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Cin Cin! A toast to Perugia.
Perugia really is pure magic. This is a city full of beautiful and mysterious juxtapositions. The entire city clings precariously to the side of a massive hills, completely exposed to the ether high...
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Filed Under: Meals that Inspire Happiness
Barbershop Ristorante Italiano. Yes that’s right- the Italians have officially embraced the “pop up” concept. And who better to utilize this kind of underground, grass-roots campaign than Italian...
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God Bless Aldo Vacca.
Some days you just wake up craving something super specific. Today is one of those days. I really just want this: Fried Chick Peas and Sage from Pizzeria Mozza in Newport Beach. That’s all. Well, a...
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Forza Napoli!
On a recent trip to Italy we had the pleasure of staying with friends (who feel more like family). The Pesce family is everything we love about Italians. They are a warm, outspoken, gregarious bunch...
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Going Sardo at Sotto
Where do you take a visiting Sardinian during his stay in Los Angeles? You take him to Sotto, where he will feel at home. Watching Fabio Angius of Pala winery at Sotto was like watching a seal slip...
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Domo Arigato, Mister Gaglioppo.
Everyone needs that quintessential neighborhood sushi joint- preferably within stumbling walking distance of their home. I have found such perfect qualities in Three Monkies Japanese Kitchen, in...
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Poderi dal Nespoli: Class is in Session!
I love that Brand Ambassador Nicole Poggi and her US counterpart Elyse Imamura use food to teach people about wine. In order to promote their wonderful winery, Poderi dal Nespoli from (the Romagna...
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“I like my pocket full of money… My whiskey, gin and wine”
“I like my pocket full of money…My whiskey, gin and wine” This is the quote from Stevie Ray Vaughn’s, “They Call Me Guitar Hurricane” that is jauntily printed on the first page of AI Selection’s...
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Another Reason Italians Have More Fun: Vino Sfuso
Wine can be serious stuff- there’s so much to learn and taste and so many details about terroir and appellations to study…sometimes I have to really force my self to remember that in the end it’s...
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Happiness is a Warm Vespa (and a Cold Cocktail).
When I pulled up to the lot behind Sirena Restaurant in Los Angeles, I knew I was going to like the place. Wine Director Jeff Morgenthal’s Vespa is parked out back… a happy Italian omen of good things...
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I Can’t Quit You, Baby.
Michele Satta and his son inspect the vines a few days before pruning. I think this has been the longest break I have taken from writing this blog since I started it a few years ago. I’ve been busy...
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A Very Wet Attempt at BBQ Wine Pairing
This December we wanted to BBQ with the Pesce family, our adopted Italian family, in Umbria. Beautiful cuts of locally-raised pork, fresh vegetables, a grill perfectly lit, with the coals precisely at...
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“Ciacaram Mudnés”… Modenese Spoken Here.
Opera 02′s Roberto Ballestrazzi demonstrates some local Modena Pride. This was the sign we spotted on the wall of Modena’s main market, a reminder of just how important Italy’s regional cultures are...
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Authentic Piadina in Venice Beach @MostoEnoteca
I was so excited to meet Massimo Fubelli and Chef Fabrizio Giorgi of Mosto Enoteca the other day at their lovely restaurant in Venice, California. I spent over a year living in Bologna, where one of...
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Enjoy Casebianche’s “La Matta” @SottoLA
Yes, I sell wine for a living and I write about my products here on this site. I am proud to represent the products in AI Selections portfolio. In my opinion, it’s one of the most interesting...
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It Takes a Village.
Evening of Terroni DTLA’s “Soft Opening” I have been so lucky to be working with the people at Terroni as they prepare for their first day of service in the new Downtown LA location. These people know...
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File this under: “Unicorn Wine” (1977 Emidio Pepe @sottoLA)
Beautiful Bottle, inside and out. There are many things to love about Sotto in Los Angeles. The chick pea fritters, the pizza, anything they do with octopus, pork or tomatoes…. and the wine list....
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A Beautiful Beast @PursuitofFood
Erik Sun and Emil Karapetian. My favorite Cavemen. As I find more and more of my life circulating around food and wine, I realize why I am drawn to this industry so strongly. It’s the beautiful...
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Man cannot live on Sangiovese alone… @Monteraponi
Especially when his lake is well-stocked with fish. There are times when a bottle of Vermentino comes in handy, right Michele? For more about Michele Braganti and the wines of Monteraponi, click...
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I’m coming home…
I’m sitting in LAX this morning at 5am. I am exhausted and I probably need another cup of coffee. But underneath it all I can feel myself re-charging. I’m going home. Every time, since the very...
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