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Sorsi DiVino 2009
Loris Scagliarini – February 28, 2009
Photos by Alessandro DeSogos

On February 23, 2009, the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco, California, hosted the first Sorsi DiVino (play on words mreaning either Sips of Wine or Divine Sips) 2009, the Italian wine tasting organized by WineCountry.IT, L.L.C. to promote sales in the current stagnant market, which appears to be the case at the beginning of the year, following the depressing performance of the third and fourth quarters of 2008.

Guests waiting to be checked in at the Consulate General of Italy
in San Francisco, CA, on the occasion of Sorsi DiVino 2009

Despite being a grayish, rainy day, and the the fact that road works forbid parking at all along the 2100 block of Broadway, where the Consulate General of Italy is located, around 200 guests, including professional buyers, journalists, bloggers, knowledgeable consumers and wine collectors participated in the invitation only event.

Guests waiting to be checked in at the Consulate General of Italy
in San Francisco, CA, on the occasion of Sorsi DiVino 2009

When the show opened at 3pm, a waiting line of guests snaked out of the atrium of the Italian Consulate, down the few steps and out onto the street, braving a light drizzle which could easily have discouraged less motivated guests.

Sorsi DiVino 2009 proposed the Italian Flavor Consortium wine portfolio, which includes products from Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Campania, Apulia, and Sardinia.

In addition, as in all the events organized by, or in which WineCountry.IT, L.L.C. has participated since mid 2007, all red wines have been poured using the Centellino Areadivino top-of-the-bottle aerator, which oxygenates the wine naturally and in real time.

On this occasion, WineCountry.IT, L.L.C. counted on the support of La Ciccia Restaurant (291, 30th Street at Church Street, San Francisco, California 94131), Ottimista Enoteca Café (1838 Union Street, San Francisco, California 94123) , and AlMare Gelato (2170 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, California 94704), which sponsored the event providing and serving the much appreciated food that paired and supported the wines poured.

Chef Massimiliano Conti and his business partner and wife, Lorella Degan of La Ciccia Restaurant

Owner-chef Massimiliano Conti and his business partner and wife, Lorella Degan of La Ciccia, the only Sardinian restaurant in San Francisco which has become my favorite regional restaurant in the city since it opened a few years ago, served insalata di fregula with prosciutto, quinche sauce, carrots, celery, onion and thyme; suckling pig terrine; three types of crostini with mushrooms seasoed with truffle oil, goat ricotta cheese, and mousse of sardinian olives; pecorino cheese aged 12 months, and pane carasau sprinkled with organic extra virgine olive oil produced by Azienda Agricola Masseriola from Apulia.

Juli Gregg and Melissa Gisler Modanlou, of Ottimista Enoteca Café

Melissa Gisler Modanlou, co-owner of Ottimista Enoteca Café, assisted by Juli Gregg, served truffled cannelini crostini, and roasted baby beets salad with swiss chard, leeks, hazelnuts and pancetta.

Alberto Malvestio, owner of AlMare Gelato, Berkeley, California

Alberto Malvestio, owner of Berkeley's AlMare Gelato, was assisted by business partner and wife, Rebecca, in serving his own excellent vanilla gelato with Masseriola's organic extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt, and strawberry gelato with Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena provided by WineCountry.IT.

The white wine table

To offer a better tasting experience to our guests, the wine layout followed the formula already used at the latest Italian Flavor Forums. We separated the wines into four main groups, sparkling, white, red, and dessert wines, then setting them in order by region and by variety, closing with 18 Sangiovese-based wines, including 100% varietals as well as Super Tuscan blends.

Centellino Areadivinio products

We presented 56 limited production Italian quality boutique wines, extra virgin olive oil, traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena, and mineral water from nine regions, as listed below:

• Tuscany: 24 wines
• Piedmont: 8 wines,
• Friuli Venezia Giulia: 5 wines,
• Sardinia: 5 wines,
• Campania: 4 wines,
• Apulia: 3 wines and 1 organic extra virgin olive oil,
• Veneto: 3 wines,
• Emilia Romagna: 2 wines and traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena,
• Lombardy: 2 wines.

Nineteen of the 56 wines poured have won prizes and recognition at various US competitions where they were presented in 2008. Below please find the list of prizes and honorable mentions.

WineCountry.IT, L.L.C.'s director of sales, Massimo Margelli (center)
interacts with professional buyers participating in the event

WineCountry.IT, L.L.C.'s Jenny Snodgrass

Dana Barsocchini, friend of WineCountry.IT

Louise Gould, friend of WineCountry.IT

WineCountry.IT L.L.C. director of sales, Massimo Margelli

The Buyers' Feedback

WineCountry.IT L.L.C.'s Michelle Keene

The Best of the Show

• Best Overall Product:
  Smeraldina Mineral Water from Sardinia, bottled by Smeraldina S.p.A. (96.33 points).
• Best Sparkling Wine:
  Ruio – Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOC Spumante Brut, produced by Azienda Agricola Malibrán, from Veneto (90.57 points).
• Best Dry White Wine:
  Monferrato Bianco Solaluce 2005, produced by Azienda Agricola Colledoro, from Piedmont (90 points).
• Best Dry Red Wine:
  Maremma Toscana IGT Super Tuscan 2002, produced by Azienda Agricola La Carletta, from Tuscany (95.16 points).
• Best Dessert Wine:
  Moscato di Sorso Sennori DOC 2005 Tres Montes, produced by Romangia Società Cooperativa, from Veneto (94.18 points).
  

Ron Hagen, friend of WineCountry.IT

Myriam Johnson, friend of WineCountry.IT

Shirley Johnson, friend of WineCountry.IT

WineCountry.IT President, Loris Scagliarini, chats with one of the guests.

The Drawing

Among all the feedback forms returned by the participating guests, we drew one form and awarded that lucky guest, John Laughran, one bottle of Il Doge Umbria IGT from my own personal collection.

WineCountry.IT director of sales, Massimo Margelli, explains the
organoleptic characteristics of Sardinian mineral water Smeraldina (Little Enerald)
to Dario Hadjianfard and Kate Horan, of Pellegrino Restaurant.

More images from Sorsi DiVino 2009

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