Italy · The story behind the grapes

Where Wine Is Part of Life.

Some of the best wine experiences aren't the ones you plan. They're the ones you discover when you finally slow down.

I spent much of my early adult life living in Germany, from the age of 18 until I was 27, and traveled extensively throughout Europe. Italy has always felt familiar to me, almost like coming home.

Unlike France, where I often seek out vineyards and wineries, Italy has always been about the food, the people, and the experience. The wine is simply part of it.

One of my favorite memories is from a trip to Rome about 15 years ago with my wife and two friends. We'd been walking around the city, tired, hungry, and frankly a little cranky. We'd had enough of coffee and pastries for breakfast and wanted a real meal.

We stumbled across an unassuming place that looked more like a deli or butcher shop than a restaurant. They were making sandwiches, and I remember thinking, Great. More bread.

When we asked for a table, the first question was, “Do you have reservations?” Of course we didn't. They told us the only place they could seat us was in the cellar. I remember thinking they probably wanted to hide the Americans. But we were hungry, so we said yes.

As it turned out, the cellar was their wine cellar.

Once the staff realized we weren't there to eat and run, everything changed. We slowed down. We relaxed. We enjoyed wonderful cheeses, wine surrounded by the bottles themselves, and a carbonara made with pork cheek that I still remember.

Three hours later, we finally left. That unexpected lunch at Rimessa Roscioli became one of my favorite memories of Italy.

We hadn't planned a wine tasting. We'd simply found a place where food, wine, and conversation belonged together.

That's what Italy has always meant to me. When I work with Italian-grown grapes, I think not only about the wine in the glass, but about the table, the meal, and the people sharing it.

Because sometimes the best glass of wine isn't the one you went looking for. It's the one you remember because of everything that happened around it.

Sip More. Savor More.