Celebrating Sister Cities Napa and Montalcino

I was honored to be invited by @visitnapavalley in welcoming Montalcino Vice-Mayor Angelo Braconi, who was my host when I visited Montalcino, Italy in May, to Napa this week. As you know if you read my slew of posts from Montalcino, where I practically bathed in Brunello di Montalcino wine, the hill town in Tuscany is Napa’s newest Sister City.

What a week it’s been! First was a fabulous four-course lunch feast to celebrate the Sister City partnership, held at @bistrodongiovanni. In attendance were Angelo and his partner from Italy, Alice Mechini, Napa Mayor Scott Sedgley, @linseysimpsongallagher from Visit Napa Valley, @flaviamartini and Tuscan winemaker @davidcilli of Promontory, an Italian couple now living in Napa and who were instrumental in the partnership, Napa businessman extraordinaire George Altamura, @fabio_max7 Deputy Consul General from @italyinsanfran, Napa Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Travis Stanley, who visited Montalcino with his family this summer, and yours truly. Marchese Piero Antinori’s 2016 Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino was poured alongside a few Napa Valley wine producers.

Then it was up to Antinori’s stunning winery @anticanapavalley on Atlas Peak (the picture where I look like I’m on top of the world) for a tasting led by @salva.glenn that included lovely Antica wines and a 2015 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino. That evening, at the Napa City Council meeting, Angelo received a key to the city and a proclamation from the Mayor.

With @aowinery starting harvest the next morning, I invited Angelo and Alice for a tasting and to be the special guests at Alpha Omega’s annual harvest celebration for the AO team, where they got to know @alphaomegavintners Robin and Michelle Baggett, who have visited Montalcino numerous times.

At lunch at RH Yountville, we ran into @mariallucci, whose father Antonio Castellucci was born in Italy, and Yountville Mayor John Dunbar. The next day, Castello di Amorosa owner Dario Sattui was kind enough to lead Angelo, Alice and me on a tour of @thecastello. Dario owns a monastery about 50 minutes from Montalcino and showed off his Italian speaking skills during the tour.

It’s been a jam-packed week but an exciting one as the Napa-Montalcino Sister City relationship blossoms. Complimenti to everyone involved.