My daughter is going through another sleep regression. This is a period when, after sleeping well for weeks or months, her sleep pattern takes a turn for the worst: she has trouble falling asleep or she plain refuses to fall asleep, she wakes up three, four or five times at night and then just wants to be held, her daytime naps are unpredictable, and she’s usually up at dawn or maybe a bit before. Crying, cranky and annoyed, we are both very much sleep deprived.
Having a baby has certainly changed my life. As someone who works from home, it has been challenging to get anything done these last months. It’s not just the lack of sleep or endless list of things to do, it is a troubling feeling that nags at me and chips away at my confidence. It’s these thoughts that if I don’t publish a paper, attend a wine tasting, go to a fair or show-up (in person, virtually or by endlessly posting on social media) that I’m falling behind. And that I’ll never be able to catch up.
So when I knew I’d be in Italy in April, the same time as Vinitaly, Italy’s largest wine fair, I decided to sacrifice more sleep and make the 300km drive from Turin to Verona to attend.
One event that was on my radar was the Iconic Women in Italian Wine presentation, a session dedicated to seven female-led wineries. The editors of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, Monica Larner and Alison Napjus respectively, were to lead the presentation and the Q&A was to be moderated by the head of Vinitaly International, Stevie Kim. Seven signature wines would accompany the discussion and reveal “the soulfulness of Italian wine”.
This was a rare event, indeed. The description in the Vinitaly agenda said it was to be “a meeting of the minds… an unforgettable expression of the strength of hope and aspiration for the future that women bring to the table.” And I wanted to love it. I wanted to feel inspired, I wanted to feel strength and hope, and sign me up for some of that aspiration for the future, but unfortunately, I felt… disappointed.
Without a doubt, there was so much talent and power seated at that table: all seven Italian producers are at the top of their game; Monica Larner and Alison Napjus lead the top wine magazines in the United States and are, as Stevie Kim put it, “wine critic titans”. And of course, Stevie Kim is herself a force of nature who is constantly innovating. Beyond the success factor, though, that particular table was international, multigenerational, multiethnic and multicultural, and probably multiclass. It was about wine, yes, but it was also the future that women bring to the table.
However, in the end, what we heard was the usual: about different regions and grape varieties, about climate change and sustainability, about storytelling, marketing and promotion, and about particular issues each producer had related to their wine. All of these topics are interesting and important. But what we didn’t hear were the stories of what they experienced as women to get to that table. And this is where my disappointment lies.
There’s that adage “the road to success is often a lonely one”, and I feel we, as a society, are constantly looking at the final result with little awareness or interest to know what the keys to “success” are. For women in winemaking, in agriculture, in writing, in business or women in general, the road to success is often full of blocks and barricades, and high tolls to pay, which leave women at a disadvantage.
In a normal world, a pre-pandemic one that is, structural barriers made it very difficult for women to officially get their foot in the door in the wine industry. In Italian wine specifically, it was only when laws changed in the mid 70s and women were allowed to own property that there were more opportunities. There are still layers upon layers of challenges that hold women back. Many women-led wineries inherited family businesses, which, while difficult and posed its own set of problems, eventually allowed them entry and paved the way for a leadership position. For the women who had to build from nothing or very little, what kept them motivated? How did they push themselves? Where did they find the support? What did they “sacrifice” (sleep, family, relationships or otherwise)? What would they tell their younger self about the road to success?
If this event was to highlight women as icons and bring hope to women who are coming next, then I expected much more. In the post-pandemic world, with all the uncertainty and challenges it has brought, particularly for women, I would have hoped for something deeper. Certainly I want to applaud all they have done and celebrate the immense talent, but when the focus is solely on success, there is so much missing from the conversation, and so much that falls through the cracks. It leaves the same structural barriers, the prejudices, the inequality and the limited opportunities in place. As I looked across the room and noticed that the sommeliers pouring the wines at the event were all men – all men – my heart sank a little and I was even more disillusioned. There was not one female sommelier working this event. And even though it was the AIS (Italian Sommelier Association) that were staffing the event, not Vinitaly International, it is obvious that unless we begin to discuss how women are held back, then very little will change, and very slowly.
“Don’t worry,” the organizer said when I asked why there weren’t any female sommeliers at this event. “There are plenty of female sommeliers, rest assured”. I don’t doubt that, but the situation speaks volumes of women’s long and lonely road to a seat at the table.
THE WINES
As for the wines, it was a stellar line-up. We tasted wines from north to south of Italy, and Sicily. There was everything from the beautiful, bold classics to the lighter, ethereal wines. The wines were tasted blind in two separate flights.
Marilisa Allegrini presented Fieramonte 2012 Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva
There was so much going on with this wine: coffee, dark fruit, mocha and chocolate, sweet spices, vanilla, leather notes, and earth. Rich, intense and full-bodied, lots of power but there was elegance to it. Fantastic length on the finish.
Albiera Antinori presented Tignanello 2018, Toscana IGT
The Tig, 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cab Sauvignon and Cab Franc. Red and black berries, plum, cedar, vanilla, some oak character. Fine tannins, smooth mouthfeel and really nice intensity of fruit on the palate. A classic.
Chiara Boschis presented her Barolo DOCG Cannubi 2010
I’m a big fan of Chiara Boschis and her wines. The Cannubi, a grand cru site, is absolutely stunning and the time in bottle certainly showed the “magic”, as Chiara said, and beauty of Barolo wines. Licorice, tar, balsamic, violet and rose, and some leathery notes. The palate was beautifully balanced, silky, complex and a long, wonderful finish. (I also recently tried the Cannubi 2018 and I just love love love these wines).
Elisabetta Foradori presented Nosiola Fontanasanta 2015, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT
Fermented on skin and aged for 8 months in amphora, a stunning wine that was nutty, floral with ripe apple, and pear. There was a slight creaminess to it and lovely weight on the palate.
Elena Fucci presented her Titolo 2012, Aglianico del Vulture DOC
Powerful, bold, muscular, all the adjectives you think of when you think of southern Italy. Still, there was plenty of freshness to this wine as the vineyards are located at 1300m above sea level. Lots of dark, ripe fruit that played nicely with smokey notes and then cedar, leather and tobacco. Great tannic structure, concentration and intensity on the palate. We tasted the magnum 2012.
Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta presented San Guido Sassicaia 2013 Sassicaia Bolgheri DOC
Magnum format for this 2013 Super Tuscan, it displayed a beautiful elegant nose of red fruit, herbal touches, thyme, lavender, violet, cedar, spice and balsamic notes. Very rarely do I have a chance to taste wines of this calibre because quite frankly, I can’t afford them, but it’s such a treat to taste. Beautiful wine.
Arianna Occhipinti presented Frappato Vini di Contrada BB 2019, Terre Siciliane IGT
Plenty to love about this wine: red fruits, cherry, floral, peppery spice. Real juicy on the palate with soft tannins and wonderful freshness and acidity. Made from Frappato and Nero d’Avola from limestone soils.
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You can watch the full presentation online here.
Bottled Bliss 