Enjoying wine from Planeta, an Italian company in Sicily, alongside a Ferrari.

This also happened a little while ago,Cornes TurfThis is a story about when I had the opportunity to visit [Name of person/organization].

I purchased it from Cornes.Ferrari 296GTSActually, I sold it a little while ago (just saying so casually), so there are currently no Ferraris in my possession.

So, it was incredibly exciting to see so many beautiful Ferraris again after such a long time. These Ferraris, with their unbelievably glossy finish, are just so cool!

On this day, the reason I went to Cornes Shiba was to visit a prestigious winery representing Sicily, Italy.PlanetaBecause there was a tasting event for the company.

Moreover, Alessio Planeta, the owner of Planeta, will be coming to Japan, and we have the wonderful opportunity to have him personally explain the wines to us here.

Planeta originally ran a farm in southwestern Sicily, but this year marks their 30th anniversary in the wine business.

They currently produce unique wines in five different locations in Sicily, each reflecting the local soil, and I was fortunate enough to sample some of them.

The wine tasting began with a greeting and explanation of the wines from Mr. Planeta.

Planeta's most famous wine is its Chardonnay, which they have been producing for 30 years, and it is also the wine that made Planeta famous.

This is a representative Sicilian wine that is now ranked among the world's top 100.

Ms. Planeta apparently often comes to Japan for work, and she said that she always saw this Cornes lawn out of the corner of her eye, so she said, "It's a dream come true to be able to go inside and hold an event like this."

According to Planeta, Sicily is said to be one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, with wine being made there since the 25th century.

After Planeta's greeting, everyone was able to choose their favorite wine from the wine tables set up in the venue.

They also had Spumante (sparkling wine), so I'll start with that.

I was surprised when I tasted this Planeta Spumante. The carbonation was incredibly strong.

The carbonation was so strong that I even suspected it wasn't a secondary fermentation in the bottle (sorry!), but it turns out it is indeed a secondary fermentation in the bottle, and yet the carbonation is so intense it's almost tingly.

Apparently, it's rich in minerals from volcanic ash.

Next, we move on to wine.

What's amazing about Planeta's approach this time is that they've even brought along the soil from each of the five locations on Sicily where the wines are produced.

Isn't this amazing?

As you can see, when people bring soil samples from each region, you can see the differences in the soil just by looking at it, and you realize just how different they really are.

This is the 'Cerasuolo di Vittorio DOCG 2024'.

Wine from southwestern Sicily.

And this is 'Etna Rosso 2023'. I think it's in the northeast.

This is 'Mamerino 2018', which is made further northeast.

Oh, I'm sorry. I must have been drunk by then, because the soil didn't show up in the photo. I regret it.

This is 'Santa Cecilia 2022', a wine produced at the southernmost tip of Sicily.

It's amazing how the soil is completely different in both locations on the same island of Sicily. It's very clear.

And now, here is the star of the show for the day: Planeta's proud "Chardonnay 'On Fire'".

This Chardonnay bottle features a special label created to commemorate Planeta's 30th anniversary, and the label depicts a fire emoji.

This piece serves as a warning about global warming, war, and fires, and it combines these old and new communication tools. Emojis are a simple, new form of communication in the modern age, where "you can communicate with just one emoji," while wine is a tool that enriches communication by connecting people through actual drinking together.

Furthermore, this Chardonnay, specifically the 2024 vintage, was specially produced in a limited edition of only 300 serial-numbered jeroboam (3L) bottles worldwide.

This is a purely charity event, with all proceeds going to 100%, which will be used to improve the landscape of the Selinunte Archaeological Park, an ancient Greek city ruin located in southwestern Sicily.

What's so wonderful is Planeta's desire to "revive the ruins that were destroyed by fire, this time using Planeta's flames."

On this particular day, we were able to sample both the 2024 and, surprisingly, the 2012 vintages of this Chardonnay, "On Fire."

A 2012 vintage is already 14 years old.

Vintage white wines are quite rare, but this one is said to be a wine that you can enjoy changing even after 10 years, and when I actually tasted it, it was truly delicious.

The one on the left is from 2012, and the one on the right is from 2024 ↓

The 2012 vintage had a deeper color, and the flavor had a stronger honey-like aroma, which was absolutely wonderful.

This time, we were told that only 15 of the 300 Jeroboam (3L) charity bottles of On Fire Chardonnay available for purchase in Japan out of a total of 300 worldwide, so we decided to buy one.

Because, you see, this isn't just a donation; if you donate (purchase) it, your name will be engraved on the walking path at the ruins (it seems to be on a plaque).

Not only will I be able to participate in a part of this charity project to revive and protect the ruins, but I will also have my names preserved at the site. I would like to have my children's names included so that in the future I can tell them, "One day, go to Sicily and find your names."

Perhaps because I purchased this Jeroboam bottle, I also received this tote bag with a flame emoji on it. It's surprisingly simple in design, but incredibly cute, so I'm using it to store my child's school supplies. It's so cute!

Well, once again, I was treated to a lot of drinks that day, and I had a really great time.

It was a pleasure to meet and talk with the sales representative from Cornes' Ferrari division after a long time.

*I had the opportunity to sample various wines pictured, and I made sure to finish every last drop.

Oh yes, on that day they also served finger foods paired with wine.

Both were delicious.

They also have a variety of Sicilian-inspired dishes.

Yes, and I also found out that day that actually a little before this eventRosé wine tasting event at Porsche Studio GinzaThere was a rosé wine from Planeta, and since they were serving it there, I had already been drinking Planeta's wine.

On this day, as in the previous day,A tasting event for California wine "RAEN"Following that, it was a very delicious and enjoyable gathering. Thank you very much!

On the way home, I enjoyed the sight of Cornes' Lamborghini showroom, located right in front of Cornes Shiba Ferrari, illuminated at night. The Lamborghini was also incredibly beautiful.

I'm looking forward to the day when I can open the Jeroboam bottle of Chardonnay on Fire that I bought this time...maybe 10 years from now? And I'm also looking forward to the day when I can see my name inscribed on a ruin in Sicily.

Thank you to Cornes for always giving me the opportunity to have such wonderful experiences, and to Planeta and all the importers for letting me enjoy so many delicious wines!

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