I ran into Barbara  on the plan from Zurich to Florence today. She was coming home from a seminar in Warsaw. . Barbara Tamburini, the lovely lady in the photo is an amazing winemaker and a friend of mine. I first met her at Gualdo del Re, a winery in Suvereto.

While organic and biodynamic viniculture is more widespread in Italy than people realize, most producers who follow these practices still do not get certification. One winery bucking this trend is Gualdo del Re in Suvereto, a lovely town in Southern Tuscany, not too far from the Mediterranean coast. On a clear day, you can even see the island of Elba in the distance.

Barbara gave me lots of tips for my homemade wine making. We discussed the problems of CO2 created during fermentation, the use of sulfites and selected yeasts. We also chatted a bit about Italian regulations of what to do with the remaining “fecce” once you rack a wine.

Barbara and I also talked about her brand ambassadorship for the Italian design label, Aeronautica Miitare. Whenever I see her, she has the most impressive clothes from the company. Maybe this trip I will buy something from them.

Barabara mentioned a couple of wineries she is working with in Umbria, Toscana and Valtellina. I’m going to send her some questions but for the moment, she’s my women in wine for today – fitting at the start of the Anteprime.