Stunning Dolomite mountains in the Alpe dei Siusi – credit I’ve known Laurel and Ric Barton for over 17 years and marveled at their ex-pat adventures in Italy. Using Rome as a home base, they explored up-and-down the Italian boot for over 5 years, finding and blogging about Italy’s hidden (and not so hidden) gems […]
Buying wine online used to be scary. “What if the wine never shows up?” “What happens to my credit card number once I’ve made the purchase?” There’s no need to worry, these days it’s really quite easy and very safe — and buying wines you love can be done from the comfort of your laptop […]
credit The Cinque Terre (how to say it), literally “the Five Lands” that includes the towns of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, are a string of rustic villages clinging to the rugged Italian Riviera in eastern Liguria. Over 1 million visitors flood the 5 towns each year to swim in the warm Mediterranean water, hike between […]
Junk food is here to stay. Sometimes the moment just calls for a tasty Twinkie. Or maybe a tube of Pringles potato chips. And then there’s Cheez Whiz1. Everybody eats these junky, mass-manufactured foods, even though we know that they’re bad for us. But you might be surprised to learn that all the chemical chicanery […]
One of the best things about Italy is the huge number of quality wines you can find at remarkably low prices. While a good quality California wine from Napa or Sonoma will run you $30-$50 or more, you can find some superb Italian value wines for under 25 bucks. Thousands of them. Each year, the […]
This is the first of my 3-part series on the remarkable journey that Italian wines make from the winemaker’s cantina all the way to your wineglass. Be sure to sign-up here and I’ll send you a note when I publish parts 2 and 3 of this series. Cheers. ~Michael credit What’s not to love about a delicious […]
This might surprise you. By answering just a few questions about foods you like, how you take your coffee, and whether you like opera, it's possible to predict which Italian wine you love most. And 9 times out of 10, the prediction will be spot on. How can that be? Well, it ends up that […]
I know what you’re thinking. “Aren’t New Years resolutions about making more healthy choices?” Well, yes, they are. So here are 5 New Year’s resolutions you can follow to improve your mental health, the health of the economy, and improve your mood. Heck, they might even make you happier. Yes, they all have to do […]
Are you a Chianti, or more like a Barolo? Maybe you're bubbly and a party animal, like a Prosecco. Or perhaps you're sweet, like a Moscato. Find out what kind of Italian Wine you're most like. Just answer 8 fun and easy questions, and your destiny (as a wine) will be revealed! Complete the quiz […]
Here they come. If you’re like me, you have a throng of friends or family coming over for the holidays. You’ve probably already picked out what you’re serving for your Big Meal. Now it’s time for the important decisions: What wines should you serve? Well, Italian of course! Bring in the Italians. Italian wines are […]
One of the best ways to experience Italy & her culture is by sitting down for a meal in an authentic Osteria and sampling the local cuisine. Forget what you know about “Italian food,” the Italians don’t think of their cuisine that way. American travelers in Italy are shocked to discover that there’s no such thing […]
Credit: Questura di Roma Facebook is buzzing with news about the kindness and generosity of the Roma Police. Last week, officers responded to a call in Rome after someone reported hearing crying and shouting coming from an urban apartment. When the police arrived, they were met by 89 year old Jole and her 94 year […]
The Cinque Terre (how to say it), literally “the Five Lands,” is a string of five rustic villages clinging to the rugged Italian Riviera in eastern Liguria. The only practical way into and out of the 5 tiny towns is by train, giving the area a secluded feeling far from the pressures of our modern […]
Italy is one of the oldest & prestigious wine producing countries, bringing us exciting and diverse wines from big & bold Barolo to fun & bubbly Prosecco. So how much do you know about Italy’s wines? Test your knowledge with this fun quiz and enter for a chance to win an Alessi Parrot Sommelier’s Corkscrew valued at […]
“You could import pasta. Everybody loves pasta.” My friend Arnaldo is trying to be helpful. It’s 2003 and I’m thinking about building a new business around importing “something” from Italy. We’re hanging in his taverna in Cortona over a bottle of Chianti Classico. “Yeah, I like pasta,” I say, “but I can’t find much excitement […]
Photo credit: Xavier Janssoone “Are you fluent in Italian?” I am often asked this question in conversations at wine tasting events, or in chit chat with fellow lovers of Italian wine & food. I usually explain that it really helps to speak the language when trying to build a deep relationship with Italian winemakers. When […]
Photo credit When I travel to Italy, I find myself zipping around in my rented Fiat 500 by way of the Autostrade, or Italian toll ways that crisscross the country. There’s a saying in Italy that the shortest distance between any two points is via the Autostrada, and it’s great fun blasting down the only […]
Chianti Classico is not just a DOCG zone, it’s a collection of crus centered around Tuscan towns like Radda, Castellina, Gaiole, Greve, Panzano, and Castelnuovo Berardenga. Some of the finest Chianti Classico and a personal favorite of mine is made just outside of Radda by vino purist Roberto Bianchi and wife Lis at their Val […]
Welcome to the Dall’Uva “Tasting Notes” Podcast! Today’s Podcast is the second in a three-part series where Sommelier Michael Horne unlocks the secret to selecting good Vino Italiano, with an opinionated (but thoughtful) tour of the most popular Italian regional wines, from top to bottom along the Italian peninsula. Pour a glass of vino, kick […]
3 Glasses? Yes, please. Parker has points. Gambero Rosso has glasses. 3 Glasses, to be exact. That’s the top distinction awarded to some of Italy’s best wines by Gambero Rosso, a rather famous Italian journal that celebrates the hedonistic pursuit of food, wine & culture. Every year in the Fall, Gambero Rosso announces their short-list […]
