The iconic event dedicated to exploring the authentic roots of taste. Roots of Excellence is back for its first summer edition with a programme full of flavours and inspiration, under the banner of authenticity and sustainability. From 27 to 29 July, Alta Badia was the setting for three days of tastings, meetings and conversations with the best artisans of taste. Organised by the Wieser family, owners of the iconic Ciasa Salares Hotel for over 60 years, the event was a celebration of raw materials and authenticity, in search of absolute quality without territorial boundaries. The protagonists were producers from all over Europe who brought their vision of conscious food and wine to the table. On Saturday 27 July, the dances began at high altitude, with lunch at the Ciasa Salares shepherds’ huts, on a day dedicated to the excellence of cured meats, cheeses and sausages. The second day was dedicated to fire, meat and its traditional cuisine at Sass Dlacia, at the gates of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Natural Park. The grand finale took place at Ciasa Salares, the home of the Roots of Excellence, where it all began: among tasting booths, wine shops and restaurants, the delicacies of chefs, producers and wine-growers were tasted.

There are places that reconcile you with the world thanks to their history and charm. Tenuta Mazzolino is one of them, a small oenological jewel in the valleys of Oltrepò Pavese. Just a few kilometres from the chaos of Milan, you will find yourself immersed in greenery, vineyards and woods, which are not lacking here because of the desire to protect the land from uncontrolled deforestation. So, when you organize a visit for the press, you’re sure to get everyone’s attention. This is what happened on the 17th of July last year, when we visited the winery with a large handful of journalists from the wine, business and costume/tourism press, travelling on the Milano-Voghera line in a somewhat antiquated train. We were met at the station by Giuditta Brandolini, hospitality manager, and Stefano Malchiodi, winemaker at Cantina di Corvino San Quirico. Welcoming us through the gate with the image of the two roosters that symbolize the winery itself was Francesca Seralvo, the third generation at the helm since 2015, when she received the baton from her mother Sandra and the official investiture of her grandfather Enrico Braggiotti, vigneron founder of Tenuta Mazzolino in the 1980s. Here the day passes quickly between the history of the vineyards, the vines, the organic choices, the progress of the season; it continues with a visit to the cellar and culminates in a wine tasting, with even an exclusive spoiler on a new reference: the Blanc de Noir (so good!), which with its handwritten label in urban style conquers everyone’s palate.  But it’s the Villa, with its Italian garden and deliberately old-fashioned style, that will definitely win your heart. It is here, among works of art (Atchugarry) and original posters from exhibitions from the 1960s onwards, an imposing map of Paris, period ceramics and floors, that Francesca tells us its story: it was Alfonso Corti, an Italian anatomist credited with the discovery of the Corti’s organ of the ear, which still bears his name, who made the Mazzolino estate his happy retreat. The informal lunch on the veranda overlooking the vineyards is the icing on the cake. We return to Milan not only with a story to tell, but also with a new place in our hearts.

For its fourteenth edition, VinoVip Cortina 2024 brought the excellence and big names of Italian wine to the Dolomites. There were many moments of discussion, in-depth analysis and tastings of the best labels, starting with the ‘Resistance!’ talk that opened the dances on Saturday 14 July, where experts of the calibre of Luigi Moio, Andrea Lonardi, Giovanni Bigot and Eugenio Pomàrici shed light on issues in the sector that are of interest to operators, the more technical figures and consumers themselves. Monday 15 July was the day dedicated to tastings: in the morning, the Grand Hotel Savoia hosted the conference and tasting ‘Cabernet vs Cabernet’ with 31 participating companies, conducted by Pierre Seillan, Luigi Bavaresco and Paolo Bomben. The most eagerly awaited moment took place in the afternoon: the Tasting of the Eagles at an altitude of 2123m at the Rifugio Faloria with 61 companies. The fourteenth edition of VinoVip Cortina ended with over 600 guests and more than 900 bottles uncorked. The next VinoVip event will be in Forte del Marmi in 2025.

Zorzettig conquers the Triveneto. Annalisa Zorzettig’s oenological excellence conquered the Veneto and Trentino press during a lunch organised at the Darì restaurant in the heart of Verona. The historic producer from Spessa (Udine) chose the city of Verona to present to local journalists the best of her prestigious Myò line, dedicated to the indigenous Friulian vines that best celebrate her territory. During the lunch, Annalisa, flanked by agronomist Antonio Nocca and sales manager Alan Gaddi, spoke about the company’s history, future projects and its commitment to preserving Friuli’s biodiversity. An ad hoc menu was then created in collaboration with the restaurant to highlight the organoleptic characteristics of Pinot Bianco, Malvasia, I Fiori di Leonie (a blend of Friulano, Sauvignon and Pinot Bianco) and Schioppettino. At the end of the meal, another icon of sweet wine production: Picolit.