I remember Luigi Veronelli as a stylish, black-caped, rather subversive presence at wine events in Italy. Never mainstream, he was a fierce opponent of Italy’s DOC system which he saw as a crutch for the large commercial wineries and passionately advocated small, peasant operations (he and Jonathan Nossiter of Mondovino fame would have got on well).
Born into a cultured Milanese family in 1926, he was an ardent lover of all things French, in particular the cuisine, the intricate system of designated small vineyards and barriques which he did much to introduce to Italian winemakers. He was long best-known as...