Tag Archives: italy

pronto italian deli

05/03/2019 adrianopiazza Leave a comment

Pronto Italian Deli is my vision of authentic good italian food. I was born and raised in Italy and, after a few years in the food and wine industry, I knew what I wanted to do: share the flavors I was born with.

I remember waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread, eating it right away, still hot! I want everybody to try the eggplant parmigiana I was raised with, the lasagne we only cooked for the holidays and the coffee that fills the room with its aroma.

Pronto means ready and I want to be ready to serve the beautiful community of San Clemente I learned to love together with this city, kissed by the sun, from the colorful stores on Del Mar, to the sandy beach where every sunset seems as if it was painted by the greatest artist.

For anyone who wants to know more, I will post updates here about when we are going to open exactly and, please feel free to contact me!

See you soon San Clemente!

A Wine A Day

The $10 Italian white you wanted – Verdicchio

09/01/2018 adrianopiazza Leave a comment

Villa Bianchi

– Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi –

Grown on the hills of the Marche region in Italy, the grapes of Verdicchio thrive in the lesser known Castelli di Jesi D.O.C.

Whoa, just whoa!

This 100% Verdicchio impressed me, and for $10 a bottle, it is a lot of wine for your cash.

Chalky and smooth with hints of honey and flavors of apple, pear and a touch of lemon; with just enough acid to make you crave more without being overwhelmed at the same time. This Verdicchio has a a long finish and is not simple by any means.

As for Italian wine tradition, this wine is fantastic and inexpensive.

Grab a few bottles and enjoy it during the end of the summer and after. Low in alcohol and great with white fish and light pasta dishes, this wine is going to be your end of summer “crush”.

To drink by itself, chill it to fridge temperature and serve. You will taste it develop new flavors in your glass one minute after the other.

For the more technical info, the 6-30 year-old vines are located between 500 and 1000 feet above sea level, facing south, and the harvest is carried by hand in early September.

There really isn’t anything else to say- buy, drink and repeat.

Cheers!

As usual, I want to remind that I am not payed to talk about any wine.

A Wine A Day

A Wine A Day – Oddero Barbera d’Alba 2013

02/11/2018 adrianopiazza Leave a comment

We all need a Barbera

Picture courtesy of a great night enjoying wines!

Italian wines are “difficult” – I get that a lot!

With generally high acidity and tannins, full body and not many tropical fruits that many love, Italian wines are the next step in a wine lover development.

Don’t be scared though, they can be easy to enjoy and an absolute blast, especially if paired with winter food.

The Barbera, a dark-skinned wine grape, is among the best of the best in Piedmont and a key D.O.C that will become one of your best friends.

Diffused all over Italy, Barbera is a vine that can produce astonishing wines. Most of the times it is best to enjoy wines from this grape while they are still young. You will appreciate the tartness, brightness and complexity that this relatively inexepensive wine can offer.

There are many different Barbera D.O.C.s all over the Piedmontese region. A few of the most popular are: Barbera d’Alba DOC, Barbera d’Asti DOCG , Barbera del Monferrato DOC, Piemonte Barbera DOC…you got the idea!

I consider Barbera the middle child between Nebbiolo and Dolcetto, with the relatively easy drinking vibe typical of Dolcetto and the complexity of Nebbiolo.

This grape variety is great when enjoyed during the winter thanks to all the available food pairings – from roasted beef to stew and mushrooms just to name the most common.

Let’s get to the real protagonist now: Oddero Barbera d’Alba 2013.

Grown from 40 years old vine in the south of the Piedmontese region and macerated for 15 days, this wine is as good as 15$ dollars can get!

As a generous woman, this wine is seductive and needs to be enjoyed while young and adventerous.

It should not come as a surprise that Barbera is a feminine noun in Italian!

A full body wine with an intense ruby colour. The tannins are vibrant and sustain and elevate the fully mature, yet not over ripe, fruits like blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries. The light pepperedness and minerality complete the flavor structure with a note of freshness.

The balanced tartness makes it a long lasting wine with a soft and elegant finish. An amazing pairing with mushrooms, duck, game birds, and many other favorites of the Piedmontese cuisine. I personally tried it in multiple occasions with big games and it really keeps the pace.

Even if meaty and hearty flavors are an easy pairing with this wine, it can be great with pasta dishes (hey, I am Italian after all!), especially ones with eggplants.

Essentially, a no brainer to drink everytime you are enjoying a meal with friends, especially if your friends are not too funny!