MADE IN PIEDMONT – WINE TASTING – PRIVATE
Starting in 2026, Karina Imschoot and Made In Piedmont Wines will be organizing wine tastings throughout the Benelux region for private groups and companies, for groups of 12 or more people, in Dutch, French, English, and Italian.
Your sommelier will be Karina Imschoot, who completed a three-year sommelier program at Italy’s most renowned institute, the Associazione Italia Sommelier. By the way, this is an “accredited” institute and not a private initiative—unlike the many that unfortunately exist in Piedmont and other regions. Everyone wants to make money from the “business” of wine; that much is clear.
AIS—the abbreviation for Associazione Italiana Sommelier —celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, having trained more than 40,000 sommeliers throughout Italy.
Your Piedmont Expert—Karina Imschoot— lived in Piedmont from 2012 to 2019: three years in Barbaresco, three years in Barolo, and the remainder of that time in Zoalengo (Monferrato). So, as a resident of Piedmont, it made sense for her to complete her three-year sommelier training in Piedmont—in Italian, by the way. Not at the AIS Alba branch, but at AIS Torino (AIS Piemonte), because the quality of the training and the wines available for tasting there was at a much higher level.
Prior to this training, Karina had already spent three years gaining practical experience under the expert guidance of Piedmont expert Francesco Gaja, Angelo Gaja’s nephew.
It was Francesco Gaja who would pop into Barbaresco a few times a week with new bottles straight from the barrel, sourced from all over Piedmont.
Now 81 years old and a graduate enologist, Francesco Gaja possessed a wealth of knowledge that, back in 2013, was still uncharted territory for Karina. Karina had the opportunity to attend private dinners hosted by top-tier winemakers from Barolo & Barbaresco, Roero, Astigiano, and Monferrato—and to gain all this knowledge directly from the source.
She pursued her sommelier trainingsolely to organize everything into a clear and highly detailed framework—and, of course, to earn a diploma.
As a former Piedmontese—one of the locals, and thus one of their own among the winemakers and others—Karina Imschoot has a few hundred anecdotes to make a technical subject fascinating. And who knows—maybe some secrets will come to light???
What does a tasting like this look like?
The Made In Piedmont Wines team provides all the necessary materials, such as glasses, spittoons, documentation, ice packs for white, rosé, and spumante wines, and a printout of the PowerPoint presentation.
Instead of bread, we provide grissini, just as is done in Piedmont
All quotes are customized: this “customization” includes Karina Imschoot’s fee for the presentation, transportation, and any overnight stay; the number of sommeliers on-site to serve the wines; the materials; and the wines to be presented as agreed upon.
If 8 wines are selected—bearing in mind that Karina Imschoot will give an introduction and closing remarks, which take about 15 minutes—a minimum of 2 hours should be allocated. Each additional wine adds 10 minutes.
Very important: even someone who isn’t a Piedmont wine connoisseur will have everything explained in the most accessible language. No WSET jargon—just the kind of explanation that sommeliers in Italy receive at the start of their training, without any prior knowledge.
Suggestions for a few themes
Barolo/Barbaresco versus Alto Piemonte; Ghemme, Gattinara, and DOCs from Alto Piemonte: Sizzano, Boca, Fara, Lessona, Bramattera, Coste della Sesia (8 wines, with the option to expand to include Vespolina, Uva Rara, Erbaluce, and Spumante Erbaluce)
Barolo & Barbaresco: highlighting the differences in soil structures, the resulting characteristics in the bottle, and the various villages where production takes place
But of course, we’re open to your suggestions—there’s nothing better than “listening” to your wishes and working together to create a unique experience for your guests.
One more thing: Before she launched her agency, Italia Incentives, in Piedmont (originally organizing wine & food events throughout Italy), so her expertise in taking your event to the next level is automatically our top priority.
We look forward to meeting you and your audience and making it a unique Piedmont event!
All inquiries can be sent to sales@madeinpiedmont-wines.be. The clearer you are as an organizer, the more “to the point” the Made In Piedmont Wines team can make your quote.
The Made In Piedmont Wines Team and Karina
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