Cristina Mariani-May will represent her family’s vineyard estate, Castello Banfi, as one of the dozen of Italy’s top producers bringing their vinous debate to New York this autumn, asking the rhetorical question: single or married?
The question, of course, refers to Italian grape varieties, and the panel discussion will compare wines that are pure versions of their variety with those that are blended with other grapes. Ms. Mariani-May will represent the latter side for Sangiovese with her estate’s 1999 SummuS cuvée of Sangiovese-Cabernet-Syrah, pairing off with the Brunello di Montalcino of neighboring producer Biondi-Santi.
The panel discussion, under the auspices of VinItaly, the Italian Wine & Food Institute, and Italian Wine & Food Magazine, starts at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 17 at New York’s Marriott Marquis. While the event formally ends in the afternoon many of the organizers suspect that the debate itself, as with most discussions on personal taste, will go on ad-infinitum. Other producers will offer similar perspectives with Barbera, Nebbiolo, Nero d’Avola, Merlot and Cabernet.