Mano a Vino - Eat, Drink, Write - Great Wine, Food, Beer and Places

Create a Complete Italian Experience with the New Putumayo CD Italia

Next time you do Italian whether with a cheap Chianti and pasta with red sauce or a grand outdoor party or picnic complete the ambiance with this wonderful compilation of sweet Italian music. 

 Putumayo's Italia serves up a delightful assortment of tunes, from romantic folk to lively pop jazz and rock, that please the senses. 

You will love it, sample the sounds here Italia.

A Perfect Easy Summer Cocktail, Portonic

  I love to make elaborate, interesting and complex cocktails. But when summer rolls around I prefer something that is easy and easily portable to the pool club.

The Portonic fills the bill. A simple cocktail of white port and tonic. I first discovered it in a Food and Wine article discussing the Portonic found at New York’s Macao Trading Co., Food and Wine Article.

It is delightfully refreshing and so easy to make. The biggest challenge is finding white port, not every liquor store carries it. I found mine at Shoppers Vineyard in Clifton.

A Great Italian Wine for Barbecue Season - Masserie Pisari - Primitivo

We were in Amanti Vino to pick up the June installment of my Goda wine club, two very interesting white wines this month. (review to follow)

Today I needed a red for the Barbecue-Braised Vietnamese Short Ribs with Sweet Vinegar Glaze we were making for dinner, A great recipe from Fine Cooking.

I asked my friend Sue Guerra, who works at Amanti, for a suggestion.