Charles is a famous Wine and Beer writer and Michele a Food writer and Editor from New York; he has written articles on wine that have appeared in american magazines as Sante, Beverage Media, Wine Enthusiast and Gourmet.  In addition he writes on wine for i-Italy and his own blog.   He has appeared on radio and television programs, among them: Emeril Live, Ciao Italia, and Cooking Live.

Stefano Busti gave us the opportunity, during the tasting to accompany his cheeses  with our craft  beers  J63 and, consequently, to make us known not only as a craft brewery but also as a winery.

J63 craft beer is made with  barley grown in the fields of our Estate and the production takes place inside of the J63 Craft Agricultural Brewery, a country house inside of  Torre a Cenaia. The beer is not pasteurized or filtered because is craft.

Based on the cheeses proposed by Stefano, we have chosen which beers to bring among all those we produce, so we decided to let our American guests taste: the JPils, a low  fermented beer style Pilsner made from water, barley, malt, hops;  the JLips,  made from water, barley malt, wheat flakes, hop yeast  and Vermentino grape must 5%  Style Italian Grape Ale;

the  JRubra made from water, barley, hop,  Style Doppeblock and the JBlack made from water, barley, malt, coco beans, hop, Style  Belgian Dubbel.

We were very happy to spend a nice lunch time with our local producer friends and with these fantastic guests from the United States that I hope to see again soon.

A few days ago I received a gift that made me so much pleasure, I received an email from Mr.Scicolone  telling me to click a link to go read the article he wrote about us on his personal blog:  this made me really proud and grateful…thank you Charles, you and Michele will be welcome to Torre a Cenaia when you return to Tuscany

Our well-being stems from here, from this awareness, perhaps once superfluous, today essential to writing together a sustainable future, more on a human scale.

That’s why we decided to produce organic wine. Natural result not only of the work of previous years in the vineyard, but of the philosophy that guides the entire company, this important goal is the seal that finally consecrates the extraordinary quality of the fruits of this generous territory. From the faunistic-hunting reserve, to agriculture, to catering, Torre a Cenaia pursues the enhancement of the ancient winemaking tradition of these “Terre di Pisa” increasingly excellent.

The precious collaboration of the oenologist Graziana Grassini, pride of Italian wine, has allowed us to achieve results that, many years ago, many would have sworn impossible: the Pisan plain not only expressed its great potential “in the glass”, intuited with foresight from Terzi Coppini families more than a luster ago, when they bought this great estate, but now shows not to fear the bets of the future, allowing an excellent management of the vineyards with the organic method.

But let’s try to understand better what this – for us – small-great revolution represents.

What does organic farming mean?

It is a natural method of cultivation that, thanks to a scrupulous planning of the vineyard, can do without chemistry, in full respect of the vine and the territory.

Thus chemical fertilizers and systemic pesticides are avoided, ie those products whose active ingredients are absorbed by roots and leaves, and put in circulation to be distributed in all the components of the plant, including the fruits. The chemical treatments represent a “shortcut” that can stimulate the quantitative production of the plant faster to the detriment of quality and, just as quickly, deplete the soil by breaking the relationship between this, the plant and the climate, or compromising the natural ecosystem of the vineyard.

A healthy and balanced ecosystem, guaranteed by the biological management of the land and the vineyard, is the necessary prerequisite for the development of a strong plant, capable of producing healthy and rich  grapes with the typical scents of the terroir, ie the truly unique features, and characterizing, of a territory.

What does organic wine mean?

Organic wine is the result of this method of working in the vineyard and in the cellar, or rather it is a wine whose production follows very precise rules, established by EC Regulation 203/2012. As we said, all pesticides and synthetic chemical fertilizers are banned.

How can we then proceed with fertilization and the defense of fungal and parasitic plants?

With organic fertilizers and through preventive reinforcement of the immune defenses of plants, for example through targeted and balanced fertilizations, and using natural pesticides such as copper, sulfur and active ingredients obtained from other plants, or using biological control, such as use of ladybugs and other insect antagonists of the most common parasites.

In the cellar, we proceed in the same way, ie excluding synthetic chemicals in the vinification process. The list of oenological products and authorized processes can be consulted in Annex VIII bis of EC Regulation 203/2012: in particular, a maximum limit has been established in the use of sulphites, ie total sulfur dioxide, at 100 mg / L for dry red wines and 150 mg / L for dry white wines.

All this is ratified and recognized by the certification of conformity by a certification body recognized by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies

Sulphites in organic wines

A clarification is a must on this aspect. The threshold now recognized as the maximum limit of total sulfur dioxide for organic wine by the European Union, in fact, is the result of a long and complex debate among the various member countries; outside Europe, the thresholds change, so maximum attention is recommended and reference should be made to the regulations of the individual countries.

We often tend to think that organic wine is not “natural” as much as biodynamic or, indeed, “natural wines” as it contemplates a small threshold of added sulphites, mistakenly believing that these other “greener” types of wine do not they contain at all.

It is a mistake to believe it, because wine naturally contains sulphites, which develop during the natural fermentation processes: it is thanks to these substances that, since ancient times, it was possible to make wine. Endogenous sulphites, are therefore also present in wines that have not been added sulfur dioxide, which has always been used in enology for its important antioxidant, preservatives and antiseptic actions, indispensable for the health and quality of wine.

For those who drink, what is the difference between traditional wine and organic wine?

As can easily be deduced from what we have just seen, the main difference is that organic wines do not contain synthetic chemicals and, precisely for this reason, compared to traditional wines have an indisputable added value: they protect the health of the environment and respect that of the consumer.

In addition to traditional wines, they bring important substances useful for the proper functioning of our organism: one above all, the resveratol (a polyphenol compound found in certain plants and in red wine that has antioxidant properties and has been investigated for possible anticarcinogenic effects; It is a molecule – a phytoalexin – produced independently by the vine to protect the grapes from the attacks of bacteria and fungi. This compound has important anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning properties, which are able to prevent the onset of thrombosis). In addition to this molecule, organic wine also preserves other natural phytoalexins, which contribute to the removal of atherosclerotic deposits, providing a little further benefit to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Naturally, Pitti

And so, from the 2017 harvest, we can finally offer you our organic wines.Let’s start with the organic wine which, for obvious chemical-physical reasons, is the first to conclude its natural vinification process: the Pitti Rosato 2017. Following, in a few weeks, we will be able to offer you our whole range of Pitti organic wines and, when the vintage 2017 concludes its aging process, also the Cenaja Vermentino Late harvest and our most famous reds, the Torre del Vajo and the Per Non Dormire.

J  for Julia

Noble Carthaginian girl at the threshold of the Christian era, she was captured and enslaved. Acquired by a Syrian merchant, she  traveled for a long time to the seas all over the world, until one day her ship wrecked on the coasts of Corsica, where the beautiful bay of Santa Giulia rises. There, she was accused of her  religious faith and suffered martyrdom. In 763 d.C. her  relics were overthrown and landed in Livorno, a city of which Julia became Patron Saint. Directed in Brescia, the relics stayed one night in the church of Torre a  Cenaia, where today stands the Brewery J63.

63 is a magic number.

In 763 d.C. Julia’s remains arrive at Torre a Cenaia.

In 1463, Luca Pitti, ancestor of Count Robert Pitti, born and raised in our estate, becomes Captain of the People and takes over the Red Cross of the Florentine People which  still  today enriches the family coat of arms he has donated to us and our wines; 63 is the civic number of the Brewery.

This is our special story. A story told by an ancient inscription in the Tenuta Torre a Cenaia, which we want to tell you again, in a new way.

JIPA

Carthage, 440 d.C.

Julia is just twenty years old.

The daughter of an aristocrat of the city, she enjoys  the comforts of her  palace by the sea.

From the colonnade, she  faces the garden inebriated by the perfume of a thousand flowers and exotic fruits …

JPILS

Carthage is under siege.

Julia is caught and sold as a slave.

Even frightened and afflicted, she does not lose heart: she is a tenacious and courageous woman, and she knows there are no chains that can stop her …

JBLANCHE

A rich Syrian merchant, named Eusebius, notes the fascinating slave at Carthage market and decides to buy  and   take her on his  ship.

Together they sail the seas all over the world …

JBLONDE

The ship lands on the Tyrrhenian coast. In the shadow of an ancient tower, Julia and Eusebius exchange a promise of love.

It’s time to sail again, but Julia leaves her heart on this land, where she dreams of returning …

JRUBRA

The ship of Julia and Eusebio wrecks  on the coasts of Corsica. On the beach, alone  in front of the ship wreck, Julia questions about the future.

Of her love no trace, in the air the spicy aroma of sea pines …

On this valley sheltered by the Pisan mountains and the hills of Livorno, a green corridor between the sea and the plain of Florence,  the wind works incessantly  and our vineyards know this very well…they receive the best benefits.  When it blows from the west, most of the time, the air is buzzy and salty, the  lungs seem to swell and the vine leaves glow in sharper reflexes: it is the time when the sea is spreading inland. If you feel the smell of salt and sun in the air, even in winter  you can bring to your mind  the summer.

The terroir in Torre a Cenaia, suited to viticulture since the time when the estate was owned by the noble Florentine family of Pitti, is perfect for the grape Vermentino because of its unique geographical position: the sea breezes, there channeled by the natural barrier of the Pisan Mountains,  destroy the typical humidity of the inland and create  an ideal microclimate, mild and with a good thermal excursion, corroborating the effect of a soil tending to silty, rich in skeleton and minerals.

The Vermentino is in fact a “coastal” vine that comes from the sea and through it reached the areas where today is at its best. Originally probably Aegean, like the mythical Pelasgians, it reached our shores in ancient times, perhaps led by the first Greek settlers. Contrary to popular belief, Sardinia was not the first Italian region that hosted it at first but it was Liguria, a region with very steep coasts, rare pieces of land clinging to the rock overlooking the sea which  were the ideal place for the first engraftment on Italian soil, supported  also by the work of tireless people at the same time of sea and land as only the Ligurian can be. From there, by sea, Vermentino reached Sardinia and Tuscany and, centuries later, also came from the coast in our valleys.

Its big bunches with cylindrical-pyramidal shape are now part of the DNA of our estate  and paint with gold the vines during the ripening period, when the big round berries, thick-skinned, stand out against the deep green of vine leaves.

And it is just in the days when the salty breeze comes from the Tyrrhenian sea  from west that it is felt the only important truth of this land, the inner meaning of the work of all generations that here have alternated over the centuries. It ‘s the beauty contained in the smells and flavors concentrated in a special wine, we are  lucky to be here and be able to enjoy everything: the wine is the poetry of the earth, and that’s what we try to convey to you, striving to imprison all this Beauty in a “simple” bottle.

It is thanks to great work and attention to wine-making processes,  from the management of the vineyards in the 30 hectares dedicated of the estate, to the patient conduct of the cellar of Roshan Abenaim under the direction of the renowned winemaker Ms Graziana Grassini, “pink pride” of Italian wine and curator of major labels such as Sassicaia; every action is conducted with meticulous zeal and the meticulous passion that naturally arises when you understand to be in front of the great things.

The practice of late harvesting, between the second and third week of September, gives the Cenaja Vermentino a good balance between acidity and aromas, and a partial aging in oak barrels gives it an important structure, floral aromas and a fresh, velvety and enveloping taste.  This is the essence of Torre a Cenaia, the soul of our land that hides in itself the secrets of the nearby sea and tells of distant lands but also nearby; this wine reminds us of the trips we have traveled over thousands of years to get here, and slyly suggests that the horizons are more open than they seem.

Here’s how the green hills of Pisa and Livorno can witness the arrival of the sea into dry land, and we can savor the emotions whenever we want. We just have to grab the right bottle, hold a corkscrew and capture the scents…as soon as the Vermentino will be free from the oppression of the cork, the sea breeze will return to open us wide breath.  The Cenaja Vermentino has obtained the IGP designation and is made of 100% Vermentino grapes.

The harvest takes place between the second and third week of September; vinification requires destemming  and cold maceration, fermentation at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks for approximately 20-30 days, and finally, aging on the lees for 3 months. It is aged for 90% in vitrified cement tanks and for the remaining 10% in oak barrels for 12 months; then it rests in the bottle for another eight months. It has a bright straw yellow color with strong greenish reflections, a very intense and persistent  bouquet with marked floral notes, fine and elegant. The taste is fresh, fruity, velvety, enveloping; it is full-bodied, smooth and balanced. The alcohol content is 13 degrees

Not to mention those winemakers or sommeliers describing a bottle and assuring that “this is a wine for the women’s taste, it is a wine that appeals to women.”

Too many clichés! Let’s go to destroy them one by one

1) Men buy more wine than women

WRONG: The women are the first wine buyers. The percentages of those who buy wine tell us that women are 83% in the United States, 80 in the UK, 70 France, 60 in Switzerland, 57 in Australia. The reason is pretty obvious: they  buy it even when they do not drink, as they often are more women to go shopping in the family. So dear sirs of marketing  you should do a more women-oriented advertising.

2) Women only drink white and sweet wines

WRONG: We discover that, as far as Europe, women drink for 57% red wine, 30% white and 13% rosé. And the percentage is growing enormously in Asia: more than 70% of Japanese, Chines and  South Korean women prefer a nice tannic red.

3) Men drink wine and women wash the glasses

WRONG (and unfunny as a joke): 51% of the world’s wine drinkers are women. Moreover, 85% of women live the moment when enjoying a cup, as an important parenthesis of relaxation and pleasure of the day.

4) Women do not know how to buy wine

WRONG: first of all, they  know how to choose a wine in relation to the ability to match it with the food, the choice also denotes the ability to choose by region or country of origin. The men, however, consider more wine as a status symbol and they are  then guided by the brand and the price. You must know that  1/5 of women is based on a good knowledge base, they are true passionate and / or collectors

5) The wine made by women  is for women

WRONG: The taste is individual and does not depend on sex. Anyway, if there was need proof, remember that during the last Female World Wine Competition, no taster of the jury, made up entirely of women, has been able to distinguish the wines made by women from those produced by men.

6) Wine is a very masculine sector

WRONG: Or rather, things are evolving: the female oenologist are 33% in France and 50% in Spain; The female sommeliers are 80% in Sweden, Russia and Japan, and 40% in Italy; the female winemakers are 28% in France and 30% in Italy. Growing numbers, which suggest a generational problem and traditional belief systems, rather than an orientation to gender preferences.

7) Women are not “adventurous” in terms of wines

WRONG: it is not true that they are habitual or rely only by expert advice of male friends: they love, instead, try and buy unknown labels. This fact is related to the clichés number 3 because women look for a break of pleasure and emotion of the glass, they are willing to experiment with innovations in search of something to get excited. In contrast men are more focused on technical elements and the brand that rely on positive reviews and the “great name.”

8) The choices of women are more frivolous

WRONG: on the contrary women are less influenced and buy a wine because they like it, trusting the taste. So much so that the wines “for women”, in theory designed to conquer the female audience, have very little success in the market. And they are preferred by only 40% of women in the US, where only 26% are willing to purchase a wine ” for gender”.

9) Women buy randomly and impulsively

WRONG: research show that 66% of women do purchases, after being informed and having studied the list of the shop / wine bar

10) Women who drink wine are very confident

WRONG: indeed, unfortunately for them, they have a lack of confidence in themselves. So much so that for a 18% of men claiming to be great connoisseurs of wine, only 12% of women thinks that of themselves. And, if 30% of the men is confident they can identify the aromas in a wine, only 17% of women it is.

Just this resinous and enveloping sweetness, typical of syrah, catch us and drag us into a dream-like and natural vortex and you can feel the allusion to the pleasant daze induced by poppy. It is the ideal companion for important banquets, it goes well with dishes of red meat and game, but even better with itself. Its structure makes it a real meditation wine. What “meditating” while sipping this wine is suggested by the same wine, inviting us to suspend the concerns and the struggles of every day, to dwell on the pleasure of the moment.

Torre a Cenaia is steeped in history; a place where there have been events and characters sometimes difficult to focus. Documented in the ancient Pisan cards already in the eleventh century, it has been witness and protagonist of a thousand years of history and still has many traces of this illustrious and rich past.

When we push the heavy door of the millennial church of Sant’Andrea in Torre a Cenaia we are struck by a strange relief that is repeated several times in both door leaves.

Many small bouquets of poppies enclosed by a ring, overcome a cartouche with the words “For not sleeping.” What  a strange thing for a church. It looks like a encrypted key, a reference to some kind of affair: what do all  those poppies want to tell us? Who has left this message?

“For not sleeping” is one of the most famous legacies that our past has given us. Who has the keen eye will have noticed it in Florence on the facade of important buildings, or on school books, among the pages of literature that tell of a famous Italian poet, daring and – also – a bit ‘weird.

This is the motto of the noble Florentine family, originally from Siena, the Bartolini Salimbeni, who owned the estate starting probably from the sixteenth century until the eighteenth century, when they gave away the land and the ancient village of Cenaja to other noble families, including counts Valery of Corsica and the Pitti.

The allusion is to their shrewdness in business and to their feat which- so it is said – let them become extraordinarily rich and one of the most influential families in the Italy of the late Renaissance.

It is said that one of its members, came to know the arrival in Florence of a precious wool consignment coming from Northern Europe and decided to take it with a fraudulent ploy. The previous evening he offered a sumptuous dinner to its competitors in the business, in which without being seen he mixed the wine with one of the most powerful sleeping pills that you could find at that time, the opium, extracted from the poppy. The next morning, when everyone was still asleep stunned by the narcotic effect of opium, the Bartolini Salimbeni bought at a favorable price the entire load and resold it on the Florentine market, getting a huge gain, and thus building solid foundations for the fortune of family. “For not sleeping” is because the wealth of the family would derive from not having slept in contrast to all other competitors in the business – in spite of themselves! The poppies would allude to the narcotic that made possible the economic rise of the family.

Torre a Cenaia holds other traces of the noble Florentine family, first of all the coat of arms with the lion rampant which is proudly displayed on the sides of the altar of Sant’Andrea  church and on the keystone at the entrance of Torre a Cenaia. The coat of arms reminds to the most famous symbol on the corner of the Florentine Palace Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni in Firenze (Piazza Santa Trinità), a splendid example of late Renaissance architecture which already shows some Mannerist elements. Futuristic construction strongly criticized by the Florentines of the time, but soon became an example to follow, offering many suggestions to architects of the following centuries.

It was built by Baccio D’Agnolo between 1520 and 1523 who had had engraved the inscription on the door Carpere Promptius Quam Imitari: “it is easier to criticize than imitate”

The Palace became a rich source of ideas for the next several decades architects, and the Bartolini Salimbeni were able to gain new strength for their own “branding”. Because the transience of pleasure and of existence itself, now even more perceivable as in any era rich of great changes, fixes us in an eternal but elusive present, to enjoy sip by sip

The “carpere” of Bartolini Salimbeni Family and the admonition to “not sleep”, remind us of the most famous carp [re] diem of Horace’s memory. The same Latin verb, the same concrete word that suggest just something to grasp and suck to the last drop

DENOMINATION Rosso Toscana IGP

GRAPES Merlot, Syrah

HARVEST TIME Merlot: first ten days of August; Syrah: second decade of September 

VINIFICATION soft destemming-crushing, fermentation at controlled temperature in cement vats for 20-25 days, malolactic fermentation in cement vats 

AGEING In French oak barrels for 12 months

BOTTLE AGEING 12  months

ALCOHOL 14% vol

ENGLAND

In England, for example, you eat the Christmas Pudding, a recipe from ancient traditions. In this sweet are hidden, by tradition, small coins. It is a sweet with a rustic plot that is usually served with rum or brandy butter. Curious are the superstitions related to this dessert. An example: the Christmas pudding contains 13 ingredients (such as Jesus and his disciples) and during preparation each family member must be present to turn the dough, strictly counterclockwise, from east to west (to honor the arrival of the three Kings). Inside the compound are inserted coins, rings and thimbles, objects that will make the fortune of those who find them.

SPAIN

In Spain, the traditional Christmas dishes include a special and delicious soup made of meat and vegetables, the escudella y carn d’olla, and roast turkey with glazed fruit. Among the desserts, indispensable nougat and polvorones, a sweet crumbly made with coconut

FRANCE

The Christmas food in France is however extremely sophisticated: many fish dishes, escargots, oysters – perfect in the cold months – and salmon. Then salads, desserts and fruit pies, great wines and Vin Brulé, the popular hot drink containing wine, sugar and spices. Those who prefer meat chooses roast chicken, goose or turkey served with chestnuts. The typical dessert of these festivities is the Buche de Noel. Very popular is also the Galette des Rois, the cake of kings: a sweet puff pastry stuffed with almond cream that hides inside a colored plaster figurine. Who find it, will have the pleasure of being King or Queen of the house for a day, with all that the role involves.

FINLAND

In Finland, which basically is the land of Santa Claus, these festivals are deeply felt, even from the gastronomic point of view. Throughout the period prior to December 25, in the Finnish homes people do massive production of sweets of all kinds. The most famous are pastries with Christmas star shape garnish with jam and cookies of various shapes called piparkakku. The dinner is served in the late afternoon (starting at 17, usually) and includes, by tradition: cooked ham, cod, liver pate. During the evening meal Christmas the typical drink is Glögg, a kind of Vin Brulé prepared with almonds, raisins and cinnamon. The beer is homemade for the occasion.

ITALY

According to tradition, the Christmas Eve dinner should not contain meat. A popular dish, especially in the South, is the eel, while in some areas there is a widespread tradition of the “seven fish dishes“, tradition also transferred to the United States by Italian immigrants.

Typical Italian Christmas cake is Panettone, a cake with raisins and candied fruit native of Milan, but spread throughout the whole Italian territory. Another typical Italian Christmas cake is Pandoro, an original dessert of Verona, created in 1884 by Domenico Melegatti. The name of this cake derives from “pan de oro” (gold bread), in memory of a cake with conical shape, which at the time of the Serenissima Republic (Venezia) was covered with pure gold leaf

CROATIA

Christmas is an important holiday also in Croatia. Here the dinner is really rich: typical dishes include pancakes with brandy and lemon, salad of grains (cereal and legumes), turkey meat and chicken served with cabbage rolls

SWEDEN

In Sweden it is prepared a rich and magnificent banquet, consisting of dishes based on fish, cooked ham, rice pudding and ham meatballs. Here, too, the traditional drink is the Glögg, while the Christmas cake par excellence are the gingerbread cookies with cinnamon.

UNITED STATES

In America, the Christmas dinner is synonymous with stuffed turkey, topped with cranberry sauce and vegetables. For dessert we find the Christmas Pudding, the Brownies, and an assortment of Mince Pies, pies of short pastry flavored with dried fruit. According to the Americans they are the favorite dessert of Santa Claus. The night before, before going to sleep, American children leave one or two cakes on the fire board to thank Santa and a carrot for the reindeer. We are moving more and more towards a broader culture, where traditions intertwine and influence one each other. If you had to choose a traditional Christmas dish of the other, which would you choose?

The per capita consumption is increasing by 5% a year, and at the moment there is no sign that might suggest that this trend may decrease. Analyzing the situation in different price ranges, the growth is strong  in all categories and only wines at lower prices indicate a slower growth. The most striking statistic is the one that shows that women buy more wine than men in every price category. This is because often  women do the shopping in the US but we must also highlight how women ask for more wine in restaurants. Women are, in short, the most important segment of wine consumers in the US.

What is interesting is in what  types of consumers is taking the wine market growth. While previous generations continue to enjoy the wine in the traditional way, the younger generations will approach the wine in different directions. If the “elders” in the US approach the wine especially at dinner and in the more traditional packaging, young people acquire a wider range of types of wine and labels, and often drink these wines more in their “tapa parties”.

Many observers say that there is a new perception of wine consumers in the world, especially in Europe. It is occurring a certain “tiredness” towards a language of wine exaggeratedly technical. Today there are new consumers into the market, who arrived at the wine with a different perception, a different point of view. The “old” consumers often associate the wine to the place where it is produced – they drink wine as an expression of particular territory. They also look at wine as an expression of the producer and of the contact between the vintner and his world.

Young consumers are more interested in the connection between label and fashion rather than that between the producer and the territory. For them, the wine must be especially fun. They love to Know how a wine is made but at the same time they are fascinated by the labels that create image.

The producers think they should give to the wine a more simple image to approach, and that they should make more informal and fresh wines. But none of them thinks  to do all these thinks for their products: their fear, of course, is to lose prestige, that the image of their wines would be damaged by associating it on a such”informal”products. With the entry of new generations into the market, the battle will not be as be formal but as be more successful.

General rule of marketing is that all the companies that are successful are those who can manage communication in the market in terms of aspects comprehensible to consumers. It ‘s interesting the example of Australia that has convinced many wine consumers that the quality of a wine is mainly in its “fruitfulness” (fruit flavors). The European producers of classic wines have two roads to follow: they can change their wines, adapting them to new styles and can start talking about elegance and balance.

The wine market becomes even more international. Obviously the most attractive markets are those of China and India, two countries with the largest population and  both in the midst of an impressive economic growth phase with new classes of consumers, good spending power, also interested in products like wine. Both countries have their own wine production that is making interesting progress. The largest organizations working on wine marketing, such as Vinitaly, for example, have recognized this fact and are realizing more and more events very followed by the public in China and India.

Australia appears the country, despite the current difficulties, with the most “aggressive wine program”. What is their wine industry strength? Australians have increased their enormously wine industry with great success in numerous markets. They were good in their approach to the markets :their focus is the realization of wines by the high hint of fruit that are more easy to communicate. Napa Valley, United States, and New Zealand have achieved much better results in terms of higher prices of their wines than in Australia. These could be the most interesting models for some European regions

In Italy, the majority of the experts underlines how the Italian wine producers are often weak in marketing and communication. Many Italian producers spend too much time talking to each other and selling the same wine to the same few consumers. They talk constantly of the soil characteristics, the acidity of the wine, the exposure of the vineyards and winemaking. They would rather really need to talk about  the history of their wine because the consumers want to hear and remember that. What consumers want are “novels, adventures, fun.” They are not interested in the malolactic fermentation or in how long the wine is aged in oak barrels. But producers are afraid that talking of their wines in terms of romance or fun,would means not being taken seriously by the market. In Italy we are talking a lot about “Regional Doc”. Most Americans have no idea where Asti or Basilicata are. Simply they don’t know Italy enough to understand the doc system. They don’t know the Italian regions and don’t know their relationship to the culture, the food and the wine.

It ‘s very difficult to promote names that American consumers don’t know, they don’t recognize unless you don’t tell them a story and give them a sense of romance and adventure. This means telling simple stories, keeping  wines easy to understand and containing the message in a few words .. writing a story, a romantic book as: “Under the Tuscan sun”.

Of course, some regions are recognized in the US. Tuscany is certainly known for the Renaissance and Italy has many advantages compared to Australia if it decides to use regional names like Tuscany. There are not Australian restaurants in the US. If you have an army of ambassadors in the US you must find ways to use them with the right story to tell.

The wine tourism today is not based on the real desires of wine tourists. It is thought that they are interested in better understanding  the world of wine, but their primary interest is to spend pleasant days outdoors, in rural environments with their families or friends. They don’t want tasting courses or seminars on blended wines. They are looking for something interesting that they themselves can repeat during their dinners with friends.

They want to meet the owner or the winemaker, to know ,above all, the people with whom to share pleasant moments not so much for detailed descriptions about the wines and the winery. They want to take home a few bottles or something else that they can not find in the supermarket near the house. They want to find a special wine to give to their friends. The wine tourism, in short, should not only be the promotion of the idea of visiting a region and taste the wines. This is not attractive to many consumers of a great city that can do it easily into a local restaurant. What  the wine tourists want is a personal connection to the world of wine. They want personal attention, a nice dinner or a picnic, a beautiful day. They want to get back in touch with their “grandparents” and when they made wine in their homes. The success of this industry depends mostly from producers and from the regions, by their ability to create a successful brand. Building these relationships means creating wine tourism

Mondovino is a 2004 documentary film on the impact of globalization on the world’s different wine regions written and directed by American film maker Jonathan Nossiter. It was nominated for the Palme D’Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival

The film explores the impact of globalization on the various wine-producing regions, and the influence of critics like Robert Parker and consultants like Michel Rolland in defining an international style. It pits the ambitions of large, multinational wine producers, in particular Robert Mondavi, against the small, single estate wineries who have traditionally boasted wines with individual character driven by their terroir.

Sideways is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by  Alexander Payne. A film adaption from Rex Pickett’s novel of the same name. The protagonist,  Miles,  is a teacher of English and oenophile, divorced and aspiring writer, who accompanies his actor friend and old college buddy Jack, who is getting married, during  a week-long trip in the wine area of Santa Ynez Valley, in the county of Santa Barbara in California. Miles wants to taste wine, eat quality food, play golf to celebrate the bachelor party of his friend in style. Jack, however, is more interested in spending a libertine last weekend.

A Good Year is a 2006 British-American romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. A wonderful tale of emotions, life and wine. Written with the assistance of Sandro Sangiorgi,   Italian journalist, writer and gourmet and wine expert, it speaks of a professional in the world of high finance who inherits an estate with vineyard in Provence, where he spent his childhood. The initial idea of selling everything, will become an opportunity to begin a journey to discover himself and his past. The sun will ripen its grapes but also a new romance.

Rupi del vino (Wine cliffs) is a Italian wine documentary directed by Ermanno Olmi in 2009   “There are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend, the goodness of wine, the present thirst and the one that will come, and any other reason “. Wine cliffs, on the slope of the Rhaetian Valtellina, are clinging terraces on the mountain slopes in Lombardy, still made today with the manual work, according to a tradition that dates back to 1400. Olmi pays tribute to a ‘heroic viticulture‘, living example of positive relationship with the environment, a genuine culture of wine and a natural heritage enhancement. An example so vivid that the terraced vineyards made with dry stone walls  in Valtellina are now among the candidates for the UNESCO recognition as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Wine helped even some directors-producers to finance their own films:”I have saved my life with my wine label. Luckily people each year drink more or less the same amount of wine, while the audience of a film is unknown. The wine gives me the money needed to produce my movies alone. “, Francis Ford Coppola responds to the journalist who asked him where he found enough money to do that.

And now, more and more often it can become complicated not only choose what to eat, either alone or in company, but even where to eat.

Always attentive to this problem, the Pizzeria Restaurant of the Agricultural Craft  Brewery J63 highlights on its menu, through specific stickers, the dishes that can be enjoyed from celiac sufferers. The kitchen also has specific ingredients for celiac sufferers, which can be used on request at any time.

But the real revolution in J63 occurred few months ago, when our brewmaster Luca realized a gluten free Pilsner: finally a real agricultural gluten free beer, which preserves all the typical organoleptic characteristics of  craftsmanship brewing.

With this beer you can eat today the agricultural gluten-free pizza. Made with a special gluten free mass and worked and cooked in a separate area from the traditional pizzas to ensure complete isolation from ingredients containing gluten, it finally offers to our celiac guests the opportunity to taste safely  pizza and beer  and, above all, without sacrificing the taste of handmade products  from Torre a Cenaia.

For further information please contact us by phone at 0039/ 050.643739 or write to info@torreacenaia.it   If already at the time of  your table booking you can give us  information about the presence and the number of  gluten intolerant people, we can provide you with a better service.

But also for those who visit us without reservation, at J63 Brewery the gluten free ingredients are always available, ready at all times to offer anyone the pleasure, pure and simple, that comes from sharing our dishes and products at zero kilometers