Wines of Italy: An Exploration

Following completion of her law degree at Università degli Studi of Rome, Daniela became a certified sommelier through AIS, one of most important international wine associations. She then went on to continue her studies and earned several wine Master’s degrees in France. In 2006 and 2007 she worked for the commission board of AIS evaluating candidates for sommelier exams. In 2008 she started to work as a writer and wine taster with Edizioni Estemporanee, an Italian wine publisher, and she began to manage Comptoir de France (a fine wine shop specializing in French wine in Rome and Milan). In addition to her work with Context, Daniela is currently teaching the Wines of France at the Saint Louis de France Cultural Institute in Rome, leading wine tastings for a variety of organizations, alongside her work for Edizioni Estemporanee and Comptoir de France.

Simona is a native Roman who completed her degree in archaeology at the Sapienza University of Rome. She obtained her PhD in 2005 with a focus on the study of the topography of ancient Mesopotamian towns. She first arrived in Berlin in 2003 while writing her dissertation, and since then has divided her life between Rome and Berlin. Her interests vary between research activities (excavations, international congresses, and scientific publications) and teaching. In her university years she created a cultural association with some colleagues where she led tours in Rome and abroad, gaining a deep knowledge of archaeology in countries such as Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, and Libya. In 2009 she became a Fellow of the Freie Universitaet in Berlin working on a project focused on the landscape in the Jazirah area (northern Syria) and started to collaborate with the German archaeological team working in Tell Fecheriye. She also developed a great interest for wine studies and in 2003 she earned a diploma as Wine Taster at the AIS (Associazione Italiana Sommelier). Subsequently she organized and led tours with the AIS in Sicily and Piedmont and worked as a wine taster for their wine guidebook. She is currently pursuing a Diploma in Wine and Spirits at the University of Geisenheim (WSET 4).

Jacopo graduated from La Sapienza University in Rome with a degree in Medieval History. After his studies, he started working for a publishing company. He has always had a passion for camping trips (starting at a young age when his father bought a motorhome) and he converted his love of the outdoors and an interest in food into a cookbook for camping stoves. From here, his career as a food writer was born. Jacopo is currently completing his professional sommelier accreditation.