in my secret diary at night... and even though almost thirty years have passed, I have never stopped doing it, only today this diary is no longer secret, but is a blog where I tell everyone about my most...
Champagne and food: summer pairings
Champagne, a famous and prized wine of French origin, is extremely versatile, so much so that it is perfect for both a wedding and an evening with friends. After all, its sparkling and brilliant taste has been making every event and occasion special since the 18th century,...
Bolgheri wine: the vertical of Podere conca
Put on a sunny early summer morning and a small secret garden in the heart of Milan... here begins a wonderful tasting session in the home of Dr Silvia Cirri, head of Anaesthesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care 'between weeks' and CEO of the...
Selva di Val Gardena: Granbaita Gourmet
Today I want to tell you about a pearl of Val Gardena: the Granbaita Gourmet Restaurant in Selva di Val Gardena! Thanks to the talent of chef Andrea Moccia, I was able to enjoy a very special experience with my husband and other guests. Gourmet dinners like this...
AIS wine tasting sheet: visual examination
Observing the wine in the glass allows one to assess clarity, colour with its nuances and consistency, replaced by perlage in the case of sparkling wines. The first phase of the tasting is the visual examination - which is also the first point of the...
Abruzzo wines: I invite you on a journey
I invite you on a journey... as my beloved Franco Battiato sang, to a country, indeed a splendid region: Abruzzo. I find this song, so sweet and melancholic, perfect to describe its places, populated not only by Abruzzese wines that deserve to be...
Phrases on wine: aphorisms and best quotations
Already several years ago I had collected many wine quotes by famous people in an article, but today I want to present it again with a tidier look and enriched with lots of funny wine aphorisms. If you're looking for wine quotes to write your...
Restaurant Guide: do you want to collect emotions?
It's been several months since I went to the presentation of the 2022 Buon Ricordo Restaurant Guide, remember? I had stormed Instagram with photos and videos of beautiful dishes! And already a couple of years ago in this article I recommended three new...
Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC: preview 2022
Rosé wine, for me, is a wine that should have more space and producers have the task of not debasing it with easy and mediocre products designed for an audience of spritz wine consumers. Don't get me wrong: if by easy we want to talk about drinkability....
Rosé wine: Author's masterclass in Bardolino
This morning I participated in an interesting Masterclass dedicated to rosé wine, where I had the opportunity to compare Bardolino Chiaretto with other French rosé wines. I found this tasting very interesting and I must say that it gave me the opportunity to...
Kellerei Bozen: the Lagrein cellar
I continue to tell you about my Vinitaly 2022 with a very nice tasting that was actually longer than what I'm about to tell you, but I decided to cut the article dedicated to Kellerei Bozen by dedicating it to Lagrein Alto Adige DOC because I didn't...
Sommelier course: my teaching book
If you are attending a sommelier course, you may already be familiar with my sommelier handbook dedicated to trainees who have to take the AIS (or any other association) sommelier exam. In this article I do not want to tell you how to become a sommelier, but ...
Wine tasting course in Monte Isola
Today I am really happy because I am announcing that I will be holding the first multi-day wine tasting course of my professional career in Monte Isola on Lake Iseo! Of course, I have already held tasting afternoons and evenings, Masterclasses on...
Sommelier courses: tools you learn to use
In sommelier courses, irrespective of whether they are held by the Italian Sommelier Association, the Italian Sommelier Foundation or any other sommelier association, there is always a lesson dedicated to the professional tools used during the service of the...
Alessandro Borghese, Antonino Cannavacciuolo: young people?
I have many, many articles to write post Vinitaly 2022 and Slow Wine Fair and I'm as behind as a loquat... but I really feel obliged to share this reflection on youth work with you today. Because, honestly speaking and with all due respect,...
Tramin: Vinitaly tasting notes
Another winery from which I got a really interesting overview at Vinitaly 2022 is Kellerei Tramin, a little gem from Alto Adige. A winery known for its gewurztraminer - which has won it a place in the hearts of fans of this...
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2005 to 2017
Today was the last day of Vinitaly 2022 for me and, among the many wonderful tastings, I attended a vertical tasting of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Riserva Casauria 'San Clemente' wine from the Zaccagnini winery. I did not know this winery except by name, and I was...
Franciacorta Restaurants: Touch Heaven!
What I love most about food, wine and drinks in general is their ability to make you happy. I love sharing the table with people I don't know, making friends, exchanging ideas, glances, emotions. A successful dinner is the prelude to any great...
Vinitaly 2022: 72 tastings not to be missed
Vinitaly 2022 is just around the corner and, like every year, I have prepared a little present for you (I hope you like it, I worked on it for two whole days!): a map of my tastings with the 72 wines that, in my opinion, you should not miss if you go to Vinitaly Verona. I recommend...
Tedeschi's Amarone della Valpolicella wine
Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG is a Veronese wine that I simply LOVE. Amarone wine is a dry raisin wine made from native black grapes, the main ones of which are corvina, corvinone and rondinella. The name 'Amarone' derives precisely from its being a...
Where to eat in Milan: do you know EustachiOra?
Thanks to Monica Ramirez of Anam Communication who invited me to the travelling Ca Botta wine tasting I discovered two paarticular places to eat in central Milan that I would like to recommend. Both places in Milan are part of the wine district
Fontanafredda: a Barolo to revive
What is hope? I believe it is a positive message to give to someone when something is wrong. Hope can be appropriate for a big or small problem, it doesn't matter. To give hope is to tell someone that everything will be OK, and it is exactly this phrase that has...
Friulian wines in Milan with Go Wine
I love the bars in the lobbies of posh hotels. I love watching people come in and out, business meetings, fleeting dates, stolen glances. I like the tired faces, the energy, the music, the stories. For me, there is no better place to ...
Ukraine Russia: what will change for wine?
Ukraine Russia: a situation I think for many unimaginable in 2022 that must be strongly condemned. Beyond one's 'sympathies', invading a sovereign state is unacceptable and illegal, no matter what pretext Putin chooses to use. Given that I...
Japanese wines: Viticulture in Japan
In this article, dedicated not only to aspiring sommeliers but to all fans of the Rising Sun who grew up on manga like me, I want to talk to you about Japanese wines and, more generally, wine in Japan. Having for years among my clients as a web designer a...
Eggs or eggs: how to eat them and what to pair them with
The egg has always been a primordial foodstuff that, thanks to its versatility, has carved out a main place for itself in the cuisine of every continent. The most widely used is the chicken egg, but quail, goose and ostrich eggs are also used. In this article...
Armagnac: wine distillate from France
Armagnac is one of the oldest spirits in the world, its production being traced back to 1461. Armagnac is an AOC distillate from Gascony, a territory of about 10,500 ha in the department of Gers. The three production areas are the Bas-Armagnac (5,130 ha), the...
Homemade Pangoccioli: the perfect recipe
When I think of pangoccioli and the scent of those delicious, fluffy chocolate chip buns, I think back to when I was a child, eating Mulino Bianco Pangoccioli with great gluttony. As an adult, when I discovered the pleasure of cooking, I completely stopped...
Lamb in beer: the foolproof recipe
Wow, it's been exactly 23 days since I've blogged and I don't think something like this has happened since 2014! Yet I took a break to dedicate myself to study, with the promise of catching up in a big way. I took two university exams today....
Stewed squid rings with potatoes: recipe and combination
When you pass by the fish market, the supermarket or your local grocer, I am sure you often see fresh squid rings (or 'noodles'). A little out of habit, we are used to thinking of fried squid rings or breaded baked squid rings....
Upper Piedmont: Castellengo Experience
Do you know why I chose to write only on my wine blog? Because the blog is, by definition, an online diary and for this reason the narration cannot be delegated to third parties. That is why my blog times are my own and why there is no regular frequency of articles. In fact, I...
Battiato: invitation to travel in 2022
I have just finished watching 'Caro Battiato - Invito al viaggio' and I am immersed in a sea of emotions and memories. Memories of two people who are no longer with us: Dad and Grandma Mira. So, for my first article of the year, I decided to talk to you freewheeling. About...
Treedom: will you help me enlarge my forest?
Today I want to tell you about Treedom and why I decided to create this forest in which I plant a different tree every month. I have chosen to sell my book "Sommelier: the illustrated manual" only in paper format. First of all, I consider it extremely more...
Pasta cacio e pepe with sebino Rosso Lantieri
Pasta cacio e pepe alla romana is one of my most addictive foods. Just yesterday I was listening to a lecture on Human Nutrition by Prof. Giovannangelo Oriani who was explaining the difference between hunger and appetite... in my case I think it is the absolute manifestation of...
Lugana di sirmione: wine, food and territory
Lugana DOC wine also owes its success to its incredible geographical location: it is produced in Sirmione on Lake Garda. Made from Turbiana grapes, also called Trebbiano di Lugana, it is a white wine suitable for a long evolution in the bottle. For...
AIS Lombardy: preview Viniplus Guide 2022
I was recently at the presentation of Ais Lombardia's Guida Viniplus 2022, a wine guide now in its 16th edition. This year Viniplus will also be sustainable as it is not printed and can only be consulted via the dedicated web app. For...
Wine clarification: gelatine or albumin?
Cellar practices are a fundamental step in the production of wine in order to improve its stability and organoleptic qualities. In this article we will take a closer look at wine clarification and try to answer a few questions. In particular I will...
What shall I cook tonight? Noodle recipe
What am I cooking tonight? After a rather stressful day at work spent scurrying after couriers, I am in the mood to prepare a tasty and quick dinner. And since my husband just called me and told me he bought fresh pesto alla genovese, I...
Porchetta, pan bauletto recipe, Umbrian wines
An unexpected parcel the one I received from Cantina Blasi thanks to dear Maddalena Mazzeschi. A parcel that not only encouraged me to visit this winery as soon as possible, because from the photos it looks really beautiful, but above all it inspired me one of...
Pavia land of pinot noir thanks to Oltrepò
A truly excellent format for celebrating the wines of the Pavia area: the right number of wineries and the right number of wines for tasting... although I will tell you in advance that I chose to do only the classic method sparkling wines. That's why I was delighted to...
Oltrepò Pavese wine: discover Tenuta Mazzolino
A few kilometres from Pavia, among the Oltrepò Pavese wineries, there is one worth visiting: Tenuta Mazzolino. A few months ago I wrote this article where I told you, thanks to Francesca's beautiful letter, the story of this winery. In addition, I have...
Nebbiolo at the go wine: tasting notes
Nebbiolo is definitely one of the grape varieties I love the most and among the Piedmont wine tastings those organised by Go Wine are definitely my favourite. First of all they have the right size to taste all the wines in 2-3 hours for good measure, then the quality offered...
Veronelli Guide: the 5 best tastings 2022
"Divine Venus and the Five Oenological Forms of Beauty" was the title of an afternoon in which the art treasures on display at Palazzo Te dialogued with the best tastings of the Veronelli Guide 2022. Andrea Alpi, Andrea Bonini, Gigi Brozzoni, Marco Magnoli and...
Veronelli 2022: the 10 Gold Guide suns
I had already been to the Guida Oro Veronelli's preview of the Suns several times, but choosing Palazzo Te in Mantua was the trigger that made me consider this event 'not to be missed'. I have loved Giulio Romano and Mannerism since my days at art school and had already been there....
Wine Searcher: the wine search engine
Wine Searcher (or winesearcher) is the online wine search engine that, thanks to its daily news and wine encyclopaedia service, has managed to establish itself as a point of reference for wine professionals, sommeliers and winelovers. Wine Searcher has a...
Barrique: types of wood and preparation
A barrique (from the French 'carat') is a small wooden barrel with a capacity normally between 225 and 228 litres. The fermentation and/or ageing of wine in such small-capacity barrels allows for greater oxygenation of the contents than in a barrel of...
Prosecco DOCG: Blend 2021 is more
A few days ago I told you about the pre Blend 2021 in Alpago, at Riccardo De Prà's Dolada Restaurant: a magical evening thanks to the superlative cuisine and wine symmetries carefully chosen by Umberto Cosmo of Bellenda from the wineries he distributes. Today, however...
Chocolate and orange desert roses
Yesterday I was in the supermarket with my husband and I walked past some huge candied fruits. How could I resist? I picked up the orange peels and thought I would reinterpret the original recipe desert roses because I just don't like sultanas... and icing sugar doesn't...
Alpago: pre-Blend Bellenda oenological symmetries
One thing I often repeat is that where we choose to live defines who we are and, consequently, how much beauty we are able to bring to the world. We often forget that we are guests on a time-tested planet and, as such, we should...
Tortelli and Tuscan Vermentino: recipe and...
Tonight I wanted to pamper my husband with a delicious dish, and after last night's pumpkin tortelli, I thought I would come up with a special filling. Admittedly also a bit of a fridge-emptier, as I used an aubergine that had been there for a while, the half beef-heart tomato...
Piedmontese white wines: thoughts on Gavi
At the crack of dawn, I am in my room at the Il Poggio di Gavi B&B, reflecting. Thanks to the Consortium for the Protection of Gavi, I have spent a wonderful and inspiring day touring the cellars of Gavi. I had this spontaneous reflection on the...
Literary Competition Drinking the Territory: wow
Yesterday, at the Congress Hall of the Grinzane Cavour Castle near Alba, I received the special prize reserved for a book published during 2020 that has wine as its theme or that, in any case, devotes special attention to wine, on the occasion of the XXth anniversary of the...
Whisky or Whiskey? Production and tasting.
Whisky or Whiskey? After writing this article on distilled spirits and the distillation process, I decided to talk to you about the most valuable of all grain spirits (malted or unmalted): Whiskey. Whiskey is only Irish and American whiskey, which follows precisely ...
Distillates: distillation notes
I love distillates very much, especially accompanied by a good cigar. A distillate is an alcoholic product derived from the distillation of a fermentable sugary liquid usually of vegetable origin. The distillation technique was already known to the Babylonians and...
Wine yeasts: do you know how to choose them?
For the wine microbiology exam with Professor Patrizia Romano, I wrote a paper on starter cultures for winemaking that I would like to share with you. Assuming that I started from the must, what makes it up and its treatments, I have...
ais exam rejection: how to avoid it?
Failing the ais exam? Whatever your age and level of education, the ais exam should not frighten you. In fact, no final exam, and especially the exam to become a sommelier, should frighten you. Why? Whether you have started the course....
Michelin Guide: 'after dinner' reflections
On Friday night, after months of seclusion to write the new edition of my book, I decided to spend a special evening with my husband to celebrate the end of this immense work. So I went to my favourite restaurant, the only restaurant ...
Book "Sommelier: the Illustrated Manual" Special Edition 2024
All my notes on wine and food in one book.
€ 38,00 VAT included!
In stock (can be backordered)
EN 
IT