Immaginate di essere in giro per l'Italia - o il mondo. In auto, camper o altro mezzo proprio.
Immaginate di aver visitato qualche azienda interessante, assaggiandone i vini.
Immaginate di aver comprato qualche cartone.

E immaginate che tutto questo avvenga in estate.

Tra sabato 21 e domenica 22 Giugno si terr? a Breganze (VI), la prima edizione di Vespaiolona, la notte bianca tra le cantine della Strada del Torcolato.

La festa inizia alle 20 in Piazza Mazzini con “Il Ristorante in Piazza”, tradizionale cena collettiva ovviamente a base di Torresano (il Piccione di Breganze) e annaffiato dai splendidi vini della zona.
Dalle ore 22 inizia il Vespaiolona, giro notturno per le cantine aderenti, con visite e degustazione dei loro prodotti per tutta la fascia Pedemontana della DOC Breganze: la Notte Bianca ? stata definita BiancoRossa in quanto a la Doc Breganze si compone di diverse tipologie di vini bianchi e rossi, oltre agli ultimi arrivati Vespaiolo Spumante, Breganze Tai e Breganze Merlot, e senza ovviamente dimenticare Sua Maest? il Torcolato, vero vanto dell’Enologia Italiana e Mondiale.
Dalle 22 alle 2 del mattino sar? attivo un servizio di bus navetta che, partendo dalla stazione delle autocorriere in piazzetta delle Poste, condurr? i partecipanti a visitare le Cantine Socie del Consorzio di Tutela e della Strada del Torcolato: Cantina Beato Bartolomeo da Breganze, Cantina Maculan, Cantina Angelo Scaroni, Azienda Agricola Ca’ Biasi, Azienda Agricola Firmino Miotti, Cantina Col Dovigo, Azienda Agricola Vitacchio Guerrino e, fuori dal territorio comunale, Azienda Agricola La Costa a Fara Vicentino, Tenuta Bastia a Montecchio Precalcino e Azienda Agricola Villa Magna a Sandrigo. Per la partecipazione ? richiesto un contributo di dieci euro, comprensivo di trasporto in pullman, bicchiere da degustazione e portabicchiere a tracolla oltre naturalmente a quattro assaggi di vino. Informazioni e prenotazioni: 0445300595, 3483028340.
Domenica 22 giugno dalle 17 spazio alla II? edizione del Palio delle Botti: una spettacolare gara di spinta di barriques tra le vie del centro, disfida fra equipaggi delle diverse cantine. Nell’edizione del 2007, a trionfare ? stata l’azienda agricola Ca’ Biasi di Innocente Dalla Valle. La manifestazione, che inizier? alle 17, si concluder? con un brindisi da primato a base di uno dei vini simbolo della Pedemontana vicentina: il Vespaiolo.
Ulteriori informazioni al sito Strada del Torcolato di Breganze.

La mania del blog sta contagiando anche anche il nostro settore del vino, persino Vinexpo, la fiera del vino internazionale che si tiene a Bordeaux, che ha da poco aperto il Vinexpo Blog. Perch? dico mania? Perch? c’? modo e modo di aprire un blog. Vediamo cosa dice la stessa fiera:

Vinexpo is the internazional wine and spirits exhibition, which is also the venue for people to meet and exchange ideas. It constitutes a focus point where all knowledge and expertise in the sector converges. We seek to use this international recognition that has been built up over the years here for your benefit. We have created the Vinexpo blog to share information on this constantly evolving world with you.

Le premesse sembrano buone, ma: ? davvero un blog quello di Vinexpo? Per avere un’idea di blog vi rimando qui. Se si va alla homepage del sito istituzionale della fiera noterete il grande spazio destinato al blog.

Tuttavia, come sottotitolo riporta: news about wines & spirit business. Non a caso il blog ? il luogo in cui vengono pubblicate notizie categorizzate in cinque aree:
- market developments
- business news
- new products and market trends
- responsible drinking issues
- news about the exhibition, naturalmente

L’aggiornamento sembra essere costante, lo sto monitorando da diverse settimane e negli ultimi giorni sembra stia aumentando il numero di notizie pubblicate. Ci si pu? abbonare via RSS o via Newsletter, il che ? positivo. Inoltre, ? disponibile sia in lingua francese che in lingua inglese.

Ma, a mio avviso, ci sono dei punti per i quali il blog non potrebbe essere chiamato con questo nome: manca la possibilit? di lasciare commenti e, soprattutto, non crea nessuna discussione ne condivisione di idee nonostante il suo intento. Infatti, i post non sono altro che agenzie prese da altri o di Vinexpo, agenzie pubblicate senza alcuna interperetazione n? possibilit? di conversazione.

The blog today resembles a logbook chronicling events and is already a useful monitoring tool for market trends and industry news, but this is only a first step towards what Vinexpo intends it to become ? a fully fledged industry forum.

Vedremo se per il momento si tratta di una fase beta di test, aspettiamo i prossimi mesi per vedere gli sviluppi futuri. Ci? che ? significativo ? come ormai il termine blog abbia fatto breccia ovunque.

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La scorsa settimana ero a Roma per alcuni impegni di lavoro. Uno di questi impegni si ? concluso con aperitivo cena e digestivo al Wine Time, wine bar e ristorante vicino a Castel Sant’Angelo. Questo bel locale si trova infatti in Piazza Pasquale Paoli.

Come aperitivo, ho preso un paio di Negroni. I miei compagni di merende (Alessio, Angelo e Elena: i primi due sono tra i coautori di Drink a drink, Elena invece ogni tanto scrive anche qui su Di vino & cibo) invece si sono scolati un paio di Americani (che Bacco abbia piet? di loro).

Quando Alessio ed Elena ci hanno lasciati per rientrare in Toscana, Angelo mi ha chiesto se volessimo cenare l? o cambiare ristorante. Dato che al Wine Time avevo cenato un anno fa (anche in quell’occasione, Angelo presente) e quindi ricordavo che si mangiava molto bene, ci siamo fermati.

E cos?, tra un bel tagliere di formaggi e salumi ed un filetto di manzo (rigorosamente grondante sangue), ci siamo riempiti la pancia e sollazzati lo spirito (e magari Angelo nei commenti mi ricorder? che vino ci siamo scolati…).

Per finire in bellezza la serata, due bicchieri di Macallan Fine Oak 18.

Se volete leggere qualcos’altro sul Wine Time, potete leggere un post scritto da Angelo su Drink a drink.

Per finire, le informazioni utili:
Wine Time
Piazza Pasquale Paoli, 15 - 00186 - ROMA
Telefono e fax: (+39) 06.68.75.706
E-mail: wine@winetime.it
Chiuso la domenica.
Orario di apertura: dalle 12.00 alle 02.00

Age of the Pet

Age is an important factor to consider when choosing your pet’s food. Your pet needs to be fed appropriate food for his or her age. This is important as a certain amount of calories and proteins are needed for your pet to grow to adulthood properly. By providing your pet with his important current life stage diet, you will be meeting his growth requirements.

There are different types of pet food ranging from those for young pets, adult, and senior pet. If it?s your first time buying packaged food, read the labels to know what components a certain pet food has.

Consider the Breed Size

Choose the pet food based on the size of your pet’s breed. Young pets will need to consume well-balanced nutrients for immune functions, healthy skin, bone development, and growth. Most pet foods are usually categorized by specific breed factors which only include breed size since there is no other major difference between breeds.

Small breed pets have fast metabolism rates compared to medium and large breeds. That is why small pet breeds need more fatty nutrients than others.

Check for Food Allergies

Be extremely careful while choosing the food for a pet with thin coat quality, sensitive skin or redness of the skin. Food allergies are most common in dogs so if your pet is a dog lookout for allergy signs like scratching.

Don’t confuse food intolerance with food allergy; this is because lactose intolerance and poor digestion are as a result of food allergy.

Feeding your dog sources of carbohydrates and protein for 3 months triggers a strong immune response that helps alleviate allergic reactions.

Dietary Supplement

If you are feeding your pet a complete commercial balanced diet, you might not require adding a nutritional supplement like vitamins. However, with old pets, of a particular breed or with a certain disease condition may need a dietary supplementation. Check with your veterinarian whether supplementing your pet with fish oils, additional anti-oxidants or joins supplement could improve your pet’s health.

Reproductive Status of a Pet

A pet that is neutered or spayed has minimal maintenance energy requirements. It is, therefore, recommend to reduce their calories intake by approximately 25-30 percent from the usual recommendations.

If a bag of your dry pet food recommendations is feeding approximately one cup daily, you should only feed 2/3 to 3/4 of the same cup daily. Always consult the veterinarian while changing the diet and before starting a pet on any weight loss program.

Is the Food Easy to Digest?

Just like humans proper digestion is very important and affects the pets well being too. If essential nutrients in the dog food are not digestible, then look for another food. You can determine whether you have the right food by checking how well your pet defecates.it will tell you whether what is in the food bonds well with the pet.

Expiration Date

Packaging and manufacturing of the pet food products is also an important factor that you must consider. Pet food has certain health limitation that comes with food use and quality. This involves both packaging and the pet food. Go for pet food that has packaging date labeled.

Food with short shelf life should be consumed faster than those with a longer shelf life. This ensures …

Il libro illustra come attraverso i CSS (Cascading Style Sheets, Fogli Stile a Cascata) sia possibile sviluppare siti web usabili, accessibili, belli e, non meno importante, economici da gestire. La specifica di riferimento ? CSS2 che viene analizzata da un punto di vista sia teorico sia pratico. La prima parte ? dedicata all'introduzione dei concetti che stanno alla base dei CSS illustrandone la sintassi e le regole di formattazione. Nella parte centrale l'autore si dilunga invece nell'esposizione di diverse tecniche di sviluppo per impaginare e definire i vari elementi di una pagina web Non manca una parte su filtri e hack, ma quello che emerge con forza ? come i CSS, oltre a essere un potente strumento di sviluppo, permettano di esaltare la creativit? dei web designer. L'ultimo capitolo presenta infine alcuni progetti completi, una proposta di metodologia di lavoro insieme a una sintesi di quanto precedentemente esposto. Tutto il libro ? impostato nell'ottica ''HOWTO" e ogni spiegazione ? accompagnata da esempi di codice e immagini che ne facilitano la comprensione.

• Gianluca Troiani, studi di ingegneria elettronica, ? un esperto utilizzatore di CSS. Webmaster per professione, si ? avvicinato agli standard W3C per sperimentare tecnologie e metodi di lavoro pi? efficaci, in grado di creare siti Web usabili ma anche accessibili, oltre che economici da gestire. Nei CSS ha trovato un potente strumento per definire l?aspetto delle pagine Web, semplificando il lavoro dei webmaster e migliorando l?esperienza di navigazione degli utenti. Dalla sua esperienza ? nato il sito www.constile.org, oggi uno dei punti di riferimento per chi in Italia si interessa dei Fogli Stile a Cascata (Cascading Style Sheets). Info: libri@apogeonline.com

Rispetto all’annata 2008 pi? concordia nei giudizi sulla Riserva 2007 giudicata molto buona, elegante e complessa da molti critici anche se anche qui ? mancata l’unanimit? di giudizi positivi come era successo per la grandissima Riserva 2006. Di certo un’annata da valutare con pi? pazienza rispetto alla 2006…Ecco qui in successione alcuni pareri di critici italiani come?la Riserva 2007 che secondo alcuni critici italiani presenti a Benvenuto Brunello presenta una “maturazione lineare delle uve” per Daniel Thomases de I Vini di Veronelli, offe “vini complessi e ricchi” per Giancarlo Gariglio di Slow Wine, svela “maturit? e pienezza di bell’equilibrio” per Antonio Boco di Gambero Rosso, ha “punte di straordinario valore” per Daniele Cernilli di Doctor Wine e “conferma le impressioni sulle annate 2007″ per Paolo De Cristofaro di Gambero Rosso.

Qui alcuni illustri pareri “esteri” ,?Monica Larner (Wine Enthusiast) “amo la Riserva 2007″, la Riserva 2007 per Walter Speller (Jancisrobinson.com) “avr? un grande successo sul mercato” e per Walter Tommasi (Freelancer) “ha una buona struttura”. Per Tomoko Ebisawa (Vinotheque)”the standar of the quality for Riserva 2007 is very good” e per Tim Atkin (Freelancer Wine Writer) “the quality is extremely good”.

E infine il “nostro” Leonardo Romanelli dopo la prima giornata di assaggi tutta dedicata alle Riserve 2007:

Il Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC organizza il 17 agosto prossimo a Peschiera del Garda (Verona) in Piazza Bettelloni (fronte Municipio) dalle ore 19.00 alle 23.00, una degustazione di Lugana 2007 valevole per il Premio Lugana Stella del Garda.

Saranno in degustazione 42 Lugana 2007 di 42 aziende diverse.
Con il modico contributo di 5 euro si verr? dotati di bicchiere e tasca e si potranno assaggiare tutti i vini presenti.
Al degustatore verr? richiesto di esprimere un giudizio di piacevolezza.
I vini maggiormente votati saranno premiati a fine anno dal Consorzio di Tutela Lugana.
Maggiori informazioni presso il sito del Consorzio del Lugana D.O.C.

I considered switching over to Substack. They have better analytics and push from the platform, versus the necessary pull from the legacy platform, Blogspot, which even its owners AI representative (i.e. Gemini) claim has become a digital ghost town. Maybe so. Or perhaps it's like a vintage sports car that just needs to be cared for. While it doesn't have the bells and whistles of the newer models, it still can get up and go and eventually get you somewhere. That's where we've been going for the last twenty years on the wine trail in Italy.

2025 was a year of reckoning and remembrance. I wrote on average, a post a week?each one a conversation I needed to have, either with myself or with you. Looking back, they organized themselves into five distinct streams, which I am re-sharing with you below.

This almost year-end piece organizes some of my more notable posts from 2025 into five thematic streams. It's a way to see the full range of what I tackled this year.

I'll be back next week on the official day, the 20th anniversary date, with some thoughts and reflections and possible directions (maybe even some predictions) I plan on taking in 2026. In the meantime, enjoy the encore presentation, and Merry Christmas, y'all.

The Personal Trail: Wine, Life, and Looking

Some essays weren't about wine at all, except that everything's about wine when you've spent forty years in it.

"What Photography Taught Me About Wine Appreciation" (September 7, 2025)
Photography informed my wine journey from the start. Wynn Bullock taught me to be "always looking, with or without a camera"?a philosophy that shaped how I approach both crafts.

"Trebbiano and Chicken - A simple meal which might just save the world" (August 24, 2025)
The world burns, and I went to the kitchen. Sometimes the most radical act is making something simple and good.

"The Stages of a (Wine's) Life" (August 3, 2025)
I sat in my wine closet with the ancients?25% of my collection is 25 years or older. They had things to tell me about aging, about time, about what lasts.

"Love - Wine Appreciation's Secret Sauce" (August 17, 2025)
The wine-writing class kept harping about the sky falling. Meanwhile, actual people in actual shops were still buying wine, still falling in love with it. Turns out that matters more than all the bloviating.

"In Service of Italian Wine" (July 6, 2025)
Forty years in the trade. I survived. Not everyone did. Here's how I dodged those bullets.

"Midnight in the Cellar: Wine, Sleep, and the Slow Burn" (November 9, 2025)
Bucita, 1977. The scent of fermentation woke me at midnight. Sometimes memory works like that?reaching through decades, pulling you back to the cellar.

"The Most Important Meal of the Day" (November 16, 2025)
Marion Nestle doesn't believe in breakfast. My grandfather's Sunday barbecues under the grape arbor?those weren't marketed. They just mattered.

"Well, shut my mouth!" (August 10, 2025)
Lately when I'm out in the world, I keep getting this sense I had as a youngster: stop talking and let the adults talk.

The Industry Reckoning: Calling Out the Bullshit

Some conversations needed to happen out loud, in public, with receipts.

"The Economics of Bullshit: Wine's Junket Folly" (October 26, 2025)
Scroll Instagram?sun-drenched vineyard photos, perfectly plated lunches, #blessed #sponsored (maybe). But here's the unspoken contract: you don't bite the hand that flies you first class.

"Devotion, Direction and Dissent ? The Divergent Mantra of Contemporary Italian Winemakers" (August 31, 2025)
Change in Italian winemaking happens incrementally. But make no mistake?the revolution continues. Why would anyone think it would stop here?

"Has Wine Lost Its Moorings? A Response to Eric Asimov" (October 22, 2025)
Eric laid out prescriptions for an ailing industry. But reading through it, one question kept nagging: Has wine lost its cultural moorings?

"The Great Inversion: How Italian Wine's Future Moved South" (November 2, 2025)
Nobody's saying it out loud: northern Italy is dying faster than the south. For the first time in modern wine history, the center of gravity is shifting.

"Haven't we been here before? A signpost on the wine trail in Italy" (July 27, 2025)
Twenty years of writing. Looking back at the subject matter, I can't help wondering if I've reached the bottom of the barrel. The jury's still out.

"Problem: Wine in Crisis? Remedy: Move forward, like an arrow. Fearlessly." (July 13, 2025)
I've been working on a project in an Italian wine shop. I have good news: people are still buying wine, still discovering, still caring.

"Ten Years After: What I Got Right (and Wrong) About Italian Wine in America" (October 12, 2025)
A decade ago I threw some educated guesses into the wind. Looking back is easier than looking forward, but at least now I have data.

"How Much Do Wine Expert Ratings Matter?" (June 8, 2025)
Making shelf talkers for my local shop, I discovered the relative influence of wine writers has shifted. There are more voices than ever, so the field has been diluted.

"Wine on lists starting @ $100, concert seats @ $1,000, cars that run $100,000, watches for $250,000 ? Excuse me, what planet am I on?" (June 22, 2025)
We all live in a yellow submarine now. Inside the bubble, not all is rosy.

"That ain't Italy, folks ? Tourism in the 21st Century" (June 29, 2025)
A country turns into a cruise ship. The billionaire's Venetian wedding galvanized this concept into a gigantic, sparkling mess.

The Practical Guides: Still Teaching After All These Years

Some posts just needed to explain things clearly, without the noise.

"Your Essential Guide to Italy's DOC and DOCG Wines - 2025 Version" (October 15, 2025)
You're standing in front of a wine list. Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello?all those B's swimming together. Someone asks what the difference is between DOC and DOCG. Here's the answer.

"What Makes Someone an Italian Wine Expert? (And Why It Doesn't Matter)" (December 14, 2025)
I helped a woman in my Italian market find wine. Walking away, I thought: "She doesn't know she just got advice from someone who spent forty years working with Italian wine." What a ridiculous thing to think.

"Don't Age Wine Longer than 10 Years!" (June 1, 2025)
A longtime colleague launched into a prolonged jeremiad about aging wine. I recorded it (with permission). The jury's still out.

"Prophecy and Perspective on the Blackland Prairie" (October 19, 2025)
Ten years ago I wrote about 5 Italian wine regions to watch. The buffalos are coming back. The crystal ball sits on my desk, a little cloudier, a little wiser.

"Whispers from the Forgotten Frontiers of Italian Wine" (September 21, 2025)
Beneath the surface lies a shadowed realm?wines yet unborn, waiting in the dark. Nowhere is this more evident than in Etna, where thousands of ancient indigenous vines lie dormant.

The Satire & Invention: When You Have to Laugh

Sometimes the only response to absurdity is more absurdity?but deadpan.

"Persona Non Grata" (November 12, 2025)
Retrieved from my spam file ?
[The confidential memo that arrived after I became persona non grata in the wine PR world]

"Spas, Tours, Golden Hour Too - We'll Be Blessed If You Come" (November 18, 2025)
Apparently word hasn't gotten around yet. This arrived in my inbox today.
[Another press junket invitation, lampooned]

"A Hundred Years Wrapped in Etna's Fiery Embrace" (October 5, 2025)
I enlisted my clandestine consigliere, ???fonso?an arcane ignis fatuus who whispers tweaks. We traced the 2022 Terre Nere Prephylloxera over a hundred imagined years, guided by Empedocles.

"Is Your Favorite Italian Wine 'Coded?'" (May 18, 2025)
It got me wondering if Italian wine is coded in these days of disruption. Almost anything can be, especially when one trawls the eddies of social media.

"The Bullshit-ification of the Italian Wine and Food Experience in America" (February 23, 2025)
Sometimes you just have to call it what it is.

Italy Beyond the Glass: Travel Philosophy & Cultural Critique

Wine is a way into Italy. But Italy is so much more.

"Kicking the Bucket List Habit ~ Five Ways to Surrender to Italy" (November 30, 2025)
I keep seeing these bucket lists. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. But that's not the Italy that's stayed with me for fifty-some years. Italy reveals itself differently?not when you grasp at it, but when you open your hands.

"Go to Rome, go to Florence, go to Venice, but please don't go here!" (September 14, 2025)
People go to Rome, to Florence, to Venice. But Liguria? Why in Heaven's name would anyone go there? Liguria is one of Italy's best kept secrets.

"The Ugly American Has Come Home" (December 7, 2025)
When I first went to Italy in 1971, I got my introduction to the ugly American. Now the ugly American has come home to roost. There's no escaping their thunderous ubiety.

"Examining Cultural Appropriation in Italian-Inspired Cuisine: A Closer Look" (September 28, 2025)
A local chef opened an Italian-styled restaurant. One dish: Prosciutto e Melone made with Texas cantaloupe, culatello, candied hazelnuts, figs, and basil. The chef noted ironically, "We have a lot more of what people consider traditional Italian," but couldn't skip chicken parmesan.

"Like Nothing Ever Before" (July 20, 2025)
How often have you opened a bottle of wine and thought you'd never tasted anything like it in your lifetime? After thousands of wines a year, when does that special bottle percolate to the top?

The Gift of Memory

Looking back at these posts, I realize they centered around paying attention to wine, to Italy, to the industry, to the absurdity, to what lasts and what doesn't.

Twenty years is a long time to maintain the discourse. But maybe that's the point?it's not about having something new to say every week. It's about showing up, looking closely, and trusting that if you pay attention long enough, the things worth saying will find you. More on this next week.