Italy’s top wine brands continue to rack up international awards. And, in the headlines, Sicily rises once again, with one of its leading realities, Planeta, elected “Wine family of the year” of the “Meininger Awards Excellence in Wine & Spirit” No. 18, one of the most prestigious awards in German wine, staged in Dusseldorf, during the days of ProW...

On February 29th, Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri US tour made its final stop in San Francisco, after Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles, and before April’s Top Italian Wines Roadshow in Dallas and Miami. Fort Mason became the place where wine experts, trade reps, distributors, and media gathered, on a rainy Thursday afternoon. Following the tra...

We are the champions my friends! Cue the theme from Rocky. For a full year, I am officially the mother part of the formidable mother-daughter team who took first place at the Avon, Connecticut Prince Thomas Of Savoy Italian American Club Festival’s Grape Stomping competition. In the finals, my daughter and I produced 4 full, overflowing pitchers of...

Literary cafes have existed for a long time, but this well-preserved gem in Catania is much more than a bookstore where you can have an espresso. First and foremost, Legatoria Prampolini was established in 1894, a detail that officially makes it the oldest bookstore in all of Sicily. Since 2019, it has been managed by the sisters Angelica and Maria...

33,000 hectares of vineyard area (including 17,000 of Montepulciano); 3.4 million hectoliters of wine produced, of which more than 1 million are claimed as DOC, 80% represented by Montepulciano d'Abruzzo; 6,000 grape producers, 35 cooperative wineries and more than 250 wineries. A market that is declining in volume, but unexpectedly increasing in v...

Vinitaly International Academy, the renowned Italian wine education institute, hosted the 28th edition of its rigorous Italian Wine Ambassador certification course on 4-6 March 2024 at Banville Wine Merchants in New York, certifying 12 new Ambassadors. The Course 2024 marked the comeback of Vinitaly International Academy in the United States. A tot...

Dario Sattui’s authentically built Tuscan-style castle and winery in the Napa Valley of California was recently recognized as one of the top ten castles in the world by Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel platform. Sattui, a medieval history enthusiast, fell in love with European medieval architecture during several trips to Italy after college...

The picturesque Abruzzo region, nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the snow-capped Gran Sasso in Italy, is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Historically known for its Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, a wine celebrated for its affordability rather than its quality, the region is now at the forefront of an exciting wine renaissance. This shift is at...

In Italy, before dinner, people enjoy a special drink called an aperitif. It’s not just a drink; it’s a fun and tasty tradition that brings friends and family together. Aperitivo is an integral part of Italian culture, a pre-dinner drink ritual typically accompanied by light snacks intended to stimulate one’s appetite and facilitate socializing bef...

The world of winemaking never fails to surprise. After wines aged under seawater, of which we spoke in these very pages a few months ago, it’s now time to meet heroic wines.  In their name, heroic wines pay tribute to the extraordinary efforts and dedication of winegrowers who cultivate grapes under challenging conditions, far from conventional vit...