14 November 2023

From Friuli to Venice to discover Vistorta

At the beginning of November, we have accompanied a selected group of lifestyle journalists to discover Vistorta, the company, owned by Brandino Brandolini D’Adda, known for the production of one of the most famous merlots in Italy. The world of Vistorta is varied and ever changing: the roots of the family property can be traced all the way back to the Renaissance but, over the centuries, they have managed to diversify their interests, both inside and outside of the agricultural field, while still honoring their agricultural vocation.
Two days dedicated to discovering architecture and design, starting from the Vistorta Villa: restored to its current splendor in the 1950s and 1960s by Brando Brandolini and his wife Cristiana, the villa’s design shows the involvement of set designer Renzo Mongiardino, while the English Garden was designed by the famous landscape architect Russell Page. After the visit to the cellar in the barchessa, the journalists arrived in Venice, where they had dinner at Naranzaria, the family restaurant overlooking the Canal Grande. The next day there was no shortage of artistic exploration, with a visit to the Duchamp exhibition at the Guggenheim and to Laguna B, the glass factory owned by Marcantonio Brandolini.
25 October 2023

From the Eternal City to Capalbio: discovering Monteverro

Rome, the eternal and fascinating city, was the starting point for the press tour to discover Monteverro, Capalbio’s jewel winery. Thirteen journalists – challenging any superstition – took part in this short day-tour to see firsthand the winemaking reality of the Costa D’Argento. Welcoming them, under a blue sky and a surprising heat for late October, they found Julia and Georg Weber, the two German owners from Monaco, who have elected the Maremma as their adoptive motherland. Joining them, Matthieu Taunay, a French enologist with an Italian heart, and Silvia Marchetto, the winery’s internal manager for Marketing and Communication. They hosted the visit and did the traditional honors – between barrel tests and unusual tastings – with a toast with Champagne and a lunch signed by Valeria Piccini, one of the ten Michelin-starred female chefs in Italy, who pampered the guests with an extraordinary menu, freely inspired by her land, the Maremma. This unique wine journey, through different vintages and stories of passion- both for the wine itself and for its land- culminated for some with a visit to the extraordinary and dreamlike Giardino dei Tarocchi, for others with a nostalgic return to Rome, but still cradled by the memory of an extraordinary experience.

24 October 2023

A trip to the Langa to discover the new vintages of Drink Wines, Not Labels

In September, we have accompanied a group of content creators and lifestyle journalists to discover the project designed by Alessandro Salvano in Montelupo Albese. DWNL®, acronym for Drink Wines Not Labels, is not only the name of the brand, but also the manifesto chosen by Alessandro for his winemaking journey started in 2019. The focus of the project is clear from the beginning: Alessandro wants to channel his passion for Burgundy, and does so by vinifying Nebbiolo with a whole bunch fermentation, using exclusively indigenous yeasts, without clarification or filtration and with low quantities of sulphites. Four years and five harvests later, DWNL® presented the new vintages of classic products from the Langa and some international contamination: Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. An afternoon in the vineyards that give life to these wines born outside the borders, beyond the rules and schemes of Disciplinari. An experience that reached its high point at sunset, with a special tasting among the rows, followed by a dinner paired with Barolo, at Petti’s Bistrot, under the striking walls of the Castle. Here, Chef Gabriele Boffa – from the 1 Michelin star restaurant La Locanda del Sant’Uffizio in Penango – surprised the guests with his creations, paired with a special selection of wines curated by Salvano. A journey where we tried to forget rules and preconceptions and to let ourselves be carried away by pure winemaking passion, not restricted by the label.

20 October 2023

 A day of harvest in the Grosjean vineyards

Last October on 12th, Zedcomm agency organized a day of harvest in the rows of the Grosjean winery, a great job for the 15 journalists who arrived from Milan. We started to harvest the Petite Arvine vineyard, an autoctone white variety that grows in the Rovettaz vineyard. Wearing gloves and holding shears, everyone worked looking for bunches, fill the boxes and then go directly to the cellar. Then, a picnic on hay bales with some wines for the tasting: a glass of Mas du Jario Blanc de Noir Extra Brut, followed by Petite Arvine, Torrette Supérieur and Fumin. To end the day’s work, we have seen what happens to the grapes after the harvest, with destemming, followed by pressing and refinement. A truly immersive experience thanks to the Grosjean family with great attention and dedication describing the work of the vigneron and what it has made of Valle d’Aosta winemaking important in Italy and worldwide.