TdB 'Spill the Tea' Interview with Laura Riolfatto of "Table — Stories of Wine & Food"

"It is a space where I explore wine as a cultural and sensory language, through seasonal narratives, photography, and reflections on food, memory, and place."-Laura Riolfatto

Image credit: Nicoletta Fornaro

Welcome to Tête de Bulle’s 2026 series ‘Spill the Tea’.

This interview project grew out of a need to give back to the Substack community, which nourishes me as a creative.

The micro-interview platform showcases other Substack creatives covering an array of cultural topics.

Removing the paywall opens these interviews to the entire Substack community, and allows those interviewed to promote freely to their own audiences.

(In essence, ‘paying it forward’ for fellow community creatives.)

Today, TdB’s STT meets up with wine storyteller, sommelier, and photographer Laura Riolfatto of Table — Stories of Wine & Food.

(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)

LMA: What is your Substack site, and what is it about?

Laura Riolfatto: My Substack is called Table — Stories of Wine & Food.

It is a space where I explore wine as a cultural and sensory language, through seasonal narratives, photography, and reflections on food, memory, and place.

I write about Malvasia, Venice, the relationship between landscape and taste, and the way everyday gestures — cooking, tasting, walking, observing — become forms of knowledge and storytelling.

LMA: What’s the impetus behind writing your Substack?

Laura Riolfatto: I started my Substack out of a need for slowness and depth.

In a digital environment dominated by speed and performance, I wanted to create a place where I could think, write, and photograph without pressure, following the rhythm of seasons and research.

Substack allows me to connect directly with readers who are interested in thoughtful, long-form storytelling about wine, culture, and everyday life.

LMA: Any current or upcoming project that excites you right now?

Laura Riolfatto: At the moment, I am working on my book project Memorie Sospese — Venice, Malvasias, and a Sensory Journey through Italy, which brings together research, writing, and photography around the nineteen Italian Malvasia varieties.

At the same time, I continue to develop Malvasia Pop Up, an experiential format based in Venice and travelling to selected locations, where storytelling, tasting, and dialogue come together.

Both projects are deeply connected and feed each other.

LMA: Anything else you haven’t asked that you think is important for Substack subscribers to know about your work?

Laura Riolfatto: My work grows from a background in contemporary art and cultural management.

Before focusing on wine, I worked for many years in art foundations and cultural institutions, which shaped my way of observing, researching, and narrating.

For me, wine is not a product, but a cultural archive made of people, landscapes, gestures, and memories.

Everything I do — writing, photography, tastings — starts from this perspective.

LMA: Any current cultural pet peeve?

Laura Riolfatto: I am increasingly concerned by the growing tendency to aestheticize culture without depth — particularly in the world of wine and food.

Beauty is powerful, but without context, history, and sensory education, it risks becoming merely decorative rather than truly meaningful.

For me, cultural work must remain rooted in research, memory, and lived experience. Otherwise, we risk losing the layered narratives that give substance to what we taste, see, and share.

LMA: Fave Substacks you’re subscribing to right now?

Laura Riolfatto: I enjoy following voices that work seriously on food, wine, and visual culture.

Among the Substacks I read with interest are La Mescita by Pipette Magazine by Rachel Signer, and the food photographer Naturally Epicurean … just to name a few, otherwise the list would be long.

They all share a thoughtful, research-driven approach that resonates with my own way of working. Of course, my reading list is constantly evolving, depending on what I’m researching and writing about at any given moment.

Many thanks to Laura Riolfatto for spilling here on Tête de Bulle - cheers!

Tête de Bulle by Lyn M. Archer | ©Lyn M. (L.M.) Archer LLC 2026