Imagine entering a fantastic space (an ancient train station, from what I understand) rebuilt with the latest technology, and filled with some of the best wine producers in Tuscany.

This was the 2012 Buy Wine event, which allowed the trade to meet producers small and large, and taste some of the best Tuscan wines across several vintages.

As a fine wine journalist and as a student in the Master of Wine program, it was a great opportunity to meet with an assortment of producers, take notes, and taste the wine as the winemaker explained his (never met a 'her') process.

Mauro

I had the longest conversation with the owner of Montaioncino wine (http://www.montaioncino.it)

Mauro Cartechini is the proprietor, and has won many medals for his Vin Santo, Merlot, and Chianti. We spoke about his methods of producing Vin Santo (which was excellent) and about all the different styles (as well as fermentation temperatures, which I won't bore you with). In addition to making fabulous wine, his wife gives cooking lessons at his estate (their daughters help out).

The opportunity to taste dozens of Vin Santos, Chiantis, and other classic Italian wines in one space and talk to such fabulous producers was priceless.

Just imagine excavating a space for a winery and finding rocks so large and fascinating you are compelled to change plans and create a "glass cellar" so that visitors (and workers too, of course) can look out from the underground space and see the incredible collection of large rocks that form the basis of your wines!

This is exactly what happened at Le Mortelle (which means 'the wild myrtle' in Italian) when Antinori's new Tuscan venture revealed fabulous rocks. In the photo above, you can see the barrels in front of them. There are "windows" showing these large rocks in this, the bottom floor of the three story circular building, which is designed in a 'gravity fed' fashion with the arrival of grapes on the upper level, then the vinification process on the middle level, and the aging underground, leading to the departure of the finished wine.

The space is circular, with a winding staircase that connects all the levels.

The farm is based in the center of the lower Maremma, and had been owned by Leopold II in the mid 1800s and used to breed cattle. A farmhouse circa 1900 still stands on the property, quite in contrast to this high tech (yet unseen) winery as it is built into the hillside and underground.

The Antinori family bought the land in 1999 to showcase the expression of the land, with the focus on international varietals.

Organic fruit and conservation of the environment are key factors here -- the winery was built with energy conservation firmly in mind, and packaging includes lighter glass and environment friendly packaging. Varietals grown include Sangiovese and Caberet Sauvignon ... with a new Super Tuscan rumored to be out soon!

Gaia is showing off the Gaja family's sleek new multi-million dollar winery in Bolgheri, near the Tuscan coast. It is freezing (well, it is for me) yet the upbeat, very positive and extremely charming Gaia Gaja doesn't seem to feel it.

"... all this gorgeous sunshine!" she says, "And just listen to the birds chirp! The sea is just a few miles away. Just think, Piedmont is a foot deep in snow right now!"

We walk around the perimeter of the winery, which is a garden of sorts with a walking path to observe the hectares of vineyards, and I am very pleased to enter the warmth and incredible beauty of this state-of-the winery with its gorgeous cellars located on many levels and its art, interspersed throughout the winery (even if it is only seen and appreciated by the workers).

The winery is located just down the road from Ornellaia, purchased finally in 1996. "My father was in his fifties and needed a project," she explains, explaining this as a possible Italian equivalent of American men buying fast sports cars when they turn that age. "Plus, after many years of just myself and my younger sister, he just had a son ... you know Italian men and their feelings about a son. It energized him to create a new winery in a new region."

Though Ca' Marcanda is a family project today it appears to be Gaia's project, as she is very much involved. The oldest child, she explains that her father named her "Gaia Gaja" on purpose ... "you have some idea of his sense of humor," she explains with a laugh.

At Ca' Marcanda, Gaja started with no history - the 150 acre property with eleven types of soils had been used for crops. Little Sangiovese is planted as he felt the soil was too flat for that variety. The focus is on international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah.

We taste the wines - there are three, each meant to express a different type of soil. Flagship Ca' Marcanda is a blend of 50 percent Merlot, 40 percent Cabernet Sauvigon, and 10 percent Cabernet Franc. Magari is also 50 percent Merlot, with equal parts of the two Cabernets and soils that come from the lighter limestone and darker clay soils. Promis is 55 percent Merlot, 35 percent Syrah, and 10 percent Sangiovese (all planted on darker soils).

Fabulous visit and incredible wines.

Isn't this art incredibly gorgeous? Who would have thought that it is located in a Tuscan winery, not a museum!

It is part of a program created by Tenuta dell'Ornellaia in 2009 designed to celebrate the "marriage" between art and wine ... one that celebrates the character of each new vintage of Ornellaia. The program is called "‘Vendemmia d’Artista’ and it gives internationally-known artists the opportunity to interpret its nuances, to make visible and tangible an expression initially experienced only through aromas and impressions.

Yet before the art there is the wine ... Ornellaia was founded in 1981 with the mission to produce outstanding wines given that the site was chosen for its unusual marine clay soils and microclimate.  Conceived as a marriage between the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot grapes, this Italian "SuperTuscan" has evolved over the years from a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon to more Merlot, which yields more plush, supple, luxurious wines. Axel Heinz is the winemaker (he took over from Thomas Duroux who now makes the wines at Chateau Palmer) and the wines are fresh, elegant, and refined.

Beyond this ultra rare, difficult to procure, and very high-end wines (think Sassicaia) it's a rare privilege and extreme pleasure to visit this winery and taste these fine wines.

As is the case in Cru Classe Bordeaux, grapes are given tender loving care ... hand harvested, coddled, with special attention paid to growing grapes in specific terroir for their type, assemblage, and maturation in the correct vessel (large format barrels, small bariques, stainless steel) for the style.

You can see the entire line up here ...

Seminar Tasting

"The Italians seem so happy to be here in New York," says a friend, after the Friday night close of the Italian Wine Exchange Grand Tasting. "Why is  that?"

Yes, it's true - the Italians did really seem happy to be here and have the opportunity to share their wine and the love of their culture with top journalists, importers, and distributors in New York. Having attended many of the sessions, and met many of the producers, making wine is a way of life ... and not always a very generously rewarded way of life at that.

Most people in the wine trade realize that it is difficult to make a truly successful living making wine, so it really is a passion. And if the producers I met are any indication, many Italian wineries are several generations old. Their objective is to introduce their brand to the American market.

As a whole, Vino Italy 2010 was exceptionally well run and extremely well attended, with two grand tasting events supplemented by seminars (including first rate tutored tastings) and food and Italian wine paired dinners.

Among the highlights of the events I attended were the following:

Virtual Vino: Millenials and Social Media Decanted

This was a really fun and well attended panel as social media is a key buzz word of today. The usual suspects were up on the podium -- Alder Yarrow of Vinography fame who is the poster child of blogs, having established one of the earliest wine blogs and well known for his very personal style of interaction with his many followers. I hadn't met Doug Cook, Director of Search at Twitter, before yet he was also fabulous. Both men underscored the importance of blogs in today's media landscape, and especially the fact that blogs are search engine friendly.  Producers: take note! This means that when you send your wine to a blogger or a blogger writes up your wine, the world can access it quite easily!

A very charming speaker was Susanna Crociani of Azienda Agricola Crociana in Montepulciano (Siena) who gave a very sincere talk about how and why she started her blog early on and why it is important for a personal voice in a blog.

Susannah Gold of Avvinaire/Vigneto Communications spoke from the standpoint of a media specialists addressing Italian wineries, urging them to create rich, content filled web sites. As a journalist, i am constantly searching for information online, and Susannah's advice (I hope) will get more easily available winemaking content on the Internet.

Anthony Dias Blue moderated and Steve Raye of the Brand Action Team also gave some solid advice.

Terroir: Diversity and Complexity of Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

"Who is that fabulous speaker!" I found myself wondering. I was seated in the back here, and only heard the energetic voice of presenter Anthony Giglio, who deftly led the audience through a tasting of several wines from the region. The session was just about ninety minutes -- barely time enough time to understand the terroir of these classic regions - yet it was an excellent introduction to the Sangiovese grapes and its many expressions.

Tuscany's Etruscan Coastline: Bolgheri and Morelino di Scansano

Piero Selvaggio moderated this panel, consisting of the so called 'young generation" of producers in the region according to the handsome, white-haired Attilio Scienza, Professor of viticulture an adjunct professor at the University of Milan. In looking at the winemakers, however, one assumes Mr. Scienza was referring to young or "new" ideas in winemaking, especially with regard to biodynamic winemaking.

In any event, one of the key takeaway points was that Sangiovese vines near the coast (Bolgheri and Morelino di Scansano) produce different wine than inland vines, and Mr. Scienza had a long presentation about soils to prove it. I especially enjoyed this tasting, as it offered guests the opportunity to taste wine made from 100% Sangiovese and wines with Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon added. Very happy to report that in this tasting at least, I was able to correctly identify which wines had more Cabernet, and which had more Merlot. Yet I liked the pure Sangiovese wines with their fresh forward fruity appeal the best.

The Evolution of Prosecco

Another well attended tasting and lecture by Antony Giglio, offering a variety of very exceptionally good Prosecco wine. Lucky audience members had the opportunity to taste many different examples of this wine, which is made in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene region in Italy's Veneto. All the examples were excellent and delicious examples of this grape and region (it is a sparkling wine made from the Prosecco grape in what is called the Charmat or "tank" method of secondary fermentation). 

"Regione Toscana" dinner with Guest Chef Cesare Casella from Salumeria Rosi in the Waldor Astoria's Louis XVI room

Wine expert Kevin Zraly introduced wines of Tuscany with fabulous pairings from the region as well. Elin McCoy and Karen MacNeil were in attendance, as was Susanna Crociani of Azienda Agricola Crociana from the social blogging panel.