by SylviaItaly | Jan 6, 2020 | Italian wines, Italy, Wine tasting
WSET
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust provides education and qualifications in wines for professionals and enthusiasts. Level 2 Award in Wines is an intermediate level qualification.
During the course we studied about wines, grape varieties of the world, the regions in which they are grown and the styles of wine they produce.
Through a combination of (a lot) wine tasting and theory we explored the quality, the style and how to describe the wines.
Emily O’ Hare
Our teacher for WSET level 2 is Emily O’Hare. Emily is wine writer, sommelier and she teaches WSET courses in Tuscany. Originally she’s from London but is now based in Siena.
Review
I personally enjoyed the wine study and the courses with Emily. We had a lovely group. Some participants were from my FISAR Sommelier course and some people were new. It was a nice experience and definitely a do thing.
I look forward to start soon with WSET level 3.
Diploma
I got my classification! I passed my exam. Result 94% and Grade Pass with distinction. Now I have two wonderful certificates, FISAR Sommelier and WSET level 2 Award in Wines.
I still need to learn a lot more about wines. But I have a lot of interest and I am passionate about wine. I live in a wine growing area and I work in the tourism and wine business.
The best is yet to come!
WSET diploma level 2
by SylviaItaly | Aug 1, 2019 | Italian wines, Italy, Wine tasting
Wine cooperative in Trentino
A wine cooperative is where wineries buy in grapes from a network of grape owners and make their own labelled wine. Most of the co-ops are after volume sales. Often it seems that co-op wineries produce a lot of boring wines and that they are more after volumes than quality.
In Trentino Alto Adige cooperatives create extremely high value wines. Some wines are even nationally and internationally awarded. The wines are worth seeking out!
Cantina Mori colli Zugna
Cantina Mori colli Zugna is a wine cooperative in Mori Trentino. They are part of Cavit (Cantina Viticoltori del Trentino). Cavit incorporates 10 cooperative wineries in Trentino. They are the largest wine cooperative in the region Trentino Alto Adige.
Cantina Mori colli Zugna
In the mid fifties Cantina Mori colli Zugna was founded. It counts now 700 partners who cultivate about 650 hectares. They converts over 90% of the area’s production.
Cantina Mori colli Zugna
The vineyards of Cantina Mori colli Zugna in Trentino are between the valley of River Adige and Lake Garda, on the slopes of the Monte Baldo (Malcesine) and the Gresta Valley.
Riva del Garda Trentino
Wine tasting
Today Cantina Mori Colli Zugna organizes food and wine tours. The special wines and the Spumante under the appellation Trento DOC amused me.
Cantina Mori colli Zugna
My tasting notes
Morus Brut Millesimato TrentoDOC – this is a classic method only produced in the best years. Millesimato means that the grapes are harvested in the same year.
The Morus Brut sparkling wine is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Nero. The grape growing are on the hills of Monte Baldo. This elegant wine undergoes a long period of aging on lees, therefor the wine has an intense, persistent perlage, buttery and creamy texture. The second fermentation in the bottle has a period of aging at least 36 months.
The colour of the spumante is yellow-greenish with aromas of crusty bread and green apples. This wine is excellent as an aperitif and good pairing with national and international cuisine or delicate fish dishes.
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Wine tasting
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Wine tasting
Vicarius – Rosso Trentino DOP – this is a blended wine made of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. The grapes are selected to guarantee a high quality production of the wine.
The wine making process of this wine involves a long maceration on the skins in steel. This is to increase color, flavor and aromas to the wine. Following the maceration the aging proces takes place 6 months in wooden barrique and later 6-10 months refinement in bottle.
The color is ruby red. On the nose a delicate and elegant bouquet. On the palate dry, structured with spicy notes. This wine is good pairing certainly with meat dishes and game.
Cantina Mori colli Zugna
Conclusion
As a result the wine cooperatives in Trentino Alto Adige are worth finding out.
During the wine tour I’ve had been able to taste other local wines like Pinot Grigio, Müller Thurgau, Pinot Nero and Marzemino. This wine tour and tasting is a superb experience. For that reason I recommend a visit to this winery to everyone who loves wine!
Sylvia Italy
Torbole Trentino
by SylviaItaly | Jul 13, 2019 | Italian wines, Italy, Wine tasting
FISAR sommelier
In 2017 I started with the FISAR sommelier study with the aim of becoming a professional sommelier. My dream came true…
I have successfully passed all exams. I am an official certified sommelier now! FISAR is an official recognized diploma. They organise wine courses, tastings and exams throughout Italy.
Over the past three years Emiliano was our teacher. Every week we had guest speakers in our class to teach us about wine, and everything in between.
It was hard work because there’s a lot of information to know about wine.
Written and oral examination
The written exam contained multiple choice questions and open questions. FISAR (Federazione Italiana Sommelier Albergatori e Ristoratori) focuses on the understanding of wine and food pairing. A sommelier must know how to pair food with wine.
In the tasting and practical examination we tasted and evaluated the wine I choose: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2015 from the winery Fattoria del Cerro.
There were three examiners asking me questions on different topics. Emiliano and two colleagues assisted us before and after the exam.
Fattoria del Cerro
Celebration dinner
By the end of our oral exam we planned a nice dinner with lots of wine in restaurant La Solita Zuppa. We all were very happy and excited.
La Solita Zuppa
La Solita Zuppa
FISAR Diploma
It wasn’t easy to get here. Being a Dutch native speaker and doing speaking and writing tests in an other language isn’t the easiest way to get your Italian sommelier degree.
FISAR sommelier
FISAR sommelier
FISAR sommelier together with Luca and Emiliano
Now that I am having my FISAR diploma I hunger for more. I want to keep on studying, tasting, working and keep on organizing more wine tastings.
I live my dream and nothing is impossible. I have so many future wine projects to realize.
The best is yet to come. Cheers!
FISAR sommelier
by SylviaItaly | Jun 23, 2019 | Food, Italian wines, Italy, Tuscany, Wine tasting
Wine and Food experience
The nicest part I love of the Wine and Food Experience is meeting people and sharing my passion for wine. I love tasting wines in good company.
Wine tasting at Cantina Gattavecchi
All my guests come from everywhere: America, South Africa, Holland, Belgium, Italy… The Wine and Food Experience always starts by telling the history of Montepulciano and the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Montepulciano
Montepulciano is situated in the center of an area rich in history, art and wine. The village is only at a stone’s throw away from Pienza and 40 minutes drive from Siena.
San Biagio church Montepulciano
Did you know that the locals call themselves “Poliziani”? Which was the former Roman name of the town? And that Poliziano also the name was of a local humanist and famous writer (Angelo Ambrogini) living in Florence and born in Montepulciano?
Some identification detail of the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a precious product and was the first classified wine as DOCG. It is the “King of all Wines” by Francesco Redi 1685.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
The local economy in Montepulciano is mainly agriculture and tourism. The wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a symbol of the village Montepulciano.
Sangiovese –Prugnolo Gentile- is the grape that gives the wine an identity. A wine that achieves an unmistakable taste, after 2 years of aging in wood.
Sangiovese grapes
Food is also an important item while drinking tannin wines. Tannins provide texture and structure in a wine. The flavors that appear in the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are mostly plums and cherries.
A pairing principle of the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with food is that it interacts with rich, fatty and salty dishes, like wild boar, meat, pasta with ragù and old cheeses. They diminish the perception of tannins, making a wine like Vino Nobile more smoother.
Local pasta “i pici”
In Montepulciano, Montichiello, Pienza and Montalcino is the most renown dish “i pici”. A thick handmade pasta of local flour water and few salt.
Pasta i pici
In the Cantina of Gattavecchi the restaurant offers a wide choice of Tuscan specialties. I love the local pici, especially the Pici all’aglione. The “aglione” is a spicy garlic tomato sauce… yummy!
Aglione
Yesterday I had a lovely group of American guests who had the chance to do an amazing experience with chef Lilian. She showed us how to make home made pasta.
Chef Lilian Gattavecchi in Montepulciano
by SylviaItaly | Dec 10, 2015 | Italy, Wine tasting
Zoals velen weten heb ik jarenlang berichten geschreven op mijn blog Supertramp in Italy. Vanaf heden zal dat niet meer zo vaak gebeuren. Ik zal meer schrijven over mijn nieuwe passie voor wijnen, mijn leven in Umbrië, en over vakantie in Venetië op mijn nieuwe blog/website SylviaItaly.
Ik heb onlangs een bericht hierover geschreven op mijn Supertramp in Italy blog.
In Toscane.. Bolgheri
43.1264512.04784
by SylviaItaly | Dec 8, 2015 | Italy, Tuscany, Wine tasting
Kerstmarkt in Montepulciano is van 21 november tot 6 januari 2016. Het is een jaarlijks terugkerend kerstfestival. In het centrum, op de Piazza Grande, staan kleine houten kraampjes met kerstversieringen, eten, drinken, kleren en nog veel meer. Een heel gezellige sfeer! Er is voor ieder wat wils, want ook voor kinderen is het een leuke gewaarwording. De Kerstman verwelkomt alle kinderen in zijn kasteel met cadeautjes en lekkernijen.
Om de feestelijkheden goed te beginnen en alvast in de sfeer te komen is een bezoek aan de Kerstmarkt in Montepulciano absoluut de moeite waard!
43.09869411.787247
