Although you know that I am a tireless promoter of Romanian wines, once in a while, I take the time to enjoy international gems, to be able to make a fair comparison with the local ones. In Bucharest, one of the best ways to get your hands on excellent foreign wines is Vinimondo.
Vinimondo-international treasures and wine education in every corner of Romania
Vinimondo is a 100% Romanian company with an impressive wine portfolio counting over 1000 labels from all over the Old and New Worlds of wine ( Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Chile and many more) as well as the official importer of Riedel glassware. They have developed consistently, over the last ten years, reaching a staggering 18% growth over the previous three years, taking advantage of the favorable context of the international rising interest in wine.
The difference between Vinimondo and other importers is the importance they give to wine education. They focus both on the HoReCa segment and the final consumer. Their philosophy is that you can’t appreciate wine and you are not ready to spend a small fortune on some bottles unless you have the proper background to understand the craftwork which goes into creating these and know the context. They have an ongoing education program for their commercial partners.
Just say WOW
At the WOW (World of Wines) event held at the Bragadiru Palace in a lavish environment, you could taste over 200 exclusive and sometimes elusive wines from over 70 producers from around the world and even meet some of them.
The dedicated tasting for press and selected guests, myself included, brought forward flagship wines. To name just a few which need no further introduction: Luce (2015), Ornellaia (2015), Sassicaia (2015), Rose et Or (2018), Schloss Johannisberg Riesling (2017).
Next, came a masterclass by Mastroberardino, one of the oldest producers in Italy, now at their 10th generation, near Naples and the ancient Pompei. They offered a show consisting of five native wines:
- Fiano, a full-bodied with excellent acidity and excellent aging potential
- Greco di Tufo- crisp, lively with a balanced structure
- Aglianico en Blanc- the star of the show, a peculiar project which brings out the elegant tannins of this grape in a new way
- Aglianico red and Taurasi (also Aglianico, but grown on volcanic soil for extra flavor)
The day continues with a few other masterclasses, including Ornellaia, Inama, Gaja and Bibi Graetz, as well as Riedel.
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