It wasn’t easy to get online where Tracie B and I were staying last week in Paris: there was no wireless in Céline’s father’s fourth-floor studio on the Left Bank in the 6th and I am only now catching up on my blog and newspaper reading. (I don’t know: a week’s stay in a private apartment in Paris two doors down from the Seine or wifi? I’ll take what’s behind door number 1, Bob.)
I was thrilled to see Eric’s article on Italian Unknowns in The Times. I am a huge fan of Valle dell’Acate’s wines and was so glad to see the winery get the attention it deserves. The Cerasuolo di Vittoria is one of my favorite Sicilian wines — regardless of price.
Now more than ever, Italian wines represent the greatest value for their quality on the market today. I don’t know why Eric second-guessed himself, wondering out loud if “Italian wine buffs will easily cite omissions.” In my view, his picks are right on the money and the price is right.
Back in the blogosphere, Italian Wine Guy continues to blow my mind with how he pushes the envelope of wine blogging. I really dug his use of images from the Pasolini 1961 classic Accattone, set in the tough neighborhoods of Rome (that’s star Franco Citti, above), one of my favorite films of all time. His introspective “Beatrice interviews” offer unique perspective and insight into the world of Italian wine.
I just couldn’t resist Simona’s culinary anamorphism in this post on a traditional dish of her native Umbria, torciglione (above). Whether chopped liver in the form of the Twin Towers (2nd Ave. Deli) or a Renaissance-era depiction of the tower of Cremona to commemorate a noble wedding (Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti, 1441), I am a sucker for food fashioned to resemble something else.
I can’t read Vinograf’s blog (it’s written in Czech) but I often find myself staring aimlessly at it. I know its author and I share an affinity for some of the same wines and it’s one of the most visually interesting blogs in my GoogleReader.
Buona lettura (or buona visione, as the case may be)!
Do Bianchi 
Mi fai arrossire di prima mattina. Thanks for the kind words. I love the photo with you and the tome. Have a great and relaxing weekend.
Speaking of value wines, Calabria ought to be a good region to investigate. Aside from Ciro Rosso (gaglioppo), there are some interesting magliocco-nerello mascalese blends. I tried the Lamezia Cantine Lento last night and was disappointed. It was viscous, currant-y and chocalate-y, and mildly spicy. Not what I expected. I read the Vino Italiano chapter on Calabria and Lynch/Bastianich’s assessment of Calabrese wines was pretty bleak. I look forward to tasting more when I get to Calabria in a few weeks…if any commenter knows a good enoteca in Reggio Calabria, speak up!!!
I wrote to Mr. Asimov in regards to his article on Wednesday: in his list of quality Lambrusco producers he’d cited a certain “Vini” (an unlikely name for an Italian wine company). Eric was kind enough to write back and admit his mistake: of course, he’d intended to reference Lini. Simple typo or Freudian slip (EA’s analysis)? After all, the L and the V are nowhere near each other on a keyboard (though they do intersect at 6th Avenue & 14th Street)…
btw- Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmare is coming to Austin
You got it Dr. J… I’ve been saying it for years: Italian wine represents the highest quality at an average price-point in the world.
No other country offers so much quality at such reasonable prices.
But I’m preaching to the choir, here…
Wayne, keep on preachin’, brother, keep on preachin’!