Wine spat: Italy heir accuses Sting of slander, flat apology

MILAN – The heir of a precocious duke who sold Sting his Tuscan winery 25 years agone says the vocalist has deed a level enactment with a lame apology for comments the household deems slanderous.

The juicy personage quality has spilled onto the pages of Italian newspapers. Sting told the play mag “Sette” connected Aug. 13 that helium was persuaded into buying the Palagio winery adjacent Florence successful 1997 aft tasting an “excellent” solid of reddish vino offered by the owner, Simone Vincenzo Velluti Zati di San Clemente. The singer, however, said it aboriginal turned retired that the vino was a Barolo from Italy's Piedmont region, and not a section Tuscan Chianti astatine all.

The mag labeled the determination “a hoax” and claimed the vocalist “had been tricked” into the purchase.

Sting, successful the interview, said helium lone realized the information astir the wine’s origins aft helium had purchased the Palagio estate, including its vineyards, and helium noticed guests pouring the Palagio reddish into the bushes alternatively than drinking it. He said helium and his woman became determined to “avenge” themselves by producing “an fantabulous vino besides from the Palagio vineyards."

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The 45-year-old lad of the duke, who died successful 2012 astatine 86, wrote a long, stinging rebuke to Sting’s accusations, calling them “slander, poisonous and wholly false.”

Simone Vincenzo Velluti Zati said it would person been wholly retired of quality for his begetter to person passed disconnected Barolo for Chianti, and said Sting’s usage of the interrogation and the anecdote to beforehand a caller integrated pizzeria connected the property was “in mediocre taste.”

In his letter, Velluti Zati said Sting’s allegations “not lone bash not respond to the truth, they are highly damaging to the representation of my begetter and to my reputation.”

Sting responded with a missive connected Aug. 24, which was obtained by The Associated Press, offering his “sincere and unequivocal apologies,” and acknowledging that the communicative “as reported was disrespectful to the representation of your distinguished father.”

Sting called the duke “an honorable man, who ne'er misled me,” and said the anecdote was alternatively self-deprecating, highlighting the information that 25 years agone helium was incapable “to separate a Barolo from a barroom of soap.”

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Velluti Zati told the AP connected Tuesday that the apology was a “necessary act” from the vocalist that was hardly convincing. He has not decided yet whether to instrumentality immoderate further action.

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