Mauro, Venice and Wine

Ten days, the time elapsed since the last tasting at Vinitaly 2014. This year , I dedicated my research to my new project of food and wine tourism: Mauro, Venice and wine. I started from the ” natural wine ” of Vini Veri and Vinnatur , two associations that organize two different events on the same day of Vinitaly . Of my tour in Cerea, for the manifestation of Vini Veri, I’ve pinned in the notebook four experiences of great intensity. The 2009 Barolo Otin Fiorin Chaplain, elegance , clarity and certainty of a bright future ; the wines of Roussillon made by France Crispeels , Vignoble Réveille , fruity, supple and fleshy : their secret? Carignan , Grenache and Macabeau , grapes from plants that have from 36 to 114 years of age ; Gregorio Rotolo and his cheese made in Scanno, Abruzzo: always a delicious tasting; the conference Sunday, April 6 with Sylvia Perez-Vitoria (economist , sociologist and documentary ) Emmanuel Giboulot (wine maker in Burgundy who refuses to apply its vineyards chemical treatments imposed by the agricultural establishment) Nicolas Joly ( wine maker in the Loire. a master in biodynamic agriculture ) Giampiero Bea ( winemaker in Montefalco , co-founder of Vini Veri): you can believe or or not in the ideas of this woman and these men, but the data tell us about the impact that agriculture has on our earth and our lives and this matter can’t leave us indifferent.
 The inputs for my work of planning and management of cultural and gastronomic itineraries are never enough, because the needs of each of us when we approach the world of food and wine are always the most different .
That’s why my research has rebounded from the world of agriculture so-called ” natural and biodynamic ” to that of conventional viticulture which has its own showcase in the Vinitaly . And just in Verona Vinitaly 2014 in my second day of research I had the opportunity to explore the Oltrepò Pavese wine area and its wines with one of my teachers : Remo Pantano, a competent and passionate winemaker . I discovered the great value of Bonarda , one of my ideal wines for every day table and for the outdoors spring snack consisting of bread , salami and cheese. On the same day I moved in Sarego , in the neighboring province of Vicenza, where, in the splendid setting of Villa Favorita , the association Vinnatur group other producers of natural wines with ideas similar to those of the association Vini Veri, they produce wines in a system of sustainable agriculture and respectful of local identities . Here I had the opportunity to taste again the news of friends GruVE (Gruppo Viticoltori Euganei: Alla Costiera, Cà Lustra, Marco Sambin, Monteforche, Vignale di Cecilia) winemakers of the Euganean Hills, who can offer white wines attractive for various cuisines and exciting structured reds; another interesting time tasting was the one of the crus of Barbaresco of Roagna, winery in Castiglione Falletto, Piedmont: a thrilling crescendo of taste sensations, the confirmation of the extraordinary character of wines of Langhe area.
On the third day, returning at Vinitaly, in the section ViViT (Vigne Vignaioli Terroir) I had the pleasure of discovering some hidden treasures of my region, Veneto: Tenuta dalle Ore and Masari, both in Valle dell’Agno. You never know what you can find around just the corner.
The fourth and final day, I was still at Vinitaly in Verona and my tour was articulated between Friuli Venezia-Giulia and Trentino Alto-Adige regions. I did note with pleasant surprise that the hospitality and tourism in the cellars of these areas is constantly evolving and in some cases has reached levels of excellence, reflecting passion for their craft, love for their land. Between one stage and the other on this tour in the North-East of Italy has renewed the pleasure to discuss with the producers, about the food that I’d like to eat with their wines, new wine tours, new places to explore. At that time I realised once again it is a great privilege to do this beautiful work.