After FIFA, even the EU invited the Italian Football Federation to carefully re-evaluate the presidential candidature of Mr Carlo Tavecchio after the latter complained that “former banana eaters” are allowed to play in Italian professional football.

Many football teams sitting in the Italian Federation Council already withdrew their support from Mr Tavecchio, whose bid however is not doomed yet.

It is speculated that the Italian National Olympic Committee could intervene by appointing a commissioner to provisionally head the Football Federation.

There are many great grape varieties in Italy but it if I was forced to choose a favorite, it would be Sangiovese. Wines made from the Sangiovese grape are the perfect wines to go with food. The have bright fruit flavors, a hint of violets, and good acidity.  The best wine made from the Sangiovese grape is Chianti from Tuscany.

“It’s time for wine—Chianti wine,” was the theme of the Consorzio Vino Chianti tasting held on April 28 in New York City for the trade and media. It has become an annual tradition and this year 46 different wineries were present. I could not wait to go.

The daylong event began with a guided tasting and presentation of the Chianti Riserva 2010, which I attended. Six wines were tasted blind.

Giovanni Busi, President of the Consorzio Vino Chianti

Giovanni Busi, president of the Consorzio Vino Chianti and owner of Villa Travignoli, introduced the…

Company was coming and Michele wanted to make something from her new cookbook: The Italian Vegetable Cookbook: 200 Favorite Recipes for Antipasti, Soups, Pasta, Main Dishes and Dessert. She asked me what I was in the mood for but with so many delicious choices, I could not make up my mind. Then I saw the picture of the Basil Ricotta Gnocchi in Tomato Butter Sauce and I knew that was it. I planned to match it with the 1985 Boca.

We started the evening as we usually do with Champagne:

Champagne Delamotte Brut NV 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Nero and 20% Pinot Meunier. Light and fresh with citrus aromas and flavors and good acidity. The sister house is Salon and both are part of the Laurent-Perrier group. At $38 a bottle, it is a bargain and is our current house champagne.

Boca 1985 Campo Delle Piane La Meridiana…

• 2007 Antinori Chianti Classico Marchese Antinori Riserva – Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (4/7/2014)
  WIML91

  Tasted non blind at a wine tasting.

  Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of berries, cherries and a hint of blueberries. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Bright acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term, let’s say 3 years or so. (91 points)
  

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For the first time in a number of years I am not going to Campania this year.  I will miss being on the Amalfi Coast and visiting Naples but I am making up for it by drinking a lot of wine from Campania.

Under the banner of Campania’s Wine Excellence, the region hosted a series of tastings, seminars and dinners earlier this month. I attended a dinner and a seminar and Grand Tasting at Del Posto Restaurant.

The seminar was in two parts: the first was a tasting of the white wines of Campania and the second featured the red wines. Three of my favorite white grapes were represented: Falanghina, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di D Avelliano.

Nichols Belfrage in his book, Brunello to Zibibbo,(1999) states, “This grape (Falanghina), which some have suggested may be of Greek origin, and which some have tentatively indentified as the grape from which…