hans barth
Hans Barth was a German writer and journalist, born in stuttgart, and moved to Rome as corrispondent with Berliner Tageblatt journal.
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)
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.
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!
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.
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.
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"