Craig Camp

Terrabianca is one of my favorite producers, but as pleasant as these wines are I do not feel they represent the strengths of this winery. Campaccio, Croce Chianti Classico Riserva and Il Tesoro from their Maremma estate are the real stars of their line-up. While Terrabianca always made "pretty" wines I think they have really elevated their quality in the last 5 years as the wines now have more taste of terroir and less polish. I recently tasted the 2000 Campaccio Riserva and it is nothing short of exceptional and the 2001 Campaccio was also excellent.

The regular Boscarelli Vino Nobile has always been a relative bargain and I feel offers more character than many of the larger producers. This is an estate dedicated to quality and if you go to the area should be at the top of your list to visit as they are also really wonderful people. Their Rosso di Montepulciano is also very good.

That is my understanding, but I have not used them in many years.

Click here for 2000 Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montelpulciano, Vigna del Nocio

Pocket Coffee is actually a personality test. Are you: Type A: I bite right away to get the coffee hit. Type B: I slowly let the chocolate dissolve in my mouth until the coffee is finally slowly released. ...fess up, which type are you?

It is interesting that Napa still has its inferiority complex with Bordeaux after all these decades. I remember when William Hill (remember when that was a serious winery?) did the same thing in the early 80's. I think Napa established itself as a premier cabernet producer a long time ago. The William Hill defeated the Bordeaux Premier Grand Cru Classe hands down when the ballots where tallied after the tasting. This was no surprise as the California wine clearly was more forward and drinkable than the firm Bordeaux wines. While young Bordeaux is much more forward these days than it was 20 years ago the wines of Napa are still normally more advanced than their Bordeaux cousins at the same age. It would be interesting to re-stage the tasting 10 and 20 years from now. Still the Rubicon looks like a bargain compared to the prices on the 2000 Mouton and Haut Brion. Welcome to eGullet geo t. and thanks for the interesting post.

Just a reminder Gallarate is not a charming Italian town. It is a grey, commercial suburb of Malpensa. You will find absolutely nothing to do there. Spend your day in Milano and then go there in the evening. Get your hotel reservation now and be sure they can get you to the airport - don't leave this until the last minute.

Using your credit card is easier and you always get the best rates. You will be hard pressed to find a enoteca that does not accept MC/Visa - although American Express is not a sure thing.

Believe me there is no goofing off to do in Gallarate at night. Its a ghost town. Don't get too many Euros - the rates at the Bancomats (ATMs) are excellent and they are easy to find.

You should find this thread helpful. Futronic should know where to get them in Canada.

I would not presume to make such a list - especially since it has been about a year since I was in the USA. There is a good discussion here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=19069&st=0 and here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=33017&st=0

Sutter Home has a moscato that BevMo is listing for under $4. I have never tasted it, but am sure it would be adequate for poaching. I also have not tasted the St. Supery so am unsure how sweet it is. You may want to post this question on the Pastry forum where there are a lot of other pastry pros who have possibly dealt with this situation.

Perhaps the "father of modern Italian-American-Californian-LA Cuisine" would be more appropriate. Valentino, like lots of restaurants that were impressive in the 80's seems worn and pretentious now. Valentino does not stand up well when compared with the best new Italian restaurants in the USA and forget Italy. Diners have become much more sophisticated about Italian cuisine in the last decades. However, Selvaggio should be honored for his service to the Italian wine industry as he was the first to seriously offer a wide selection of Italy's best wines.

but then there's the argument about how restaurants spend gobs money and time making sure the wines they select will compliment the food. those restaurants, of course, are the minority, but that won't stop people from trying to use the argument. It is true they are in the minority. Just as are restaurants that are really dedicated to excellent food. However, those that do make the effort are entitled to a reasonable mark-up. Those that don't make the effort are not - just as in every other enterprise.

Restaurants with non-sucky food programs are also in the minority. All in all I find wine prices and food prices go hand in hand at restaurants. Those that gouge on bad food also gouge on cheap wines they buy on close-out. Places that have great deals on good wines also tend to have good food at a fair price. I agree with LindaJ about going out of your way to support the good ones and also her point about good wines-by-the-glass programs, which are one of the best ways to introduce yourself to new wines. The original premise here was wine without food, but perhaps we should look at in the other way around - if you enjoy wine what is good food without good wine? I find it hard to imagine going to a restaurant that is serving excellent food and not having a nice wine with it. If price is a problem you don't have to drink big names with big prices to enjoy good wine. Drinking Muscadet instead of Chablis is not a punishment. I have never been to one restaurant that I really enjoyed that did not have several good wines at reasonable prices - in this case meaning "reasonable" in relation to the restaurant.

Sound's a lot like McDonald's. Think I'll take a pass and keep drinking Grafenwalder Pils and Dab. It's hard to find interesting beer around here although the quality of everyday quaffing beer is good.

Listen to Divina and stay at the airport!

I agree - they are very tasty. Those ads are silly. Also they sell a ton of them at the Autogrill - where they make a decent cup of espresso.

My favorite large brand amaro has become Amaro Lucano since I wrote that article. It has just the right blend of bitter and sweetness. However, I still love the bittersweet orange flavor of Averna.

Amaro Nonino is imported by Paterno Imports these days which means that it sould be readily available in NYC - but of course at a high price.

$80 has to be the price for a bottle of Nonino grappa. There is no way that Nonino Amaro is selling for $80. It sells for about Euro 15 in Italy.

I have so far resisted trying the Budweiser they sell in Italy. Should I give it a try or am I just wasting my time? What are the differences?

Regular Beaujolais will start to appear in the market sometime during the spring following the vintage. However, when they appear in your market will often depend on how backed-up the distribution pipeline is with the previous vintage. A retailer or wholesaler with large stocks remaining of 2002 will delay bringing in the 2003 vintage.

Actually the only time I drink wine without food is when I am tasting for my newsletter or other articles. Even when I am having a glass of prosecco as an aperitivo there are always some olives, chips or salami around to munch on. I will sip on a beer without food, but wine - especially still wine seems strange to me without any food at all.

I often find the Morgante Nero d'Avola their most enjoyable wine. Their more "elite" selections I often find over the top, but this wine is a great bargain.