I’ve been told my web posts are too long and I am aware of that. I happened to have a lot to say about Italian wines and how they have weaved in and out of my life. This will be only a 320 word post, not the magnum opus I wrote on Monday.

Word on the street in Verona, at least from producers is that the new four day schedule made the fair more trade oriented, a positive in their eyes. Sunday was crowded and Monday was even busier but Tuesday and Wednesday were very easy to manage. Yes there were problems with using your phone to make appointments.

I did some great tastings with wines from Valle d’Aosta, Puglia and Friuli Venezia Giulia which I will write about in another post. I also spent a long time tasting wines from Calabria this year from a new DOC called Terre di Cosenza DOC.

Organizing yourself during the fair is truly key because there are so many wines you want to try, people to say hello to and an entire area for olive oil, another one for food and still a third for gadgets and machines for wine making called Enolitech. In previous years I had been able to visit a few of those pavilions but this year with the four day schedule, I am sad to say that was not be possible.

Once again, I was thrilled to be able to use the very efficient press office which has been moved back to its’ old area. The technicians in the press room will always be in my heart, they found my blackberry two years ago and tracked me down using Facebook. It made me change my mind about using Facebook in general. Buona giornata!