NEED A GREAT, EXPERIENCED ENGLISH TEACHER OR PERSONAL TUTOR? Contact Teacher Jack!
WORLD'S SMALLEST VINEYARD MAKES ONLY 29 BOTTLES OF WINE A YEAR
At
just under 20 square meters in size and a yearly yield of 29 bottles
of wine,
Via Mari 10 is considered the world’s smallest vineyard.
Located on the rooftop of a 16th-century palace in the heart of Reggio Emilia, Via Mari 10 – named after its street and number – is not your average vineyard. Not only is it incredibly small in size; it also has an extremely tiny yearly yield of wine. However, the most peculiar thing about the Via Mari 10 wine is that you are not supposed to drink it.
The owner of the vineyard considers the 29 or so bottles of wine produced every year as works of art that should be collected and admired rather than consumed. That is kind of a problem, considering that you are paying €5,000 (USD$5,000) for a bottle of wine you are not even supposed to drink.
“My wine is a form of artistic expression, a philosophical statement, something to keep in your living room so you can chat about it with your friends and tell them about the lunatic who put a vineyard on his rooftop,” Tulio Masoni, the owner of Via Mari 10, said. “If you see a bicycle wheel in a living room rather than in a repair shop, you realize how beautiful it is. My vineyard is like that. It is unexpected; it stimulates the brain; it sparks new thoughts.”
Masoni started the unusual vineyard after selling a countryside vineyard he had inherited from his father. At the time, he thought operating a vineyard wouldn’t make any financial sense, but he later regretted it, so he decided to start his own miniature vineyard on top of his house.
The grape vines that make up Via Mari 10 are fed with eggs, bananas, seaweed, and nightingale droppings, as well as city noise, which Masoni insists gives them an edge over countryside grape vines. However, that does not count for much, considering that you are not supposed to drink the wine.
“I’m the only wine producer in the world who says you shouldn’t drink his wine,” Masoni says.
Via Mari 10 wine bottles cannot be purchased at regular wine shops or even at the tiny vineyard itself. Instead, they are offered through the local Bonioni Art Gallery. If the cost sounds high for a bottle of wine, think of it as a rare artwork.
According to the Bonioni website, ten Via Mari 10 wine bottles are still available from its latest vintage (2019), with all previous yields being sold out. However, Masoni points out that not all of them were actually bought. Many were offered by the gallery as gifts to loyal clients.
And just in case you are curious what this incredibly exclusive red wine tastes like, Masoni claims that “at the first sip you get a lot of confusion, but after a few seconds something comes alive in your mouth that opens up your mind to a new dimension.” But, since you are not supposed to drink the wine, you will just have to take his word for it.
LEARNING TOOLS
English questions about this article or about English in general?
Ask Teacher Jack at: asktjack1@gmail.com
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PAGES:
ARCHIVE/JOKES TEACHER JACK IDIOMS ENGLISH FACTS
NEED A GREAT, EXPERIENCED ENGLISH TEACHER OR PERSONAL TUTOR? Contact Teacher Jack!
Facebook: Full Spectrum English Tutor Teacher Jack
ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW AT
Offbeat English
https://linggle-offbeatenglish.blogspot.com/
COME BACK SOON!