Giro d'Italia Enogastronomic Event 2017 in Rieti, Italy
The first time I attended Giro d'Italia (not to be confused with the annual Italian bicycle race) in Rieti, I was quite impressed with the number of food and wine producers in attendance. I was going to start my sommelier course and it was fundamental that I attend as much wine tastings as I can to build my practical knowledge about wines. Giro d'Italia was an excellent start off point in getting familiar with the diverse characteristics of all the regions of Italy under one roof, spread out in two vast levels of the restaurant and 4 spacious rooms.
25 November 2017 arrived and the fifth edition of Giro d'Italia took place in its usual venue, Ristorante La Foresta in Rieti. With 167 big and small Italian producers in the national
viticultural sector and 52 agro-food companies, there was a plethora of wines, spirits, beer, and food to explore. The number of attendees, both from the enthusiastic public and the professionals from the sector augmented as well from last year's count of two thousand.
Giro d'Italia was organized by Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS) Lazio under the supervision of Antonio Di Carlo, proprietor of Ristorante La Foresta and Francesco Guercilena, Delegate of AIS Rieti aimed at the promotion of the local food and wine culture.
Aside from the full day of walk-around tasting, two guide wine tastings of Chardonnay and Sangiovese were conducted by AIS Sommelier Luca Radicchi as well as a guided tasting of extra virgin olive oil led by Massimiliano Onano of Organizzazione di Produttori Olivicoli Laziali (OPOL).
Having a full day dedicated to wine tasting, I did both the walk-around, the extra virgin olive oil tastings and Chardonnay. In the glasses were eight different wines, all from Chardonnay grapes that had been cultivated in different parts of Italy and vinified by the individual methods of different producers. The guided varietal tasting was a pivotal revelation of how diverse one kind of grape can be. Varietal tastings are very interesting because in this kind of tasting, you can discern how a single kind of grape can yield such diversities in aromas, colors and flavors in different kinds of terroir, vinification and aging.
In addition to the day's program, the Associazione Italiana Sommelier awarded a number of wineries for their exemplary overall performances in different categories:
Winery of the Year: Marco Capitoni
Best in Communication and Marketing:
Azienda Agricola Nicola Di Sipio – Ripa Teatina
Historical Winery: Giovanni Terenzi
Rising Winery: Tenuta Ripa Alta
Best Packaging: Elena Fucci
Best Price for the Quality: Fattoria
del Pino
Having some of the wine producers behind the bottles
that they are pouring, walk-around tastings substantiates as the best
means in comprehending the wine in your glass. You see, tasting is
not just about having your glass filled up with wine and drinking it.
Every bottle has an engaging story that the person pouring it can unfold
in front of your eyes and ears. With the words tumbling down to your ears, the wine shapes up to its final beautiful form. Wine
tasting for me is using all my senses in analyzing - looking at it,
smelling, tasting and another aspect that we don't learn from our
classes - listening to the final and best factor of what makes the wine
special.
Being located in Lazio, Giro d'Italia hosted wines from Lazio as the most. Neighboring regions Tuscany, Abruzzo, Umbria and Marche were well-represented too while the rest of the regions had some of their producers presenting the wines of their territories.
The wine producers present at Giro d'Italia 2017:
Cantina Ripa Teatina, Sinscarpa, Lampato, Masciarelli Tenute Agricole
ALTO ADIGE : Terlano, Kellerei Kaltern, Tramin
BASILICATA : Elena Fucci, Basilisco Vini
EMILIA ROMAGNA: Azienda Agricola Biologica Galassi Maria, Terre della Pieve, Az.Agr. Il Poggiarello, La Sabbiona Soc. Agr., Tenuta il Plino
FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA : Az.Agr. Centa S. Anna di Cumini Loreta, Borgo Magredo, Jermann, Fiegl
LAZIO: Tenuta La Pazzagli, Soc. Agr. Giovanni Terenzi,Merumalia, Tenuta Santa Lucia, Az. Agr. Casale Marchese, Casale del Giglio, Cantina Le Macchie, Poggio Fenice, Damiano Ciolli, Fernando Proietti, Cantina Campigliano, Vinicola Schiavella, Cantina dei Colli Sabini, Azienda Muscari Tomajoli, Az. Agr. Rapillo, Simoni Vini, Agriturismo Le Cerquette, Az. Agr. Piancardo di Lino Catalano Az. Agr. Bio Donato Giangirolami, Vigne del Patrimonio, Doganieri-Miyazaki, Stefanoni, Falesco
LIGURIA: Cantina Lunae
LOMBARDIA: Cantine Ricchi, Contadi castaldi, Bellavista, Az. Agr. La Fiorita Franciacorta
MARCHE: Poderi Capecci San Savino, Casa Vinicola Gioacchino Garofoli Spa, Vini Velenosi Villa Imperium, Tenuta San Marcello, Az. Agr. Mario Lucchetti, Alberto Quacquarini Soc.Agr.
MOLISE : Borgo di Colloredo, Tenute di Giulio
PIEMONTE: Cantine Damilano, Negro Angelo & Figli, Az. Agr. La Masera, Bric Cenciurio Az. Agr. Gozzelino Sergio, Az. Agr. La Scolca, Marco Canato
PUGLIA : Varvaglione Vigne & Vini, L’Antico Palmento di Garofano Mariangela & C. Giai Vini, Tenuta Ripa Alta, Leone De Castris
SARDEGNA: Cantine di Orgosolo, Cantina di Santadi, Agricola Punica
SICILIA: Terre del sole Zerilli, Feudi del Pisciotto, Cantina Marilina, Az. Agr. Filippo Grasso, Passo Pisciaro, Firriato
TOSCANA: Fattoria San Felo, Soc. Agr. Capoverso, Petra, Cantina Col D’orcia, La Badiola, Capitoni Marco Azienda Agraria, Casisano, Val delle Rose,Villa Cerna Il Borro, Fattoria della Talosa, Podere Sapaio, Castellare di Castellina,Rocca di Frassinello, Fattoria Fibbiano, Castello Banfi,Vecchia Cantina, Az. Agr. Casale di Falchini, Vini Franchetti-Tenuta di Trinoro, Fattoria del Pino,Tenute Giovanni e Ambrogio Folonari
TRENTINO:
Azienda Agricola Maso Grener, Cavit, Tenuta San Leonardo
UMBRIA : Terre Margaritelli, Colle Uncinano, Cantina Cecchetelli, Bocale, Az. Agr. Poggio Maiolo, Tenuta Alzatura, Az. Agr. Palazzone, Fattoria Giro di Vento, Sandonna Az. Vitivinicola di Giuliani Patrizia, Cantina Fratelli Pardi, Agricola La Palazzola
VENETO: Tommasi, Tenuta Sant’Anna, Foss Marai Valdobbiadene, Bixio,Poderi San Bonifacio, Az. Agr. Bernardi, V8 Vineyard, Cantina Corte Merci, Cantina Valdadige
UMBRIA : Terre Margaritelli, Colle Uncinano, Cantina Cecchetelli, Bocale, Az. Agr. Poggio Maiolo, Tenuta Alzatura, Az. Agr. Palazzone, Fattoria Giro di Vento, Sandonna Az. Vitivinicola di Giuliani Patrizia, Cantina Fratelli Pardi, Agricola La Palazzola
VENETO: Tommasi, Tenuta Sant’Anna, Foss Marai Valdobbiadene, Bixio,Poderi San Bonifacio, Az. Agr. Bernardi, V8 Vineyard, Cantina Corte Merci, Cantina Valdadige
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