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Pope Francis Made Honorary Sommelier

September 30, 2015 — When the most famous man in the world says he enjoys wine, it is something to celebrate.  That’s how Franco Maria Ricci, the president of the Italian Sommelier Association felt when Pope Francis hosted a group of 180 wine producers, vintners, sommeliers and wine writers at an event orchestrated by the Sommelier Association this past Wednesday.  Pope Francis said he is not a teetotaler and that he enjoys wine from Italy and other countries but he stressed he drinks “just a little”.  The Sommeliers gave Pope Francis a diploma as an honorary sommelier, two bottles of red wine in a wooden box, and a tastevin.  (A tastevin is a shallow silver cup, usually quite elaborate, that dates back to the 15th century.  Sommeliers in fancy restaurants often wear the tastevin on a silver chain around their necks.)

The Pope’s grandfather was a winemaker in Italy’s Piedmont region.  The Pope is quoted as remarking “Without wine, there’s no party” and “Imagine finishing up the feast drinking only tea!”  These remarks were made in reference to an oil painting of the Wedding Feast of Cana where the gospels tell us Jesus performed his first miracle turning water into wine.