Bubbles. A brief history of Italian Champagne

When were they born? Who made them famous? What are the differences that characterize them? A brief history of “bubbles“, the Italian Champagne, and how they are loved today by wine experts from all over the world. The first Italian sparkling wine, named spumante and called “Italian champagne“, was born in 1865 as a result of the…

The Good, the “Brut”, and the Ugly.

At holiday dinner parties, you know, the sparkling wine is inevitable. Bottles, slightly rounded in shapes and with slender necks, stand out in the centre of large tables, ready to be uncorked. But the toast moment is a real show-down. Flying corks and tinkling champagne glasses introduce the main question: will the guests like the…

A morning in Montefalco

Driven by curiosity for the birth of the new vintage, we started for a ‘hit and run’ in the heart of Umbria by Sagrantino, visiting my friend Paolo Bartoloni from Cantina Le Cimate, a full-blown intrusion during the harvest. Le Cimate wine cellar born in 2011, a new adventure born from ancient traditions and passions…

Vigna Traverso, a unique experience.

On a cold and sunny morning at the end of December, when nature still sleeps quietly, and the long, ordered rows of vines seems a military deployment, we went to visit Vigna Traverso winery. Located in the outskirts of the town of Prepotto (Udine – Friuli), in the middle of the sinuous and verdant Colli…

Vineyards on Lake Maggiore

Azienda Agricola Cascina Piano (by Franco Berrini and Family) (IGT Ronchi Varesini) October 2016 – Meteorologically the day is not good, rain and fog, however they will not stop us from spending a nice day with our friends. Program: visit to a wine-growing company above Angera, Lake Verbano, seems to be very characteristic of generations…