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
