Congratulations to Walter for being given this year's Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino Award in the annual Casato Prime Donne Awards for the best piece of journalism on Brunello di Montalcino with his article Brunello di Montalcino 2010: a perfect 60-60-60 published here in January. Our picture shows him hard at work at the annual tasting Benvenuto Brunello in Montalcino, frustrating list of wines by his side.
The Casato Prime Donne Awards were established in 1999 as a development of the Barbi Colombini Prize. They take place every year in Montalcino and reward the best contributions on Montalcino and its wines in the fields of literature, culture, art, journalism and photography. Walter has won the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino Award for journalism, an award won last year by Ian D'Agata.
Well done Walter! He is involved in two major tasting opportunities over the next two months.
In London on Tuesday 8 September he will be hosting an intimate tasting class for 12 at The Quality Chop House in Clerkenwell. The format will follow that of our previous series of tastings, with Walter introducing specially selected wines. This wine class will feature nine magnificent Southern Italian Crus that are slowly brought back to life due to the perseverance and often back-breaking work of a new generation. It will include wines from Puglia, Basilicata, Sicily, Campania and Calabria. As usual, tickets are priced at £79 inc VAT. Attendees may take advantage of either free corkage or 10% off their bill if they choose to dine at the Quality Chop House before or after the tasting. Find out more and secure your ticket here.
In New York on Wednesday 14 October Walter will be co-hosting with me a bargain opportunity to taste at least 30 of our favourite examples of that 60-60-60 2010 vintage of Brunello on the roof of Eataly. At the event we will be launching the brand new fourth edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine, on whose Italian entries Walter worked so hard. Tickets at $115 include a special glass from Bormioli Rocco, a curated booklet from the Consorzio, a delicious array of Eataly appetisers, and a signed copy of the new Companion which we will be happy to personalise. Find out more and secure your ticket here.
