About
Silvia
I grew up in Florence,
Italy and I was literally surrounded by the culture of wine.
When I enrolled at the University of Media & Journalism in Florence, I wrote for a local wine magazine for about 3 years, until 2012.
I always had a passion for food which then developed into wine. As a young Italian woman a vodka lemon was my tipple of choice because the Sangiovese flavours that thrive in the hills of Florence took a while to grow on me.
Travelling through vineyards to interview winemakers for the magazine made me realise that certain qualifications were required to progress in the wine industry. So in 2012 I completed my Level 3 AIS wine qualification.
In my spare time I attended food festivals and fairs in Florence where I became familiar with different flavours and pairings. My passion was growing and I could feel that I wanted to learn more, I wanted to make this passion a career.
At the age of 25 I began working for a food and wine marketing agency and various local wine bars. The agency was my first step towards combining my university education with my passion for wine.
An insatiable curiosity drove my thirst for knowledge and after an exciting year I realised that I wanted to progress my education in London. So in 2013 I landed in the big city to broaden my knowledge of wine and progress my career.
For the first 3 years in London I worked as a wine specialist at Bedales Wines. In 2014 I completed my WSET Level 3 qualification and a year later I became a certified Educator.
Since 2015 I’ve been a WSET Approved Programme Provider, holding Levels 1 & 2.
I recently joined the training department at Berkmann Wine Cellars called Veraison, which provides wine training tailored to the hospitality sector, as well as WSET courses.
Wine is travelling, exploring, learning.
Wine is poetry and magic.
Like me, unassuming at first, then exuberant.
A trip to South Africa was all it took to make a dream become Divino in Vino.
As I travelled through the diverse landscapes, I realised that wine is indeed a very rooted product, which at times can be forgotten.
The simple act of walking through a vineyard, picking grapes or talking to local wine producers cemented my understanding of the process, the complexity and the inherent beauty behind a bottle of wine.
Wine is rustic; it has something fascinating that takes you back to traditions and true values.