Updated: 22 April 2006
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14^th CONCORSO ENOLOGICO INTERNAZIONALE 
40^th VINITALY, Verona-Italy
28 March – 02 April 2006

 a pictorial report of the proceedings by a member of the JURY from Singapore

LAST WORDS

What do you say, when the job is done? Do you reminisce about the hard hours tasting or the engaging conversations & discussions you had during the breaks, over meals and drinks? Or do you gripe over all the shortcomings & distress during your trip to one of the more elegant cities in Italy?

It was like visiting an old dear friend. The first contact at Verona airport left a lasting impression. It was the sweet young lady at the Tourism Office, who willingly made telephone calls to the hotel and our organisers to enquire about our missing coach shuttle to our hotel. No fuss, no hesitation, all done with a smile from Ms. Verona. It is the same genteel elegance that you find in this fair city among the wait staff at the restaurants, the bars and the shops. Despite the flood of tourists, this is unlike Florence or Rome, where you are another meal ticket. Here, you are a guest.

The same cheery smile from the butcher's at the local supermarket as she sliced my mortadella & Parma ham, and handed over the crusty bread that formed my first meal in Verona. Even the sparrow and pigeon along River Adige paid a feeding call during lunch. The nippy breeze off the Dolomites reminded me that I have preliminary work to do before the evening's reception.

"Tre centi, venti, quartro" and they efficiently handed over my key and then, up the trusty old elevator to my room. The poor elevator could not take the strain and failed a couple of days later. But never mind, a good climb up 4 floors and around the perimeter of the hotel was good exercise!

A few recognisable names appeared on the Juror listing, which put me in a good mood for the evening. The business card exchanges were fast & furious as we tried to determine our table partners for dinner. We managed a largely English-speaking table made up of my friends from India, South Africa, the lone Aussie bloke and 2 Czechs, who spoke good English. Our Aussie had a wild hairdo, a crumpled shirt hidden by his coat. Then, the story came out. His luggage had decided on a world's tour rather than simply land in Verona. He was already about 24 hours in the same clothes and he had to wait another day and a half before his bags showed up. His was not an isolated case from those transitting Rome's airport. My more experienced local ICE officers put me via Paris, instead, and my bags arrived with me despite the French industrial strike. Thank goodness!

The next morning's proceedings was old hat to me, mainly aimed at first-timers at the Competition. However, it did not prevent a Northern European Juror to request a repeat speech from Dr. Martelli, as all waited, impatiently, to be served our first sample on the THIRD day.

Lunches at the base hotel was a sight of efficiency to behold. Only 5 wait staff handled our group of about 100 hungry persons throughout a 3-course lunch plus coffee plus pouring 2 different wines and numerous bottles of mineral water, both still and sparkling, without skipping anyone. They even ably catered for late-comers, who arrived towards the end of the main course for the rest of the cohort. I wonder where can we find such clockwork precision in Singapore? Even, my Indian colleague was amazed.

This kind of service is not unique to this restaurant/cafe. This same dedicated & efficient service is repeated in the different restaurants where I had my many meals. Again, these are not all middle-aged men & women but fresh-faced youngsters with a ready smile and a few words with you. Here, they are serving a welcome guest not a money bag.

Perhaps, that is because they have a thriving Sommeliers' Association (Associazione Italiana Sommeliers). Many of the members are not full-time service staff in restaurants but simply ordinary working people with a passion for the job and in imparting the wine culture. Each year, a select few are chosen to serve the wine samples during the Competition. A larger number are engaged by the many booths and cafe/restaurants at VinItaly. Dressed in their finery of immaculately white shirt & black bowtie, black waistcoat and jacket, emblazoned with the Italian Sommelier's emblem, black trousers and apron, they are a sight to behold. A silver Tastevin with a silver chain is proudly hung around their necks.

The purpose of the association, is to “qualify the figure and profession of the Sommelier as well as to give value to wine culture in the hospitality industry. Therefore, the association shall provide all activities of a cultural, educational and editorial nature to promote knowledge and consumption of wine and other alcoholic beverages and to enhance Italian wine and food in Italy and abroad, organising both directly, and through its associated centres, professional training courses for Sommeliers and teaching staff”.

The Association, together with other countries, belongs to the A.S.I. (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale.)

Being a member of the Italian Association of Sommeliers means participating in the many wine and food activities that are organised for its members: guided tasting, theme seminars, dinners, tours of wineries in Italy and throughout the world. Moreover, members participate at national and international conventions and symposiums, to improve their knowledge – either as professionals or as simple enthusiasts – in the wine world.

This year, I completely immersed into typical Veronese cuisine, thanks to our very experienced colleague, John Salvi MW. The next evening, after experiencing Veronese grill & roasts at IL CENACOLO for the second marvelous time, John enticed us to IL GREPPIA RISTORANTE, to enjoy warm Veronese service and Bollito , a huge buffet of boiled meats and sausages. The meats consist of various cuts of pork, beef and horse, served with typical Veronese sauces. Just a slice of each cut of meat results in a very substantial serving for a main course. Remember that an Italian meal starts with copious servings of Prosecco with Antipasti and bread or breadsticks. A Prima Platti (First Course) is usually pasta before we reach the Secondi Platti (Main Course) of Bollito. Then, it should end with a dessert with expresso and grappa. A couple of Jurors took up the challenge, while the rest of us stuck to more moderate servings, which were substantial nevertheless. By the way, pasta in Verona is either polenta or risotto at its best.

I still salivate over the thin crisp pizza topped with shrimp mayonaise and fresh lettuce from a sidestreet pizzeria in Rome. However, I discourage pizza consumption in Verona. The pizza I had for lunch was doughy and chewy although baked fresh from the wood-fired oven, minutes ago. Named Pizzeria Vesuvius, no less!

The meat of the horse or cavalo is another must try in Verona. The faint-hearted should stick to fillaments of horsemeat as a starter course, rather the the full course boiled or grilled versions. The first version reminds you of unrefined pork floss garnished with lemon and olive oil, rather pleasant, nonetheless. The boiled version require you to handle the full-flavoured horse on your plate.

Next down the line of must try's is lardo. Lardo is pure salted and cured pork fat cut into ultra thin slices that literally melt in your mouth. Other heart clogging items include the salume (salami), which is usually aged for months under controlled conditions and served uncooked. On the top of your list, should be prosciutto San Danielli, a limited production prosciutto air-cured on the hills of Friuli, quite refined in delicacy from the Parma prosciutto.

Among the cheeses, the favourite in Verona is gorgonzola, a blue-veined cheese from around Milan. Usually in the soft, flowing version, it is simply slapped on a slice of baguette or grilled polenta. Otherwise, enjoy it in risotto or as dessert with honey, sweet reciotto wines or paired with mascarpone cheese.

If you need to bring some of these home to share with your loved ones, do not dispair. There are several well-stocked grocers in the old city centre to cater to your needs.

Then, as in all of Italy, there is the gelato (ice-cream) in colourful and imaginative displays. It is impossible to visit Italy without consuming with gusto, one ....... no, two or more of these sinful concoctions, never mind the diet regimen you promised yourself.

There is, perhaps, only one fashion 'superstore' in the city centre. Verona, instead, boasts of small boutiques selling some of the flashiest clothes, shoes, bags and other fashion accessories. Let your wife loose with a credit card in this city and you will be ruined ......... for the next few months.

Of course, there are the sights, the River Adige, Romeo & Juliet, the Arena, the Palaces, etc ................ These form the stage props but not the focus of Verona.

Finally, I'd say the gripes are a few, but worthy of mention. Not to complain but to seek improvements for the next fellow on this same journey. Fortunately, Veronafiera and ICE do listen and I have seen improvements, this time around. Kudos to them, who continually strive to improve. READ THE GRIPES HERE

How is it that I did not talk about the wines ........ THE WINES!! Too much have already been said in the other reports, so I shall leave it alone here ............... until my second last words ........... perhaps ..............

click the image to read the wines-by-the-glass blackboard

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