I just returned from Vin Italy and I don’t even know where to start. I spent four days with my daughter and closest friend tasting Italian wine. Vin Italy is located in Verona, which is in the heart of the Veneto region. Valpolicella and Amarone are the wine of choice in a region steeped in history. Verona is a beautiful city with the second largest arena behind the Coliseum. Notorious for the famous Romeo and Juliette, Verona boasts a culture teaming with excitement. The fair transcends this quaint little city into a bustling metropolis. Taxi’s are difficult to find certain times of day or night, although getting a great pizza at one in the morning is never a problem.

I spent most of day one visiting friends and confirming invitations to dinner events. Walking around Vin Italy is overwhelming, your first thought is that you’ve never seen so much wine in one place. The enormity of the whole fair is hard to describe. This year I took a number of pictures, they really don’t even come close to depicting the sheer volume of producers and wine at the show.

Each year I attend, the circle of producers and friends I visit grows larger and larger. Italians are fun to taste with, their passion is so prominent. Listening to a producer tell the story of their family’s history and all the tradition adhered to in their wine making process is like a sweet melody for me. I never tire of it. What I am most impressed with is the passion that everyone that works at the wineries has. I was attending a dinner at Masi, I was seated with the export manager along with a woman that works in the winery supporting exporting in the United States and several other countries. I remember at some point in the evening commenting to Elena, that Masi does a remarkable job training their staff. Everyone on staff is totally sold on Masi and their vision. Talking wine is easy when you’re speaking with someone who loves what they do, the dinner I was attending was supposed to end around ten thirty, at just before midnight, there was an announcement that the buses were leaving and if you wanted a ride, you needed to get outside.

I’ve only been back for less than a week and I’m already thinking about next year and all the producers I want to taste. I found a producer willing to sell direct to Varano’s this year and we’re working on importing our own wine with our name on the label. Most of the wine at Vin Italy never even makes it into the United States. There are so many producers, all producing wines with over seventeen hundred different grape varieties. So many choices, so little time to taste. I wish there was some sort of drink or spray you could take to cleanse your palate. This way you could taste so all the unique wines you skip over as you roam around Vin Italy in search of your next appointment.

I have a number of new selections for this year’s wine list and am excited to unveil our new wine cellar. I think the pursuit of happiness is all about food and wine. Life is too short to drink cheap wine. Treat yourself, you deserve it.

Dick Varano