Shanghai, December 6, 2025
Barolo Expert Level Tutorial
Nebbiolo and Barolo Basics: Recognizing the various Barolo categories in a blind tasting
On Saturday, December 6 ten fortunate individuals were selected for participation in a IDWA Barolo Expert Level tutorial masterclass that focused on understand the four Barolo categories [Barolo, Barolo del Comune di -something, Barolo Crus (or MGAs) and Barolo single-vineyard wines]. The tutorial began with Ian D’Agata showing a power-point presentation on Nebbiolo and Barolo basics to refreshen everybody’s knowledge on the subject and ensure all attendees had the same baseline knowledge level on the subject. Afterwards, eleven different Barolos were tasted: Diego Morra 2021 Barolo del Comune di Verduno; Sandrone 2020 Barolo Le Vigne; Luigi Baudana 2020 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga; Marchesi di Barolo 2019 Barolo Tradizione; Sordo 2019 Barolo; Gaja 2019 Barolo Dagromis; Giuseppe Grasso 2015 Barolo; Mauro Molino 2017 Barolo; Oddero 2017 Barolo Villero; Viberti 2015 Barolo Riserva Ravera; and Cascina del Monastero 2013 Barolo Bricco Luciani.
The wines were in fine shape and performed remarkably well, even lesser vintages such as the 2017 Barolos; but in this case the benefits of higher-altitude vineyards such as those of mauro Molino and of a fantastic, top-10 Barolo cru such as Villero proved the importance of site, and then some. The tutorial was so successful (students/attendees guessed correctly about 50% of the wines on average), and the wines extremely well-received: favourites on the day included the wines by Luigi Baudana, Gaja, Oddero and Sandrone. And in true spirit of our Academy, where everybody people have gotten to know each other over the years and have built connections if not downright friendships, such that even though the seminar and tasting had an expected duration of 90 minutes, people remained long after that to finish tasting in each other’s company all the eleven wines, allowing us to finally close the doors at five in the afternoon (almost four hours after the seminar and wine tasting began!).
Montalcino, November 17-20, 2025
IDWA Advanced 1 Level at Castiglion del Bosco winery
Ten students (unfortunately three had to reschedule due to unforeseen work commitment necessities and of seasonal flu-like illnesses) attended the inaugural IDWA Advanced course in Montalcino that Ian D’Agata stated “…it will go down in memory as one of the most fun and exciting wine courses I have ever been associated with. The knowledge level of the students was quite high, with Relais and Chateaux somms, Ivy league wine educators, published wine book authors, and the likes. But most importantly just super-nice people who liked each other’s company and who are extremely passionate about Italian wines. It made for three really nice days I think all of us wished didn’t have to end”. Highlights of the course included the tasting of exactly 100 wines from all over Italy (68 in the course and the remaining wines in the course’s corollary activities); a marvelous evening at the Col d’Orcia winery in the presence of Francesco Marone Cinzano and ten of the eleven Moscadello di Montalcino wines still made. The event featured a special masterclass on Moscadello, followed by dinner with ten 2020 Brunellos from the same producers; a special tasting of fourteen different Verduno Pelaverga wines kindly offered by the Verduno è Uno producer association; last but not least two winery visits, of Castiglion del Bosco and Argiano with a tasting of all the new releases and some old vintages of the estate wines and their olive oil, including a visit to a private museum of the area that holds a truly remarkable art collection.
All in all, it was an amazing three days that will live long in the memories and hearts of all those who were lucky enough to attend. We now all look forward and eagerly await our Advanced 2 Level course to be held in Montalcino in April 2026!.
All of us at the IDWA wish to extend a VERY special and heartfelt thank-you to the Castiglion del Bosco winery, the Castiglion del Bosco wine resort, Simone Pallesi, Carolina Bracalente, Gemma Grieco and the rest of their exceptional staff members, for all their support and help in setting up these amazing three days.
Shanghai, August 16, 2025
IDWA Connoisseur Level celebration at Akone restaurant
Given the summer vacation period was coming up and the IDWA had completed two different Connoisseur courses in the preceding two months, we found ourselves thinking: what could possibly be better than a dinner celebration of the students who passed the courses they sat through? And so it was on this night, when about twenty-five IDWA students and staff took over Akone, the hot new Thai cuisine restaurant in Shanghai. Certificates were handed out to the students who passed their exam, as well as their own IDWA bronze-coloured Connoisseur pin during a pinning ceremony held at the end of the dinner. Lots of high-level Thai food from a team that is deeply in love with the country’s cuisine and where the chef Phannita Kitjew once manned the Oliang Bangkok Bistro. A series of incredibly good, perfumed and both nuanced and spicy dishes graced our palates, coupled with over thirty exceptional wines from the likes of Ao Yun, Benanti, Cantina Bozen, Catena Zapata, Chateau Le Puy, Court de Mautens, Divino, Dr. Loosen, Schloss Gobelsburg and many more.
