Bringing together a large group of restaurant and wine shop operators wasn’t easy, but the meeting held on January 29, 2024, at Villa Agreste, in the Ostuni countryside overlooking the Adriatic Sea, was a resounding success. The occasion was too good to miss: a free day of training focused on DOC Ostuni wines, with significant sections dedicated to the various types of winemaking, during a period when companies in the sector are taking a well-deserved break, in an attractive location, with top-level speakers. It was also a way to meet, reconnect, network, and build relationships.
Enzo Iaia, owner of the winery and a great enthusiast of territorial identity, explains: “The DOC Ostuni denominations, which are still little known, are a small treasure chest that contains rare gems: the Ottavianello and Impigno grape varieties, but also Francavidda and Notardomenico. At Villa Agreste, we work with these grapes as an archaeologist would: we have brought them back to light and are trying to give them the visibility they deserve.”
A story that was told to the over thirty participants in the event with the collaboration of some wine experts: Paola Restelli, AIS sommelier and Wine Immersive Expert, discussed the topics related to sparkling wine production, with the due differences between production methods, and gave specific advice on approaching bubbles in terms of pairings. Titti Dell’Erba, AIS sommelier and Wine Consultant, an expert in rosé wines, told the history and production methods of rosé wines, debunking some myths about the youth and drinkability of less recent vintages, and curated a mini-vertical tasting of two vintages of the company’s rosé. Both members of the Apulian delegation of Donne del Vino, they made a fundamental contribution to the success of the event.
Tourism is now a very important driver of development for this part of Puglia: telling the story of a territory’s identity to a visitor is fundamental and must also be done through food and wine. Much of the “mediation” work between producers and consumers, therefore, falls on the shoulders of restaurateurs, front-of-house staff, and wine shop owners: it is important that they know how to give the right relevance to the “genius loci” not only in the preparation and presentation of dishes but also in the right wine recommendations. Food and wine, in fact, are a very important and immediate means through which significant messages are conveyed: who we were, who we have become, and where we want to go.
And training remains the most important basis for being able to do this correctly.