SLOW WINE 2014 HITS
SAN FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, NEW YORK
WITH NEW BI-MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER
Story and photo gallery by Dwight Casimere
SLOW WINE embarks on
the third edition of its USA tour with a new twist. Not only will it premiere a
new and updated 2014 edition of its Slow Wine Guide, it will also introduce
their new bi-monthly newsletter, which will be available for a free trial
download in the month of February.
Slow Wine is the
guide to Italian wineries which are approved as good, clean and fair by Slow
Food. Slow Wine has had a major impact on the wine industry through its focus
on environmental sensitivity and ecologically sustainable viticultural
practices. The newsletter seeks to be a valuable instrument for wine lovers and
professionals searching for a new perspective on wine valuation and criticism.
The newsletter is also a gateway for the upcoming stars of the Italian wine
scene to reach a larger base of wine lovers.
Slow Wine 2014
unfolds in three U.S. cities, each with its own unique focus. In San Francisco,
the 2014 Slow Wine tour will take place Monday, January 27 at the renowned
Terra Gallery at 511 Harrison Street, on Rincon Hill in that city’s chic SOMA
district (South of Market Street) in the heart of San Francisco’s arts and
culture area. Terra Gallery is the city’s most unique, elegant and
versatile multi-level event space, located just minutes away from that city’s
top hotels, restaurants and picturesque sights and attractions. More than 50 Italian winemakers from 15
regions will be in San Francisco to personally pour their wine creations
accompanied by a delectable selection of light Italian-inspired bites in
Terra’s dynamic atmosphere.
The tour continues
in Chicago on Wednesday, January 29 at the famed Spiaggia restaurant at 980 N.
Michigan in the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Chef Tony Mantuano, one of the Champions from Season Two of
Bravo Tv’s “Top Master Chefs” and a 2005 James Beard Foundation Award winner is
Chef/Partner at Spiaggia,
Chicago’s only four-star Italian restaurant. A favorite of Presidents
and foreign dignitaries, Spiaggia has become the mecca for modern
interpretations of the regional cuisines of Italy. Spiaggia’s private dining
rooms, overlooking Chicago’s vibrant Michigan Avenue, with its elegant
boutiques and designer showrooms near the historic Water Tower, provides the
showcase for wines from 60 producers representing 15 regions of Italy.
Slow Wine 2014
concludes in New York’s lively Chelsea area, Monday Feb. 3 on the eve of New
York Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
This vibrant area is home, along with neighboring Tribeca, of the world-famous
Tribeca Film Festival, co-founded by actor Robert De Niro, and the site of some
of the most glamorous designer shows held during New York’s upcoming Fashion
Week (Feb. 6-13). Wines from over
70 selected producers from 15 Italian regions will be presented at The
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th Street. A news conference prior
to the event on February 3 will describe the 2014 US tour’s collaboration with
Vinitaly International and the introduction of their bimonthly newsletter,
which will also be available for a free trial download in the month of
February.
In a pre-tour
interview, Giancarlo Gariglio, Editor, Slow Wine Guide, discussed the new
guide, the newsletter and their impact on wine appreciation, production and
consumption.
“Our guide is still
very young and therefore, I do not pretend that Slow Wine has profoundly changed
the way America is drinking wine. I hope that a wine guide like ours can help
consumers ask the right questions and that consumers start drinking more
consciously.”
Regarding the
uniqueness of the Slow Wine Guide as compared to other, more traditional
publications, Gariglio posited that “the Slow Wine Guide is the only guide
that, besides tasting all the wines reviewed, has decided to visit all the
producers personally. We think that telling the stories of producers, who talk
about their work and about the terroir and where their wines come from is the
most important thing. Slow Wine also provides a lot of very useful information
that other guides don’t, such as the type of fertilizers, yeasts, or whether
herbicides and/or pesticides are used. Unlike other publications, we do not
give numerical scores, but nonetheless provide precise suggestions on what
consumers should buy.”
Another positive
attribute of the Slow Wine Guide, Gariglio offered, is its emphasis on the
importance of the relationship between quality and the price of the wines. “The
consumer should not expect to spend too much money to drink good, clean and fair wine. Italy has the fortune to be able to offer lots of great
value wines, even among those made with sustainable agriculture.”
He noted that Slow
Wine has already had a profound impact on the industry, even if some of the
larger producers are only paying homage to it with lip service. “It is true
that sustainability is also turning into a fad and a marketing tool. I believe
that consumers need to pay close attention to this. Slow Wine visits all the
wineries personally and then discovers when sustainability is practiced for solely marketing purposes and when it instead originates from ethical values.
When you go and see the vineyards, producers can no longer tell you lies as
they can when you just ask for samples. I believe, however, that environmental sustainability is an important and fundamental value that more and more will
define the quality of a wine.”
As they say in the
industry, the proof is in the bottle. Visit the Slow Wine 2014 USA tour when it
comes to a city near you. As they say in Italy, “la verita’ del vino e’ nel
bicchiere.” The truth of the
wine is in the glass.
For ticket information, visit one of the following links:
For ticket information, visit one of the following links:
Photos by Dwight Casimere
#1-3 Dwight The Wine Doctor with participants at the Slow Wine Guide 2013 preview at The Metropolitan Pavilion, New York City
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