I admit without much pleasure that Portofino is a must destination for anyone visiting Cinque Terre. My only pet peeve is that it has become so touristy and bling that I feel it has lost its charm...
In any case, staying in Santa Margherita Ligure, 4 KM away, was great. Less touristy, w/ plenty of great restaurants within walking distance, and a very beautiful, 1-hour, walk away from Portofino.
It is always very exciting to meet someone who is trying to do things differently and spares no efforts into finding a way to make them work. More especially in a country like Italy, where everybody keeps saying that the economy is a total disaster and that nothing is happening.
Alessandro Fedalto is such a person. His project, Charling, is a sparkling wine made in the Charmat method from organic Chardonnay and Riesling grapes grown in the region of Treviso of Northern Italy.
Somehow, I had the impression from Tom Stevenson & Essi Avellan that they were less than impressed w/ Franciacorta in their last Christie's Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wines (http://bit.ly/frcacrta).
How glad I was when I read Stevenson's article in the last edition of "The World Of Fine Wine" when he said that his tasting of 150 of the region's top producers "was one of the most impressive tastings across the board I have experienced in any sparkling wine region outside Champagne"...
Due bottiglie hanno attirato la mia attenzione nella degustazione dei vini Friulani a Civate.
Uno spumante rosato demisec dal nome di fantasia "Ose'" prodotto dalle "Tenute Tomasella" ed ottenuto dai vitigni Verduzzo (appassito in pianta) e Refosco.
Read MoreFascinating tasting of eclectic & unusual wines from small, dynamic, & promising small producers this morning @ #mwsymposium2014 - among my favourites: Arianna Occhipinti Il Frapato '12 (Sicily), I Vigneri di Salvo Foti Vigna Di Milo Etna Bianco Superiore '12 (Sicily), Poderi Morini Savignone '12 (Emilia-Romagna), Gianfranco Fino Jo '12 (Puglia)
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