My last blog post was a whole season ago, with the vines in their winter-depths dormancy, and me not feeling much more lively.  A lot has been happening in Piedmont since then…

Most notably for me, my first wine, Primis, is now listed at the best wine bar & enoteca in Barolo, La Vite Turchese!

Moreover, it’s in some very good company…!

And you can enjoy it by the glass while you’re there, as you can see…

Or I can sell you some direct – since I appreciate that you might not be able to get yourselves over to the Langhe.  Contact me on evan@byrnevini.com

Along with La Vite Turchese, the only other place you will find this wine in the whole world is Jack Tar, our Polish importer: they may be a spirits specialist, but they know a great, exclusive artisanal wine when they taste one…

In early January, I ventured out on my first tasting visits of 2023, stopping to see old and new at Demarie in the Roero region:

…And then on to Ettore Germano in Barolo:

It’s always great to meet new people and to start back up after the winter.  Except this time, it was still mid-winter, as the photo below illustrates:

It’s not unusual to see no visitors to our region from December until March, but this year, people have been returning early, eager to get their fix of Piemonte…I love it when visitors start arriving here again – it feels like we are connected to the outside world once more: a place of international significance.

Mid-January saw me out and about in vineyards and winery doing, as you can see, all manner of things:

As you can see, though pretty chilly, the days were beatifully clear and sunny, with the result that post-lunch, I could work in just a t-shirt.  Well, not just a t-shirt, obviously, but you know what I mean…

Inside, there was wine to label:

Or tastings to be done – the most fun job of them all…

Even so, we still went out some nights to try to find some: not all the vines were protected, so those that weren’t were more vulnerable.

With a mix of vineyard and winery work and tasting tours, it has been a great start to the year, with mornings like this:

…Or perhaps like this…:

…And afternoons like this:

…Or perhaps like this…:

…And definitely like this…:

Tasting my range with clients – something you’ll be able to do if you come along with me!  Contact me on evan@piemontemio.com to find out more, or check out this page!

On top of all that, I occasionally found time to do some socialising…

Top pizza and wine action with friends at the Stazione in Barbaresco!

And, more worryingly, another blind tasting lunch with the inestimable Jeffrey Chilcott…:

My two bottles, all wrapped and ready to go…

And here’s what they were:

Since the label on the right does’t give you much information, here’s what it was – I mean who the hell has a red monochrome artwork with no words as their front label…?

And the final tally…

I am still alive…!

So, after all that, we had Vinitaly – the annual wine trade fair in Verona (one of the loveliest cities in Italy, and that’s saying something) followed immediately by Easter.

Now, the visitors are beginning to roll in, and the skies around Alba are filled with different tongues from far and wide.

And it’s not too late to book your trip in time for Vinum – 22nd April to 1st May 2023!

If you would like to come and experience even just a little of what we have to offer here, then contact me – evan@piemontemio.com – and have a look at the links below!

I can’t wait to see you here soon!