Super fun day yesterday at ViniVeri in Cerea where I tasted, caught up with lots of winemakers, and co-presented a Barbacarlo vertical with Sandro Sangiorgi, one of Italy’s leading tasters and one of the most revered intellectuals working in wine writing today (as Martin Short once said to me when I was playing guitar at a show-biz event in Hollywood, “no pressure, right?”).

That’s me, after the tasting, with ViniVeri consortium president Giampiero Bea in the center and my good buddy Michael Zaccaria on the right.

Michael is a wine importer working in Australia and he and I only knew each other virtually until he braved a delayed and ultimately 40-hour flight from his home to Verona to make it to our event just in time.

I love how our wine-writing community connects us to people all over the world and hugging Michael for the first time was like embracing an old friend. I’m looking forward to catching up with him later this week in Verona.

That’s all there’s time to report today… About to head to Verona for the opening day of Vinitaly. Wish me speed and a nimble palate!

Thank you Matteo Gallello for the photo!