L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 6 LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY B acchus Uncorked is a new occasional series, held at the Getty Villa, in Malibu, that focuses on the rites and traditions around wine in the ancient Roman and Greek world. This program - that artfully combines talks by experts in archaeology with sommelier-led wine tastings - was born last year as accompaniment to the exhibi- tion "Ancient Luxury and the Roman Silver Treasure from Berthouville" (then covered by L'Italo-Americano). This summer's Vines and Volcanoes' talks/tastings by British archaeologist Paul Roberts and Italian sommelier Diego Meraviglia, complement the current Getty Villa's exhibi- tion "Roman Mosaics Across the Empire" (again reviewed by L'Italo-Americano). Let's get to know better Italian-born, LA-based sommeli- er Diego Meraviglia, whose Gaulish ancestors might be the real originator of wine as the drink, that is way more important than a mere accompaniment to our meals. Please, introduce yourself. What is your cultural back- ground and how did you grow passionate about wine? I have been very lucky in life to experience a vast and diverse background. I was born in Northern Italy, on the border between Lombardy and Piedmont, but my father trav- elled regularly for work and I experienced living in multiple places on Earth, from Dubai to Japan and then back to Europe, where I finished my studies before relocating to the United States in 2006. Growing up amongst vine- yards in Piedmont and my father's passion for good food and wine, my interest and subse- quent pursue of a career in the wine industry felt totally natural. I attended some introductory courses in Monza, Italy before enrolling into the 3-Level certi- fied Sommelier school in Milan (with the Italian Sommelier Association), followed by vari- ous masters and further studies and specializations both in Italy and the United States. What really fascinated me was the energy behind wine, the spirituality of it. The fact it is the only product in the world that can really connect man and nature. To me wine is truly sacred. It is also one of the industries with the nicest and purest human beings you could meet. Tell us more about your position as Vice President & Director of Education at North American Sommelier Association (NASA), which you co-founded as well. The North American Sommelier Association (NASA) was born around 2010, when we realized that there was a need in the educational market for a deeper, more diligent and more hands-on approach to wine edu- cation and culture in the USA. We hated the elitism, snob- bery and "unreachable" aspect of what was present back then and decided to open a school that was way more fun, enjoy- able and accessible, without the politics and the "special inter- ests". We had already very strong links with the Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS) in Italy, and we began by opening a chapter here in Los Angeles, which then evolved into what NASA is today as one of the main Sommelier and wine edu- cating entities in North America, with courses and classes throughout the continent, includ- ing Canada, and cooperate in China and other nations as well. I was voted in as Vice President and have been the designer/choreographer of the majority of courses we offer, with the precious aid of a fantas- tic team of passionate and quali- fied individuals, amongst the best this nation offers. What are your impressions and takeaways from the just concluded event, "Vines and Volcanoes," at the Getty Villa? It was an immense honor for me! The Getty is truly one of the world's most notable museums and to have had the opportunity to speak at such a heavy-weight cultural and academic institution was really an achievement. The staff was superb and my co-speaker, archaeologist Dr. Paul Roberts was amazing. The setting was unbeatable and it definitely will remain in my fondest memories. An archeology lover, you are the developer of the signa- ture seminar "The Celts and wine: an archeological research into the deepest roots of European wine." Please, elaborate on that. I have already developed the seminar and have given this class a handful of times. The idea is to create a web- site and write a book about a shocking discovery and a revo- lutionary theory both in archae- ology and the history of wine. It has always been believed in his- tory that wine was spread North Vines and Volcanoes at the Getty Villa: Here is Why the Ancients Were Right! of Rome by the Romans as they expanded and invaded neighbor- ing lands. This is correct up to a certain point, but recently unearthed evi- dence has proven that the Celtic (Gaulish) populations of Northern Italy were already pro- ducing, consuming and enjoying wine with very unique and sig- nificant characteristics way before Roman arrival. This was probably due to their Etruscan contacts. My purpose has been to sum- marize these finding and put them into context. I have been working with many academics in the area and hope to finish the project soon. As a descendant of those Gauls, it is about my her- itage. And now let's hear some pearls of wisdom and let's get "infected" by archaeological pas- sion, from eminent British cura- tor, Dr. Paul Roberts: What is your cultural back- ground? How did you grow fascinated by Ancient Greek/Roman archeology? I grew up in the west of England, in Herefordshire, near the border with Wales. As a young boy, I was fascinated by dinosaurs, Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. One wonderful year (1972), I started volunteering on an archaeological dig in a local city, Gloucester. I used to help dig up the ancient Roman remains and then used to help wash the pot- tery and the bricks and the stones. It really helped me get a feel for the past - right on my own doorstep. At the end of that year, my mother - who loved history and travelling - took us to the won- derful city of Athens, Greece, and I saw the beautiful Parthenon - the temple of Goddess Athena. My actual life turning point occurred in 1976, when my mom took us to Italy. I saw Pompeii, Herculaneum and Rome and my future as a Roman archaeologist was decided! Between 1994 and 2015, I was curator of Roman archaeolo- gy at the British Museum, in London. I could only have done this with the inspiration that comes from Italy itself. Since Spring 2015, I have been the Sackler Keeper of the antiquities Department of the Ashmolean Museum in the University of Oxford. Please, elaborate on the years you spent in Italy? I visited Italy several times on holiday and then, in 1983-85, I moved to Novara near Milan as an English teacher. I loved the area, rich in lakes and mountains, had a great time and learnt Italian - which was going to be very useful. Between 1985 and 1993, I lived in and around Rome for about three and a half years, vis- iting frequently the little-known area of Molise, filled with archaeology. For an archaeologist, Rome is heaven - there is nowhere in the world like it. From 1994, when I started working at the British Museum, to 2013, when I opened my exhibition there on Pompeii and Herculaneum, I spent about a year and a half - a month here, a month there, in Naples, Sicily, Lazio. Please, sum up for us the speech you gave at the Getty Villa. The talks at the Getty Villa looked at the eastern origins of wine in the ancient world, its arrival in Greece and, then, its diffusion to the west, the new world of Magna Graecia (Great Greece), the rich and fertile lands of Sicily and Southern Italy. The soil of these areas is so rich thanks to the volcanic soil of Mount Etna and Mount Vesuvius, allowing vines to achieve a quality and quantity unparalleled in the old Greek world. Wine became central to society - not only for drinking at table, but for drinking to the gods (Dionysus for the Greeks and Bacchus for the Romans). First, we looked at several examples of shipwrecks in the new exhibition at the Ashmolean - Greek ships filled with drinking vessels and wine amphorae - on their way to the markets of Sicily. Heading back to the Bay of Naples, we examined how the Romans really industrialized wine production, sending vast quantities all over their empire. After offerings to Bacchus, it comes the banquet. Fine wines - mixed with water and herbs, because the pitched interior of the amphorae gave a funny fla- vor - served in fine silver, and guests - men and women togeth- er (as it is custom in Rome, not Greece) – reclining, drinking and singing. We concluded our tour with the mosaic of a skeleton, from a dining room in Pompeii. He advances, grinning menacingly, there is nothing we can do, death is coming. Don't be afraid! He is carry- ing the wine jugs, reminding us to seize the day ("carpe diem"), by enjoying pleasures of life. LA-based Italian Sommelier Diego Meraviglia. Photo Courtesy of D. Meraviglia VALERIO VIALE

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