Ever fill a crystal wine glass and rub the rim?  Depending on the size and width of the glass, you’ll hear a sound (or a note).  Line up several glasses of various sizes, widths and amounts of liquid, and you’ve got the Glass Harp.  Also known as musical glasses, the glass harp is an instrument made of wine glasses that is played with chalked fingers by simply touching the rim of the glasses.  

The following is a piece played by Robert Tiso that we thought would be fitting for the Christmas Holiday. Get yourself a nice glass of wine.  The holiday begins now….

Buon Natale to all of our readers.

Tell us about Soave month at Eataly (May 2011).
In May, 2011, Eataly and Soave teamed up for a memorable month of Soave-related events. More than 12 different Soave wines were featured throughout the restaurants and the Eataly wine shop. Included in the promotion were consumer tastings and classes, special food and wine pairings, and wine-related conferences. On display were the versatility, approachability, and elegance of one of the most important appellations in Italy. We estimate that more than 50,000 people were exposed to the splendors of Soave during the promotion in the store alone.

Who is the typical Soave drinker these days?
The beauty of Soave is that it’s seemingly timeless. In the United States, Soave was one of the appellations that provided the foundation for the Italian wine market, and the name, “Soave”, conjures up great memories for the baby boomers who indulged in Soave wines during the 60s and 70s. Now there’s a new generation of twenty-somethings discovering Soave wines. Those who stay loyal to the appellation are those who prefer, enjoy, and appreciate clean, mineral, fresh, and exuberant whites.

How do you make the sale with Soave? What is its biggest selling point?
While I find that many northern whites are expressive of their climate and soil, Soave wines seem to cater to the crowd that prefers more floral and aromatic qualities. Grapes like Friulano, Sylvaner, Trebbiano, and Arneis often produce racier and more mineral-driven wines, which are excellent in their own right, but Garganega is unique in that the and intoxicating aromas always put it over the top.

Do you recommend Soave as an aperitivo wine?
Soave is exceptional as an apertivo as well as a first or second course wine. I prefer to serve Soave with passed finger foods, cheeses, cured meats, and grilled fish dishes.

Do you notice Soave wines selling better with screwcaps or corks (or no difference)?
No difference

Have you seen sales of Soave rise in recent months/years?
Soave is a bit cyclical. In the past few years it’s been more popular, in part, because demand for Pinot Grigio and other white wines has waned.

How are Soave wines priced compared to other Italian white wines?
For the most part, Soave wines are still priced very competitively compared to other northern white appellations and they’re good additions to any serious wine list or retail shop.

What do you make of the idea of white wines for winter? When is it appropriate to drink Soave in winter?
Just because the mercury drops doesn’t mean it’s exclusively red wine season. Crisp whites like Soave are great accompaniments to hearty stews and broths, and other rich comfort foods. Soave is also a great option when you’re cuddled up by the fire with a loved one.

Are you seeing any trends in white wine, generally?
A lot of producers seem to be scaling back on oak aging for white wines. Many wines that were once hit with smaller, newer oak barrels are now seeing larger and neutral wood. The resulting wines are lighter, fresher, and the acidity shows better in the first few years after bottling.

Dan Amatuzzi is the Beverage Director at Eataly in Manhattan. He’s authored a book, Italian Wine For The Student, and also writes a blog, wineforthestudent.com. He was selected for Zagat’s inaugural class of “30 under 30” restaurant professionals in New York City in 2011. He’s the wine professor at Eataly’s La Scuola, where he teaches a variety of wine and food classes. He also conducts charity wine tastings for food charities supporting hunger and homelessness. He’s currently pursuing his MBA degree from the Stern School of Business at NYU focusing his studies on environmental sustainability and entrepreneurship. You can sometimes find him Sunday evenings at Eataly’s Birreria where he plays in a band with other members of the Eataly family.

(Connect with Soave on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube)

Contributed by Colangelo & Partners PR

A leading provider of PR and marketing services to the food and beverage industry.

Pier Narciso Masi together with Alessandra Giovannotti are ToraDuo - Italy’s multiform piano duo. Derived from the Japanese word for “Tiger” ToraDuo playfully, artfully, gracefully and passionately perform the music of Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, and Rossini with an unsurpassed level of  perfection and skill throughout Italy.  Their message is Music. Their philosophy: “When words become poor, music can be a possible pack to follow.”  

Born of a student/teacher relationship and a shared vision, ToraDuo blossomed into a magical partnership. At one and half years young, ToraDuo has catapulted themselves into Italy’s finest concert halls, draws crowds in piazzas and can more than occasionally be heard donating  their time playing at local hospitals in Rome and beyond. 

The two share a passion for piano and humbly give their music as a gift to all who wish to appreciate and listen.   Be prepared to be moved.

ToraDuo will be performing: 

8 dicembre 2011
Auditorium A.Corelli di Fusignano (RA)

http://www.romagnadeste.it/en/8-fusignano/i5011248-auditorium-arcangelo-corelli-invern.htm

16 dicembre 2011
S.Vito di Cadore (BL)

Find out more at http://www.toraduo.com/en/

by Nancy S. Mure

The throng of onlookers outside of the presidential palace openly celebrated as as the news broke that Il Duce was finally closing this tumultuous chapter of Italian political history.

During his 17-year tenure, Berlusconi was found guilty of lying in court about his active participation in Masonic lodge Propoganda 2; lost his strongest ally Umberto Bossi, which led to a collapse in the Italian government. He was also found guilty of bribing tax inspectors, but used a statute of limitations to avoid actual jail time; in fact he used the statute of limitations a half dozen times to get off the hook during other court cases.

Berlusconi and his high running libido also became a national embarrassment when he became the focus of Oggi magazine when they published “Berlusconi’s Harem”. In 2009, Berlusconi’s wife Veronica Lario finally left him after he was linked to a possible affair with an 18-year old model and then captured on an audio recording that was allegedly made a prostitute while sharing a bed. The next year brought to focus the PM’s now infamous “bunga bunga” sex parties. This in turn has led to a massive dissent from female voters who were already vexed about inequalities in the workplace.

And now at a time when the world’s economic situation has become fragile, Italy’s debt crisis threatens not only the future of the European Union, but that of the global economy as well.

Pundits are speculating that technocrat Mario Monti is the best poised candidate to run a more unified Italian government. Monti’s staunch economic prowess could just be the key to getting vital reforms passed prior to the 2013 elections.

And so begins a new chapter in the fabled history of Italian politics…

Photo Credit: Team Abbondanza! at 2011 NYC Veterans Day Parade

The fact is that Memorial Day is a day for honoring America’s casualties of war. Veterans Day, honors ALL American veterans, both living and dead. It is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their dedication and service to our country.

So, from all of us at Abbondanza! Magazine to all of the brave men and women who have served our country, THANK YOU!

Nothing proves that the well heeled must indeed be doing well like this bit of news from Neiman Marcus… The highly anticipated 2012 Ferrari FF Neiman Marcus Edition, a bespoke masterpiece, sold out just 50 minutes after it was made available to the “general public” (and yes, we use that term lightly).

At $395,000 (a mere 95k over the sticker price) the elegantly appointed vehicle was customized inside and out - from a Grigio Caldo paint job to interior perks that should please the most demanding of customers.

To paraphrase something I once heard Bill Gates say, “If your not making money at the thing you are most passionate about, it’s not a business - it’s merely a hobby; especially when its costing you time and money”.

On October 18th I had the pleasure of attending TEDxPennQuarter 2011 in the Washington, D.C. area. (By the way, for those of you unfamiliar with TED… “TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader.” TEDxPennQuarter is a local version of TED that brings us some of the world’s best thinkers and doers; allowing them to stand before an audience and speak about whatever they are most passionate about.

On this particular day, I looked forward to hearing the incredibly charming Sam Calagione, founder and president of Dogfish Head breweries. Sam’s quirky and casual style makes for an easy to follow, and suprisingly educational presentation.

So if you love craft beer, or if you like to listen to how someone takes their passion and grows it into a wildly successful interest, you should watch and listen as Sam Calagione delivers his presentation.

by Fabrizio Marchesini and Elena Santos