TDG Wine Camp: VinInsanity

[Craig Camp]

Welcome to Vinitaly: the world's largest wine tasting. For five days in early April Verona is descended upon by representatives of every facet of the Italian wine business from every corner of the world. Verona is overwhelmed by the onslaught. This is not the time of the year to visit Juliet's Tomb.

Click here to visit Vinitaly in this installment of Wine Camp in The Daily Gullet.

Be sure to check The Daily Gullet home page daily for new articles (most every weekday), hot topics, site announcements, and more.

[docsconz]

I don't know, Craig. It may be the place to be to get a sense of the full scope of Italian wine, but it sounds like if one is not "connected", one might be better off focusing on more approachable ways to get a handle on these wines - like reading Raccolta or Wine Camp.

In other words, it doesn't sound like my cup of tea. Ironically, I have thought about attending in the past, but your article convinced me not to. I think I would rather attend a Slow Food salon de Gusto and get a sense of the wines from that.

[Craig Camp]

I agree with you John. If you are not in the trade and committed to grinding out each day Vinitaly is not what I would recommend to anyone. However, for members of the trade it offers a one-of-a-kind chance to network and see more key people than you possibly can see in any other way.

[docsconz]

There is value in that. Is there any role for serious collectors there?

[Craig Camp]

There is value in that. Is there any role for serious collectors there?

The advantage is that many producers schedule their new releases to coincide with Vinitaly - so ,for instance, you could have tasted many 2001 Barbaresci, 2000 Baroli, 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva and so on...

It is a good way to learn the character of a new vintage by working your way through one area at a time in-depth.

[albiston]

Craig,

Great witty article. I really enjoyed reading it.

I was wondering if you have information about MiWine. I've been reading about it on the Italian press but haven't really been able to understand what it is, apart that it was created as an answer to the Vinitaly chaos.

Do you know if Slowfood still organises food-wine tasting at Vinitaly or if that's now only limited to "Salone del gusto"? They did, if I remember correctly, in the first editions of the convention.

[Craig Camp]

Craig,

Great witty article. I really enjoyed reading it.

I was wondering if you have information about MiWine. I've been reading about it on the Italian press but haven't really been able to understand what it is, apart that it was created as an answer to the Vinitaly chaos.

Do you know if Slowfood still organises food-wine tasting at Vinitaly or if that's now only limited to "Salone del gusto"? They did, if I remember correctly, in the first editions of the convention.

The organizers of MiWine are indeed hoping to offer an alternative to Vinitaly. Whether they succeed or not we will know soon. For more info here is their website. I hope it does because its takes me less than an hour to get there by train and I can sleep at home at night! Certainly Milano is a more appropriate place to host such an event with far more hotels, restaurants and a public transportation system that takes you right to the fiera.

Slowfood still does their food and wine thing at Vinitaly, but getting a table is another story. They have a gigantic stand there, which is mostly a bookstore. There are also quite a few tents set up outside where various regions host food and wine tasting lunches - good luck getting a table at any of them.

...and thanks for the kind words.

[sanguinella]

You captured it exactly! The noise, the sweat, the sprawl. I also liked the little political riffs. Some friends of mine actually leave the city during the "Bacchus amuck" time as they call it.

Thanks for making me laugh while nostalgia took over...