Italian Wine, Food and a Book!

I am hosting a special Italian wine and food class on Friday, May 2 at I Monelli Pizzeria (5019 N. Western, Chicago. This will be an intermediate class on pairing Italian wines and food (though beginners are certainly welcome) - and what better way to learn about this subject than by hosting it at a trattoria!

We will try five or six wines, paired with several dishes off the menu, ranging from calamari to antipasti to pastas. The wines will be a range of products, from sparkling to white to red and will include Prosecco (sparkling), Greco di Tufo (white) and Taurasi (red). These last two wines are both from the Campania region; I'm choosing these, as the proprietors of this restaurant are from that southern region and these are two excellent wines that work beautifully with their food and deserve greater attention.

As a bonus, everyone who signs up will receive a copy of my book Beyond Barolo and Brunello: Italy's Most Distinctive Wines, which details more than 600 wines from Italy, covering all of the country's regions. Having made more than 60 trips to wine regions in Italy, I wanted to showcase hundreds of the finest wines from Italy, not just the most famous reds (such as Barolo, Brunello and Amarone), but also excellent examples of typical and delicious Italian wines such as Dolcetto, Gavi, Verdicchio and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

So there you have it - several excellent Italian wines, first-rate Italian cuisine and a copy of a through book on Italian wine, all for a total of $55 a person (the book itself is a $24.95 value).  There will be limited seating for this, to ensure everyone gets enough wine to taste, so you need to sign up soon. To enroll, please email me at thomas2022@comcast.net. I can then tell you if there is still seating available. Payment is due up front (I will give you payment instructions in the email) and is due by April 27. The dinner starts at 7:00 PM and will run to approximately 8:30.

I hope to see you on May 2 for a great evening of Italian wine and food!

"A Wonderful Wine Journey"

"With a little help from my friends"

My first book on Italian wines, Beyond Barolo and Brunello: Italy's Most Distinctive Wines has been available for just a little more than two weeks and sales are good, for which I'm thankful. I'm also appreciative of some special individuals I've known for a few years who have written some wonderful things about my book.

Here are the quotes from the back cover:

"The approach of this book on Italian wine is focused on the producers. Tom captivates the personal stories of some lesser-known produttori, while introducing us to some unusual grape varieties. He also tells us how to discover and understand their poetry in the glass and on the palate." - Piero Selvaggio, Owner, Valentino Restaurant, Santa Monica, CA.

"Tom has his finger on the pulse of contemporary Italy. His extensive experience with Italian winemakers and his passion for the land, vines and wines make this in-depth reference book a must-have for lovers of Italian wine." - Debra Meiburg, Master of Wine, Hong Kong

"Tom Hyland has the sense of smell of the Italian truffle dogs; he succeeds in unearthing excellent wines and great producers amidst the thousands, indeed tens of thousands of proposals. His book is a good trail to follow for all who love Italian wine. You can be secure - before recommending a glass, he enjoyed it!" - Luciano Pignataro, Wine journalist, Napoli

Then there is this wonderful quote from a review by Subhash Arora at his blog, Italian Wine Academy:

"Each wine listing describes in detail several specifics about the wine, not only the aromas and flavours, but also the style of the wine as sought by the producer. More than just a technical approach to the Italian wine industry and the specific regions, he has taken an engaging look into the individual producers as they carry out the work of their previous ancestors of creating a product that reflects the terroir and a sense of place..."

Later in the review, he writes that my book is "a wonderful wine journey." Thank you, Subhash! (Here is a link to this review.) 

Hopefully, there will be more praise along the way for my book - I'll be sure to share it!

Here is the link for ordering the book.