La Bottiglia di Barolo
The tasting is held in the historic cellar of a Piedmont estate, among oak barriques and soft light.
What you'll learn
- Bilingual graded story
- English translation
- 6 useful words
- 6 comprehension questions
Warm-up vocabulary
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Your Italian story
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si tiene nella cantina storica di una tenuta piemontese, tra barrique di rovere e luce soffusa.
The tasting is held in the historic cellar of a Piedmont estate, among oak barriques and soft light.
Al centro, un tavolo di noce con sei calici e una bottiglia: Barolo DOCG 2016, annata di riserva.
In the center, a walnut table with six glasses and one bottle: Barolo DOCG 2016, reserve vintage.
Marco, , ha scelto personalmente quella bottiglia dalla cantina privata del proprietario.
Marco, the sommelier, personally chose that bottle from the owner's private cellar.
Tra gli ospiti c'è un signore sulla sessantina, occhi sospettosi. Assaggia, ma non commenta mai.
Among the guests is a gentleman about sixty, with suspicious eyes. He tastes, but never comments.
Marco la bottiglia con cura. Versa, annusa, assaggia. E impallidisce.
Marco opens the bottle carefully. He pours, sniffs, tastes. And turns pale.
Il vino sa di . Quella nota di muffa umida, quella chiusura olfattiva che un Barolo non dovrebbe mai avere.
The wine tastes corked. That note of damp mold, that olfactory closure that a Barolo should never have.
Il signore assaggia e dice: "Forse è normale. Forse è il terroir." Marco sa che non è vero.
The suspicious gentleman tastes and says: "Maybe it's normal. Maybe it's the terroir." Marco knows it's not true.
Marco scusa e sale in cantina. Controlla le altre bottiglie della stessa annata. Tutte perfette. Solo quella è rovinata.
Marco excuses himself and goes up to the cellar. He checks the other bottles of the same vintage. All perfect. Only that one is ruined.
Torna in sala. Gli ospiti discutono. Il signore sospettoso ora difende il vino: "Forse è aperto da troppo tempo."
He returns to the room. The guests are discussing. The suspicious gentleman now defends the wine: "Maybe it's been open too long."
Marco lo osserva. Capisce: quell'uomo non è un cliente scettico. È un enologo concorrente, assunto per screditare la cantina.
Marco observes him. He understands: that man is not a skeptical client. He's a competing oenologist hired to discredit the winery.
Marco prende un'altra bottiglia. La stessa annata, stessa provenienza. La stappa davanti a tutti.
Marco takes another bottle. Same vintage, same provenance. He uncorks it in front of everyone.
Il vino scorre nei calici. L'odore si alza: sottospirito, tabacco, cuoio, liquirizia.
The wine flows into the glasses. The scent rises: cherry in alcohol, tobacco, leather, licorice.
Il signore tace. Il terroir si sente nel vellutato, nella persistenza lunga, nel finale che resta in bocca.
The gentleman falls silent. The terroir is felt in the velvety tannin, in the long persistence, in the finish that stays in the mouth.
Marco guarda l'uomo e dice, a voce bassa ma chiara: "La prima bottiglia è stata aperta prima della degustazione. Qualcuno l'ha sostituita."
Marco looks at the man and says, in a low but clear voice: "The first bottle was opened before the tasting. Someone replaced it."
si alza, lascia e esce . Marco versa il Barolo vero. La degustazione continua.
The oenologist stands up, leaves his glass and walks out without a word. Marco pours the real Barolo. The tasting continues.
Vocabulary recap
Reading Comprehension Exercise
B2 Italian Reading Comprehension Exercises
1. Where does the tasting take place?
Correct: In the historic cellar of a Piedmont estate
The tasting takes place in the historic cellar of a Piedmont estate, among oak barrels and soft lighting.
2. What is the problem with the first bottle of Barolo?
Correct: It tastes corked — it has a musty note it shouldn't have
The wine tastes corked, with a damp musty note and an olfactory closure that a Barolo shouldn't have.
3. Who is the suspicious man in reality?
Correct: A competing oenologist hired to discredit the winery
Marco realizes that man is a competing oenologist, hired to discredit the winery.
4. What does Marco do to resolve the situation?
Correct: He takes another bottle of the same vintage and opens it in front of everyone
Marco takes another bottle of the same vintage, opens it in front of everyone, and the wine is perfect.
5. How does the competing oenologist react at the end?
Correct: He stands up, leaves his glass, and walks out without a word
The oenologist stands up, leaves his glass, and walks out without a word. The tasting continues with the real Barolo.
6. Sfida: Perché Marco non accusa direttamente l'enologo davanti a tutti?
Correct: Perché preferisce risolvere il problema con discrezione e professionalità
Marco dimostra intelligenza professionale: invece di creare una scena, risolve il problema silenziosamente sostituendo la bottiglia.
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