Diary of a Sommelier Student-Back to School !!



 Class is back in session!

The 2nd level of my three part journey to becoming a sommelier will begin next Tuesday, the 11th of January. Several months have passed since I completed the 1st level. A three month course that introduced me to the wine world. A course that was quite intensive, and at times, a real struggle to understand my Italian textbooks, all the technical vocabulary, etc, etc. A 15 week class that taught us about topics such as life in the vineyard, the winemaking process, the 3 steps to perform a technical wine tasting, desert wines, beers, and spirits. The 2nd level will focus on the wine regions in Italy and throughout the rest of the world. Each week we will fine tune our wine tasting skills (visual, olfactory, taste) as we get a taste of the world from our seats at the Hotel Ramada.

See you in the front row!

Diary of a Sommelier Student-1st Level-Mission Accomplished

It has been awhile since I wrote about my first level sommelier course. Not to worry, I hung in there. After 14 lessons, I took the exam and am ready to move on to the second level.

I remember when I started the course. I was nervous, concerned about the difficulties of taking a course in another language. Concerned about the technical/scientific terminology that can be confusing in English as well as Italian.

But I made it through…

As I look back on the last 3 months, the Monday evenings spent on level C of Hotel Ramada, downtown Naples, I look back with admiration.

Ais Napoli gave me enormous opportunities for one who is curious about this wine world. High quality instructors such as Antonio Del Franco (current Ais Campania President), Nicoletta Gargiulo (Italy’ Best Sommelier 2007 and Ais Campania President candidate), Lucia Pintatore, Maria Sarnataro, Alessandro Palmieri, and Francesco Martusciello (winemaker Grotte del Sole).  The leadership of Elena Erman and Ais Napoli president Tommaso Luongo...

Amazing wines to degustare from throughout Italy with expert guidance and leadership as we completed our Ais technical cards…at first with difficulty then, piano piano...with confidence.

Down to earth Sommelier class assistants; Luca Massimo Bolondi, Giorgio Napolitano, and Stefania Comes. Always there with smiles, words of advice and encouragement.

This course opened my eyes to what it takes to be a sommelier. We learned about wine…but starting from the soil, the vine, the cantina, the bottle, the glass. We learned how to taste a wine. To describe it technically. To really look, smell, taste what before we may have taken for granted.

We learned that we have a lot to learn…and I look forward to the second level course to begin…I think I’m hooked.

So though I’ve set washed my wine tasting glasses and packed them away in my Ais winetatsing briefcase, it aint over. I need to praticare…

Before I took this class, I wrote Angelo Di Costanzo (Best Sommelier, Campania 2008 and Sommelier Hotel Capri Palace). I asked him for advice, He wrote that I should ‘Drink wine.’ I thought he was joking. Now I realize how important that advice was. And I told him so.

Antonio Del Franco pointed that out as well during our first lesson. That our course will be sort of a preschool. That we will need to train like athletes do. So, this summer, I’ll be in the cantinas, at wine tastings, in the vineyards. Mini field trips, if you will, to see up close, first hand, what is in our textbooks. To look, see smell da vicino..

So though the 1st level is complete, this journey has just begun.

And I am enjoying the ride…

Diary of a Sommelier Student- La Degustazione-Lessons 5-7

An update on the last month of my primo livello course with Ais.

The past month has been busy, but my Sommelier courses continue... and I continue to be in the front row.  As each week goes by, the challenge of attending a course such as this in Italian is becoming more evident.  In fact, I have been so engrossed in the material, that I haven't had a chance to take any pictures...It is a blast, however.  Here is what has been going on...

Lessons 5, 6 and 7 had to do with La Degustazione-the three parts to wine tasting.  The lessons were conducted by professional sommelier Lucia Pintore.

I missed lesson 5 (Vinitaly), inwhich she discussed the the Visual Analysis.  The visual examination is pretty brief.  It is here where the limpidity (limpidezza) of a wine is observed.  You need to look for any particles that may be present in the glass.  Color; a wide range of colors ranging from greenish yellow to amber for whites, to soft rosè to dark rosè for rosè wines, and purple red to orange red for reds.  Next, its consistency; where you note the level of ethyl alcohol in the wine.  You observe this when you pour, swirl the glass, and observe the tears that form on the inside of the glass.  Wines can be defined as flowing-scarcely consistent-quite consistent- and oily.  If it is a sparkling wine, you would also judge the effervescence  at this time.

Lesson 6-the Olfactory Analysis.
My favorite part of the three part exam.How often do you swirl a glass and inhale?  But, I soon learned, you have to inhale correctly.  Hold the glass at the base, inhale deeply.  Then rotate the glass slowly a few times to release the aromas.  Inhale at various intervals to not only note the aromas, but the different types. Here is where you note a wine's intensity, its complexity of aromas (the variety), the quality, and a description of its bouquet. Though this part of the exam is my favorite, it is not so easy.  You have to train your nose to recognize the different aromas.  Whether they are fruity, mineral, vegetable.  How to tell a mature cherry from a fresh one.  A dried violet to a fresh fragrant one....brain training necessary. 

Lesson 7-Olfactory-Taste Analysis
My most challenging of the three. Tasting a wine's sweetness was easy enough for me....but the pseudo-warm sensation?  This is caused by the alcohols present in a wine; so light, lightly warm, medium warm...you get the picture.  Softness-what you feel from the levels and combinations of poly-alcohols, sugars, and alcohols.  Sharp, scarcely soft, quite soft...Then a wine's acidity, tannicity, saltiness.  Structure-also known as the body of a wine and the wine's  balance were also discussed.  The highlight of this lesson was when we played il gioco del gusto.  Plastic cups were set in front of us filled with a) water and alcohol, b) water and glycerin, c) water and sugar, d) water and salt, e) water and tartaric acid, f) water and citric acid, and G) water and tannins.  We tasted each, then mixed them up. Example:  Tasting water with alcohol alone, you notice how the alcohol cleans your mouth, you can feel its warmth, its acidity.  Water and glycerin?  You feel body.  Put the two trials together, it is smoother, softer, and the warmth diminishes.  Pretty neat.

So I feel much more confident during our wine tastings at the end of each class.  In the past, I must admit, it was pretty much a guessing game.  Lucia Pintore did an excellent job breaking down the parts to the degustazione.

A quick list of the wines tasted during lesson 6 and 7 (I was absent for lesson 5)

Kellerei Kalter Caldaro 2008 DOC Gewurztraminer 13.5 %

Cardamone Colli di Salerno Reale IGT 2004

Per' E' Palummo 2009 Casa D'Ambra  12%

Carignano Del Sulcis Superiore Terre Brune 2003 14%

Until next time...

Let’s Continue this Chiacchierata-Diary of a Sommelier Student

While preparing for my 4th sommelier class, I was a little overwhelmed with the subject matter. We would be learning about the grape…everything about the grape. My textbook is in Italian, so you could imagine my struggle with the scientific terminology as vocabulary for the chemical composition of the uva jumped out at me in my second language. I spent a lot of time flipping through my Italian/English glossary and then on line to try to understand what exactly was being discussed. I even emailed our instructor, Francesco Martusciello before the lesson asking him to be gentle with us.

He was…In fact, at the beginning of class, Francesco, just off the train from a day trip to Florence, said up front that the topic for the lesson would be duro, rough. It is important for a sommelier, one who would be tasting wine and describing it, to understand the principal component of wine-the grape.

The lesson was divided into three sections-colore, aromi, gusto-color, aromas, and taste.

Color---
He explained that the color of a wine depends on the pigments in the grape, the grape's maturation, the maceration, and how long it has fermented.  He threw out words such as anthocyanins, a substance in red grapes that give it its bluish color.  He discussed a wine's intensity and tonality.

Aroma---
Here he got my attention.  The olfactory examination is my favorite part of a wine tasting. The primary aromas that we smell in a wine are due to what is present in the grape. Terpenes, for example give a wine the aroma of linalol and geraniol.  Pyrazines-a green pepper aroma, and  C-13 norisoprenoids which are responsible for the rose, apricot and raspberry fragrances. Secondary and tertiary aromas are from the fermentation process and the maturation process repectively.  Francesco explained why aging in a botte, barrel gives a wine aromas such as coffee, spices, and vanillia.  He showed us the Davis Wheel, which is a tool that breaks down every aroma imaginable.  He concluded this section with a discussion of the causes of defects in wine.  From oxidation to sulphery odors, to that corky aroma caused from a fungus...we absorbed it all.

Taste---
Morbidezza, durezza, a wine's smoothness and its harshness is based, once again, on what is in the grape that produces it.  On the morbidezza side, Francesco explained that the level of alcohol, sugar, and polyalcohol are the key players.  A wine's durezza, however, depends on the acids, tannins, and salts.  These contribute to why a wine may have a salty, bitter, or fizzy taste.  More vocabulary, more technical terms....but, he hadn't lost me yet.

Francesco wrapped up his part of the lesson with discussing how a wine can 'go bad'....bad grapes, unsatisfactory sanitary conditions in the cantina, and an elevated fermentation temperature were just some of the reasons he gave.  He even mentioned that one evening he went out for a pizza with friends.  He ordered his Gragnano, which is a 'fizzy' red, composed of piedirosso, aglianico and sciascinoso for a minimum 60% and traditional vine varieties for the remaining 40%.  This wine should be served cool, but Francesco noticed that it was not cool, not warm, but hot.  He realized that the pizzeria stored the bottles on top of the pizza oven.  Ooops!

Time for the wine tasting. Two; a young red and one that has been aged in legno.

Morellino di Scansano DOC, 2008 13.5%-Fattoria Le Pupille  (Sangiovese, Alicante, Malvasia Nera)Visually- ruby color, limpid and quite flowing.  Aromas-quite intense, quite complex, very fine, fruity, spices.  Taste-dry, medium warm, smooth, quite fresh, quite tannic, quite sapid, quite balanced, quite intense.  Thin bodied, ready to drink and rounded.

Olpaio Val Di Al Cornia Suvereto, DOC , 2002 14% - Fratelli Muratori (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon)
Visual examination-garnet color, of substance; quick thick.  We noticed aromas which were intense, complex, fine, spices, and vanilla.  Taste-It was dry, warm, quite smooth (due to a higher level of acidity), tannic, sapid, and balanced.

Diary of a Sommelier Student- Una Chiacchierata with Francesco Martusciello

Monday, March 22nd, I was a little apprehensive about my third lesson to begin.  The topic for the evening was wine production.  A topic, I feared, if not presented just right, I would get lost in the vocabulary, formulas, scientific discussions.  So, I was happy to see that our guest lecturer for the evening was Francesco Martusciello, noted enologist and Grotte del Sole CEO.  If there was ever a person who would be able to grab my attention on this subject, I was confident that he would be the one...and I was correct.

Una chiacchierata, a discussion, as Francesco called it, on wine production beginning with the vendemmia, harvest.  Wine making, good wine making, requires a lot of human intervention.The big question here was when do you harvest?  An answer might be, when the grape is mature.  Well, yes, but it also depends on what your intent is.  When a grape matures, the level of sugar increases while the acidity decreases.  So, if you want a spumanti with high acidity and low sugar, you would pick the grapes earlier than if you wanted to make a sweet dessert wine.

Another area he went into was how do want to harvest?  Francesco strongly believes that the best way is by hand, using crates that are ventilated and will not hold more than 20 kg.  This obviuosly takes more time and will cost the winery more money, but here the key is quality.

Grapes picked, we went into discussions on fermentation and the wine presses.  Decisons need to be made like where will you ferment the wine? Steel vats or wooden barrels.  This, once again, depends on your intent.  Where will you age the wine? The answer, once again, what do you want the final product to be.  White wine or red?  Young wine? Steel Vat.  You want it to age...wooden barrel. Wooden barrel or barrique?  What size, type of wood, and how it was produced...all questions that need to be answered each step of the way.  I had no idea.

Then it is on to bottling and deciding how long you should age the wine in the bottle before it goes on sale.  So it is a complex process. 

Now time for the wine tasting.  Once again, three wines.  This time, however, Francesco led us through the wine tasting follwoing the Ais wine tasting card which was on the big screen behind us. The wines were served in the following order:

Collio Pinot Bianco 2007 DOC 14%-Toros
Visually, we noticed a pale straw color, crystal clear, and fliud.  The aromas were a quite intense, scarcely complex, elegant, fruity, mineral, and balsamic.  Taste-dry, medium warm, quite fresh, quite tannic, sapid, balanced, weak body, ready, and well rounded.

Costa D'Amalfi 2008 13%-Marisa Cuomo

Here we have a rosè.  Visually, cherry red, limpid, and fluid.  The aromas were a quite intense, scarcely complex, and fruity.  Taste- dry, quite fresh, quite warm, smooth, balanced, ready, and well rounded.

Coppo Barbera D'Asti 2006 13%-Camp Du Ross

 A nice red.  Visual examination, ruby color, flowing and limpid.  The aromas were quite intense, quite complex, and fruity.  We could smell plums.  Taste-dry, warm, quite smooth, quite fresh, sapid, quite balanced, the right level of tannins, young, and harmonious.

Another great lesson. Francesco Martusciello will be back next week to continue his chiaccherata.  Stay tuned.

Diary of a Sommelier Student- Lesson 2 - Off to the Vineyards

“Il vino si fa in vigna’ Wine is made in the vineyards. This is how Ais Napoli President, Tommaso Luongo opened our second Level 1 lesson last Monday, March 15th. Then he introduced us to the guest lecturer of the evening; Dotteressa Maria Sarnataro. Dr. Sarnataro is one of the best-President of Ais Cilento-Valle di Diano and National Advisor to ONAF. She began the evening with a brief historical background of how wine entered into our society…as far back as the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Sumerians all the way up to the 1860s . This is about when phylloxera (a parasite from the aphid family from America) destroyed a large number of vineyards causing many to change their rootstock to the ‘piede americano’, a root that is resistant to this parasite.


We were here to learn about the vineyards and that we did. Dottoressa Sarnataro went into great detail on topics such as the various grafting techniques, production of the barbatelle (rooted cutting), the lifecycle of the vineyard, machines used for harvesting, and the evolution of grape growing. While she spoke, a slide presentation accompanied her lesson and was quite useful as she presented the different types of of vineyards from tendone, cordone speronato, guyot, pergola trentina, to name a few.

The lesson almost over-time for the weekly wine tasting. At this point, Tommaso Luongo rejoined us to give us advice as we tasted the wines. We are still students, so Dottoressa Sarnataro reminded us that some terminology that is used in formal wine tastings, well, we just aren’t ready. Not as an insult-but the truth. We need to go one step at a time. This week, three wines from Campania.

1) Fiano  ‘DonnaLuna’ DOCG 2008, DeConcillis 13%

This was a nice Fiano and I was happy to get the chance to try one from Cilento. We noticed a light straw color, aromas of white flowers, mature fruit, warmth on our tongue.



2) Falanghina ‘Folius’ DOC 2006 Cantina del Taburno , 13%

Here, a darker straw color partly because this wine spent time in a barrique. The aromas we smelled such as vanilla back up this point. Some students smelled honey, others spices, elegant flowers. It was piacevole. As we tasted, a good balance, freschezza, morbidezza.



3) Piedirosso ‘Kerres’ IGT 2006 I Pentri 13 % (non filtered)

Our red for the evening’s color can be described as grenadine red . Aromas such as plum, spices were the responses from the class. A toasty, spice smell accounts for the time spent in the barrique. We noticed a good evolution of tannins, a dry red. We did not feel calore (warmth) but noticed a morbidezza (softness, mellowness, tenderness)

So our second lesson ended, leaving our class satisfied and eager for next week’s lesson. Stay tuned….

I would like to publicly thank our sommeliers for the evening, Luca Massimo Bolondi and Giorgio Napolitano, who served our class (now up to 60 students) with elegance and class.

The List is Out-Ais Level 1 Course Begins on the 8th!

Ok...its official, a couple of days and I will begin the Sommelier Course, 1st Level with The Association
of Italian Sommeliers in Naples, or Ais.

It became real to me when I looked their web site this afternoon and saw this announcement with the list of names of those who would be attending....Yep, mine's there. 

"Avviso ai corsisti del Corso Sommelier di Primo Livello Ais Napoli dell’8 Marzo: la lista degli ammessi



Pubblichiamo lista degli ammessi al Corso Ais di Sommelier Primo Livello in partenza l’8 Marzo all’hotel Ramada.Per info tel 320.8153647



ASSANTE DARIO/BALZAMO GIOVANNI/CAIAZZO GENNARO/CARPUTO FILOMENA/CAUTERO SALVATORE/COPPOLA MARINO/CORSA MARIA ROSARIA/COSTAGLIOLA MAURIZIO/D’EUSTACCHIO PAOLA/DE LUCA GIOACCHINO DOMENICO/DE NAPOLI DANIELE/DE PASCALE NICOLA/DE VINCENTIIS MASSIMO/DONNARUMMA MARIA/FALCO JUNIOR/FARACO VINCENZA/FICO PIETRO/FUSCO N./GAGLIARDI DOMENICO/GENOVESE CATERINA/GIGLIO AMEDEO/GIUSTINIANI GABRIELLA/GRANDE MICHELE/GUERRIERO PIERLUIGI/IAVARONE BENEDETTA/IAVARONE LUCIA/IAVARONE SERGIO/INDA GIOVANNI/IULIANO IACOPO/LAMBAZZI GIUSEPPINA/LOMBARDI RUGGERO/MAJOLO MASSIMO/MANGANELLI GENESIA/MARUCA NATALIA/ORSINI ROBERTO/RUSSO EZIO/PELLECCHIA DAVIDE/PHILLIPS KAREN/POLLIO ANDREA/POLLIO GABRIELE/POLLIO LUIGI/RINALDI FABRIZIO/ROMANO ANDREA/RUSSO ROSARIO/SABBATINO MAIA PAOLA/SBROGNA D./SCALA LUIGI SALVATORE/SCHIATTARELLA MASSIMILIANO/SPIGNO MANUELA
VALIA CATERINA/VIOLA SALVATORE"

http://www.aisnapoli.it/archives/2304

A few weeks ago a wrote a blog with my thoughts on this important first step (here)
I'll let you know how it goes!

An American and Ais..the Next Step to 'Wine Geek'

About 4 years ago, I stareted dabbling in the wine world. Friends, who I thought at the time were wine geeks, asked me to help organize a bus trip to a winery and agriturismo. Though somewhat fluent in Italian, I was shakey when it came to winemaking terminology. But at some point over the years, after organizing numerous wine tastings and winery tours throughout the Campania region, the bug hit me. The world of wine and winemaking changed for me. I remember a trip to Torre Gaia a couple of years ago. I had a great time translating for our sommelier, Luigi. He was decked out in his sommelier uniform as he gave us a tour of the winery and led us through a wine tasting. Then came the many trips to Taurasi, Benevento, Campi Flegrei area, , wine fairs, and eventually wine tastings at Ciao Vino.

  

  http://www.intravino.com/wp-content/uploads/toon_sommelier.jpg    

The time came to take this hobby to another level. A couple of friends suggested that I should take the sommelier course that Ais (Italian Sommelier Association) offers. I really wasn’t sure, I mean, what does a sommelier do anyway? 

Hmmm. So I’ve decided to take that first step…I signed up to take the 1st level course. It begins on the 8th of March. I’m a little nervous but at the same time, excited. The course is 15 lessons, once a week, about 2 ½ hours long.  There are 3 levels with an intensive exam at the end of each course.  The path to sommelier takes 18-24 months.  Here is the schedule of the first part of a long journey....

NAPLES AIS COURSE Level I

MONDAY, March 8 Lesson # 1 - Figure the Sommelier

Presentation of the Italian Sommelier. Presentation of the Course. The figure of the modern restaurant sommelier. The tastevin, the glass tasting and other tools of the sommelier. Demonstrations of service. Introduction to wine tasting.

Presentation of three wines, including one or Franciacorta Spumante Metodo Classico.

Monday 15 March Lecture No. 2 - Viticulture

Viticulture and wine quality. The vine: notes on the evolution and spread throughout the world. Biological cycle of the vine. Breeding systems, pruning and harvesting. Soil and climate environment. The major indigenous and international grape varieties.

Presentation of three significant wine regions.

Monday, March 22 Lecture No. 3 - Winery - Wine production

The bunch of grapes and wine. Vinification.

Presentation of a white wine, a rose wine and red wine.

Monday 29 March Lecture No. 4 - WINE - WINE COMPONENTS evolution

Oenology and wine quality. Maturation and aging of wine. Stabilization and correction of the wine cellar practices. Short outline of changes, defects and diseases. The composition of the wine according to taste.

Presentation of a white aged in wine barrels, a young red wine (last year, just steel), a red wine evolved (at least 3-4 years spent in wood).

Wednesday, 7 April Lecture No. 5 - THE TASTING - VISUAL ANALYSIS

Sensory analysis. Work on the stimulus, sensation and perception. The best conditions for the tasting. The technique of tasting, the parameters of assessment of visual and links with other characteristics of wine. The terminology of visual AIS.

Tasting of a light white wine last year, a white wine structured, developed and aged in barrels, a Classic Method Sparkling Wine / Champagne Rosé, using terminology AIS and analytic-descriptive card only for the parameters of visual.

MONDAY, April 12 Lecture No. 6 - THE TASTING - Nose

The families of scents. The technique of tasting, the parameters of assessment and examining olfactory connections with other characteristics of wine. Terminology AIS olfactory examination.

Tasting of a white wine aroma of a young red wine (last year, just steel) and a structured and evolved (at least 3-4 years spent in wood) using terminology AIS and analytic-descriptive card only for the parameters of visual and olfactory tests.

MONDAY, April 19 Lecture No. 7 - THE TASTING - REVIEW TASTE-ODOR

The taste sensations, tactile and olfactory. The technique of tasting, the yardsticks for examining taste-olfactory and links to other characteristics of wine. Terminology AIS exam taste and scent.

Exercises with solutions of water with glycerin, sugar, ethyl alcohol taste, citric or tartaric acid, tannins and salt, to assess the feeling of "softness" and "hardness." Tasting of a red wine importantly, using terminology AIS and analytic-descriptive card for the parameters of visual, olfactory and taste and scent.

MONDAY, April 26 Lecture No. 8 - SPARKLING

CProduzione and features classic method sparkling wines, the most important Italian and foreign products. Production and characteristics of Martinotti Method Sparkling dry and sweet.

Tasting of three wines: two Method Sparkling Martinotti, a dry (Prosecco) and a sweet aroma, a sparkling Franciacorta Metodo Classico or, using terminology AIS and analytic-descriptive card; samples of scale combined with Parmigiano-Reggiano and bread, biscuits .

MONDAY, May 3 Lesson No. 9 - dessert wines, late harvest, Muff, ICEWEIN,  FLAVORED LIQUEUR

Production and characteristics of dessert wines, Late Harvest, mold, Icewine, Liqueurs, Flavored, the most important Italian and foreign products.

Tasting of three wines: a past, or Eiswein Mold, a sweet liqueur, using terminology AIS and analytic-descriptive card, blue cheese tasting in conjunction with honey and slices of bread, chocolate.

MONDAY, May 10 No Lesson 10 - LAW AND NATIONAL ENOGRAFIA

The classification of wine: table wine, IGT, DOC and DOCG. As you read the label. Work on the major wine legislation in EU countries. Characteristics, dissemination and use of the most important international and local grape varieties.

Table wine tasting of a wine or IGT in the region of a DOC and a DOCG, using terminology AIS and analytic-descriptive card.

MONDAY, May 17 No Lesson 11 - BEER AND SPIRITS FROM CEREALS

Beer: production, classification and main types. Distillation. The main distillates made from cereals: whiskey, vodka and gin.

Tasting of three types of beer: light, red and Trappist.

Monday, May 24 No Lesson 12 - OTHER SPIRITS

(brandy, rum, cognac, armagnac, calvados, tequila ...) AND LIQUEURS (domestic and foreign)

Different distillation systems. Main types of distillates and their tasting. The classification of liquor.

Tasting of a distillate of cereal, one of wine and one of marc.

MONDAY, June 7 Lesson No. 13 - THE FUNCTION OF THE SOMMELIER

The cellar of the restaurant. The wine list. Practical service.

Guided tasting of three wines of excellent quality and different types, using terminology AIS and analytic-descriptive card.

Saturday, June 12 No Lesson 14 – WINERY VISIT


Monday June 14, Lesson No. 15 - DEPTH SAMPLING AND SELF

Written and tasting (two wines), with the use of analytical-descriptive card. Correction collegial and links to other characteristics of wine. Consolidation and deepening of the most important and the technique of tasting.

Tasting a white wine and one red (such as tests for the trainees). Tasting of a wine of high quality using terminology AIS and analytic-descriptive card.

So I am ready to become a wine geek.....All of this will be in Italian, so I definitely will have my work cut out for me….I read on the Ais Napoli site that the course is full.

I’m not the first American who has chosen this path in Naples, nor will I be the last. I can guarantee, however, that I’ll be in the front row!!!