Feeling genuinely blessed this morning as I read music writer Bob Ruggiero’s write-up about my band, The Bio Dynamic Band, and our new partnership with Susan Davis, owner of Emmit’s Place, a neighborhood night club that we are transforming into a family-friendly venue for music this Sunday.

Music has given me so much in life: lifelong friendships, travel, and the chance to share my own music with the world, something I hold precious and dear.

I never thought I’d be playing music regularly at 57. But as the Italians like to say, è più forte di me, it’s just too much for me to resist.

We’ve got a great lineup for this Sunday, 3/16, 2-6pm, at Emmit’s Place: Rhythmix, a jazz outfit formed by children of some of the best musicians in our neighborhood, and The Tomorrow, my cousin’s high schooler rock band, will be opening. They are both fantastic. And the first hour of the show will be open mic for all.

We’re still working on the food option but I should have that info soon. And as Bob notes in the piece, Susan is expanding her mocktail offering for the kids.

Anyways, I couldn’t be a luckier son of a gun to live and play music in such a great neighborhood and community.

Please come on down and support local music and local business this Sunday in Westbury. The last show was such a blast and I know this one is going to be off the hook! Hope to see you there and thanks for the support!

Giving a huge shout-out this morning to my friend Sarah Phillips (above). She is one of the best U.S.-based wine writers right now imho and she is currently studying to become an MW.

Her work first came to my attention via the Jancis Robinson wine writing competition (she won, of course).

A few years ago, when I was working in situ with an importer in Miami where she lives, I got to know her and her husband Aidan through attending tastings together. We became fast friends. They are the nicest people and I have deep respect not just for Sarah’s work but also her work ethic and her ecumenical approach to wine writing and education.

She and Amanda Barnes MW will be leading a South American Wines seminar at the Texas Wine School in Houston next Monday morning, March 17.

Click here for details and registration.

I don’t get out to many tastings these days and South America is not exactly in my wheelhouse. But I wouldn’t miss Sarah and her tour for the world.

I hope you’ll join me.

Thank you to Sarah and Amanda for coming to Houston!

While in Washington D.C. this week, I was thrilled to be welcomed at the White House. Here’s what I told the President.

President Trump, your Excellency, let me begin by saying what an honor it is to be here. If only my Jewish mother could see me now! Thank you for the opportunity to share the wine industry’s concerns with you.

And please allow me also to thank you also for creating a new benchmark for U.S. wine. The superb, world-class wines you have produced in Virginia are among North America’s best wines.

Dear Mr. President, as in industries and trades across our great land, the wine — big and small — is worried about the many uncertainties on the horizon.

Just today, we learned that Canada has banned the sale of Californian wine. The state that first made American wine great was already reeling from the impact of wine country fires and the more recent devastation in Los Angeles.

Across the country, small business owners are holding their breath as they await updates on EU-targeted tariffs.

Staffing at the FDA is an even more urgent issue for importers who are struggling to understand and implement new rules for nutritional and organic labeling. A colleague recently told me her only reliable point of agency contact is the inspector who visits the warehouse.

Many of our European partners are pivoting away from America. They are freaking out about expanding war in Europe, tariffs, market disruptions, new labeling requirements. Many are looking to friendlier, thirstier markets. As a result, we and downstream businesses are losing “placements” and “depletions” to big time wine. Will we ever get them back?

Lastly, Mr. President, sir, we in the U.S. wine trade are counting on you and we trust in you to keep our economy great so that our industry may continue to thrive as it has for the past four decades.

Thank you Mr. President. I feel blessed to have been given this opportunity. G-d bless you, G-d bless America.

FTR Although prêt-à-porter, the President seemed to approve of my black Hugo Boss two-piece.

It’s a scary time to be shipping Italian wine from Europe these days.

No one knows when or to what extent the U.S. government will impose tariffs on European goods, although most expect that the tax is inevitable.

With the new Russia-U.S. alignment, there are fears in Europe that war could spread to other former Soviet block countries. Supply chains (like glass from Ukraine for wine bottles) have already been severely impacted by the conflict and with the breakdown in Ukraine-U.S. relations, there is no clarity on when a cease-fire could begin.

But perhaps even more daunting for Italian winemakers is the fact that the U.S. government has made severe cuts to human resources at the FDA just when new organic labeling regulations have come into effect.

At our exhibitors panel on Sunday night as part of the Taste of Italy Houston trade fair, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce invited a top wine and food importer, a top Italian wine buyer, and a Michelin-starred chef to speak to wine and food producers presenting their products. It’s one of the events I am most proud to be a part of: each year, our panelists offer genuinely useful information and guidance for companies who export their goods to the U.S.

But the moment that filled me with hope was when Tom Dobson, Italian wine buyer for Spec’s, one of the largest wine retailers in the world, said that he believes wine sales are going to return to their pre-Covid levels. The pandemic caused wine sales to spike, he explained, but volume and value decreased significantly over the last two “post-Covid” years. With moderate confidence, he told our group that he believes we are on track to revive our industry. His outlook, he explained, is based on the mountains of data that he analyzes every day for his company.

His comments were echoed by Michelin-starred chef Felipe Riccio of Houston restaurant March. While his observations were more anecdotal in nature, he talked about how he and his team are seeing an upward trend in wine sales again. And his restaurant group continues is ambitious plans to expand.

Uncertainty is not good for wine sales but guarded, well-informed optimism is great for a beleaguered industry. I, for one, am hopeful.

Thanks to everyone who made the 11th annual Taste of Italy fair a success.