The Moral of the Story

Everything went well in Montecatini on Saturday, October 11. A lot of old friends got together and the presentation of the guide, which everyone seemed to like, and the awards ceremony lasted a little more than an hour and a half. The speeches were brief and to the point, everyone was enthralled by Professor Luigi Moio and little by little curiosity the over the ‘Doctor’ getting back into the guide game became more of a welcome back. As you know, four years ago I walked away from working on a wine guide and much has happened since then, both good things and not such good things. For sure I never imagined I’d be working on another guide, this time one with only my own name on it, something which is more of a responsibility than something to boast about.

But I did it thanks, above all, to a new, formidable team of collaborators. At Gambero Rosso I left a lot of friends and even some protégés. And when the smiling face of Stefano Bonilli appeared on the big scene I must confess a lot of memories flashed through my mind together with a lot of sadness. For sure he would have been there, we talked about it, but then things went differently, as you all know.

That said and done, what really impressed me was that so many producers came who did not receive any awards. ‘’How could I not be with you at a time like this,’’ Gianfranco Gallo told me. Since we’ve known each other since 1981, when he was still in his 20s, I should have expected this. Sergio Soavi, today the commercial director for Colpetrone but who for years was a buyer for Coop and with whom I have taken part in who knows how many conferences, told me: ‘’I don’t know if the guide will do well but I really think we needed something like this’’. Coming from someone like him, who has been working in the sector for decades, this was quite a compliment. On the stage I brought up Angela Velenosi who almost burst into tears, I don’t know if for joy over winning her prize or the emotion of seeing be back up in the forefront. Perhaps both.

In short, everything went well and I would like to thank everyone: my collaborators, those who took part in the event and those who helped organize it. We will repeat the guide presentation with a tasting and a short press conference on Wednesday, October 22, in Rome, at Palazzo Brancaccio between 3 and 8.30pm. The tasting is open to the public, all you need is a calling card. There will also be around 150 wines to taste for free. We will present the guide and that is the moral of the story.