"Ci sono vini buoni, molto buoni o buonissimi, ma che col tempo puoi dimenticare, semplicemente perché ce ne sono tanti. Poi ci sono i vini indimenticabili, decisamente pochi, che popolano una ristretta lista personale che ciascuno di noi ha messo là perché colpito, forse, da una sfumatura organolettica inaspettata. E poi ci sono i vini emozionanti, difficilissimi da incontrare ma facilissimi da riconoscere. Sono quei vini che vanno al di là dell’armonia o complessità organolettica perché toccano quella profonda sfera emotiva personale, spesso difficile da far emergere. I vini emozionanti sono quei vini che disarmano ogni approccio tecnico, sparigliano tutte le  convinzioni e i preconcetti, fanno quasi fermare il caos circostante in un’atmosfera sospesa!" 🍷 (Original text by Dr. Sante Laviola, Italian Research Scientist, Sommelier, and Official Wine Taster for the Slow Wine Guide)

"There are good wines, very good or great, but with time you can forget them simply because there are many. Then there are unforgettable wines, decidedly only a few, that populate a restricted personal list which we have put them on because they struck us; maybe because of an unexpected organoleptic nuance. Then there are emotional wines, very difficult to find, but easy to recognize. They are the wines which go beyond harmony and sensory complexity because they touch that profound personal emotional sphere which is often reluctant to reveal itself. The emotional wines are those wines that disarm every technical approach, they mix all convictions and preconceptions to a point that they almost stop the chaos that surrounds us in a suspended atmosphere!" 🍷 (English Translation)

Last month I had the chance to attend the 55th edition of Vinitaly. It is always an honor and a pleasure for me to visit as a delegate with the Italian Trade Agency in NYC. Prior to the pandemic, I regularly attended the highly anticipated international wine and spirits expo, but this was my first time being back since.

Dr. Sante Laviola with Paolo Librandi

Winemaker Domenico Martelli

18th century German poet, playwright  novelist, scientist, and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was quoted as saying "Without seeing Sicily you can't understand Italy. Sicily is the key to everything." And that, is the quote I like to keep in mind when I taste Sicilian wine and spirits, as if they were the key to an intoxicating world of flavor steeped in history and shrouded in beauty, color, and tradition. I started my Sicilian taste tour with the 13 coveted organic wines from Gigliotto. 

I am truly grateful to the organizers for another fantastic event, despite all of the obstacles that the current state of traveling presents. Contact me here if you are interested in importing these wines into the US. Until next time...alla prossima and alla salute! 🍷🍷🍷