Maybe I'm weird, but...

[Botafogo]

Who needs a brush when you can use a powered roller? We had dinner with the PUBLISHER of a major wine and food rag dedicated to "good appetite" (wink, wink) and he admitted to only visiting wineries who paid his way and only tasting free samples. He also questioned how ANY Montepulciano d'Abruzzo could be worthy of his attention and admited to a general ignorance of any wines made in Italy outside of Toscana, Piedmonte and the Veneto even though he visits and writes about Italy regularly.

The Gambero Rosso (Italy's most influential rag) did a special issue on Italian wine in Los Angeles and did not even mention the store with a selection so vast all the others could fit in a small corner. Why? Because we questioned in print the ethics of their presenting "neutral exhibitions" of "the top wines of Italy" (as selected by THEM) when they colluded with one local merchant to sponsor the event, only poured the wines of wineries who had bought their way into the event and even went so far as to print a booklet in English that LOOKED like their Italian guide to the top wineries but only included the wineries who paid to be in the American tour (some of which had no American distribution unlike MANY who were left out).

And then there is the Spectator's trashing of a Barbera Vivace that said ON THE LABEL that is was frizzante (slightly sparkling) and to serve it cold as "strangely effervescent, amateurish winemaking, tasted twice with consistent notes 71/100"!!!!!

But then that's just us, Roberto


[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 02-19-2002).]