Under the Tuscan Gun

Bringing in the New Year, the Italian Way

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New Year’s Eve: an evening filled with friends, resolutions and glitter. Every year I tell myself, “This is it! This is going to be the best New Year’s Eve ever!” The night begins with me and my girlfriends peering out from under camel-like fake eyelashes, wide-eyed and ready for the stroke of midnight.

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Translating Your Italian Wine

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Just as you don’t have to be Italian to enjoy Italian wine, you don’t have to speak Italian to understand what the label is telling you. Surprisingly enough, it actually has a lot to say! Thanks to Italian wine regulations, labels have specific bits of information that—if you know to look for them—will give you a good idea of what you’re buying and drinking. Read on, dear Winos, for some hints that will help you get to know that bouquet you’re swirling and sniffing. Continue Reading…

The Feast of Seven Fishes

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Served on Christmas Eve, the Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci) is a celebratory meal made up of seven fish courses that can range from simple (salted cod fish or baccalà) to complexly luxurious (lobster stuffed with caviar). Continue Reading…

“Dinamite Sarda” – Bang-For-Your-Buck Sardinian Wines

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You may have noticed lately that the Italian wine landscape is changing. Just a few decades ago, the casual wine consumer looking for an Italian bottle had to choose between a straw-wrapped fiasco of cheap Chianti or a sickeningly sweet Lambrusco, or plunk down the big bucks for a Barolo of questionable provenance. Sad times. Continue Reading…

Why You Should Eat Like an Italian

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I don’t have a drop of Italian in my blood. I didn’t learn to make pasta while clinging to my nonna’s apron. Until last year, I had never been to Italy. But I’ve always, always loved food. And for that, I have my (non-Italian) family to thank. Continue Reading…

The Best Christmas Markets

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If you are lucky enough to visit Europe during Advent, the lure of dancing lights, smell of roasting chestnuts and sound of merriment will lure even the dourest of Scrooges to explore the Christmas Market, one of Europe’s oldest traditional holiday customs. Continue Reading…

Have a “Healthy” Holiday with Cloves

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The spicy scent of cloves is commonly linked to the holidays. Catching even the faintest scent always facilitates reminiscing about passing out presents while nestled around the holiday tree or savoring a just out of the oven piece of pie. Continue Reading…

Plush Elegance for the Holidays: Stags’ Leap Petite Sirah

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It’s a time of year for stories and a time of year for traditions. And we gather around the table to celebrate those stories and those traditions. An excellent bottle of wine can transport a special meal into the realm of a life long memory. Stags’ Leap Petite Sirah is one of my traditions. Continue Reading…