After having taken their rigorous final exams, the only thing that remained for the new sommeliers of the AIS Florence delegation was the awards ceremony. Davide Ritrovati, Riccardo Gavelli and Marco Seminara, placed first, second and third place in a competition among the recent graduating sommeliers. The event, is now in its fifth year and supports young people who are passionate about wine and seek to convert their passion into a career. The scholarship is the brainchild of Antonella D’Isanto, founder of I Balzini Winery.
The I Balzini Scholarship has already discovered new talent in the industry. The winner of the first edition in 2014 was Simone Loguercio, was recently recognized as the Best Italian Sommelier. The Awards Ceremony took place on Sunday, December 2nd, during the Food and Wine in Progress Fair. The venue for the event was the central stage in Florence’s original train station, historic Stazione Leopolda. Antonella D’Isanto and her daughter Diana, who now runs I Balzini Winery, presented the three winners their prizes – a plaque and a check of €700.00 to Ritrovati, who finished in first place, a Double Magnum I Balzini White Label bottle, the winery’s historic wine, for second place finisher Gavelli and a Magnum I Balzini White Label bottle, for Seminara, who finished in third place.
