hans barth
Hans Barth was a German writer and journalist, born in stuttgart, and moved to Rome as corrispondent with Berliner Tageblatt journal.
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He spoke fluently Italian and latin, and loved classicity. Nevertheless he loved wine, italian winemaking and wineries, it was a passionate love. Emilio Cecchi in a review on "La Tribuna" (december 31 1921), decribing his most famous work, defined Hans Barth as "bibace" (who absorbs liquids easily, like a pen absorbin ink from the inkwell)
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After several essays on famous persons of the time (like Pope Lion XIII or Crispi), in 1908 in Costanza, Barth pubblished "Osteria – Spiritual guide to Italian taverns from Verona to Capri", (Osteria: kulturgeschichtlicher Führer durch Italiens Schenken von Verona bis Capri), 68 pages that with time would obscure his other writings. It's a reportage of a travel between italian wineries and taverns and other places where there was wine.
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The commitment to explore the popular italian oenologie was a serious one, he and his friend drank half liter of wine every place they stopped, and every day they visited at least ten places!
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In 1909, he pubblished the italian version of the book, and it was Gabriele D’Annunzio the one writing his prefaction, and more than that, he signaled to Hans Barth the Nepente with a famous letter.
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In 1921, he pubblished a new edition of the book, with that letter pubblished in the prefaction, and including new wineries and places with new wines.
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The philosophy of that book can be condensated with this sentence:
"It must drink for eternity, and sip theologically; must drink as a Templar, as a sponge, as when the soil is dry, early in the morning, must drink always, and should not die, because wine, gift divinity"