COUNTDOWN TO "DIVINE TUSCANY" (FLORENCE, MAY 17/20), THE DELUXE EVENT (STARTING WITH PARTICIPATION FEES) BY SUCKLING & IMG ARTISTS WITH THE TOP TUSCAN PRODUCERS. NEW FEATURES: GRAND TASTINGS AND NEW ENTRY WINERIES

The most renowned names of great Tuscan wine - over 50, including Ricasoli, Antinori, Banfi, Frescobaldi, Mazzei, Petrolo, Il Borro and Principe Corsini, the so-called "founders” and their "icon" wines - will be meeting at a niche event exclusively reserved for them, including dinners, "starred" parties and concerts in private homes of the great dynasties of wine (the same that supplied the Medici family five centuries ago), to taste and talk to Marquis Antinori or Prince Corsini, or be guests of celebrities, like lunch at "Casa Sting". All in the name of exclusivity (the participation fee for producers is 10.000 euros and 1.900 euros per person for the "full package" ticket).
So, this is "Divino Tuscany" (www.divinotuscany.com), the second edition of the deluxe event in Florence, dedicated to the best of Tuscan wine, created by the guru of wine critics James Suckling, in collaboration with IMG Artists, leader in the management of entertainment and major events (a consolidated pair that founded the "Tuscan Sun Festival", another top annual event in Tuscany, which changes location this year, among other things, from Cortona to Florence, ed.) And there will be some new features from May 17 to 20th: two Grand Tastings (by invitation for the press only, 150 euros per ticket) and newcomer wineries, Dei of Castello Romitorio, Donna Olga in Querciabella, Fattoria del Cerro and La Poderina. 
 Suckling who was for nearly thirty years, the most prestigious signature of the influential U.S. magazine "Wine Spectator", in a press note said that "Divino Tuscany" is the realization of a dream I’ve pursued since the first time I came to Italy in 1988".
At the Opening of the first edition in 2011, the wine guru said: "The world must come to Florence, there’s no other place like it in the world, to celebrate excellence in wine, but not only." "And indeed, last year the world arrived from over 18 different countries", said Jeff Fuhrman, President of IMG Artists. "And the word began to spread that when the Tuscany of wine calls,” the statement said, “one must be there. So, "Divino Tuscany” in its second edition is already a "must".

And, we are "aware that since it is an event with special highlights, unfortunately, though understandably, last year not enough attention was given to the press, this year there will be two new features: 2012 Grand Tastings (May 18th and 19th) at the Grand Hotel Villa Cora, dedicated to the most recent vintages and older vintages presented by all the producers: the names that have made the history of Made in Italy in the world. The program also includes an agenda of private tastings curated and guided by James Suckling and Ned Goodwin, one of the top Masters of Wine in the world.
The same location in the hills above the Boboli Gardens, will host the big opening party (May 17th) with a Cuban atmosphere, and live music by the famous Cuban jazz musician, Ernan Lopez Nussa. There will also be the Italian premiere of James Suckling and James Orr’s docu-film on cigars, "Heart and Soul Cuba," presented at the International Latin American Film Festival and the Sonoma film Festival accompanied by a selection of grappa and sought-after Cuban cigars, and Mojito time. The highlight, but yet to be revealed in detail, is the role haute cuisine will play that night, which will be accompanied by the most recent vintages of all the producers.
The atmosphere is that of a big "house party" that will invade all the rooms and halls of the aristocratic residence surrounded by a park that counts more than a thousand varieties of roses. May 18th opens the full immersion of bottles and glasses: seminars, tastings, vertical, face to face with producers, private tastings with individual producers and the gala dinner at the Palazzo Corsini with the signature and plural-awarded Florentine Enoteca Pinchiorri prepared by the couple Annie Féolde and Giorgio Pinchiorri.
The dinners on May 19th are a more intimate, privileged and confidential atmosphere in rarely accessible private homes of some of the most prominent historical wine producing families that will welcome guests to their properties of refined beauty. The event closes May 20th with "Lunch with Trudie and Sting": lunch in the countryside Villa, a few kilometers from Florence, owned by the rock star Sting and his wife Trudie Styler.
Info: www.divinotuscany.com

Focus – Here it is: the nobility of Tuscan wine, founders and new entries, stars of "Divine Tuscany"


Altesino

 Barone Ricasoli (Founder)

 Brancaia

 Dei (New)

 Caparzo

 Carpineta Fontalpino

 Casanova di Neri

 Castellare di Castellina

 Castello Banfi (Founder)

 Castello di Bossi

 Castello Romitorio (New)

 Castelvecchio in San Casciano Val di Pesa

 Castiglion del Bosco

 Ciacci Piccolomini D’Aragona

 Donna Olga (New)

 Duemani

 Eredi Fuligni

 Fattoria Le Pupille

 Fattoria Vitticio

 Fèlsina

 Fontodi

 Il Borro (Founder)

 Marchesi Antinori (Founder)

 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi (Founder)

 Castello di Fonterutoli - Marchesi Mazzei (Founder)

 Petrolo (Founder)

 Podere Poggio Scalette

 Podere Sapaio

 Poggio Antico

 Poggio al Tesoro

 Poliziano

 Principe Corsini (Founder)

 Querciabella (New)

 San Filippo

 San Polo

 Siro Pacenti
  Tenute Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari

 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia

 Tenuta di Biserno

 Tenuta Il Palagio

 Tenuta San Guido

 Tenuta Vitanza

 Tenuta Sette Ponti

 Tenute di Fattoria del Cerro e La Poderina - Saiagricola (New)

 Tenute Silvio Nardi

 Testamatta

 Tolaini

Tua Rita

Uccelliera

 Valdicava



Focus - A dream come true for lovers of good wine. All of "divine" Tuscany is on display. Icon wines, noble wineries, historic buildings, unique landscapes, and celebrity estates are the mix that makes it the "wine dream" region par excellence
One of the most important wine regions in the world, one of the most famous cities of art whose buildings are still private residences of ancient wine-making dynasties, the same that five centuries ago supplied the Medici and all the families estates in the countryside, along with celebrities that have "fallen in love" with this land and have chosen to live here. And, of course, great wines that at the first taste evoke all of this in a glass. This is the Tuscany of dreams, the "dream wine" par excellence for lovers of good wine, who at least once in their life are ready to travel to Florence and to the area where the big names of Tuscan wine have built their coat of arms. James Suckling, one of the world’s wine critic gurus and a former signature of the American magazine "Wine Spectator", has pursued this dream since his first visit to Italy and has chosen Tuscany, and Florence in particular, to give life to one of the wine world’s highest level events, which he designed to celebrate the territory and its wines: "Divino Tuscany" (second edition, May 17th-20th; www.divinotuscany.it), in collaboration with IMG Artists, leader in the management of entertainment and major events. 
It is a niche event, reserved for over 50 of the most renowned Tuscan wines, with their "icon" wines, stars of grand tasting with old and recent vintages, seminars, guided tastings, vertical, face to face with producers, as well as concerts, dinners and "starred" parties held in those rarely accessible buildings, private residences of some of the most illustrious wine families (Annie Féolde and Giorgio Pinchiorri of Enoteca Pinchiorri will be in the kitchen for the gala dinner at Palazzo Corsini), or rock stars like Sting, whose open-air dining room for guests at his Villa Il Palagio in the countryside is now a regular appointment of the festival. Altesino and Barone Ricasoli, Casanova dei Neri and Castellare of Castellina, alongside labels such as Castello Banfi and Castello Romitorio, Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona, Heirs Fuligni, Il Borro (Ferragamo) and, of course, Marchesi Antinori and Marchesi de 'Frescobaldi, Poggio al Tesoro (Allegrini) and Poliziano, Prince Corsini and San Felipe, San Polo and Siro Pacenti, and, also Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Tenuta di Biserno, Tenuta Il Palagio, Tenuta San Guido, Fattoria del Cerro and La Poderina (Saiagricola). 
All together at the same time (10,000 euros participation fee), a "wine dream", for which you are willing to pay 150 euros a ticket (1.900 full package) - the same amount you could spend to own your own dream bottle of wine.