A day of wines

The invitation to taste Italian wines at a Beijing show sponsored by culinary publisher Gambero Rosso on Friday was irresistible: "We'll have over 1,000 bottles!" promised show host Richard Wu, editor of Global Gourmet magazine, formerly known as New Western Cuisine. The Top Italian Wines Road Show featured a good mix of wines already in China as well as those hunting for distributors. "A glass of wine is a glass of love," cooed Giuseppe Rao, the Italian embassy's counselor for Expo Milan 2015, noting that Italy is the biggest exporter of wine in the world. Gambero Rosso's respected guide to wines will be published in Chinese later this summer, the company announced at the event with its local partner China Custom Press. The Chinese capital was the final stop for the tour, which also visited Osaka, Istanbul, Houston, Mexico City, and Taipei. The event at the Four Seasons Beijing featured Italian delicacies prepared by Marco Calenzo, chef de cuisine at the hotel restaurant Mio.