His name is Francesco Versio, he will turn thirty in August, and he lives in Neive, in the province of Cuneo, where he has worked since 2011 as an oenologist for a prestigious winery, the Cantina Bruno Giacosa. Curiously enough, he combines the profession of oenologist (which he exercises after having obtained his Bachelor’s degree with thesis on the “Chromatic Profile of the Major White Wines from Langhe and Roero” and his Master’s degree with thesis on the “Development of a Method for Monitoring Mannoprotein Yields in Wines Aged Sur Lies”) with his passion for music: he also has a Diploma in Music Theory and Solfeggio obtained from the Conservatoire Ghedini of Cuneo, and another in Complementary Piano from the Public Conservatoire of Alessandria.
Another name from Piedmont, and the third one out of three subsequent editions, following Fabrizio Torchio from Asti and Gian Luca Colombo from Turin, listed in the roll of honour of the Giulio Gambelli Award, organized by Aset (Associazione Stampa Enogastroagroalimentare Toscana, or Tuscan Food-and-Wine Press Association) and Igp (I Giovani Promettenti, or Promising Youth blog network) to honour the memory of a great “master of wine”. This year the Award is hosted by the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino, a wine and a territory that – like Chianti Classico and Nobile di Montepulciano – retain strong memories of Giulio Gambelli and his achievements.
The jury selected the winner from 16 oenologists, all strictly under 35, as per award regulations, who reached the finals out of 46 competitors recommended by a panel of 35 food-and-wine journalists. A total of forty-six wines were evaluated by a jury composed of ten judges, gathered at the headquarters of the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino. All forty-six were the expression of the typicality of the wine regions that encompass the entire territory of Italy, from Trentino to Sicily, from Piedmont to Basilicata. The judges prepared a results list showing very slight differences in a narrow range, a sure indication of the excellent work performed by the young oenologists.
“This proves – says Stefano Tesi, Chairman of Aset – that young oenologists are working to recover an authentic style. And “gambellinism” is a style, a spirit, so it cannot be precisely defined. Everyone perceives it in a different way, and that’s the beauty of the Award. It helps to understand how “gambellinism” comes across and to discuss the concept. For this reason, the prize is awarded to the work performed by the oenologists, and not to the wines, which are only a tool of judgment”.
“I was pleasantly surprised – comments the winner, Francesco Versio – when I was informed of the award. And I am deeply honoured to be here to collect it and to celebrate the memory of a man who made the history of wine in Tuscany”.
News Consortium of vino Brunello Montalcino
© Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino