“In Vino Veritas” — Il Gusto 29/03/23
I first felt the ” sacred ” presence in the bread and wine at my First Communion ceremony. First actual participation in a spiritual banquet. Religious rituals and powerful symbols. The transformation of life into another life. The body, the blood, the soul, and the sacredness of a moment that has spanned history: Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Etruscans, Romans; sap that unites the peoples of the “Mare Nostrum,” enriches the banquet and nourishes our identity.
This strange juncture between body and spirit has since gone beyond matters of faith, returning to me enriched with many other meanings. Keeping its material and divine substance intact but showing itself to my eyes as the body and soul of the Mediterranean, capable of shaping landscapes and making us appreciate the taste, value, and uniqueness of a “terroir.” As the nourishment of our history and an emblematic element of our “food identity.” Wine is a source of prosperity, flowing through the veins of our Lands, nourishing conviviality and accompanying the rites of encounter. Yet, its sacredness has recently been desecrated by labeling that sanctions its “dangers,” and its earthly nature has been endangered by global warming.