Manoavino Taste!

Wine Tasting - The Exciting Wines of Southern Italy

Last weekend we presented a private wine tasting for a family Christmas party. The theme was the "Exciting Wines of Southern Italy." The group was relatively new to wine and were realy just familiar with California wines. Guess what, they will be shopping for Italian wines now.  They loved the opportunity to taste and savor new grapes, new wines, from places they now plan to visit.

The tasting included Fiano, Inzolia, Primitivo, Aglianico and Nero D'avola. Bottles from Purglia, Sicily, Camapgnia and Basilicata. Here is what we tasted. Which wines do you think they liked the best?

Napa Valley Wine Night

This was a fabulous Xmas present, three amazing Napa Valley wines. I really should have had them one at time, but could not resist tasting them together. Three vintages, three wine makers, one 100% Merlot and two Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc blends.

Happy Happy New Year

Mancinni’s Coal Oven Pizza Montclair - and Wood Ovens Vs. Coal

 
Montclair has so many choices for very good pizza, one has to wonder, did we really need another? The answer is a resounding YES, if the new place is Mancinni's, a charmingly hip restaurant with a deliciously creative menu. This is not your average pizza place.

And I must ask which is the better pizza oven, wood or coal?

Perfect Manhattan at Olives, The W Union Square New York

 XMAS day in NY. A movie, Zero Dark Thirty, Chinese lunch at Grand Sichuan on St.Marks, and a stop at the W before our second film Django Unchained.

The bar at Todd English's Olives at the W at Union Square serves up one fabulous Manhattan.

Made with Bulleit Rye and Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth. It is all in the ingredients.

Bulleit is a very fine Rye, and the Carpano Vermouth adds a velvety smoothness and an herbaceous and spicey flavor of vanilla, dried cherry and orange rind. It is like it was made for Manhattans.

Garnished with delightful little marinated cherries.

Perfect.

Vin de Constance - A special treat for a special holiday gathering

A holiday dinner with best friends Cathy and Conrad, Diana, me and all our kids concluded with this special surprise. Vin de Constance is a very storied sweet wine from South Africa that we thorougly enjoyed.

The Wine: Vin de Constance Muscat de Frontignan dessert wine

The Food: Dessert

The Place: Cathy and Conrad's living room

Choosing Italian Wine, helps to understand the words on the labels

Learning about Italian Wines and reading and understanding Italian Wine labels has a language of its own. Here are the many terms we have picked up along the way.

Abboccato or Amabile: Means the wine will be medium sweet

Amaro: Very dry or bitter, describes the herbal liqueyr concoctions like Amaro Averna

Annata: Vintage (year the grapes were grown) not to be confused with Anatta the Budhist term for "not-self" or the illusion of "self"  More

Salugo Bistro, a new Italian "Bistro" and Pizzeria in Verona

Salugo is a quaint little italian trattoria and pizzeria. Don't ask me to say bistro, that's just plain wrong.  We had a nice meal and some great wine.