Buongiorno da Firenze! The 450 delegates of the 8th Symposium have convened and Florence is a-buzz. Things started up mid-afternoon Thursday at the Palazzo dei Congressi, and I haven't had a minute since. The tastings are amazing, the Masters are truly that.So, what are you tasting, you ask! My pick of the first quite impressive…
The 8th Symposium organized by the Institute of Masters of Wine will be held in Florence, from May 15 - 18. In just a few days, wine connoisseurs will convene in that cradle of the Italian Renaissance for 4 days of conferences, tastings, meeting and greeting. And there will be a significant number of the…
The marvelous Giorgio Erede, a lawyer-turned-chef and restaurateur, has written an unusual and fun memoir, La musica della mia cucina. Those two Italian passions - food and music - in one original work. Isn't creativity what it's all about, Alfie? Erede shares recipes and memories, and gives you the soundtrack for both. It begs the…
Continue reading ➞ Gnocchi al pesto…. Allegro ma non troppo!
In Italian we say it is important to finire in bellezza, that is, to end things nicely, beautifully. It’s all about impressions and leaving a good taste in your mouth, so to speak. It’s what people remember, what they take away with them. And we can say that Vinitaly 2014 certainly ended with a bang!…
Continue reading ➞ Finire in bellezza… The Beautiful Finish to Vinitaly
We are deep into it now, Vinitaly 2014. The heat is on, here in Verona – temperatures are record-breaking, and the wines are sweating. The refrigeration just can’t keep up with the sun beating down on the Verona fairgrounds. I’ve got to admit it, I prefer to sniff. The aromas are heady… I came to…
Did you know that researchers have found that – not only do Italians do it better, but – Sardinians live longer than just about anybody else? And Sardinian men lead the pack! There are more of them over 100 years old than anyplace else on earth – the highest concentration of centenarians. Sardinia's Secret To…
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 