Northern Italy
Displaying items by tag: Northern Italy
The Wines of Alto Adige with Nancy Gilchrist, MW
Summary:
Alto Adige is a land of spectacular contrast and diversity. Positioned in northeast Italy, on the sunny side of the Alps, it is an area where men and mountains have met for centuries. It is a frontier region; not just politically but geographically, climatically, and viticulturally. Winemaking here requires a special skill set.
Vineyards are planted from 200m to 1000m and experience huge diurnal swings in temperature, while alpine geology delivers an immense diversity of soils.
This goes part way to explaining how, in a region no larger than St Emilion in Bordeaux, there are nevertheless over 20 different grape varieties grown. These are cultivated by around 5000 individual wine growers owning, on average, just 1 ha of vineyard each, and yet between them, they manage to produce 98% of Italy’s DOC, top-quality wines which are increasingly successful in finding their way into international markets.
Join Nancy Gilchrist MW to learn more about this extraordinary yet relatively little-known region, and discover some of the measures this finely balanced ecosystem is adopting in the face of climate change.
Presenter: Nancy Gilchrist MW
Nancy is an independent wine educator and a Master of Wine since 1995. She was the wine columnist for The Boston Globe before returning to the UK where amongst many other things she created Academie du Vin @ 67 Pall Mall and was a director of Christie's Wine Education. She still lectures at Leith's School of Food & Wine and is an acknowledged reference on the interaction of food & wine. She also specialises in the wines of South Africa and is UK Ambassador for the Consorzio Vini Alto Adige.
The History of Barolo with Tom Hyland
Summary:
This WSG Live will follow the history of Barolo from the 1860s through the latest innovations and viticultural practices of today. As there have been more changes in the last fifty years than in the first one hundred, much of the webinar will concentrate on the period from the 1970s until current times.
Specific topics covered will include changes in viticultural practices (e.g. Barolo Boys), a more precise definition of the boundaries of the Barolo zone, including particular vineyards (MGA), and the recent emphasis on single-vineyard offerings of Barolo.
Presenter: Tom Hyland
Chicago-based Tom Hyland is a freelance writer, educator and photographer specializing in the wines of Italy. He has been traveling to Piedmont since 2000 and has visited dozens of Barolo producers in their cellars and vineyards. He has written about Barolo for two decades, with articles published in Decanter, Wine Spectator and wine-searcher.com. He is the author of three books on wine, including The Wines and Foods of Piemonte, published in 2016.
Valtellina and Sforzato – Explore the spectacular terroir of this mountainous Northern Region of Lombardy with Mario Cagnetta
Summary:
In this live one hour webinar we will explore a very small but unique appellation in Italy which produces one of the best expressions of Nebbiolo.
An appellation where the Alpi Retiche mountains, climate and influence of the Adda River and Lago di Como play key role in the evolution of its wines.
Valtellina Superiore DOCG, its Subzones (Maroggia, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno and Valgella), and its jewel Sforzato have always been considered a hidden gem and are quickly gaining more attention all over the world. This in-depth webinar focuses on the characteristics of each subzone, the spectacular landscape and heroic viticulture, and offers experts insight to the origins of Nebbiolo grape, locally known as Chiavennasca.
Presenter: Mario Cagnetta
Mario Cagnetta is the head sommelier at Buca Cucina and has worked for prestigious restaurants like Buca Yorkville, Buca King and Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto. He developed Wine Education Programs for King Street Food Company and he is very passionate about wine and food pairings. He has achieved Italian Wine Scholar, Spanish Wine Scholar, Burgundy Master level, Bordeaux Master Level with highest honors and also owns Master Level in Champagne and Provence. He is also a Certified Sommelier from AIS, the Italian Sommelier Association and from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Before starting his wine and sommelier career he worked as a journalist for 15 years in Italy and Canada. He holds a Masters Degree in Literature and Journalism from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano.
A Closer Look at Lugana - A behind the scenes look at one of Italy’s most exciting DOCs (Panel Discussion)
Summary:
Tired of being in lockdown mode? Travel with us as we take a virtual trip to Italy and explore the beautiful Lugana DOC.
We will be joined by the Director of the Consortium, two of the area’s top producers and Lugana DOC's US brand Ambassador. Participants will have an exclusive opportunity to learn more about the region’s viticulture, winemaking and marketing from industry insiders.
Don’t miss this chance to learn first hand. Perfect for students studying toward the IWS qualification or for anyone interested in learning more about some of Italy’s most exciting wines! Those of you lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle of Lugana liquid gold are welcome to taste along with us!
Meet The Panel: 
- Andrea Eby - WSG Italian Wine Programs Coordinator
- Andrea Bottarel - Director of the Consorizo Tutela Lugana DOC
- Luca Formentini - Selva Capuzza
- Nunzio Ghiraldi - Azienda Agricola Nunzio Ghiraldi
- Susannah Gold - Lugana Brand Ambassador
Learn More About Italian Wines:
Barolo Who's who with Tom Hyland
Summary:
The most celebrated examples of Barolo are among the finest examples of terroir anywhere in the wine world. Thanks to soil formations from millions of years ago, along with climatic conditions, Barolos from various communes can often vary greatly in style. Yet beyond the terroir of site-specific, there is also a human terroir at work, as enologists employ different techniques in their cellars.
In this session, we will explore the various styles of Barolo as driven by the human touch, from strict traditionalism to a more modern approach, we will discuss the characteristics of the finest producers and the finest wines of Barolo.
Presenter: Tom Hyland
Tom Hyland is a Chicago-based wine writer/educator and photographer, specializing in Italian wines.
He has authored two books on Italian wines, and has conducted seminars for the trade on various Italian wines in Chicago, New York and in Bordeaux at VinExpo.
He has been writing about these wines for 19 years, and today is a contributor to Decanter and wine-searcher.com. He is also the U.S. ambassador for the consorzio, I Vini del Piemonte.
Learn more about Italian Wines:
The Terroirs and Wines of Valpolicella with Deborah Parker Wong
Summary:
Valpolicella is home to some of the world’s most unique wine styles all of which are based on grape varieties indigenous to the region.
Discover the natural and human factors that influence their production and the trends driving their evolution.
Educator Deborah Parker Wong was awarded the title of Valpolicella Wine Specialist by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella in February 2018 and has conducted a series of trade tastings marking the 50th anniversary of the DOC.
Presenter: Deborah Parker Wong
Deborah Parker Wong, DWSET is Global Wine Editor for SOMM Journal, The Tasting and Clever Root magazines and was recently appointed California Editor for the Slow Food Slow Wine Guide.
She teaches as an adjunct professor in the Wine Studies departments at Santa Rosa Junior College, Napa Valley College and Cabrillo College and owns a Wine & Spirit Education Trust school offering Level 2 and Level 3 certifications.
In addition to writing and speaking about wine, Deborah consults to producer groups, judges wine competitions and scores wine for Planet Grape Wine Review. Her motto is: To learn, read. To know, write. To master, teach.
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