​We have just barely gotten over all the hard work of Vinitaly Fiera (where we returned actively for the first time since 2010), when already thousands of new projects and new travels fill up my day, my suitcases consuming rapidly all my energy.
The experience of participating in the collective stand of Classico Berardenga was unique and gratifying. In an area where competition reigns supreme, and where ones neighbor is viewed with malevolent suspicion, seeing 7 different wine properties working side by side in order to present and promote the marvelous territory that is Castelnuovo Berardenga, was a real eye-opener. Excellent was the tasting with the group of English and German buyers; excellent the presentation of the micro- vinification project by Leonardo Bellaccini from San Felice Winery, followed up with the tasting under the guidance of Davide Bonucci.
The message I brought home with me, after our 4 days together: my wine neighbor is not my competitor, but rather my ally!
 This after 6 days of being up and out at dawn, eating too much food, drinking even more wine, but knowing these routines were useful ramps for launching endless conversations and for taking long walks to work out the stress and strain, under the blessing of warm spring Verona skies.

Last, but truly liberating, an emotional  and celebrative toast to all the above!




And when I returned, with my weary bones and a sore throat on Thursday to Petroio… I quickly understood that nothing here had been waiting patiently for me, except my dog Maribò.
And so straight on with vines literally growing right before my eyes, (already 15cm long) we immediately accelerated work on the fencing around the vineyards, to keep the roe dear from munching on the new tender growth, yelled at the person responsible for returning our clean, perfectly overhauled equipment for spraying the vines, because it soon will be time for the first treatments and supervising the delivery of all the materials arriving to support and finish my new vineyard.



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However, as per tradition each year after Vinitaly the “Bacon Wagon” landed at Petroio in the form of Todd Bacon, our wonderful, faithful Italian wine expert representative for our importers in Oregon and Washington, who with his collaborators, post Vinitaly goes to visit other client wineries in the area. They use Petroio as a base camp and refuge at the end of their long days, and our quiet and direct chats with some glasses of Petroio wines in front of the fire, have served over the years to strengthen this collaboration and friendship. The group this year consists of people who are all from lake Oswego in Oregon which makes me laugh knowing that I will see them all again in less than 10 days…because yes, the trip is sealed, bags packed, ticket printed, and a full schedule waiting for me there.

So on Monday I am on my way back to Seattle. And also Portland. A series of seeds planted on my last visit have come to fruition and hence below you find all the places and events where in the next 2 weeks I will be promoting our wines and Petroio.
 
Monday April 25: Calabria Ristorante Italiano (Seattle)
http://calabriamillcreek.com/events/
Tuesday April 26: Ten Mercer Dinner&Drinks (Seattle)
http://www.tenmercer.com
Wednesday  April 27: The Ruins (Seattle)
http://theruins.net
Saturday  April 30: Mc Carthy and Schiering (Seattle)
http://mccarthyandschiering.com/free-tastings/fattoria-di-petroio-chianti-classico/
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Wednesday May 4th: Tasting at Vino (Portland)
http://www.vinobuys.com
Friday May 6: Ciao Vito (Portland) Guest Chef at Glass Pour
http://ciaovito.net
Saturday May 6: Liner and Elsen Wine Merchants (Portland)
http://www.linerandelsen.com/index.html
 
 

For the past four years I have dedicated one week of my time to one of my favorite Markets: New York.  Because… when you can walk down those bustling streets of the Big Apple and tell everyone that, yes, its work I’m doing here, then you know that you are really feeling lucky.
 
Since four years, that’s to say, since I once again found someone who distributes with passion and knowledge my wines, in this so unpredictable and complicated marketplace, VOS SELECTION’s owner, Victor, and myself have been inventing new, diverse, entertaining ways to get my wines, myself and Fattoria di Petroio Known.
This year we literally did a little bit of all the above!
 
Hence, my latest trip to New York started out with a wonderful lunch at La Sirena, a brand new, exclusive Italian restaurant owned by Joe Bastianich (who…even gave me a wink of his eye) and where I had the pleasure of presenting and introducing the wines from Fattoria di Petroio, while also getting myself reoriented after my, not so perfect, check in to the B&B I’d booked in Bushwick.
 
After a series of more wine tastings and presentations around Brooklyn and Manhattan, between Waterfront Wines & Spirits and New York Vintners, I prepared a gala dinner event at Victor Swartz home. Here, for his guests, I created an authentic Tuscan meal accompanied by the wines from our Estate We had lots of fun with the guests, 20 strong, crowding into the kitchen with me, as I taught them, hands on, (they actually took turns stirring the large pot) how to prepare a true risotto with baby brussel sprouts and cured pigs check (guanciale in Italian).
In this way we were able to allow 40 guests, including restaurant owners, wine buyers, top sommelier, food bloggers and wine critics, to taste and savor all that my land of Tuscany has to offer: small crostini or bites of bread with chicken liver pate and vinsanto gelatin served with Poggio al Mandorlo 2014; humus Toscan style (chickpea (garbanzo bean) spread with a hint of rosemary) with Chianti Classico 2011,; the “lesson” risotto served with Chianti Classico 2012 and then, especially nice, 2 of our Riserva Chianti Classicos, 2010 and 2011 to enhance a pork filet with a Chianti reduction, accompanied by spicy black cabbage (cavolo nero picante). And to finish the dinner on a high note, one of my favorite desserts, panna cotta with our exclusive Choco&Wine, justly paired with a Magnum of Chianti Classico Riserva 2007.
 
On Wednesday, after a long series of appointments, tastings and staff trainings (http://www.annisarestaurant.com), while walking about town I was, with great pleasure and enthusiasm, interviewed by Ray Isle, head editor of Food &Wine Magazine. On the wake of the great interest stirred up by a double page article in the Sunday New York Times, I was able to talk about and inform international listeners of an important and very real problem that wine growers in Tuscany have to address on a daily basis, precisely the excessive and growing presence of an overpopulation of wild boars and roe deer in our territory. It is, yes a “live and let live situation”, but only possible if affronted with great attention and precision (http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/what-drink-wild-boar).
 
The week continued with the usual frenetic New York rhythm. I had numerous and important meetings with old and new buyers, new and old clients, all thanks to the extremely efficient side by side work of the VOS Reps. And thus we decided to close the week down Cheers-fully with a Liquid Lunch on the premise of their offices where I prepared and presented to an important sommelier, Fattoria di Petroio, our wine Estate and our wines, 2 vintages for each type of wine (Chianti Classico 2011 e 2012, Chianti Classico Riserva 2010 e 2011, e Poggio al Mandorlo 2014).




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However, I could not leave New York without the now “traditional” Saturday wine tasting. In fact, for the third year now at Central Wine Merchants of Flemington we held a high level wine tasting event where I was able to meet new clients and also confirm the support of faithful fans of many years.
 
And so completely and totaly consumed but happy, I returned home to where spring awaited me, ever more proud to be able to travel abroad to represent, and tell the story about my beautiful Petroio.