(photo: grapes in Calabria, thanks to Pierro Morello for the photo)
A Student of Italian Wine
Dan Amatuzzi is a modest guy when it comes to wine. And modesty isn’t the word that comes to mind when you consider Dan served as the sommelier at Del Posto in New York City with an estimated 2300 bottles of wine and arguably the most comprehensive Italian wine list ever conceived at a single restaurant. Moreover, Dan was the wine director at OTTO restaurant and is currently the Manager of the beverage department at Eataly in New York City.
So, Dan knows Italian wines, right? Yes, Dan is an Italian wine expert but if you ask him what he is he’ll tell you he’s a student of wine (and a nice guy). The word student implies Dan needs to continue learning and refine his skill set when it comes to wine and it’s a great mind set to have when working in the wine world; in fact, it’s a great life philosophy (period).
With the above in mind, Dan as put together a very accessible analysis of Italian wines designed specifically for the student with a focus on growing regions, grape varieties, climate and soil conditions, and wine labeling legislation. Italian Wine for the Student covers every major Italian wine region, including some of the lesser known areas such as Calabria, Sicilia, and Basilicata. Dan also covers the sometimes confusing quality designations found in Italy including Vdt (Vino da Tavola), DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), and DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita).
Each wine region in the guide includes information on key grape varieties, climate moderators, and soil types. For example, the region of Calabria includes grape varieties such as Greco Bianco, Chardonnay, Gaglioppo, Magliocco, Nerello Mascalese, Greco Nero, Alicante, Nerello Cappuccio, and Sangiovese, while the soil conditions are clay-like with marl and sandstone. The write ups for each region are brief and concise with an emphasis on geography and major wines found in the varying regions of each province.
Dan’s guide is the perfect start to both understanding and enjoying Italian wine and all 121 pages are designed to create the perfect Italian wine connoisseur; that is, an individual who’s willing to continually learn about wine while equipped with a strong background in how the geography, land, and climate of a particular region contributes to wine production.
Italian Wine for the Student Giveaway!
(photo: the cover of Dan Amatuzzi’s excellent Italian wine guide and a photo of the Dan at OTTO in NYC)
Here’s how you can enter to win a free copy of Dan’s guide:
– Prize Giveaway includes one (1) copy of Italian Wine for the Student
– What you need to do to enter: 1. leave a comment under this post on your favorite Italian wine (if you haven’t been to Italy which region would you like to visit?) and 2. either sign up for the Scordo.com What’s New Newsletter or become a fan of Scordo.com on Facebook.
– Only one entry per person please.
– The contest is open until 12 midnight on 6/23 and a single random user will be picked via Random.org (sorry contest only open to folks from the US given shipping logistics). The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow us) and on Scordo.com by 5PM on Monday, 6/27.
– Please use a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can contact you just in case you’re the lucky winner (I’ll need your shipping address). If you become a fan of Scordo.com on Facebook be sure to leave a comment on our Wall or we will not know you’ve become a fan (reference the giveaway please)!
– Danwill send out the guide during the first week of July.
Food Guide to an Italian Christmas
(photo: the king of stuffed pasta: lasagna)At this point in the holiday frenzy, you’re either preparing to host a holiday party or you’ve been invited to a Christmas Eve / Day dinner or party. If you’ve been invited to…
you’re either preparing to host a holiday party or you’ve been invited to a Christmas Eve / Day dinner or party.There is sort of an interesting relief about Once Upon a Time Dexter Season 7 DVD which having a breath in the real world.