2026 started out very slowly in my corner of the wine world and then built up a bit in March with numerous and interesting events I participated in for producers, large and small. Some highlights were:

Slow Wine for the Pasini family winery from Lake Garda, showcasing Valtenesi wines made with a blend of Groppello, Sangiovese, Barbara, and Marzemino. I am very partial to these wines, the Groppello grape variety and the Pasini brand. I have written about them before and will write again.

That same week I had the chance to go to the Alta Langa event and try some amazing Italian sparkling wines made in the traditional method. I have written about Alta Langa in the past but it deserves a new piece mentioning the ones I tried back in March.

In April, I was inducted into the Compagnons du Beaujolais in an incredibly festive event that also needs its own write up which will be coming along soon. I have long loved Beaujolais so I am thrilled to be part of these joyful group.

I also got to go to Vinitaly and Opera Wine, my favorite wine fair and a place where I tried a host of wines, saw good friends, and had a lot of fun that also needs to be written about separately.

This month, I have had the great pleasure of going to an event about Abruzzo, a region very close to my heart and with which I have collaborated off and on for many years.

These past few months I also attended tasting on Sicilia Doc wines, a number of blind tasting dinners with wine friends, and have had a few great conversations on my substack with Katarina Andersson called All That Wine.

These are some of the ideas I will be writing about here and on my new substack which will be revealed soon. Thanks for sticking with me these years.

Last thought for the day, just because someone else has done it, doesn’t mean you can’t do it too and in your own way. There’s room for everyone at the table.