NEW YORK ITALIAN WINE-GUY & FRESCOBALDI

NEW YORK ITALIAN WINE-GUY DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

FLANKED by LAMBERTO FRESCOBALDI

And HIS UNCLE MARCHES LEONARDO FRESCOBALDI

At GRANDE TASTING NEW YORK

Alessandro Cellai Castellare Daniel Bellino NY

I SODI SAN di NICCOLA 

2008

ALESSANDRO CELLAI

WINEMAKER CASTELLARE

And FAMED I SODI SAN NICOLA

With New York Italian Wine Guy Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

At DeGrezia Restorante, NEW YORK

Wine Spectator Grand Tasting Top 10 Wines

TOP10 WINES WINE SPECTATOR GRAND TASTING NEW YORK

1. Shafer Relentless Napa Valley 2008
2. Château de St.-Cosme Gigondas 2010
3. Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Bella’s Garden 2010
4. Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010
5. Château Guiraud Sauternes 2009
6. Château Léoville Barton St.-Julien 2009
7. Shea Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Shea Vineyard Estate 2009
8. Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley Reserve 2009
9. Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino 2007
10. Achával-Ferrer Malbec Mendoza Finca Bella Vista 2010

BIG GUNS of ITALIAN WINE / GAJA And ?

BIG GUNS of ITALIAN WINE

GAIA GAJA

RENZO RASPIACOLLI

and

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

At TERLATO TASTING
HARLOW

NEW YORK

 The Biog Guns of New York Italian Wine were out and about yesterday. Two of New York's Top Italian Wine Guys, Renzo Raspiacolli (Wine Director Barbetta) and author Daniel Bellino Zwicke (Wine Director DeGrezia / Writer) were spotted at The Terlato Tasting at Harlow in New York tasting and smoozing with non other than Gaia Gaja (daughter of Angelo Gaja) and other wine luminaries. The good friends and two of America's top Italian Wine Authorities hung out and tasted from table-to-table: Chapoutier, great Bollinger Vintage Chamagne, Nino Franco Prosecco from good friend Primo Franco, IL Poggione Brunello and other wines. The highlight of course being the Gaja Barbaresco Brunello and Barolo offerings of which Gaia Gaja poured for the 2 Bug Wine Dogs personally. Daniel said he especially loved the Gaja Coste Russi 2009 .. Daniel also loved the Bollinger Vintage Champagnes, but was quite disappointed with the Brunello's from Il Poggone of which he said were extremely dissapointing. He said the Il Poggione Brunello's at the tasting were flat, and lacked flavor and overall balance. He stated that he has always loved this producer, and for this reason he was so surprised at the showing of these wines.

Daniel and Renzo then moved on to The Palm Bay tasting at Quality Meats a few blocks away on 58th Street. The two Italian Wine Guys were greated by some great sparklers from Italy's Premier Sparkling Wine Produce Ferrari. They tasted  Giulio Ferrari Brut 2001,  Perle Brut 1999,  and Perle Nero Brut  2006 .. The two agreed that these wines were all spectacular and quite a treat as they were only expecting to taste the Non-Vintage Wines of Ferrari and not the special vintages.

Daniel and Renzo then moved on to taste with Francesco Mazzie of Mazzei. ThEY tatsed Mix 36 (100 % Sangiovese) and "Philip" 2008  100% Cabernet Sauvignon and then moved on to the special treat of the table a vertical of Mazzei's famed Super Tuscan "Siepi" 2003  2005  2006 and 2007 vintages. All were oustanding and Daniel said he liked them all, but the 2003 vintage with its concentrated exotic flavors was his fave.

Daniel tatsed the wines of Santa Rita (Chile) with owner Cecilia. They chatted about mutual friend Alvaro Espinosa. Daniel liked all the wines from Cecilia and Santa Rita, his favorite being th Carmenere "Pehuen" 2005, but thought the wines were a bit expensive at mid 30's 40's and $50 the bottle for wines from Chile, Daniel said, "They're a hard sell."

GATTINARA TRAVAGLINI In NEW YORK

La PIZZA  e  GATTINARA

DINNER PRIVATE WINE TATSING With CINZIA TRAVAGLINI at GUGINO

We drank, we ate, whe talked we enjoyed .. A private tasting dinner with Cinzia Travaglini. Actually I thought there were going to be more people. Basically it was just me and Cinzia Travaglini tasting me on Travaglini's current vintages of fine wines. We were joined by ANtonio from Palm Bay, Travaglini's Importer, and then when we were finished eating, Chef Luigi joined our table as well. Cinzia started us out with her Nebbiolo Coste Della Sesia .. Travaglini is the unquestionable King of Gattinara, a small zone in northern Peidmonte .. The zone is only about 200 acres of which Travaglini comprises have of the entire zone. Gattinara is made mostly of Nebbiolo at 90 to 100% .. Gattinara may have up to 10% of Bonarda and Vespolina grapes, but all of the Travaglini Gattinara wines are made of 100% Nebbiolo ... Travaglini are Kings of Nebbiolo of which about 97% of their entire vineyards are planted to the grape, along with a very small amount of Uva Rara, Bonarda, and Vespolina .. Yes they are masters of Nebbiolo of which they have been growing since the 1920's ...

So Nenniolo and Gattinara are the thing of Travaglini .. They are the biggest as well as the most famous Gattinara with their signature Trademarked Gattinara Bottle .. OK, so we started out with the Nebbiolo Coste della Sesia which blew my mind. I absolutely loved the wine. It was in perfect balance, full of flavor, yet light in weight, the perfect combination in an Italian Wine which are among the most food friendly wines in the world. And that's what we were doing, food and wine, and yes friendliness too. This wine Coste della Sesia was an absolute marvel of a wine, that is very reasonably price and half to a third the price of the Travaglini Gattinara's which are at their price points quite reasonable for wines of the highest of quality. This is thought of as an entry level wine, but it is anything but. Yes I loved this wine that was perfectly in balance in flavor, tannic and acidic elements along with the correct weight and wonderful flavor of ripe berry fruits with a nice twinge of licorice, just lovely. Cinzia poured me just a little, but it was so good I had to ask for a little more, and then more a thrid and forth time. That's when you know a wine is good.

After the lovely Nebbiolo we moved on to the Gattinara's, thee wine of Travaglini .. We ordered some grilled Clamari and a Pizza Margherita and Chef Luigi sent us some special bread and a platter of Salumi. We all flipped for the Pizza which we all thought was the equal of the finest Pizza from Napoli "The Pizza Capital of The World." Well after all Chef Luigi is from Positano in the area near Naples on the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. We drank the Gattinara 2007 which as well as the Nebbiolo before was absolutely wonderful and a wine in perfect balance. Just delisous. It was then on to the Gattinara Riserva 2006, another winner, and then a very special and rare wine.

The special rare wine in question was il Sogno, which was a special project created by Cinzia's father Giancarlo Travaglini in 2004 ... Giancarlo wanted to make a dry table wine using the appassimento method of drying grapes before the fermentation process as with the famed wines of Amarone and the lesser known Sforvato of Lombardia. Giancarlo picked some of his best Nebbiolo Grapes and set them out to dry on matts. Unfortunately Giancarlo passed away in November of 20024 when the grapes had only been drying for 1 month. Cinzia and her winemaker husband continued the project.  They finished drying thr Nebbiolo grapes, fermented them and made the wine that tey called il Sogno "The Dream." 

So Cinzia poured me a glass of il Sogno, and again my mind was blown. The wine an absolute gem had all sorts of wonderful flavors running through my mouth. It was delisious, it had power, but not too much as some big AMarone sometimes do. The wine was a delight and I'm looking forward to putting it on my own list.

We also drank the Gattinara "Tre Vigna," The Three Vineyards .. The fruit for Tre Vigna comes from 3 very special small vineyards on the Travaglini Estate. These 3 different vineyards have different geographical vineyards on the estate and bring different characteristics to the wine to make up one complete and wonderful structure of a wine, 

Travaglini Gattinara "Tre Vigne"

 So we drank the fine wines from Cinzia Travaglini, we had perfect Pizza, Antipasti, followed by some wonderful Tagiatelle con Tartufo and Brasato di Manzo (Braised Beef), and finished up with some tasty desserts. It was a fine night and a dinner that along with the many wonderful private luncheons and dinners I have had over the years with some of Italy's most prestigious winemakers, like Cinzia, I remeber them all, and I will always remember this one, absolutely Wonderful!

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

CINZIA TRAVAGLINI

of TRAVAGLINI

CHIANTI COMES TO TOWN

CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

GREVE in CHIANTI CLASSICO

Wine Director

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

DeGrezia Restorante

New York

with

Cavalier Luigi Cappellini

Owner

CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

GREVE in CHIANTI

CELLARS at CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

Verrazzano Rosso

Chianti Classico

Chianti Classico Riserva

The Wines I Tasted 

with Luigi Cappellini

at

DeGrezia Restorante

NEW YORK

Luigi and I Drank

The SASELLO

2004

"One of The Greatest Wines of The Year"

AMAZING !

Verrazzano Cellars

GRAPES DRYING

For VIN SANTO

CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

Vino Santo

DiFARA PIZZA "BEST In AMERICA"

THE MASTER

DOM DeMARCO

DiFRA PIZZA

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

"IT'S A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE"

DBZ

Yes," Eating Pizza Made by The Maestro DOM DeMARCO

Is a Religious Experience !!!

   Much has been said of the now famed Pizzeria (DiFara Pizza) on Avenue J in Brooklyn, New York the Capital of Thee Best Pizza in the whole United States of America, bar-none, even Manhattan. Brooklyn lays claim to the Top two Pizzerias in the country, the top of the list 1 and 2, number 1, The Best and number 2, the second best. Well no, I don't know if I should put it that way, as it sound s as one is better than the other, which is not ht e case, as they are both equally good, equally Great and equally the Best Pizza and the Best Pizzerias in the United States, though they are are little different than one another. The Pizza at both Totonno's on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York  and Di Farra Pizza on Avenue J in Brooklyn are both otherworldly specimens  of some the Finest Pizza on other and the Undisputed Best Pizza in America.

   Wow, got off on a tangent about both Di Farra and Totonno's when I just intended to talk about Di Farra Pizza, Dom DeMarco the Maestro of Di Farra's and the Religious experience that it is to go there, watch Dominic masterfully make Pizza after glorious Pizza (without the help of anyone else), to watch in awe and anticipation and Salivation til you finally get yours (after about a hour or hour and a half wait), you hold it in your hand like a precious baby, and then to sink your teeth into it, savoring each wondrous bite after the other. "Yes," it is truly a religious experience, that is, if you are a great lover of this wonderful invention, created in Napoli, spread throughout the the Italian Peninsular and then across the Atlantic to America from Italian Immigrants where Gennaro Lombardi opened the First Pizzeria in America on Prince Street in New York City some 100 years ago or so.

    Back to Di Farra and Pizzaiolo Extraordinaire, Mr. Dominic DeMarco. It is Dominic that makes Di Farra what it is, it certainly isn't the Pizzeria itself which is ultra plain and even appalling to some. Mr. DeMarco's pizzas are just about as close to absolute perfection in the Pizza Making World, a world in which New York City excels and has only one rival in Naples, Italy and the whole of Italy itself. Mr. De Marco has the magic touch, with perfect dough, the perfect balance of ingredients, tomato and other ingredient ratio to cheese, and this include Mr. Demarcos judicious use of Olive Oil which is right-on and a little magic touch that whoever complains about it, just does not know there Pizza and Italian Food on a whole. We Italians love our olive oil. And those who complain are unaware that it is a condiment that adds the final last touch to many dishes before they are eaten. Dominic knows this and should not be discourage against his generous use of it by those who do not understand the proper essence of the Italian Table. So please, keep your traps shut, if you don't like it don't eat it, this countries finest examples of the Pizza Art.
     And on to the religious experience of Di Fara, Dom DeMarco and the mans artistry with Pizza. There is nothing quite like it in the entire Pizza World. There does not exist, to my knowledge any place in the world that has an elderly man making a hundred plus Pizzas a day in a place that has endless lines, day and night. Pizza that are so perfect, words can not describe  People line up for greatness and artistry, and for a couple of slices of the most marvelous pizza this side of Naples, and to watch this passionate little old man work his heart out, not getting, not allowing anyone else to make a pie at his beloved Pizzeria. The man is elderly. He's worked his whole life. He makes such a magical thing that people line up each and every day to see him and eat one of his many masterpieces. With business like this, he could hire to other Pizzaiolos to help him, doubling or tripling his business and and financial intake. He could hire two guys and make pizza aloing with them, or sit back and get three guys to do it. At his age, he's entitled to. But know, Dom DeMarco loves what he does, he loves his Pizza, each and every one that passes that counter and into thousands of appreciative hands. The man feels that no one else can make a Pizza the way he does; and wants; he grinds   
chunks of Peceriono Romano in an old hand cranked meat grinder and sprinkles on each pie just before serving, along with cutting fresh Basil onto the Pizza at the last moment after Dom's prerequisite drizzling of the Olive Oil giving two different taste and contrast on the same pie, one baked on (Cheese) and one applied at the last moment, devoid of the hot oven heat. Dom guilds the Lilly, so to speak. This is truth, not just a figure of speech.
    Yes Dom makes each and every Pizza that goes out or is consume on the spot, at DiFarra's. No one else has his skills, his passion and love for the Pizza, thus he does it all himself. And this my friends is the reason that going to Di Farra's to watch Dominic the maestro in action, all by himself while hundreds of people line up every day, waiting an hour and a half to two hours just to get a Pizza (not just any old Pizza mind you). "It's a Religious Experience." Truly! A show and there is nothing like it in the World, Dom DeMarco, a man and his Pizza, America's Best, and something to rival that other World Pizza Capital, Napoli.

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke