As I prepare to leave next week for my May trip to Italy, I wanted to share details on a couple of tastings and events that I’m really looking forward to attending.

The first is the Asolo and Montello consortium tasting on Sunday May 10 in the historic center of Asolo.

Unfortunately, the Consortium hasn’t published any more details than the image above. But as far as I know, you can just show up and taste without registering.

Even today, many U.S. wine professionals are aware that Asolo — one of my favorite places in Italy — is part of the Prosecco DOCG. They don’t make as much wine there as they do in Valdobbiadene, Conegliano, and the valley floor of Treviso province. But they make some of the best expressions of Glera imho. The wines tend to be saltier than their cousins to the east and that’s the way I like it.

I’ll post more details as they become available.

The first ever TerroirMarche event on May 16-17 in Ascoli Piceno is going to be a game-changer.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica are among the most promising appellations in Italy right now.

Italian wine writers have been raving about Verdicchio and its much deserved place among the great whites of the world.

The only thing that’s been lacking has been proper visibility of the wines and the people who make them.

And the newly formed TerroirMarche group is working to change that.

I’ll be in Ascoli Piceno as an observer and taster and I’m looking forward to the five seminars, one of which will be lead by Walter Speller among other Italian wine luminaries.

Hope to see you there!