Summary
Lorenzo da Ponte, in his libretto for Don Giovanni, has his hero drinking Marzemino and pronouncing it excellent while he waits for the statue of the Commendatore to join him for dinner. It's a northern Italian wine, found chiefly in Trentino. The Spectator's own Simon Hoggart hasn't tasted it but wine writer Margaret Rand has, considers it unremarkable and says that she 'can't think what Da Ponte was thinking of.
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Extract
I'll Drink to That
Last Christmas I found myself greatly intrigued by how often opera plots incorporate meals and what sort of food the characters on stage might be tucking into. Of course, even more than eating -- which can be quite inconvenient when you're trying to sing -- operas offer numerous drinking opportunities. Many of these are written into the plot and are sung about at lengt...
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