Inaugural Roma Wine Festival pops the cork

By Amanda Baker

ROME, Feb. 21— A new wine festival, Roma Wine Festival, unveils its showcase of Italy’s finest wines next weekend, Feb. 29 to March 2.

The event, at Spazio Etoile in Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina, will bring together award winning wine producers, wine experts and, of course, wine lovers. 

Each morning will consist of conferences and award ceremonies for the producers. Among the awards presented will honor a new wine guide, “Italy’s Best Price-Pleasure Wines 2008”, written by Ian D’agata and Massimo Claudio Comparini. The ceremony will honor some of Italy’s finest, yet sometimes least recognized, wine producers. 

From 1 p.m. - 10 p.m. each day, the Festival will be open to the public. Tickets may be purchased for 20 euro, which will allow for tasting of thousands of wines and an opportunity to speak with producers directly.  A guided wine tasting will also be available at the Wine Academy, just a five-minute walk from the main event. The tasting will last one hour and will feature wines from California and France, along with Italian wines.

Wine expert and author Ian D’Agata, author of “Italy’s Best Price-Pleasure Wines 2008” and festival co-organizer (along with Marco Panella) said the event will showcase wines that may not always be the most popular, but are of a high quality.