Wine and the City--Why Not?

It began as a thought, a challenge to myself and myself only. After I left Palazzo Reale on Friday afternoon, I decided to stroll through my old stomping grounds (I used to teach ESL on Via Chiaia) and window shop. Maybe even pop into a few stores and wine taste. Naples, in preparation for the big wine fair on the 16th hosted their Wine and the City. Many shops this week, besides displaying their merchandise, had wine tastings with some of the best names in Campania. I stopped by a few. I had a tight schedule. What I loved about Wine and the City is that it was a way to get people out…discover great wines in an atmosphere where they may feel more comfortable. While I was out and about, I met several interesting shop owners who were more than happy to share with me the history of Naples, the beauty of the language, the art and architecture. I wasn’t expecting that. Over a glass of wine, I tried finger foods and was absorbed in the hospitality of a city that I have called home for the past 17 years. Whether it was a simple glass of wine with the shop owner or clients I basked in the warmth of the evening. I even bumped into friends Alessandro Palmieri (Feudi di San Gregorio) and Pasquale Brillante (President, AIS Comuni Vesuviani). Up in Vomero, it was great to see Neapolitan creativity in the window displays and the double decker bus wine bar..complete with Luigi, an AIS Sommelier. If my watch didn’t tell me it was time to go home, the weather sure did. My last stop before a downpour was in Spartarella where we finished the night off with a toast.

Cheers!