What Casanova Drank: On Refosco, Forgotten Grapes, and Being Seduced by Wine
A famous libertine, an obscure Istrian grape, and the strange thread connecting 18th-century Venice to the first vineyards of Napa Valley.
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Wine Writing & Sommelier Notes
Exploring wine as language.
Tasting notes, regional deep dives, and the culture of the glass — written from the Borderland, informed by Europe.
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"Wine is the most civilized thing in the world."
— Ernest Hemingway
Court of Master Sommeliers · Certified Sommelier Level 2
About the Writer
Certified Sommelier. Borderland voice.
Nico Antuna Cooper is a Certified Sommelier (CMS Level 2) and WSET Level 2 with Distinction, with over five years of experience across wine service, sales, distribution, and consulting — including an advisory role with Altair Imports. Holding a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, he brings an unusually literary lens to the glass: tasting as close reading, regions as narrative, the sommelier’s craft as translation.
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