OneofthefaithfulThanksgivingtraditionsinourItalianAmericanfamilyinvolvedspiriteddiscussionsaroundtheholidaytable.Thedecibelleveloftheseemotionallychargedaltercationscouldsometimesexceedthesoundofcicadasatwar.Duringtheseholidaydebates,nosubjectwastoogrand,obscureorofflimits.Wewoulddebateeverythingfrompresidentialpoliticstosportstowhetherthemoustacheonourelderlyneighbor,Mrs.Costanza,wasintentionalornot.

Throughtheyears,mybrotherandIhavekeptupthefamilytraditionbyarguingoverwhichwinesarebesttopairwithThanksgivingdinner.Afterexhaustiveandsometimesheateddiscussions,wehavecometoanuneasytruceandhaveconcludedthatalmostanywinecanmarrynicelywithatleastonemenucomponentoftheThanksgivingDaymeal.

I’mconvincedthatmyobsessionwithwineandfoodcanbeattributedtofiftypercentofmyancestralcomposition–theItalianhalf.IsupposeIshouldcredittheotherhalf(Irish)withmyfondnessforstrongerbeverages,andforblarney–mypenchantforlong-windeddescriptionsofthings(likewineandfood)mostnormalpeoplesimplyconsume.

So,onthismostreveredofItalianAmericanweekends,whenwecelebrateChristopherColumbus–we’lltakealookataspecialItalianwine,itsversatilityinpairingwithamultitudeofdishes,anditsloftystandingintheworldofwine.Unfortunately,mostofusthinkItalianwinesshouldonlybeservedwithItalianfoodslikepastainaredsauce.ButwhatIlovemostaboutItalianwineisitstremendousdiversityinpairingwithawholehostoffoods.Withinthegeographicconfinesofits20regions,Italyproducesavirtualseaofwinefromadizzyingarrayofgrapes.

Mybrotherfancieshimselfagourmetcook,butratherthandisagreewithhisdelusion,Iusuallyjustnodandlethimgoaboutblissfullyconcoctinghislatestcomestiblecontrivance.Imustadmit,though,thathedoesusuallydeliveronhisculinarycreations,butthekitchendevastationleftinhiswakerequiresHazMat-likeinterventiontocleanandreassemble.

However,onesuchdishwassogoodthatIdidwhatallmalesiblingsunabashedlydo:Iclaimeditformyveryown.AndtodayI’llsharethatrecipewithyouandtellyouwhatwinestopairwithit.Thisrecipeisactuallyaknock-offofafamousItaliandishcalledCotolettaallaMilanese(orVealMilanese).Today’sdish,PorkMilanese,substitutesporkchopsforvealandisnotonlydelicious,butsignificantlylessexpensivetoprepare.Mybrother’sversion(seephoto)featuresabone-inporktomahawk,butmyrecommendationistousebone-in,centercutporkchopsthatareequallydelicious,muchlessexpensiveandreadilyavailableatmostgrocerystores.

Thebestsummertimeredwinethatpairswellwiththewidestvarietyofmealsfromsaladstopastasispinotnoir.Ofcourse,themostreveredpinotnoirintheworldisproducedintheBurgundyregionofFrance,butonlyRussianoligarchsandSaudiprincescanaffordtodrinkthatstuffonaregularbasis.

AndwithallduerespecttoBurgundy,therehavebeenotherpinotnoirproducers,principallyintheUS,thathavebeguntochallengethevinoussupremacyofFrancetomakeexceptionalwine.ThemostaccomplishedregiontogivetheBurgundiansarunfortheirmoneyisOregonwherethepinotnoirgrownandcraftedintheWilliametteValleyisnotonlyqualitativelycompetitive,butalsowithintheeconomicreachofmostwinelovers.

Oneofmypetpeeveswiththewineindustryovertheyearshasbeentheiroccasionalpracticeofinventinganewtermtodescribeanalreadydefinedword.ThisresultsinonlyfurtherconfusingwealreadybewilderedAmericanwineconsumerswhomustregularlydealwithlabelsinforeignlanguagesandnonsensicaldescriptionsofwinesasbeing“ethereal.”Anyway,Iwasremindedofthisrecentlywhensomeoneaskedmetodescribethedifferencebetweenredwinessyrahandshiraz.Well,forthoseofyouwhodon’tknow,syrahistheworld-famousgrapethathasbeengrownandproducedintheRhoneValleyofFranceforcenturies.

Shiraz,ontheotherhand,isaninventedwordthatsomewinemarketerdecidedtocallthesyrahmadeinAustraliaandSouthAfrica–andnowsometimeseveninCalifornia.Youwon’tseethewordsyrahmentionedonanyRhonelabelbecausethewinethereisidentifiedbytheproducerandtheplace(likeCote-RotieorCornas)butmostredwinefromtheregionwillbecomprisedofthatgrape.Imentionthisbecauseifyoudon’tsipsyrah,oreventhestufflabelledshiraz,you’remissingoutonwinesthat,whiledifferentinname,placeandinthewaythey’revinified,arebothexcellentandworthyofyourexploration.

Oncetheweathermoderates,somefolkscan’twaittohitthepool,dustofftheoldgolfclubsordiginthedirtandplantthings.Notme.Warmweathergetsmeinthemoodtocreatedelicious saladsandfollowthatcourseupwithasticktoyourribs,spicyandheartyentréeofgrilledmeatorfish.Ofcourse,thenIgettoenjoypairingthecourseswithwinesthatfurtherenhancetheenjoymentofthissummertimemeal.

I’lladmitrightupfrontthatthetwocoursesI’msuggestingyoutryareabitodd(kindoflikebeautyandthebeast),but,honestly,theyreallyworkwelltogether.AndthewinesI’mrecommending–bothwhiteandred–willbenefitfromalittlechillingintherefrigeratorbeforeserving.Soherewego.

OnMay24th,AmericanwineloversshouldraiseaglasstocelebratethemostmomentousoccasioneverforAmericanwine.I’mreferringto“TheJudgementofParis”whereagaggleofCaliforniawinerieswerepittedagainstthegreatestFrenchwinesfromBordeauxandBurgundyinablindtastinginthe‘CityofLight.’Onthatday,theall-Frenchtastingpanelawardedfirstplaceforboththered(1973StagsLeapCabernetSauvignon)andwhitewine(1973ChateauMontelenaChardonnay)totheseCaliforniawineries.TheresultsofthattastingconferredworldwidecredibilitytothenascentCaliforniawineindustry.

I’veoftenpokedfunattheFrenchfortheirsuperiorattitude,especiallywhenitconcernsanythingtodowithwine.However,it’simportanttoacknowledgethetremendouscontributionsFrancehasmadeinproducingsomeofthegreatestwines,andfortheirvineyardandcellarinnovationsoverthepastseveralcenturies.Today,I’llgiveyouquickprimeronthemajorwine-producingregionsofFranceandtellyouabouttheprincipalgrapevarietiesthatgrowthere.

Tamingmyravenousappetiteisalwaysaworkinprogress,butachanceglanceatmyprofileinthehallwaymirrormadeitcleartomethatsomethingmustbedonetoreconfiguremy…figure.Lasttimeinthisspace,Imentionedmyplantoswitchfromtheheavierfoodsofwintertolessheartyfare,andtoaccompanythesemealswithlighterstyledwines.

So,ratherthangocoldturkey(I’mnotafanofturkeyanyway),I’vedecidedtograduallyintroducelighterandmorehealthyfoodsintomydailymealregimen.I’llalsoselectlessintensewinestoaccompanythesemeals.Buthey,thatdoesn’tmeanIcan’teatanddrinkwell.Asamatteroffact,therecipeI’msuggestingyoutrybelowisaperfectexample.AndeitherofthetwowhitewinesI’mrecommendingtoaccompanythemealwillmakethefoodandwineexperiencesomethingspecial.

Springisabouttobloom(Ihope)andthisisatimeofyearthatItendtotransitionfromthefuller-bodiedredsofwintertolighterstylewhitewinesthataremoresuitabletothefoodsweconsumeinthewarmermonths.WhatIloveaboutwine-amongthemostobvioussensorypleasuresitprovides–isthediversityofexperiencesitofferstousifweareadventuresome.Isupposetheessenceofwineappreciation,then,isvariety.

Unfortunately,whenmostofusdiscoverawinethatispleasingtoourpalates,westickwithitasiftherearenootheralternatives.It’salmostasifyou’restuckinawinerutandfinditdifficulttoabandonthattried-and-truebottleofchardonnay,pinotgrigioorsauvignonblancyou’reaccoustomedtoselecting.

In honor of President’s Day, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what wines US presidents sipped, and how some used the fruit of the vine as a diplomatic lubricante. Let’s start with George Washington.

President Washington is said to have had a special affinity for Madeira – a Portuguese fortified, dessert wine that he drank throughout his life. He also attempted to plant vines at his estate at Mount Vernon, but that agricultural venture was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Later, during his presidency, Washington also enjoyed Champagne and he often used it at state dinners.

The New Year has arrived snowy and frigid, reminding us that wintertime temperatures can be miserable. But January also delivers a jolt of cold, harsh economic reality: it’s time to pay the credit card bill for our profligate holiday spending. While I’m not one who has the discipline to commit to new year’s resolutions, I know it’s time to tighten the budgetary belt a bit, and that includes food…. and wine.

It’s easy to craft inexpensive, hearty wintertime meals. But in my home even modest foods deserve an accompanying wine, and I’ll always look for  appropriate bottles to pair with dinner. The good news is there are a whole host of very tasty, inexpensive wines ($10 to $25 a bottle)  from which to choose. The wines I am recommending are especially complimentary to a wide variety of wintertime dishes including:  soups like chili, gumbo, pasta Fagioli and cheesy potato: dishes such as pot roast, mac and cheese and spaghetti and meatballs; or casseroles like lasagna, moussaka, rice pilaf and Italian sausage and peppers.

With Christmas and Hanukkah falling on the same day this year, you’re probably struggling with deciding what wine to gift to those special wino’s in your life. Well, today I’m going to suggest a few options for your consideration that would excite my palate were I to be the recipient of such vinous largesse.

The holiday season, which now begins right around Thanksgiving and will continue through New Year’s Eve, is a time when you will spend about seventy percent of your yearly wine budget purchasing bottles for gifts, parties, and holiday dinners. Here are some bottles that should please the palate of just about every serious sipper. Let’s begin with pinot noir – a very versatile wine that pairs  well with a variety of foods like beef, chicken and even salmon.

In just a few weeks, we’ll all be sitting down to stuff ourselves at Thanksgiving dinner. That’s my favorite holiday of the year because it’s a wine lover’s dream come true. At the center of the meal is turkey which lends itself to any number of cooking methods from the traditional oven baked bird, to ones grilled over charcoal, and to others that are deep fried or smoked. And that’s just the turkey! When you surround the “national bird” with the various delectable courses and side dishes that traditionally accompany the meal, Thanksgiving is a culinary extravaganza where there are almost limitless wine pairing possibilities.

If you’re a white wine lover, pair your oven basted bird with sauvignon blanc, a buttery chardonnay or a riesling from Alsace. If you’re grilling or smoking the critter, then go ahead and open a big red zinfandel, syrah or even cabernet sauvignon with the meal. Or if you want a red wine that pairs nicely with any of the above-mentioned cooking methods, try a pinot noir from Oregon or even a Beaujolais – that sometimes overlooked wine made from the gamay grape grown and produced in France.

As a descendant of Italian immigrants, I’m grateful for and proud of my heritage, and for our government’s recognition of Italian Americans by establishing Columbus Day. On Monday, I plan to cook up something Italian, and pair the dish with vino from the country that has been called: “a boot full of wine.”

Alas, what has been celebrated as Columbus Day since 1792 is now officially known as Indigenous Peoples Day. With all due respect to the folks who existed in North America before Christopher Columbus was credited with discovering our continent, I’m still observing the former holiday.

For decades now, I’ve experienced both agony and ecstasy in the pursuit of the perfect wine. Allow me to amend that last sentence because I’m pretty sure that nothing is perfect. But I am always searching for wines that surpass those that are considered to be good -or even excellent. Wines that go above and beyond expectations and become something more than a really pleasant quaff. These are bottles that are refined and the wine in them is exquisite.

They are wines that can also elevate a meal from simply excellent to sublime. And the wonder of these beauties is that they can run the gamut of styles from deep, full-bodied reds, to silky, subtle whites, and even to delicate and complex sparkling wines. Many of these stellar wines are expensive bottles that are more than a decade old. Happily, I can report from personal experience that reasonably priced bottles can benefit from extended aging as well.

I’ve written many times before of my affection for all things rose’, and there is no better time to open a bottle of that sometimes pink, salmon colored or even orange hued wine than in the heat of the summer. And while it may seem counterintuitive to suggest pairing rose’ with a hearty, meat-centric dish,  I’m going to suggest you do just that.

Years ago, in a galaxy far, far away (actually a decade or so ago), I regaled the wine-obsessed creatures that read my vinous scratchings with a recipe for pork shoulder, also known as pork butt. With that barbecue-enhanced chunk of swine meat, I recommended you pair the dish with hearty  red wines such as petite sirah, malbec or Chianti classico. And I still favor using those types of reds to marry with the flavors of roasted meat such as pork butt.

While we suffer through extreme heat and humidity in the waning days of summer, I generally prefer to sip light, white wine with my meals. Chilled sauvignon blanc, riesling, unoaked chardonnay and pinot grigio top the list of wines I choose to accompany with many of my summertime dishes. But I adamantly refuse to eliminate red wines from my list of summer sippers just because Mother Nature is in a bad mood.

However, I do select less intense reds because they are better companions to more casual, picnic or warm weather meals. And, importantly, I always chill my summer reds in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before opening them. Today, I’ll provide you with the recipes for two easy-to-make summertime meals and suggest the perfect red wines with which to pair them.