BIG DOGS of ITALIAN WINE – Barolo Barbaresco Brunello

Winemaker of Sassicaia & Punica Wines SEBASTIANO ROSA

with Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke and Roberta Morrel of Morrel WInes

Get Toegther for a lillte Wine and Chat at Kobrand Italian Portfolio Tasting

at The Bowery Hotel, New York, New York

Alberto Chiarlo with Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Alberto Chiarlo the proprietor of Michele Chiarlo Wines

of Piedmonte got together for a tasting of Alberto’s latest vingtages

of wine, including Barbera Le Orme, Barolo Tortoniano 2010,

Michele Chairlo Barbaresco 2011, Barolo Cerequio 2010,

and Barolo Canubi Michele Chairlo 2007 & 2001 Vintgaes ..

Daniel said the whole line-up of wines was absolutely Amazing! everything was in perfect balance, full of flavor and a joy to drink.

Emelia Nardi with Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Tatsing some Great Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino

The 1999 Il PARETO From Nozzole Was ROCKING !!!

I normally don’t go crazy for non-native Italian Varietals when drinking Italian Wine. That said, I absolutely loved the 1999 Vintage of Tenuta Nozzole’s “Il PARETO” a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon based wine that was amazing. It was full of flavor,perfecting and a absolute Joy to Drink. I loved It!

The WINES From MASI Where Also AMAZING !!!

Masi Agricola

I loved all of the Amarone ‘s that Masi was showing at the Italian Portfolio Tasting ..

The were showing Amarone Mazano 2007 which was really nic and heavy on the prune flavors.

The 2007 Amarone Campolong was awesome as was the Amarone Costera 2009 ..

My favorite Amarone of the day was Seregho Aligheri 2008 which is one of the few wines in the world aged in large Cherry Wood Cask .. The wine was AMAZING !!!

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

GRANDMA BELLINO’S ITALIAN COOKBOOK

Recipes From My Sicilian Grandmother

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italian-Americans Cook

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

The King of Barbaresco

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke (R)

with

ITALO STUPINO “The KING of SANTA STEFANO”
BARBARESCO

WINEBOW PORTFOLIO TASTING 2014

New York, NY

CASTELLO di NEIVE BARBARESCO

From ITALO STUPINO

I drank trhough and tasted all of Italo’s phenominal Barbarescos as well as his; Dolcetto d’ Alba Basarin 2011,

Pinot Noir 2012, and Barbaresco Santa Stefano 2006 & 2009 … Italo is The King of Santa Stefano .. He has the only vineyard. He used to sell fruit to Bruno Giacosa, but the contract is up and Italo will be the only one in the World making Barbaresco Santa Stefano from now on. We drank the base Barbaresco Castello del Neive 2010 and the Barbaresco Santa Stefano 2009, both awesome, but the Santa Stefano had a slight edge of awesomeness. But not by much, both are great wines, perfectly balanced with fine fruit, and perfect examples of what a great Barbaresco should be. They are Textbook. It was great to see Italo again. He is the man! I just love that guy, and would rather drink his Barbaresco over anyone else’s. ANd this of course includes Angelo Gaja, who makes some great Barbaresco, but the prices are through the roof, and dollare for dollar I’d put Italo’s up against Gaja’s any-day-of-the week .. You can’t do any better … Although I must say, I really enjoyed Anjelo’s offerings last year when I tasted the wines at a tasting in New York with Anjelo and daughter Gaia ..

Daniel Bellino Z with Alessandro Mori of Il Maronetta Brunello

at The WORLD TRADE CENTER

New York, NY

Montcalm Wines Portfolio Tatsing

Alessandro tasted me on his latest vintages of his estates awesome Brunello ..

I really loved the 2008 Brunello Normale and the Brunello Reserva Madonna del Grazia 2008 was off the charts awesome .. The 2009 Brunello and Brunello Ros. Madonna del Grazia where awesome as well … Alessandro let me have a taste of the Brunello 2010, which was a bottle tasting and has not been released.. The 2010 Brunellos, by law cannot be released to January 2015 and this was a nice suprise advanced tasting of a 2010 Brunello .. Alessandro was beaming. He is very proud of the wine and he said the vintage is one of the best. “I wouldn’t disagree.”

ZENATO AMARONE

M ARIOLAS

with His Families

TURIGA

Vernaccia di
San Gimignano

Princessa Natalia Strozzi

SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA

SEGRETO ITALIANO, THE LATEST FEM DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE ..
AMAZON.COM

MONA LISA

Guicciardini-Strozzi are theoldest wine producers in Italy with their Cusona estate established in 994 AD ( no, we didn’t forget the 1). They produced the very first Vernaccia di San Gimignano in 1200 AD and this very wine was exalted by the likes of Dante,Michelangelo and Boccaccio not to mention drank byPopes.

It was only when Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” started to cause so much hysteria, that two academics embarked on a quest to find out whom the Mona Lisa really was and if she had any living descendant. Inevitably their quest took them to knock at Cusona’s doors, where Prince Girolamo Strozzi opened up the family’s archives to reveal what was known in the family.

However, something else was soon to be discovered that even the Strozzis could not expect. During a former British Prime Minister’s private visit to their Cusona estate, the latter was being entertained with some of the family’s tales. One of such tales was that of a marriage in the sixteenth century between a female ancestor and an English aristocrat. It was at this point that the former British PM suddenly remembered to have come across this very fact in a book he once read.

He therefore suggested a further deepening of this lineage’ study at the London’s British Library. Here, documents certifying the marriage of Camilla Guicciardini-Strozzi to Sir Thomas Darcy were found along those certifying the birth of their five children. One of them, Frances, married into the Marlborough family eventually becoming one the ancestors of no less than Sir Winston Churchill himself.

Until now these news have not been divulged outside the academic circles to avoid being associated with the book and attract unnecessary media attention. It is now our very pleasure and privilege to bring this truly unique tale of history and culture linking Italy and Great Britain for wine and history lovers alike.

DANNY BOLOGNESE Meets With ANGELO GAJA

The “GREAT” ANGELO GAJA And DANNY BOLOGNESE CHATTED at WS GRAND TASTING NEW YORK … Angelo POURED Danny a GLASS of HIS GAJA BARBARESCO 2009 … ANGELO’S DAUGHTER GAIA GAJA Tasted DANNY on THE GAJA COSTE RUSSI 2009, BAROLO DAGROMIS and GJA BRUNELLO

SASSICAIA WINEMAKER “SEBAStIANO ROSA” TOAST A GLASS of SASSICAIA Then BARAU With Author “La TAVOLA, SUNDAY SAUCE) DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE at WINE SPECTATOR NEW YORK WINE EXPERIENCE GRAND TASTING at MARRIOTT MARQUIS, NEW YORK, NY .. October 25, 2013

GAIA GAJA at TERLATAO GAJA TASTING NEW YORK “Yes ANGELO’S DAUGHTER”

GAIA GAJA Is Almost LIKE SHRIMP SCAMPI or “SHRIMP SHRIMP”

ITALIAN WINE GUY / WRITER DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE With Two of HIS IDLES MARCHESE LAMBERTO FRESCOBALDI And His UNCLE “MARCHESE LEONARDO FRESCOBALDI” DANIEL SANDWICHED IN-BETWEEN The TWO MARCHESE’S

Sebastiano Rosa, Daniel Bellino, Giovanni Folnari

WINE-DIRECTOR DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE With CAVALIER LUIGI CAPPELLINI of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO (Owner) at DeGrezia Restorante NEW YORK …. CHIANTI !!!

It has Been a Busy 2 Weeks .. Met with and tasted Wine with Some of Italy and The WORLD’S Top Wine People, Estate Owners and Winemakers alike .. Winemakers like the Great SEBASTIANO ROSA Winemaker of SASSICAIA and His Sardegnian Property Producing “BARRUA” … Other Great Winmakers included the Talented ALESSANDRO CELLAI, Winemaker at CASTELLARE Which Produces wonderful CHIANTI, Lush VIN SANTO, and The Famed Flagship Wine of The Estate of which Alessnadro tasted me on at DeGrezia Restorante “I SODI SAN NICCOLO” 2008 “LOVE IT !!” To start off the 2 weeks of Heavy Hitting Italians and Other WINE LUMINARIES, my good Friend CAVALIER LUIGI CAPPELLINI came to See Me at Degrezia, hueling his llatest Vintages from his renowned Wine Estate CASTELLO VERRAZZANO in GREVE in CHIANTI CLASSICO .. LUIGI Had Me Taste His CHIANTI CLASSICO, VERRAZZNAO ROSSO “MiniTuscan” VINO SANTO and HIS Fabulous CHINATI RISERVA “SASSELLO” a Marvel of a Wine, “Just Love It” !!!

This Past MONDAY I Had Dinner with CINZIA TRAVAGLINI of The Famed Travaglini ESTATED and WORLD FAMOUS GATTINARA WINES … We Had a Great Meal, Joined By GUGINO CHEF LUIGI … Graet Food and Great Wines; Nebbiolo and The World’s Best GATTINARA From CINZIA’S FAMILY’S ESTATE .. The Dinner / tasting was Amazing …

Then I had ALESSANDRO CELLAI of CASTELLARE Visit me Friday Afternoon to Tatse Me on CASTELLARE CHINATI and The FLAGSHIP CASTELLARE Wine “I SODI SAN NICCOLO” Vintage 2008, a Truly Amazing Wine .. Can’t Wait to Put it on Our List .. “Next Week” Later That Night it was On to One Of New York’s and America’s Most Prestigious Wine Night of The Year, akin to THE ACADEMY AWARDS or Shall I Say “The SUPER BOWL of WINE” The Wine Spectator Grande Tatsting “New York Wine Experience” at The Marriott Marquis in Time Square, NEW YORK, NY

More to report on Later … To MUCH STUFF RIGHT NOW “Daniel”

NEW YORK’S PASTA “RONZONI SONO BUONI”

“Ronzoni Sono Buoni,” if you are Italian and grew up in the New York area in the great decades of the 1960’s and or 70s you know the slogan. We Italians do love our past, we’re weened on it, it’s the main staple of our diet. Many are fanatical about and love it so, the must have it several times a week. I’m one. Pasta, covered in a wide variety of sauces and part of some soups, Pasta Fagole (Pasta Fazool), in some Minestrone’s, Pasta & Peas, and Pasta con Ceci. Yes, we are weened on it. Mommy gave me, my bothers and sister Pastina coated in a bit of butter and Parmigiano when we were just toddlers and every so often I have to pick up a box of Ronzoni Pastina, as I love and crave it still, and of late as with many my age, you start crazy things you loved as a child, thus my stints with Pastina. “Ronzoni Sono Buoni,” it means, Ronzoni is So Good, and that it is. This brand of Pasta, born in New York City at the turn of the 20th Century has been a mainstay of not only Italian-Americans of the East Coast but, for all. For years before the surge of many a imported pasta product in the U.S. Ronzoni, was not the only game in town for Macaroni, there was the Prince and Creamette, as well, but ronzoni dominated the market and though I don’t have stats, I would wage to say that 85 to 90 % of all commercial pasta sold in the New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia areas was Ronzoni, the pasta in the bright blue boxes, Ronzoni Sono Buoni. God I wonder how many plates and bowls of Spaghetti, Ziti and other Ronzoni pastas I ate over the years, starting with Pastina as a toddler and moving to Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce or Meatballs, Baked Ziti, Stuffed Shells and more. Oh stuffed shells, they bring back memories of my mother who loved them. We had them often, along with Lasagna made with Ronzoni Lasagana. You don’t see Stuffed Shells around that much any more, they used to be on many a restaurant and even more home menus. There popularity has waned, but every once and a while I’ll pick up a box of Ronzoni large shells, just for the purpose of bringing back those memories of mom making them and me loving them as a child. I’ll make a batch of tomato sauce, cook the Ronzoni Shells, and stuffe them with ricotta and Parmigiano, bake them in tomato sauce, and “Voila” Stuffed Shells of days gone by. I do the same with a Pastina as I still love the dish so, dressed with butter and fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Yum, delicious little pleasure you can whip up in minutes and bring back versions of your youth. All with some butter, Parmigiano and a box of ronzoni Pastia. That’s Ronzoni, every bit a part of my life and youth as a Slinky, Etch-A-Sketch, The Three Stooges, Saturday Morning Cartoons, and all the favorites of my youth, “Ronzon Sono Buoni” it’s so good.