b'S E C T I O N H E A D E RTell us a bit about yourself and how you gotOne of the great joys of working with him into the hospitality side of the wine industry? was that he was open to stocking wines from I suppose you could say that Ive always workedother regions and this inspired me to study for in the field of hospitality as my father ownedthe Italian equivalent of the WSET. I studied a shop in Albania where I helped him when Ithree evenings a week and each course was six was very young. Thats where I grew up, butmonths longso it was quite a commitment, we moved to Italy when I was about 14. As youbut it really broadened my horizons and gave probably know, Italy is full of small bars that areme a an AIS diploma (Associazione Italiana almost an extension of the family house and ISommelier).worked in a selection of bars there. After the course finished, I decided it was The last one I worked at, called Vacchetta,time to move on and experience life in a more Pasticceria- Enoteca, was located betweenprestigious restaurant. So, I moved to the Florence and Pisa in Tuscany and had twoEmilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, where owners. The first, Paolo Seghetti, was veryI started work in a thirty room, family run hotel young and an excellent pastry chef while thecalled the Hotel Toscormagnolo, which had held other, Alessandro Cavallini, had a real passiona Michelin star since 1983. The hotel, which for wine. It was he who first introduced me towas run by Paolo Teverini, had 3 restaurants, the world of wine and became my inspiration towas situated in a small village called Bagno di pursue a career in it. He would often host wineRomagna. Its thermal waters meant that the hotel dinners for wine connoisseurs and regulars atalso had a spa which Paolo ran with his family Vacchetta, where we would match wines toran, thus offering their customers the perfect beautiful homemade cooking. The way in whichgetaway experience.this was done was extremely professional and IAlthough he was a chef, Paolo was passionate was mesmerised by it. about wine and had what was widely regarded Fine Wine news from Fells 31'