With cold and snowy weather it is a great time to be indoors pouring wine, so it is off to Amsterdam for a trade tasting for distributors, wine shops and restaurants.

Leslie behind the Pasquale Pelissero stand talking with Stefan from Braida.

Turn out was good for the event which had wines from around the world. We miss tasting different varietals. In Piedmont it is hard to find wine that is not "Piemontese" so this was a treat.

One of the perks of the trade is swapping wine with other reps after the event is over we nabbed a German Riesling, Argentina Malbec, South African Chenin Blanc and a Spanish Garnacha Blanca.

In The Netherlands, snow doesn't seem to slow down the bikes. This picture was taken in the centre of Leiden.

Barbera Festivals aren't new to us but this was our first time in Nizza Monferrato. A very well planned event with lots of new labels of Barbera for us to try and no surprise that we found some new favorites.

The tasting was of Barbera made in and nearby Nizza Monferrato. A great way to taste many new wines or current vintages for a small entrance fee of 5 euros that includes the glass. We met up with our friend, Adrian, who lives nearby and had a fun day of tasting. The festival was throughout the city with many food vendors, specialty products and lots of live music on almost every corner. We have already marked our calendar for next year!