I guess the majority of you do not know Mr Alessandro Bonci and, mostly, you are wondering why I’m talking about him in a post about Sangiovese Romagna. Well, Mr Bonci was an opera singer. He was so famous in United States to be be considered tha main competitor of Enrico Caruso. He was born in Cesena, that is way the Official City Theater has his name. So it was quite weird for me, but amazing at the same time, to be invited to the “Disfida” between Sangiovese and Chianti in the Bonci Theater where I used to see ballets or drama pieces!

The image of Alessandro Bonci, at the enter of the theater!

But wine is culture too, specially in a city (Cesena) surrounded by hills covered by gently wineyards where your sight loses in the poetic colours of the leaves and grapes of Albana (a white wine) and Sangiovese (a red wine).

This challenge, held on the last 4th of novembre, was a chance to taste lots of quality wines of wineyards in Forlì, Cesena, Rimini, meet the producers and see their different producing views. You cannot really know what Sangiovese, Albana, Cagnina, Pagadebit are if you do not taste them and if you do not confront the wines of different producers.

Romagna land runs from the mountains of Campigna to the shores of the Adriatic see, that means a lot of different grouds from a geological and chemical point of view, giving origin to a plenty of products, wines for instance, each one with its own flavour and smell

With Bertrand Russel’s words,” No one can understand the word “cheese” without first of all having a non linguistic experience of  cheese”.

By surprise, I had the chance to meet a very dear friend, Caterina,

My friend caterina at work during the Cesena Wine Festival

she is a very professional sommelier and she guided me to taste some wines I didn’t know, two passitos and a red wine, both from two Bertinoro’s wineries.

And it was really a social experience too, people in love with good wine can be an honest way to discover a place but also to share tasting emotion.

Wine People at Cesena Wine Festival

Here are somke photos I did for the Igers Forlì-Cesena contest, just to turn around wine’s theme. This was a very special contribution, since everyone posted  a quantity of photos, catching every single detail of this event.

Wine seen from outside!

Maida, my friend of Strada dei Vini of Forlì-Cesena, invited me to join the popular jury to judge Romagna and Tuscany wine, partecipating to the challenge, my first time in a jury, what a thrill!

Tasting the “Disfida” Wines

And the winner is…: Sangiovese di Romagna Doc Superiore “Armonia” 2010 by Tenuta de’ Stefenelli (Forlì) and Chianti Colli Fiorentini Docg “Il Castelvecchio” 2010 by Castelvecchio Winery.
A nice sunday afternoon, more than 500 hundreds people tasting wines, good and interesting talks with wineries and producers in a special atmoshere. The right way to know Romagna through wine.