Reservations for the wine tasting are required, and guests aged 21 and older are invited to attend. The cost is $25 per person, which may be paid by cash or check at the event.
WILSON, N.C. — In a toast to artist-in-residence Enzo Torcoletti, the Barton Art Galleries will host an Italian wine tasting on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. This event features renowned sommelier Inez Ribustello, co-owner of On the Square restaurant and wine bar in historic downtown Tarboro. Guests may enjoy samples of wine while viewing works from Torcoletti’s latest exhibition, “Mythos: From Concept to Creation,” which opens on Monday, Oct. 12, and runs through Wednesday, Nov. 25. The artist will be present in the galleries during this event.
Reservations for the wine tasting are required, and guests aged 21 and older are invited to attend. The cost is $25 per person, which may be paid by cash or check at the event. Non-alcoholic selections and food will also be served. For additional information or to make a reservation, please contact the Barton Art Galleries at (252) 399-6477 or artgalleries@barton.edu. This event is co-sponsored by the Barton College Friends of Visual Arts.
A native of Tarboro, Ribustello got her start in the world of food and wine by moving to New York City to pursue a career in cooking. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998, Ribustello chose New York’s Institute of Culinary Education, where she began to learn about wine. Her wine career took a huge leap forward when she became an assistant cellar master at the famous World Trade Center restaurant Windows on the World. In a very short time, she was promoted to Beverage Director, putting her in the position as wine buyer for the largest-grossing restaurant in North America. It was at Windows on the World where she met her husband, Stephen. Following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the couple returned to her hometown and together opened their own restaurant, wine bar, and retail store. The wine list at On the Square holds the prestigious Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine. In 2009, Ribustello placed 2nd runner-up in the Best Sommelier in America competition held in New York City.
Born in Italy, Torcoletti attended art school there before moving to Canada, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature in 1968, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture and Printmaking in 1969 from the University of Windsor. In 1971, he completed his Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture at Florida State University, before moving to St. Augustine, Fla., where he resides today. Torcoletti is an emeritus professor of art at Flagler College, having taught Sculpture, Drawing, and Art History since 1971. Over the last 35 years, he has been deeply involved with sculpture production, exhibits, and commissions. His work has been shown extensively and is included in numerous private and public collections in the United States and abroad. His sculptures have been featured in several publications, including “The Sculpture Reference Book,” and two other textbooks by Arthur Williams. Torcoletti has completed a number of commissions in a variety of media. During the last several years, he has directed his energies primarily to stone carving, a technique that has taken him to Portugal, England, and Italy, where he maintains a sculpture studio.
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