Today was my first full day on the ground in Italy.

Tonight I’ll be at an event in the outskirts of Rome and later this week I’ll be heading back north for winery visits and then on to teach at Slow Food U.

But today I can’t stop thinking about two young Italian blokes who poured their family’s wines for a gathering of Houston wine professionals last Thursday (at one of my favorite wine bars and shops, Vinology).

That’s Davide Bubola from the Borga winery in Veneto, above. And Niccolò Rossetti from the Colle Adimari estate in Chianti, below.

Both were visiting Houston for the first time and both are on what will surely be an epic journey to “build” their families’ brands in the U.S.

Every once in a while, when you talk to some of the old timers in the wine trade, they’ll remember fondly how Angelo Gaja and Michele Chiarlo were just like those two. Like intrepid navigators, they packed their bags full of wine and left for the wild unknown. Back then, practically no one in the U.S. had ever heard of those now über-famous wineries, let alone Barbaresco or Barbera d’Asti.

Man, they have a long road ahead of them! But it was also exciting to absorb some of their electricity and feel their explorer’s spirit.

So, today I’m sending them a shout out to them and another winemaker I’ve known for many years, Gian Luigi Orsolani, legacy producer of Erbaluce. His brand has been in the U.S. quite a while now but there he was working the market, shaking hands, pouring wine, and talking with any and all who wanted to learn more.

Thanks to all three of these cats for coming to my adoptive hometown. I loved the wines and can’t wait to see where they find their homes!

Wish me luck and wish me speed! Hopefully, I’ll have time tomorrow to post about the super cool dinner I’m attending tonight. Stay tuned!