Opening a Bottle

07/08/2026

Alto Adige doesn’t chase volume — the land won’t let it. 🏔️🍇

Yesterday I hosted a Brand Ambassador class for wine professionals at Birch Road Highlands Denver, digging into what actually makes this region a benchmark for quality — through Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and especially Pinot Bianco and Pinot Noir.

A few takeaways from the tasting:

🇦🇹🇮🇹Culture — Austrian roots run deep here, and that heritage shapes everything from vineyard discipline to winemaking philosophy. Sprinkle in Italian and French influences and things get endlessly fascinating.

🤝 Organization — cooperatives, estates, and independent producers are all structurally incentivized toward quality over quantity. Everyone’s rowing in the same direction.

💡Innovation — climate change is forcing real adaptation, and Alto Adige producers are meeting it head-on, rather fearlessly I might add.

⛰️ Landscape — above all, the mountains dictate everything. Steep slopes, dramatic altitude shifts, and limited plantable land mean little room for error and — as a result — more care for the vineyards and the process.

Huge thanks to and the following producers for the incredible lineup we poured:

 
 .winery 
 
 
 .lageder

If you haven’t spent real time with Alto Adige’s Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Noir wines, it’s time to change that. You’ll be rewarded with insane quality and in many cases, great value. 🇮🇹🥂

06/11/2026

Last week, I was proud to present a masterclass to 9 of Denver’s top wine professionals on the Schiava and Lagrein wines of . I shared stories, history, culture and context surrounding these beautiful indigenous red grapes. We discussed how closely Alto Adige’s topography mirrors Colorado’s (but not climate of course), and we compared the differences between chilled and traditional red serving temperatures across six different benchmark wines.

Best of all? When asked what their favorite wine was, each of the six wines got a mention. For me, its a sign that this category of wines is versatile but focused and ready for its moment.

Next up? A Masterclass on Alto Adige’s Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Noir on July 7. Most of the seats are filled for this intimate, peer-to-peer class, but reach out if you are a Denver wine pro and interested in attending.

06/04/2026

Yesterday I hosted nine Denver wine professionals for an intimate comparison tasting and masterclass on the indigenous red grapes of — the lean, tart and evocative Schiava (aka Vernatsch) and the plummy, dark and spicy Lagrein.

I was proud to showcase my imagery from April’s immersion trip with the four other Brand Ambassadors of and open the floor to discussion on how these wines work with a slight chill, and how they can support by-the-glass programs. Thank you to those who attended for sharing their experiences and keen insights. It was cool to hear that Schiava and Lagrein are already getting some BTG love on Denver wine menus.

Thanks also to .winery and for providing your beautiful wines to this educational trade tasting. The enthusiasm in the room was palpable.

My next Alto Adige Masterclass will be on July 7 focused on the region’s Pinots (white and red). Only a few spaces remain but I will run a waitlist so DM me if you are interested.

03/25/2026

Four reasons to fall in love with Collio, Italy 👇
🥂 To Know the Collio is to Love the Collio
🥂 Collio's Rising Star: Tamara Podversic
🥂 Collio Friulano: Buy It Now, Thank Yourself in 5 Years
🥂 Collio Bianco: Two Schools of Thought, No Wrong Answers

Special coverage on one of northeastern Italy's most beautiful — and most overlooked — wine regions is live now.

Visit: https://www.openingabottle.com🥂

03/17/2026

What’s new on the home page of openingabottle.com this week. 🤓

For those of you new to what I do: I am a wine writer and photojournalist, published author, certified Wine Scholar (3x over 🇮🇹🇫🇷🇪🇸) via , and Certified Advisor who plans wine vacations for my readers and paying subscribers. I am also a public speaker and will announce soon that I am a brand ambassador for a major Italian wine region 🤫 (coming soon).

Opening a Bottle is the hub, an in-depth photo-rich magazine on European wine that I have been producing for 12 years. There is a special focus on Italian wine, where my connections are deepest.

Nice to meet you. If you are new (or not), leave a comment and tell me your favorite cheese. Because why not?

Link in bio.

03/13/2026

“Nowadays, there is always the problem in the world of wine that we divide the vineyard from the cellar. They should never be divided, for wine is a communication between the two.”

My latest for Opening a Bottle on the compelling new winemaker at the helm at Damijan Podversic ... his daughter, Tamara.

Meet Tamara Podversic, one of Italy’s most talented young winemakers who is taking over her family estate in Collio from her father, Damijan.

03/12/2026

Opening a Bottle’s Kevin Day has been nominated as “Author of the Year” by the Wine Travel Awards for his book 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦: 𝘐𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘺.

Please take a moment and cast a public vote on the link below. Finalists proceed to a judging panel. Thank you!

Kevin Day is a wine writer, photojournalist and certified travel advisor with a focus on Italy, France, Spain and Austria. He lives in Denver, CO where he conducts classes, seminars and wine dinners, and advises on private collections.

03/02/2026

I am excited to now be offering travel-planning services to Opening a Bottle readers. Do you have a complex trip to Europe that you want to finally make happen?

Want the inside track on the best wineries and cultural sites to visit in Italy (without contributing to overtourism)?

My thoughtful approach and curatorial taste for authentic experiences might be exactly what your next trip needs. Imagine arriving somewhere and already knowing which wine bar to visit, which cellar to descend into, and which back road leads to an unforgettable vantage point. That's what I'm here to help you find.

Connect with me via the link below. Members of Opening a Bottle qualify for a $100 credit toward travel-planning services.

Pack your passion for wine and discover a new way to travel with Opening a Bottle’s travel planning services powered by Fora.

02/17/2026

That concludes the Chianti Classico Collection. 🇮🇹🍷

Thank you for continuing to raise the bar on what a two-day wine event can be. This consortium is not only well organized, but it is clearly backed by a community of producers all striving to push things forward, which is reflected in the wines year after year. When I come to Florence every February, I am constantly amazed by all the new discoveries, the different but authentic interpretations of grape and terroir, and the willingness to share this place with the world. That’s a trifecta that few wines regions have; they might have one or two of those items, but rarely all three.

My reports will be coming soon, but for now, I leave this photo collage of some highlights from Stazione Leopolda. Until next time, Friends of the Gallo Nero!