20 Dec Cosimo. Based in Florence but made in “SALENTO”.

Currently graduating in Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Florence.

My journey begins in that of Lecce where I started studying Business Administration after completing the high school accountancy training course. But I felt I wanted more, I didn’t feel satisfied by what I was doing, so my adventure to get out of the “door” began, the south had become a bit tight. Full of confidence and new expectations at the age of 21 I decided to move, thus leaving that safe haven and mother’s arms to pursue my career as a student / worker because only then could I leave home. With destination Tuscany in the spring period being patented by swimming instructor and assistant lifeguard I find myself managing a small bathing establishment in one of the wonderful islands of the Tuscan archipelago; the Isola del Giglio, which became my summer residence for 8 years. A popular tourist destination, I never expected to interface with so many professionals in the wine scene, it must also be said that on the island they already had winemaking traditions that led me to make a choice in my life. A “change” of universities, from economics to viticulture and enology. Thus began my oenological journey making my first grape harvest and assistant of winemaking processes. At that time I had the pleasure of meeting Raffaele Vecchione former assistant editor at JamesSucking.com.

The friendship with Raffaele begins in 2016, to date, in addition to having a good relationship of friendship, trust and mutual respect, we find ourselves working together on this new project undertaken in early June. Set on tasting all the great Italian wines, concentrating all our energies in communicating the wines of our land.

With Raffaele I had the opportunity to travel in 10 Italian regions of excellent quality in the wine sector, tasting 3000 wines and more from June to November 2019.

During these months I had the pleasure of following Raffaele in all the tastings, storing as many emotions as possible.

I had the chance to taste many wines expressing my personal opinion and writing my notes, this was one of the key points of my training as well as taking care of the logistics of the tastings, operating in all fields but above all actively tasting. Thus calibrating my palate with one of the best around and of course defining my style.

In 2018 I had the opportunity to collaborate in a Chianti Classico company where I was the winery manager and assistant to the oenologist Dario Parenti as well as a professor of Wine business at the Lorenzo Dé Medici private institute in Florence and still in contact. Also managing the part concerning the winetours. This experience made me enter the perspective of seeing the world of wine not only in knowing how to do it and knowing how to recognize defects by correcting them but above all being able to know how to communicate what was done, interfacing with the world of the market.

From February 2019 to November 2019 I was director of production and internal winemaker and assistant to oenologist Maurizio Alongi in another reality in Chianti.

In these years I have had the opportunity to meet and discuss with professionals in the sector starting from agronomists, oenologists, export managers, etc.

To date I am graduating in Viticulture and Oenology and I am going to graduate by April 2020 alongside Raffaele and dedicating my energies in one direction only.

Cosimo Dell’Anna