Wednesday, February 15, 2012

FIVE GREAT ITALIAN WINES

Hey folks! These are some of my Faves from some of my Best Friends in The ITALIAN WINE WORLD; a great Sauvignon Blanc Venica "Ronco di Mele" from bud Giampaulo Vneica, a great Nero di'Avola Donnafugata "Mille Una Notte" A Thousand and One Nights from friends Jose and Antonio Rallo of Donnafugata, "awesome People." Also from Sicily (My Family's Home Territory, Lecara Freddi) is my good friend Francesca Planeta's offering of Cerasaulo di Vittoria Planeta, love this baby, my Favorite Brunello of all from Fattoria Barbi in Montalcino and let us not forget my good ol friend Roberto Gundler of Terrabianca and his famed Super Tuscan Wine "Campaccio." Daniel Bellino Zwicke  
CAMPACCIO, RONCO Di MELE, DONAFUGATA
BARBI BRUNELLO and PLANETA
 
with Daniel Bellino Zwicke
 
 
 
Me & Cavelier Luigi Cappelini
 
of Castello Verrazzano
 
Greve, Italy
 
 
 
My Favorite CHIANTI !
 
Castello Verrazzano
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MANGIA BENE !!!!
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TRE BICCHIERI ITALIAN WINE TASTING 2012 NEW YORK


Yes Italian Wine mavens. It's that time of the year again. Wow, another year gone by. It's the 2012 Tre Bicchieri Tasting New York, the years most prestigious Italian Wine Event of all. It is this friday February 17 at the Metropolitan Pavillion on West 18th Street and if you don't have an invite or in, forget about getting in. Security is tight at this one, sponsored by Gambero Rosso the Wine Spectator/Robert Parker of Italy and Italian Food and Wine all rolled into one. What is
Tre Biccieri? Well first off it translates to Three Glasses., and this is the system for rating the top wines in Italy by the famed Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri Italian Wine Guide compile and published each year by Gamabero Rosso Publications. Italy's top wines are here. Gambero Rosso rates the wines on a 1, 2, and 3 glass system as opposed to others like Robert Parker and WIne Spectator which uses a 100 Point System. So at the Tre Bicchieri Tasting, all of the Tre Bicchieri (3 Glass Wines) Wines will be on hand.
   For an Italian Wine Guy like me, this is my favorite event of the year and although I love and enjoy all the great wines, it's actually more of a social event for me. I get to see my many friends from Italy, winemakers, but mostly the proprietors of the many wine estates on hand. It's just great!
   Needless to say there are going to be many great wines on hand including; Sassicaia 2008, Turiga 2007, Donnafugat "Ben Rye" 2009 from good friend Antonio Rallo, Barolo "Monfortino" Riserva 2004 from Giacomo Conterno (Considered by many Thee Top Dog of All Barolo), Vietti Barolo Villero Riserva 2004, Mastroberadino Taurasi Radici 2007,  Rosso del Conte Tasc d'Almerita 2007 from good friend Conte Giuseppe Tasca, Masi Amrone "Vaio" 2006, Planeta's "Plumbago" (Nero d'Avola), and many more. To many to mention here. Yes a lot of great wines, looking forward to tasting as many as I can, but even more so, seeing the many friends who make these wines, especially, Francesca Planeta, Sebastiano Rosa of Sassicaia fame, Merielisa Allegrini, Antonio Rallo, Giampaulo Venical with his great Sauvignon Blanc "Ronco de Mele," Rafaella Bologna with her renowned Barbera "Bricco dell' Uccellone 2009 and many more.As always, this is going to be a great event, Great Wines and Great Friends from the whole of Thee Italian Peninsular. Can't wait!



Daniel Bellino Zwicke