As we have said elsewhere in this blog, Aurora is not about ‘just’ food. It is a place for a meaningful gastronomical experience. Wine plays a crucial role in constructing such an experience.
Aurora is, in fact, renowned for its wine cellar, the first in Capri. An innovative project that, along with a classy winehouse designed by one of the most prominent architects in the field, Massimo D’Alessandro, brought the culture of wine on the island and revolutionised local gastronomical environment.
Where did it all start? Curiosity, Mia D’Alessio explains. The urge to gain a deeper and deeper knowledge of such a complex world as gastronomy. The desire to understand and answer guest needs and tastes. Passion, a relentless impulse to improving.
This stimulating journey began in early 1990s, when Mia decided to learn the art of wine tasting. At first, Mia liaised with ‘AIS, Associazione Italiana Sommelier’ (Italian Sommelier Association) and local restaurant owners. The aim was to open sommelier courses on the island and disseminate the culture of wine.
The project immediately took off. Mia was the active promoter of an exchange program held in Monte Carlo between AIS and local restaurant owners and managers on the one side and Monte Carlo sommeliers on the other. The journey then continued to Provence, where Mia gained a wider understanding of wines features and differences between various brands.
What started as a curiosity became a passion and a real job. Mia and her brother, Raffaele, started tasting and selecting Italian wines from the best vintages and studying the best methods to store them.
All this eventually led to the creation of the winehouse mentioned above, which we will soon talk about.
