“Matter of Taste”, the “top wines” of the world in Zurich, with The Wine Advocate (and WineNews to tell about it)

From Masciarelli to Feudi di San Gregorio, from the Famiglia Cotarella to Umani Ronchi, from Ceretto to Comm. G.B. Burlotto, from Elvio Cogno to Enrico Serafino, from Pio Cesare to Vietti, from Giodo and Alberelli di Giodo to Donnafugata, from Planeta to Tasca d’Almerita, from Graci to Passopisciaro, from Terlano to Tramin, from San Michele Appiano to Argiano, from Barone Ricasoli to Bibi Graetz, from Castello del Terriccio to Dievole, from Duemani to Fanti, from Fontodi to Frescobaldi, from Grattamacco to Il Marroneto, from Le Macchiole to Mazzei, from Podere Forte to Podere Le Ripi (also with Mastrojanni), from Allegrini (also with San Polo and Poggio al Tesoro) to Tenuta Argentiera, from Tenuta di Trinoro to Tua Rita, from Marchesi Antinori to Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, from Petrolo to Caprai, from Tedeschi to Tenuta Sant’Antonio, from Tenuta di Biserno to Canalicchio di Sopra, from Tenuta Luce to Uccelliera, from Brigaldara to Domenico Clerico, from Azelia to Il Borro (Ferragamo), from Poggio di Sotto to Brancaia: these are just some of the many Italian wine brands protagonists at “Matter of Taste Zurich”, edition no. 5 one of the most exclusive wine events signed by the prestigious magazine “The Wine Advocate”, founded by Robert Parker - who, with his “100 point system”, changed the world of wine criticism - and now owned by the Michelin group, on stage on 11 and 12 March, in the Swiss town, with the majestic The Dolder Grand Zürich as its main venue. With WineNews, in response to the very welcome invitation of “The Wine Advocate”, will be present to tell its readers about it, as always, day by day, with interviews, articles, and videos starring the great wines and the most authoritative international critics, such as Joe Czerwinski, editor-in-chief of “The Wine Advocate”, and signature of its tastings from Napa Valley, in the USA, and the Rhone Valley, in France, Monica Larner, an Italian editor of the magazine, and again, William Kelley, who follows France, but not only, with a focus on Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, Erin Brooks, who signs the reviews on US wines, with a focus on Oregon, Sonoma County, and California Central Coast, Erin Larkin, who follows Australia and New Zealand, and others.
An event that will bring together operators and “big spenders” enthusiasts from the Swiss market and the rest of Central Europe, including high-level “walk around tastings” of great labels from 15 countries around the world in addition to Italian wines (such as Achaval Ferrer, Catena Zapata and Zuccardi from Argentina, Errazuriz and Clos Apalta from Chile, Famille Perrin, Chateau Giscours, Chateau Phélan Segur, Chateau Léoville Las Cases, Gerard Bertrand, M. Chapoutier, and the Champagne houses Philipponnat and Lanson, from France, Herdade do Rocim, Ramos Pinto and Quinta do Crasto, from Portugal, Emilio Moro, Torres and Cune from Spain and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellar and Inglenook from the USA, just to name a few among the many others, without forgetting producers from Switzerland, Germany , Austria, Slovenia, South Africa, Australia, Greece and New Zealand), and masterclasses, such as the one on Saturday 11 March (11:30) dedicated to the “Top-Rated Wines of 2022”, 10 wines from all over the world, of which 7 with the perfect score of 100/100 (such as the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 by Poggio di Sotto, in addition to the Ermitage the Ermite Blanc 2019 by M. Chapoutier 2019, the Comtesse de Lalande 2016 by Pichon Longueville, the Le Désir 2019 by Vérité , the Pie Franco 2020 by Casa Castillo, the Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal 2019 by Zuccardi and the Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard 2019 by Outpost, in addition to the Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2015 by Weingut Markus Molitor, the Columella 2020 by Sadie Family and the Chardonnay 2018 by Jaconde). Or, one more, on Sunday 12 March, the one dedicated to the “Great Pinot Noirs of the World”, which sees among the protagonists the Alto Adige Blauburgunder Pinot Nero Sanct Valentin Late Release 2010 of San Michele Appiano, and the one dedicated to “The Green Emblem Showcase: Great, Sustainable Wines”, with a focus on the wines recognised by “The Wine Advocate” for highlighting the theme of sustainability, with Italy represented by the Barolo Cannubi 2016 by Pira & Figli - Chiara Boschis, and again the great tasting dedicated to one of the most famous Italian brands in Italy and the Langhe, namely “A Gaja Retrospective with Gaia Gaja”, with the producer and daughter of Angelo Gaja, and Monica Larner, with a highly prestigious “line up” that it ranges from Barbaresco 2020 to Barbaresco Sorì Tildin 2016, from Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 2016 to Barbaresco Sorì Tildin 1990, from Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 1990 to Barolo Sperss 1993, from Langhe Gaia & Rey 2002 to Langhe Alteni di Brassica 1992. Among the great masterclasses on the calendar is one on one of Bordeaux’s sacred monsters, “A Century of Château Haut-Brion”, with 8 vintages ranging from 1918 to 2018, and another on “Champagne: Past, Present, and Future”, also on Saturday 11 March, with the sparkling wines of the brands such as Louis Roederer, Bollinger, La Rogerie, Champagne Dhondt-Grellet, Ulysse Collin and Egly-Ouriet, both led by William Kelley, and again the focus on the wines of Napa Valley, led by Joe Czerwinski, with the variations of Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 and 2019 from wineries such as Philip Togni, Stalworth, Brand Winery and To Kalon Vineyard Company, and again, the tasting dedicated to one of the most representative wineries of Swiss viticulture, namely “World Class White from Swiss Rhône: Marie-Thérèse Chappaz Grain Ermitage - Grain d’Or Tasting”, with Stephan Reinhardt and producer Marie-Thèrèse Chappaz. Among the other masterclasses on Sunday 12 March, however, the one dedicated to “Château Leoville-Las Cases & Friends” stands out, and the closing with one of the most admired names in Champagne, namely “Dom Pérignon - A Legend Through Decades”, with the vintages 1959, 1926, 1976, 1980, 1990, 2003 and 2012 by Dom Pérignon, as well as the 2002 Plénitude 2 by the famous Maison.
“For us, it’s an important event because it allows us to meet with our readers, explains Monica Larner to WineNews. “We have the opportunity to get to know each other and offer them a different experience from our point of view, with masterclasses and tastings”, she says. This is why the entire tasting team is present, to meet as many enthusiasts as possible, and introduce them to the world of “The Wine Advocate”, even in convivial moments such as the “Grand Bring Your Own Bottle Dinner” (Saturday 11 March), where everyone brings a bottle to share with others”. It is impossible not to notice that the Italian presence is the largest it has ever been: “in fact it has always been like this, even if this year there is an even stronger presence. For Italy, Switzerland is an important market - explains Monica Larner - and not only the presence but the enthusiasm towards this event is strong. We have a long waiting list of Italian producers who want to participate. Obviously, I am very happy because I represent Italy, but there has always been a lot of excitement about the appointment in Zurich, which is at edition no. 5”. This is also an important time for producers to deal with a very high-quality parterre, given that there are over 200 wineries with over 800 labels, all of which have received at least 90 points out of 100 from “The Wine Advocate” critics. “The moment when producers go to taste the wines of their colleagues is one of the busiest; there are wines from all over the world, and it is also a time for exchange and discovery. But the most important message we send is to open our doors to our readers, to those who are a part of our world, and Zurich is a fantastic meeting place where readers and enthusiasts come from all over Europe, from the Netherlands, from Belgium, and so on, not just from Switzerland. And it is a very important presence, made up not only of “big spenders”, but of people who arrive very knowledgeable and informed about wine, eager to know even more”. And WineNews will be there to tell you about it.