Can a very technical conference – The sense of place of a wine and the aromatic signature of Tedeschi’s crus – become as engaging as a rock concert? The answer is yes, if two strong personalities are presenting the conference: Professor Maurizio Ugliano and Jamie Goode. The former has a great curriculum that would make any other academic blush, with extensive experiences between Naples and Verona, passing through Australia and the Napa Valley and he cultivates a truly rock soul (he does, in fact, play the bass in a band); the latter is a journalist with a doctorate in biology, a wine columnist for The Sunday Express, and a writer for publications such as Harpers, The World of Fine Wine, Decanter, GrapesTALK and Sommelier Journal- someone who can command the audience wearing a t-shirt and sneakers. To this already explosive combination, it was then added the authority of a reality like Tedeschi, which can boast a history spanning almost four centuries and which has believed for a long time in the great richness of Valpolicella’s wine production. Today the company is led by the three siblings – Sabrina, Riccardo and Antonietta, each with a very specific role. As they themselves revealed with irony, during the conference, which was held on 6 June at the San Floriano University Centre, Villa Lebrecht (a truly enchanting place), one of them is full of ideas (Riccardo), one has the concreteness to carry them forward (Sabrina) and one holds the purse strings (Antonietta). It was indeed from one of Riccardo’s ideas that this study on the link between soil and the aromaticity of wines was born. He then found in Professor Ugliano the right support to carry forward this intuition and give it scientific credibility. In Jamie Goode, he found the ideal communicator to shake off the technical SIDE and illustrate the definition of terroir also through wonderful freehand drawings. What came from the conference? Long story short, we understood that: the sense of place of a wine exists (and it’s a bit like Proust’s infamous madeleine), it can be measured; it depends on the grape but it manifests itself with winemaking and can be managed through informed production choices, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. In short, wine is like Sinner: it has its winning (aromatic) hits.

Rediscovering Trebbiano Toscano, enhancing its peculiarities, its ability to evolve over the years and that of adapting to climate change. This was the goal of Dievole winery, which on May 27 organized a lunch with prominent journalists and sommeliers in Florence at Il Gusto di Xinge restaurant for the presentation of Campinovi Trebbiano. Five vintages, from the less recent 2017 to the soon-to-be-launched 2021 preview, were paired with contemporary Asian cuisine dishes to illustrate the particularities of this special grape variety, which is fresh, versatile but has aging potential. Stefano Capurso, Executive President of the ABFV Italia Group (Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Vineyards), also told about the winery’s project to make Trebbiano known starting from the territory.  Dievole, a historic Chianti Classico winery, has been part of the ABFV Italia Group (Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Vineyards) since 2012, which also includes Poggio Landi and Podere Brizio in Montalcino as well as Tenuta Meraviglia and Tenuta le Colonne in Bolgheri.

The leading international trade fair dedicated to the stone indusry has unveiled the first previews of the 58th edition during a press lunch held last week in Milan. In the presence of design and architecture journalists, Raul Barbieri, commercial director of Veronafiere, talked about the innovations awaiting visitors at Marmomac from September 24 to 27. After presenting the figures from the previous edition, reaffirming the international vocation of the event capable of showcasing the entire excellence of the stone industry, from raw blocks to semi-finished products, machinery and technologies, to artistic and design productions, the focus shifted to the cultural and educational offerings. Giorgio Canale, curator of The Plus Theatre, introduced the exhibitions that will be set up in Hall 10, also thanks to the collaboration of renowned designers. Here, companies in the sector will be able to showcase excellence in the processing of natural stone in various applications using state-of-the-art machinery and technologies. Talks and conferences will also be hosted here for a continuous dialogue among industry professionals. Architecture and design will also be featured in Hall 1, The Matter of Stone, created in collaboration with Elle Decor Italia.