Craig Camp

Villa Crespi in Orta.

Just look for the signs that say: Bancomat that's what they call ATM's here. They are very easy to find.

I was talking to a winemaker in the Lange last week who had recently participated in a comparative tasting of the same wines in 375 ml., 750 ml., and 1500 ml. bottles. The tasting was organized by a group of Italian and French winemakers who each contributed their own wines - a set of the above sizes at 5 years old and at 10 years old. The results were that while the differences between the 750 ml. and 1500 ml. bottles were insignificant, the differences between the 750 ml. and the 375 ml. sizes was very significant with the 375 ml. bottles being clearly inferior. Quality is a real issue when it comes to half-bottles.

Vigna - here is an old debate on this topic. I gave up on Michelin years ago and rely on the Veronelli, Gambero Rosso and Touring Club Italiano and for Osterie/Trattorie the ever reliable Osterie d'Italia. I use the Osterie guide more than all the others combined as I am primarily looking for restaurants that feature local ingredients and dishes.

A restaurant in Italy rated highly by Michelin was disappointing? How strange. It has been a while, but I have always enjoyed La Tenda Rossa.

My grandparents were dairy farmers in Illinois. I never saw anyone work harder in their lives. However they ate very well with much of what they ate coming from their own land. My grandmother was a classic frugal farmer and I don't think she ever bought anything she could not raise or grow herself. The food that she prepared was packed with flavor and freshness. My mouth still waters when I remember her fried chicken with cream gravy or her incredible fruit pies with a crust from lard she rendered herself. She did not make fussy food, but she made food that was absolutely delicious because of the the quality of ingredients that she used and the loving care she treated those ingredients with in her kitchen. They may not have had much money, but they ate well - better I dare say than wealthier people in the city. In other words she cooked like an Italian. I would disagree that the poor quality of American food today is based on the past. In one generation the time and care my grandmother invested in her cooking disappeared in a rush to convenience foods. One hundred years ago the United States was rich in wonderful, distinctive home/country cooking. The last 50 years has seen the devastation of that tradition in a wave of fast food and chain restaurants like TGIF. While I remember my grandmother's fried chicken kids today will remember KFC. Today we are trying to reclaim this rich cooking tradition and that is why places like eGullet exist.

I visited the site and indeed they show you a total that does not include shipping when you get to the point of entering your credit card. I would think a complaint appropriate in this case and have contacted the store asking them to respond.

...who could argue with this - everyone knows the finest riesling in the world comes from Michigan.

This was my immediate thought... I don't know of any wineries that particiapated, but then again, I don't have any buddies at Sebastiani, Gallo, or Almaden... Hey that's a great point. If only those kind of wineries entered maybe Two Buck Chuck WAS the best wine there. Looks like the judges where right on the mark.

This could certainly end some careers. And jump-start others. Chad Never trust anyone who writes, "Including this reporter" in their article.

This is an elite tasting? Prestigious where? Corning Liquors? Has anybody ever heard of this before or more importantly made a buying decision on the results? 3 days + 300 wines a judge = this kind of meaningless result. What a waste of time.

Wines from Spain always does a good job in organizing their tastings and offering a broad range of interesting producers. This years regular "Great Match" tour will donate 100% of the proceeds to local food banks. I always highly recommend these tastings as a great introduction to the broad range of excellent wines being produced in Spain today. Each Great Match tasting features a comprehensive tasting of more than 200 Spanish wines, representing many of Spain’s 63 denominations of origin. The wines will be paired with an international menu of “tapas,” Spain’s world-famous appetizers, created by leading chefs in each city. The 2004 Great Match Tour will include the following cities and dates: Dallas Wednesday, June 2nd, The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Tasting Preview; Open to members of the Trade and Media - 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Consumer Event; Admission: $40 in advance, $50 at the door. Charity Partner: North Texas Food Bank San Francisco Wednesday, September 28th, The Regency Center, 1290 Sutter St., San Francisco 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Tasting Preview; Open to members of the Trade and Media - 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Consumer Event; Admission: $45 in advance, $55 at the door. Charity Partner: Food Runners New York Wednesday, October 6th, The Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, New York City - 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Tasting Preview; Open to members of the Trade and Media - 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Consumer Event; Admission: $45 in advance, $55 at the door. Charity Partner: City Harvest Miami Thursday, October 14th, The Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Tasting Preview; Open to members of the Trade and Media - 6:00p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Consumer Event; Admission: $45 in advance, $55 at the door. Charity Partner: Daily Bread Food Bank For reservations and further information, visit www.greatmatch.org or call 1-866-849-8703.

Dal Forno produces the most concentrated and dense of all Amarone. It is the opposite in style from the great traditional producer Quintarelli. The dramatic size and power of the Dal Forno Amarone makes it far better suited for the cheese course than anything else -- it is just too big for most food. The 1990 is fully ready to drink as the Dal Forno style is more intensely and powerfully fruity than tannic and is more like drinking a Port than anything else - although it is not sweet. It will also age well for many more years, but if you do not have good storage conditions I would drink it sooner rather than later. I would decant it an hour before serving. Here is an article on Amarone

As I was sipping on a Heineken with my pizza this evening I noticed it seemed even more anemic than usual. This inspired me to take a look at the fine print on the bottle and there it was - brewed in Italy under the supervision of Heineken Holland. This is happening everywhere and the results always seem to be even worse than the original. Can you make beer "under supervison" in different countries that tastes the same as the original?

Jim - try that Zardetto on the terrace spiked with a shot of Campari. Great aperitivo.

...Okay - I have to ask. Which California sangiovese wines would you describe as successful - and how do you define that success? If you define that success by attaining at least some of the complexity you can find in the best Italian examples (Riecine for example) I would say that sangiovese in California has been an total failure. Sure there are some pleasant wines, but nothing that really makes you sit back and go wow - and they cost more than many better Italian bottlings.

Sounds like fun. I like those Vietti Baroli a lot. Each shows well the vineyard where it was born: the power of the Serralunga Lazzarito, the delicious texture of the La Morra Brunate and the incredible aromatics of the Castiglione Falletto Rocche. Usually when younger this last wine is overshadowed by the other two as they are more dramatic, but with age it evolves into a sublime wine - truly a great vineyard. I would disagree that the difference between Barolo and Barbaresco is an added dimension, but would describe it as a different dimension. More like the difference between Pomerol and St. Emilion or Volnay and Vosne Romanee. I do not see Barbaresco as inferior to Barolo in any way - just different: and I like the difference. It is very easy to mistake a Barbaresco for a Barolo and vice versa depending on the vineyard and the producer. ...by the way I just reviewed these same Vietti wines from the 1999 vintage.

Welcome to eGullet. "Inexpensive" is different things to different people. ...but try here for a great value.

Think candied fruit - with a zip. There are also types that look more like jam, but this type is whole fruit in syrup with mustard. The little oranges can carry a almost wasabi type wallop.

Mostarda is popular throughout Lombardia and there are many different types. It is more a hot/sweet flavor although many types are not that hot at all. It is normally served with boiled meats or with cheeses. During the fall and winter we always have some in the refrigerator to have with our cheeses. It disappears from store shelves in the summer. Here is a recipe for a common mostarda.

Also the word "champagne" itself actually comes from the soil type called campanien. It is a chalky, fossel rich soil and both the Champagne regions of Cognac and the famous sparking wine region Champagne itself feature this type of soil and hence share the name champagne.

...and it hasn't stopped yet. Italy is very soggy these days.

It's been a long time since I ate there, but I always found it just adequate by Chicago steak house standards. If you want steak in that area why not go to the Chicago Chop house. It's just a few blocks away and much better IMO. Does Magnums still have that cheesy disco in the back?

Myrtillo from Roner is a cranberry juice liqueur (juice, sugar and a grappa base; pretty nasty stuff IMHO), Mirto di Sardegna is another story, coming from myrtle berries. whoops! confusing bad Italian liqueurs that start with "m". A friend of mine spent August in Sardegna and brought back a range of Mirto. I think it is better consumed on the island with a great view after dinner when you are not concentrating on the taste.

There are a lot of places called Boccondivino in Italy, but he is talking about THIS ONE in Milano.