When we talk about successful aging in wines, Fontalloro - Felsina is certainly a fitting example. The Fontalloro Fèlsina 2009 vintage, tasted last night, was a real satisfaction, not surprisingly it received high level reviews from some the field major experts such as Wine Advocate and James Suckling (93/100 for both). A pure Sangiovese that shows itself with a red that is as dark as it is intense, as are the notes of licorice, wood and vanilla on both the aromatic and tasting sides combining with aromas of berries and a slight acidic hint, underlining the still remaining longevity of the wine. The tannin is well present, but dosed to the right point, for a balanced structure that does not weigh it down excessively.

The Valle d’Aosta wines aren’t always rewarded with the space they would deserve, indeed this region too hides enology specialities and denominations that are worth the best awards by the experts of the sector. Gewürztraminer is a wine variety which found a fertile ground in this region: aromatic and shaped for fresh clime, elements that Le Clocher di Charrère Danilo winery has succeed in exalting, creating a wine amazingly balanced and pleasant, GEWÜRZTRAMINER Vallée d’Aoste dop - LE CLOCHER of which we taste the 2013 vintage. The color is the typical yellow one with golden shades, both on the aromatic and tasting sides it shows a really impressive health for being a six years aged white wine without particular refinement process: the aromas of peach, flowers and aromatic herbs typical of the wine variety are well defined by never excessive, at the palate spices and mineral notes prevail, moreover the unaltered acidity, despite the manu years from the bottling, makes the wine still fresh and intense.

For the wine tasting space today is Rosso di Notri - Tua Rita moment, a Tuscan company which this year has celebrated its twenty-fifth production anniversary. Rosso di Notri is the introducing red wine to the winery, the more immediate, a Tuscan wine with elegant fruity aromas and an alcoholic hint, at the palate the fruity notes together with spices and herbs shades and a light tannin presence in the finale, which implies a certain aging potential

Great wines for special occasions, this time we’re talking about Sassicaia, a wine that doesn't need further presentations. Already consolidated among the Olympus of the best red wines of the world, some skeptics could, legitimately, doubt concerning a gap between the expectations and the real quality of the bottle. From our point of view we can certainly confirm that this is an absolute high quality Tuscan wine, and its tasting is a unique sensory experience which is totally worth the price, we’re specifically describing you the Sassicaia - Tenuta San Guido 2012. It is right from the color that you can realize the intensity of this wine: a grenade red that almost encroaches to black, wild berries, pleasant balsamic with a light alcoholic background. At the palate extremely velvety, almost silky, the perfumes strikes back in the mouth with an added barrique note in a completive balance and harmony, an incredibly persistent finale leaves a clean taste that make you feel like drinking another glass immediately.

When we talk about Friuli on the enological side we enter a wide and high quality historical tradition. An extra reason to give value to the Ribolla Gialla, a typical Friulian wine that has carved out itself a relevance space within this panorama and now renowned among the regional specialties. Marco Felluga is a reference name as it concerns the Friulian wineries with a strong territory connotation, and we confirm it goodness after tasting its RIBOLLA GIALLA - MARCO FELLUGA. At the sight it is straw yellow, a tone whose delicacy continues on the olfactory side with mainly tropical fruit references. At the palate instead the intensity increases, the mineral notes are marked, but well supported by a great acidity that gives the wine the right amount of freshness, good final persistence too.

It has been officially started the collaboration with ONAV, an Italian national level association that deals with the divulgation of wine and everything that rotates around what is one of the most tangible products of the relationship between mankind and Hearth. For anybody who doesn’t know ONAV it is a non profit organization, where the ensemble of volunteers and passionates commit their free time to their passion, which is wine, and try to transmit knowledge, culture and history linked to it. Every year in the 100 national sections courses for the achievement of the “Wine taster” certification (first, second and third level), wine tasting both of local and foreign varieties, visits in wine cellars with didactic aim and the subscription to the magazine “L’Assaggiatore”, a read that surprises for the precision and scientific expertise with which every topic linked to the enological world is treated. Due to the entrance in the fidelity, the ONAV members will benefit from a 10% discount on all the products in our catalogue.

Calabria, among the Italian regions overlooking the sea, is maybe the one whose gastronomic culture is most bonded to its hinterland. Decise, strong tastes among which the ‘nduja stands out, typical Calabria speciality par excellence that finds its zenith of nativity in the 'Nduja of black calabrian pig - Consorzio Nero di Calabria, produced by the Consorzio Nero di Calabria, a well known reality among the food excellence. There are united many small producers that breed free range and transform this particular local pig species, closely related with the Iberian Patanegra, endowed with extraordinary tasting and organoleptic properties. The fine meat of this pork variety gives softness both to the taste and the consistency, besides containing omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturates that notoriously give benefits to health. Species and red hot chili pepper are perfectly balanced, so that they add a pleasant hot note exiting the natural black pork taste without covering it.

It may truly seem a cheesecake, but it is the Occelli Barolo Cheese - Bebbino Occelli Gran Riserva. The most authentic expression of the Piedmontese Langhe territory, whose it combines two of the best representatives of the collaboration between man and nature in this land, that is to say the alpine hut milk and the Barolo docg. The Occelli cheese aging prolongs for many months within the Barolo docg pomaces, it’s there that it acquires its characteristic flavor. Considered the number one by Slow food in a blind test as it concerns the so called drunk cheese, the result is an Italian cheese for tastings, perfect paired with structured red wines and figs jam.

Today’s wine tasting time, and it’s the moment of Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. Gran Selezione - Tenuta Orsumella, a Tuscan wine that has obtained great reviews, for example the 90 points by James Suckling. 100% Sangiovese grapes as Chianti disciplinary, with 30 months of refinement in barrique, it is red ruby coloured, the olfactory intensity of the red fruit and balsamic is surprising. At the palate are immediately noticeable softness and acidity, the main notes are wood and vanilla, sided by a soft tannin and a great persistency. It is a wine that despite the intensity expressed, doesn’t show off excessively it qualities, displaying them in a discrete and direct way instead.

Wine and culture have always been strictly linked, indeed the enology of a territory is the expression of the same and its inhabitants, becoming automatically a heritage. A partnership that is well represented by Tenute Orestiadi, a wine cellar born in Gibellina, a village in Trapani, where a local viticulturists has established a collaboration with Fondazione Orestiadi, an important cultural institution. This is how is born a company with mission of promoting the territory identity through the Sicilian wine varieties, underlining the meeting between wine and art. As a consequence the production is oriented towards the enhancement of Sicilian typical wines as Nero D’Avola, Perricone, Frappato, Zibibbo, Grillo and so on. Recently the PERRICONE TENUTE ORESTIADI and the Frappato Tenute Orestiadi have been rewarded with the two glass Gambero Rosso, moreover the AIS (Association Italian Sommellier) has inserted in the Vitae 2019 guide the FRAPPATO TENUTE ORESTIADI, whom after the wine tasting have been attributed three vines (among 85 and 88 points out of 100) proving to be a great wine at an affordable price.

Do you know what does agricultural beer mean? The COBI disciplinary (Italian Consortium of Barley and Beer Producers) in Italy is clear and strict concerning this subject: the producers must use at least 51% of own produced raw materials, while the rest must come from members of the Consortium who respects the standards, with the aim of maintaining high the quality of the registered products. The Birrificio OI has joined the COBI Consortium, but it stands out producing the 100% of the raw materials used in the craft beer making, creating almost an unicum in Italy. Indeed OI, registered trademark and therefore a guarantee, means “Italian Origin”, so barley, yeasts but also the hop plants are cultivated and produced within the Oglio River park, in the province of Brescia. The result is a complex Italian craft beer, nor filtered or pasteurized, amber colored, endowed with a persistent foam which gives creaminess during the tasting. The bubbles are very thin, from the moment that Birra OI producer is a Franciacorta wine producers too, he wanted to transfer the typical perlage of the wine in the beer. The aromas are mainly of coffee and toasting, fresh and fragrant at the palate with a lightly bitter finale.

In Pozzolengo, a little hamlet in the Middle of the Lugana production area, Cobue wine cellar, funded in 1971. The vinification is mainly oriented towards wines which are typically linked to the territory as Lugana DOC, San Martino della Battaglia, Garda Classico Rosso Doc, but with some sparks towards a research of new flavours compared to the habits of the local production, as the Brut ZERO Chardonnay metodo classico - Cobue, and the Passito di San Martino. The wine tasting of the Lugana Monte Lupo 2017 - Cobue was a real surprise, that made us consider it among the best of its denomination. Made up of 100% Trebbiano di Lugana grapes, its color is light yellow with some green shades, while the aromas are floral, fruity (peach above all) with a light citrus note. A the palate the acidity gives it freshness and match with a pleasant sweetness (and not filling as it often happens), softness and full body make it enjoyable and persistent sustaining a powerful alcoholic structure (14%) which isn’t invasive at all.

It’s never the wrong moment for a new wine tasting, yesterday it was Mandrarossa turn. A Sicilian wine cellar with vineyards sprinkled in the southern area of Sicily, precisely in Menfi, in the province of Agrigento. It is an area endowed with a constant sun exposure and particular environmental conditions: the vineyards directly overlook the sea, absorbing both its air and ground properties, from the moment that the soil is partly sandy. We tried a local monovarietal, the COSTADUNE GRECANICO - Mandrarossa, a typical Sicilian wine. The color is straw yellow with greenish glares, it immediately stands out flower perfumes, reached by citrus aromas and a light apricot fragrance. The proximity to the sea gives a pleasant minerality , accompanied by citrus notes and an almond finale confirming its freshness and quaffable.

It’s enough to travel for few kilometers from our company to find a wine cellar, its vineyards and its founder: Andrea Pirlo. Indeed he is the owner of the Wine Company Pratum Coller, which is located in Flero, in the province of Brescia. A territory endowed with an historical enological vocation to which Andrea connected since his childhood, as for wine making, a family tradition that he has been developing with this new project. Tasting the Arduo IGP Montenetto - Pratum Coller By Andrea Pirlo, as the name suggests (Arduo=Arduous) you can feel immediately the passion and dedication in the creation of this red wine. The blend of Merlot, Sangiovese e Marzemino, with a touch of Cabernet, plays on a subtle and polished balance. The perfumes are above all red fruits and spices, while at the palate in the first instance you will find red fruits again, but this time accompanied by tertiary notes with an enveloping and important structure due to the one year refinement in barriques, which brilliantly sustains the 15% alcoholic vol.

It’s enough to travel for few kilometers from our company to find a wine cellar, its vineyards and its founder: Andrea Pirlo. Indeed he is the owner of the Wine Company Pratum Coller, which is located in Flero, in the province of Brescia. A territory endowed with an historical enological vocation to which Andrea connected since his childhood, as for wine making, a family tradition that he has been developing with this new project. Tasting the Rosso IGP Montenetto Arduo, as the name suggests (Arduo=Arduous) you can feel immediately the passion and dedication in the creation of this wine. The blend of Merlot, Sangiovese e Marzemino, with a touch of Cabernet, plays on a subtle and polished balance. The perfumes are above all red fruits and spices, while at the palate in the first instance you will find red fruits again, but this time accompanied by tertiary notes with an enveloping and important structure due to the one year refinement in barriques, which brilliantly sustains the 15% alcoholic vol.

The first success has arrived for the first edition of Franciacorta Brut D.O.C.G. Satèn - Camilucci, which has been selected on October the 4th as participant to the AIS (Association Italian Somellier) event in Padova. The subject of the meeting were the Satèn, a kind of sparkling wine that can exclusively produced in Franciacorta according to the disciplinary making it an unique wine, and a denomination that underlines its silkness, roundness and consistency. During the tasting the Franciacorta Satèn Camilucci has received many appreciations: the 62 months of refinement on the yeasts have given great results, exalting the tastes and characteristics of this wine, giving it complex notes of saffron, apple spirit and a mint finale.

Today is wine tasting day, and we’re trying a Garda Lake wine: the VIGNETO CAMILLA LUGANA DOC 2016 - MALAVASI. A Lugana Produced by the wine cellar Malavasi, in Sirmione, it is 100% made up of trebbiano grapes, which give it an intense straw yellow color with some green shades. The nose brings mainly melon and citrus notes, with a little floral perception, while at the palate freshness and sapidity paired with a fruity aroma and great persistency. Food pairing: first courses, fish and white meats.

The Etna is nowadays considered a competed and desired destination among the wine producers. Something that may look contradictory, due to the implicit challenges and difficulties that involves the morphology of the territory in relation to the cultivation of grapes and then the transformation in Etna doc. But this exactly the main reason: the distinctiveness of this territory, the clime and its obstacles give the Etna wines unique characteristics, which seem in a perfect balance with the territory. And this is exactly what we felt tasting the Sicilian wine PASSOROSSO ETNA - PASSOPISCIARO, an Etna rosso doc, produced by wine cellar Passopisciaro rewarded by slow wine 2018, endowed with an intense red ruby color. The nose expresses intense red fruit sensations, while the palate is elegantly mineral, with a velvety tannin due to the 18 months of barrique.

It’s time to begin a new adventure for Camilucci Franciacorta wine cellar, presented and acclaimed enthusiastically during the Vinitaly 2018, with the introduction in the market of the previous vintages bottles and the production of Franciacorta DOCG. Stefano Camilucci, who initially wan engineer but now has been working in the Franciacorta wine making filed for many years, settling his passion in the historical family activity he has launched himself into an ambitious project, with the constitution of a new independent brand. The brand concept is extremely personal from the name to the label itself, in order to underline how the result in the bottle is intimately tied not only to the territory of origin, but a the same time is the reflection of the people who produce it. The wines (Franciacorta Brut D.O.C.G. - Camilucci, Franciacorta Brut D.O.C.G. Satèn - Camilucci, Franciacorta Brut D.O.C.G. Rosè - Camilucci, Anthologie Noir Franciacorta Extra Brut D.O.C.G. Millesimato - Camilucci, Anthologie Blanc Franciacorta Extra Brut D.O.C.G. Millesimato - Camilucci) prove to be extremely natural, without excessive cellar sophistications, expressing the best of the terroir, which is able to give incredible harmony and balance both on the aromatic and tasting sides, accompanied by the typical freshness of the Franciacorta wines. These will be the traversal characteristics of the new wines produced by Stefano, a person endowed with great knowledges and values, whom we wish good luck, sure of the results and satisfactions that this project will give him.

The Prosciutto di Parma is one of the most appreciated cold cuts making Italian tradition product throughout the world, which is the secret of its success? At the base there's the non-repeatability of the environmental and climatic conditions, due to which the hams acquire unique organoleptic and tasting peculiarities. The qualitative standard is moreover guaranteed by the strict disciplinary written by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, born from the union of the producers themselves with the aim of safeguarding the typical characteristics thanks to the 100% traceable production chain. Among the excellence producers it is necessary to mention Onesto Ghirardi, who started to work in this field from 1948 the prosciuttificio still nowadays maintains an artisanal dimension, proving to be very hard to find. The only ingredients are the highest quality meats, salt and time (18 months at least). The last one is essential to obtain a final result that guarantee the aging cellar aroma, but above all the delicate and natural taste that distinguish the author Prosciutto di Parma Ghirardi Onesto. Available within our web store both in pieces Piece of Prosciutto di Parma (parma ham) matured 30 months - Ghirardi Onesto and whole Prosciutto di Parma (whole parma ham) 30 months matured with bone - Ghirardi Onesto.

Despite the great technologic progress, in some cases within the food world the manual ability of the expert artisans isn't still replaceable, both for the charme and the inimitable taste it adds to the final product. This is the case of the Salame punta di coltello - Salumificio Lovison, that thanks to the work of the expert local norcini turns out to be a unique cold cut. Tasting it you will immediately notice the hand made knife chopping, exalting the real taste and quality of the meats coming exclusively from Friulian selected breedings, without the excessive use of covering spices or any preservative.

The experts of the subject state that what truly certifies the quality of an Italian pasta is how it stay firm or not after cooking, that is to say that pasta , after boiling, has to maintain its original shape without laying down and at the same time being properly cooked. When we tried Calamarata di Gragnano - Molino e Pastificio A. Amadio it was immediately clear that this parameter was 100% respected, finding a great and enveloping taste too. It is a certified Pasta di Gragnano IGP, so produced using exclusively Italian durum wheats, bronze drawn and subject to slow drying. These characteristics are necessary to obtain a product which is not only good on the tasting side, but also as it concerns the nutritional values and therefore having a positive impact on body health.

Sicily and Olives: a thousands year old tradition. There are many products that represent the expression of their origin territory, le olives certainly have a relevant place among these. In the region more than twenty different cultivar (olive tree varieties), of local origin and each of them with their own particular taste and organoleptic characteristics. The Agricultural Company Melia cultivates and processes the olives at a completely artisanal level in Alcamo, in the north-west area of the island, an ideal zone thanks to the constant presence of sun and wind all year long. The kind of olives cultivated by the company by the company is mainly the Nocellara del Belìce, endowed with a great aromatic-tasting intensity and pleasant bitter and lightly hot notes. The Pitted black olives in condiment - Az. Agricola Melia are great both during an aperitif or for the preparation of recipes too.

What will strikes you at the first sight of the Vineyards 8+ wines is the bottles design for sure. A mixture of elegance and chromatic brightness. The names are very peculiar too, indeed they are made up of the title Mister in the typical Italian dialect (Sior) followed by some of the Italian traditional names, this is made in order to convey the idea of a real Italian wine. But these wines do not only base its strength on a catchy design and suggestive names. For example Sior Piero Prosecco Sup. Di Valdobbiadene Docg Extra Dry - Vineyards 8+ is in excellent product in its category, respecting every standard of the DOCG prosecco superiore di Valdobbiadene disciplinary, coming from 100% Glera local gapes of the Valdobbiadene hills. Tasting notes: In appearance it gives off a straw-yellow color carried about by a slender and continuous froth. To the nose its fragrance is of fresh fruit, with a defined resemblance to rennet apple. In the mouth it expands vigorously and is immediately pleasing, enchanting the palate with fruity sensations and unmistakable smoothness. Young and intriguing, it combines a pleasantly sweet aftertaste with an inviting freshness.

The Tuscan landscape has always had an almost magnetic attractiveness towards its spectators, from the Chianti hills to the Maremma, these natural beauties are famous not only within the national borders but also in the whole world. Morellino di Scansano Abos - Podere Castellaccia is a perfect portrait of this territory. A product that comes from the southern part of Tuscany, in the Province of Grosseto, on a Maremma hill (127m a.s.l), 50 hectares of vineyards just few kilometers from the sea shores. The company and wine cellar can be visited in order to admire the outstanding natural landscape while tasting a 100% Tuscan wine coming from local vineyards. The geographical position and climatic conditions endow this wine with a great alcoholic content (14%), a great aging capacity with the passing of the years and a decise taste which won't be easy to forget, like the lands that gave it its birth.

Another great result obtained by Orsumella, Chianti Classico DOCG - Tenuta Orsumella, the specialized magazine Gilbert & Gaill ha reviewed Orsumella, Chianti Classico DOCG - Tenuta Orsumella with a score of 87\100. Tasting notes: Deep garnet. Subtle nose of cherry with some faint toasted oak in the background. Ample, rich, lively palate displaying a lovely velvety texture and shy aromas followed by upfront herbal presence. Precisely delineated, allow to mature. A real chianti classic DOCG which, in spite of it needs further aging, it has already impressed positively many famous sommeliers.

CORTE RINIERI - Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. Riserva - Tenuta Orsumella has recente been reviewed by the wine specialized magazine Gilbert & Gaillard with a rate of 87\100. These are the tasting notes: Bright, clear garnet. Shy nose offering up fine mocha, spice and herb notes with stone fruit undercurrents. A silky attack leads into a lively palate with medium concentration, quite backward aromas and oak influence mid-palate. Still disjointed, keep waiting for further evolution. This confirms the meticulous research and knowledge both in the vineyard and in the cellar made by the Tuscan company producing a wine of great value recognized both by the consumers and the sector's experts.

Chocolate tasting in Modica. Conferences, laboratories and tasting at the event "Cioccolato in Fermento", scheduled from the 22 to 25 April in Modica.

Redeo Pratum Coller by Andrea Pirlo, Adamo, Tenute del Garda and many other Italian wines# from the OIP selection in wine-tasting in Taiwan at Boboli with Filippo, Fabio and Hellen.