Italy's national wine library and its leading vineyard estate will team up at this year's annual "VinItaly" wine fair in Verona to address two of the country's hottest winemaking categories, Super Tuscans and Brunello di Montalcino.
The Enoteca Italiana di Siena, a fervent promoter of Italy's winemaking expertise, will sponsor two tasting seminars at VinItaly, which runs April 5-9. Wines from Montalcino's Castello Banfi, the unprecedented four-time winner of the fair's highest honor--the Premio Gran VinItaly for International Winery of The Year--will demonstrate the evolution of Tuscany's most innovative cuvées as well as its noble traditions.
On Friday, April 6th at 10:00 a.m., a tasting of vertical vintages and the actual components of SummuS, a cuvée of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, will examine the growing, vinification and blending techniques that allow each varietal to best express its complementary characteristics in the completed wine. Winemaker Rudi Buratti will present the currently released vintage 1997, as well as an older vintage, the yet-to-be-released 1998 vintage, and the actual unblended components of 1999. This seminar will take place at the Enoteca di Siena stand, Pavilion 37, stand B16.
In a separate session on Saturday, April 7th at 10:30 a.m., Mr. Buratti and his counterpart in the vineyards, chief agronomist Maurizio Marmugi, will focus on the dramatic improvements in the region's noble Brunello di Montalcino, tasting wine made from six distinct clones developed in the estate's vineyards. These clones were narrowed down from a field of over 160 through years of field and winery research. Using 1999 as a starting point, participants will also taste the blended wine of those clones, as well as the currently released 1995 Brunello and an older vintage. This presentation will take place in the Centro Servizi (Service Center), Botticelli Hall between the Tuscany and Piedmont Pavilions.
According to Castello Banfi family proprietor Cristina Mariani, "these seminars are designed to provide a unique look into current winemaking practices in Tuscany." Seating is limited to only 50 people per seminar. For further information and tickets, visit the www.enoteca-italiana.it web site or contact Castello Banfi by e-mail, cbmail@banfi.com. In the US, telephone 1-800-645-6511, extension 571; in Italy call 0577-840111.
The Sons of Italy Foundation was founded in 1959 as a private operating and grant-making institution with the purpose of sponsoring programs that support educational excellence, cultural preservation and advancement, medical research, and disaster relief. The Foundation has contributed more than $30 million to scholarships for young people since 1968. The scholarships are part of a merit-based grant competition that attracts the best students from across the country.
