The second part of US Piace Wine Tour
Golden Gate San Francisco
The second part of US PIACE WINE Tour is dedicated to the West Coast in California where our importer is based. (Click here to read about the first part.)
After a 6 hour flight from the East Coast, the lights of San Francisco welcome me on a Sunday evening. The first morning, San Francisco is obviously under grey skies and fog hides the beauty of the city and its bay. A brisk walk to Fisherman’s Warf and a view of the Golden Gate andAlcatraz partially hidden by the mist as well as the city on the numerous hills behind. Always a breathtaking view unfortunately not at its best due to the fog. At Pier 39 the seals are crying for some sun.
During the two days dedicated to San Francisco, I am accompanied by my importer Jim, up and down the hills of the city to visit our clients. Our Gutturnio Superiore is already well known and appreciated in the restaurants and wine stores we visit. My job is to introduce Ortrugo Frizzante and I am proud to discover that there is the same enthusiastic response experienced in February in New York. I present the wine explaining its ancient origins, the fact that the grape is cultivated exclusively in the area of Colli Piacentini and no one else in the world has this very special white wine. The fact the wine is frizzante is another welcome surprise. Our presentation of Ortrugo is a success. On my last day in the city, I am rewarded with an unexpected gift. The sun breaks through the fog andSan Francisco lies before me in all its splendour from theGolden Gate to the entire bay area, blue skies enhance the beauty of the city.
Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles
Another flight and off to Los Angeles for the final stop of the tour. LA is an enormous city covering over 1200 square kilometres. It is always summer with blue skies, warm temperatures and palm trees.Southern California has had over 6 months without any rain and this has caused several problems and concern. I happened to be there in another of a series of heat waves they have experienced all summer. The temperature was36°C. during the day!!
Visiting clients in LA means spending hours in the car just to get from one part of the city to the next. With my importers, James and Alvaro, I visited restaurants and wine shops from Orange County to Pasadena, Hollywood and downtown LA. Here too Gutturnio Superiore is well known and my task was the presentation of Ortrugo. One of the craziest cities in the world, where many flee seeking success and fame, where the movie industry is still the main source of revenue, LA now has discovered our Ortrugo Frizzante Colli Piacentini. Another source of pride and satisfaction to see clients taste this wine and express all their surprise and appreciation – “Unique”, “fresh and delightful” “wonderful”
Palm Trees Los Angeles
This tour has taken me very very far from our Colli Piacentini. The experience has been enriching and the memories of the places and people met will remain. US PIACE WINE is over for this year but our efforts and sacrifices to promote our territory continues. As I fly out of LA, I know I will be back again to be with blue skies, palm trees, balmy temperatures and Colli Piacentini Wines.
Daniela Rigamonti
