DIVINO TUSCANY wraps up with over 200 top vintages from over 50 Tuscan wineries

DIVINO TUSCANY wraps up with over 200 top vintages from over 50 Tuscan wineries
The on-and-off light rain only added to the charm and atmosphere of the final afternoon of the festival, as Sting surprised guests with his rendition of An Englishman in New York, performed as a duet with Isabel Suckling, the 14-year old British singing sensation and daughter of acclaimed wine critic and Divino Tuscany creator, James Suckling. Cuban music by world-renowned jazz pianist Ernán López Nussa added to the festive tone of this beautifully catered luncheon.

James Suckling, who hosted Divino Tuscany with Ned Goodwin, led the tastings throughout the weekend at the Villa Cora, which featured over 200 top vintages from over 50 Tuscan wineries. The event also offered dinners by Italy's best chefs, including Annie Feolde of Florence's three-star restaurant, Enoteca Pinchiorri. Over 350 wine enthusiasts attended Divino Tuscany 2012 from around the world—Switzerland, England, the U.S., Russia, Brazil, Australia, India, Germany, France, Canada and Sweden.

During this extraordinary weekend, the city of Florence was as much a star as the wine and food! A vibrant and alluring international destination, the city is now recognized by international press as one of the top five places in the world to visit. The capital of Tuscany, one of the lushest regions of Italy producing some of the world’s finest wines and a cuisine that is internationally renowned, Florence’s incomparable culture creates a lifestyle that is irresistible to sophisticated travelers around the world.

The nineteenth century Grand Hotel Villa Cora, one of Florence’s newest 5-star luxury hotels and newly restored to its original Baroque splendor, was the ideal setting for Divino Tuscany’s welcome dinner, which was followed by a grappa tasting and Cuban cigars, as well as the Italian premier of Heart & Soul of Cuba, a documentary shot in Havana by James Suckling and James Orr about the art of Cuban cigar making. The hotel also hosted the two days of the Grand Tasting, private tastings with the winemakers that James Suckling personally invited for this intimate experience. The Gala Dinner was hosted at the opulent Palazzo Corsini on the banks of the Arno River, which is a late baroque palace with beautifully preserved stuccoes and frescoes, emulating classic Florentine architecture and painting.