“La vie en rose” of Italian wine

You drink it, you sniff its bouquet, remember and are transported home. Wine is miraculous in this way as well, because its aroma can evoke the land where you were born, no matter where you happen to be at the time. You might be in Holland, on a classic Erasmus exchange, and maybe you haven’t delved into the wonders of winetasting yet, but that first glass, one day long ago among the tulips, was about to change your life. This is exactly what happened to Mirko Razzini, our thirty-something Head Sommelier of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, responsible for curating the wine list in all of our restaurants: from La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi to L’Escale, from Giacomo al Lago to Kitchen, our Michelin-starred gem just outside the center of Como town, and now the mastermind behind the new wine cellar of Villa Malpensata nestled in the garden of the Grand. Under the vaulted brick ceiling of this magnificent eighteenth-century mansion, with its elegant interplay of wood and wrought iron, he has assembled a remarkable collection of wines that recount Italy’s rich history of winemaking tradition, with special attention to the great wineries of Lombardy, Tuscany and across the alps among the historic vines of Burgundy. Five hundred labels on the menu, giving rise to a most original and captivating series of tastings, the wines always paired with a charcuterie board of regional specialties handpicked by our Chef.

Perhaps a few words about Mirko and his professional pedigree first, starting with the master’s degree in “Italian wines and world markets” from Pisa’s Universitá Sant’Anna, moving through a stint at the Tenuta di Ghizzano winery near Pisa, Switzerland, then Bordeaux, at Michel Guérard’s three-star Michelin Table des Prés d’Eugénie, and a long period in England. Quite a romantic himself, Mirko Razzini loves history, particularly that of nineteenth-century France and the entire Romanticism Movement. This may be the reason he is so drawn to those producers who changed the course of winemaking history with their passion and tenacity. The rule? Think big or think small, where small means wines cultivated on individual vineyard plots, wines that give you a taste of the “autobiography” of each region and each family of producers. Where will this journey take us? Above all Lombardy, our chosen homeland. The first stop is Oltrepò Pavese, “which for me is just as beautiful as Burgundy,” says Piacenza-born Mirko, praising its soft succession of hills, rows of vines, small villages and family-run yet sophisticated wineries such as Molino di Rovescala. A sip of Madone, a classic Malvasia of utter freshness, before we return to “the roots” and head to Valtellina. “This is where we really enter the heroic heart of our winemaking culture, at the foot of fearsome mountains, with terraced vineyards that produce honest, rocky, skeletal wines that taste of the earth’s minerality. These wines may not be for everyone, but certainly for those in the know,” Mirko continues. “My favorite winery there is Arpepe, a family of true trailblazers who started a revolution twenty years ago. Their reds—Sassella Rocce Rosse, Sassella Nuova Regina and Grumello Buon Consiglio—are real masterpieces.” And what about Tuscany, will we also go there? “Of course, and to ease the transition I might recommend a monothematic tasting of Nebbiolo, for example, featuring a bottle from Valtellina, one from Barbaresco and one from Barolo, before broadening our horizons to three triumphant Sangiovese varieties, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Montepulciano.”

Grand Hotel Tremezzo sits on Lake Como, which the Romantics chose as their destination of choice. What might Mirko propose to give a romantic dinner the right bouquet? “We must bow to the masters, vive la France! On the menu, I have a signature selection, from a 1982 Chateau Cos d’Estournel to wines from the enchanting village of Chambolle Musigny, the pearl of Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. One taste of Mark Haisma’s Chambolle Musigny Les Fusselottes and you will find eternal love.” And to start the new year off with a bang? “My apologies to the greats across the alps, and by that I mean our friends in Champagne, but the bubbles of Franciacorta are well able to hold their own! Besides, a bit of local patronage is never a bad thing.” A toast with a glass of Bokè Rosé from Villa Franciacorta and 2025 is truly our “Vie en rose”.