...for Tuesday is Martedì grasso, better known in its French version of Mardi Gras! That is to say, it is Carnevale, ogni scherzo vale! which goes a tad further than 'Trick or treat!' I dare say! The tricks, or scherzi, I've seen come closer to charivari than the ritual throwing of rotten eggs at a jack-o-lantern.…
When is 'So many' 'Too much'? The question was actually posed at the Masters of Wine Symposium in Florence last year, when it came out that Italy had over 440 varietals. If we want to talk DOC, there are over 330 of them, not to mention the 73 DOCG wines. If you don't believe me, check…
Seeing as we are still in the 12 days of Christmas, I am going to extol the virtues of the Genovese Christmas culinary tradition. Recently, on a lovely evening at that Ligurian culinary mecca, Ristorante Manuelina in Recco, we were treated to the delights of the local gastronomy... Could a meal at Manuelina's start with…
Happy New Year! Buon Anno! Bonne Année! Whether it's Prosecco, Franciacorta, Trento, Asti Spumante, Champagne..... Have a BUBBLY 2015!!!!! Best wishes from Italiangrapevine!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,300 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 38 trips to carry that many people. Click here to see the…
On a recent jaunt to Acqui Terme, in lower Piedmont, a man drove up in an old jalopy of a car and showed us this: My friends had never seen such a treasure trove before -- truffles, fresh from the earth! I complimented him on his catch, but rightfully, he attributed the great find to…
A recent visit to the renowned Masi Vineyard in Valpolicella delighted all five senses! What scenery, what aromas, and of course... what taste! This little neck of the woods is a pleasure to visit. And if you're visiting the Masi vineyards.... Well, need I say more? And what a treat, to see the grapes resting…
Autumn is no more alive than in the Langhe region of Piedmont. What with the truffles, the wine, the funghi... You can wind your way along scenic roads, stopping to taste the bounty of the land. The colors are just so... autumn! And the aromas... it's heady stuff. One weekend in November, we found ourselves…
When talking about Food&Wine, let's not forget the FOOD. So, along with all that flowing excellence, the menu could be nothing less. Leave it to Gianfranco Vissani, il Maestro, to come up with the perfect combinations. This man's name should be a household word. And the MCs are not just for show, you know. The…
Bibenda's Annual Wine Awards took place at the spectacular Cavalieri Hilton in Rome Saturday night. Now that is a Who's Who in the wine world in Italy! Five hundred elegantly attired winemakers, wine handlers and aficionados were served at 50 tables by 50 sommeliers. The book you see featured above, this year in a pristine…
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 