I was recently invited for a special tasting event of the extraordinary wines created by LUCA FEDRIGO of CANTINA L’ARCO in Verona, Italy, brought into Canada by Ernie, Frank and Tony Luchetta of TERRA LUCHETTA.
Ernie is actually dad to my fabulous photographer, Gabriella, who covers all the big special events I attend, and when she told me about her dad’s “other business” (he runs a fantastic marble company – http://www.marbletrend.com) of importing special wines from Italy, I knew I had to investigate.
The tasting was actually held out at the Marble Trend showrooms, a magnificent warehouse and office that displays some of the most stunning marble countertops, wall coverings and floorings I’ve ever seen. They cater not only to the trades and interior designers/decorators, but also to home owners and renovators wanting to upgrade to the finest materials available in Canada. I’ll post photos of the showroom at the end of this wine story.
Anyway, I was thrilled to meet winemaker Luca (below in light jacket) who was there overseeing the tastings of several red wines including a Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Pario, Rosso del Veronese, a Rubio and Recioto and the incredible Amarone (also my favourite).
Gabriella, as usual, was hard at work covering all the activities, including focusing on the details!
We were also treated to a scrumptious feast, thanks to Chef Moreno (bottom left) and Gab’s mum Teresa (below left with Gabriella)….
In between stuffing my face and sampling the wine, Ernie gave me a tour of the showroom – wow! Here are some of the spectacular chandeliers and marble products featured in Marble Trends’ showroom….
and how about this stunning copper fireplace?
And some very inventive marble vent plates
And I thought these were actual hardwood planks but…..no, these are actually porcelain pieces….can you believe the photo quality of the wood grain?
A very cool piece was this wall mounted radiator with lights and heating element behind the marble art piece. Sexy AND functional.
This one piece caught my eye – carved black marble with gold (yes, actual GOLD) inlay. Anyone got Donald Trump’s phone number?
Here are a few more photos from the showroom floor – around every corner, I found more treasures and cool displays….
If you would like more information on the Terra Luchetta wines, check out this interview with Luca on Wine Wire: http://winewire.ca/winewiretv/video_blogs/episode-154-the-arc-between-traditional-and-modern.html#.U46gPXJdWSo
BIG thank you to TERRA LUCHETTA, in particular Ernie and his daughter Gabriella.