ITALIA STAFF PICKS		MOVIES FOR WINE LOVERS by Gina DePalma & David Lynch Inspiration for a good bottle of wine can derive from many things - the food we eat, the places we travel, the people we meet...and the movies we see. Here's a list of great Italian movies, recommended by Gina, set in some of the world’s greatest wine-producing regions, with notes from David to inspire your pairing! Rome/Lazio The Movies: The Godfather, Part III (Al Pacino, 1990) ·The Shoes of the Fisherman (Anthony Quinn, 1968) ·La Dolce Vita (Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, 1961) ·Three Coins in The Fountain (Clifton Webb, Dorothy Macguire, 1954) ·The Talented Mr. Ripley (Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, 2002) The Wine: “Colli Picchioni. This small winery is owned by the lovable Paola DiMauro and her son, Armando, and while they make a terrific Marino Bianco with lots of Malvasia character their premier wine is a red blend called Vigna del Vassalo, which combined cabernets sauvignon and franc with merlot.” Naples & The Amalfi Coast/Compania: The Movies: Marriage Italian-Style (Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, 1964) The Wine: “…fall in love with the local whites, most of which are blends based on the falanghina grape. We at Babbo are big fans of the whites from Marisa Cuomo, probably the biggest and best name in Amalfi Coast wine…my sentimental favorites in the wacky world of Sorrento and Amalfi wine are those labeled Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio. That’s right, the “tears of Christ from Vesuvio.” Lacryma Christi wines are made in white, red and rosé versions, and to me they conjure images of the salad days of Italian-American restaurants, with their red-and-white checkered tablecloths, shakers filled with red chili flakes, and posters of the Napoli soccer team on the wall." Venice & Veneto: The Movies: Summertime (Katherine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, 1955) Bread and Tulips (Licia Maglietta, 2000) The Wine: “In the past, all of the Veneto's "big three" were considered cheap, simple quaffing wines, but these days they are so much more. In Soave, the whites are taking on new depths of concentration, while in Valpolicella the legendary Amarone is now joined by a growing crop of serious, structured reds. As for Prosecco, well, there's always a place for this light, crisp, fragrant sparkler--especially when it's party time. “ Emilia-Romagna: The Movie: Amarcord (Federico Fellini, 1974) The Wine: “Lambrusco? Hey, if anyone can make Lambrusco trendy again, we can. Although Mario’s abiding love of Emilia-Romagna doesn’t extend to Lambrusco, I’ve got a soft spot for the stuff, so he allows the occasional foray into the world of frizzanti. In its more traditional dry state, Lambrusco is a great appetite-whetting aperitif, and with food (cheese in particular), its tooth-chattering acidity goes to work on fat like a chainsaw through wood. Made in a frizzante (semi-sparkling) style, Lambrusco recalls the olden days when wines fermented naturally over the course of a winter, in fits and starts, and ended up in bottles before that fermentation had totally finished -- resulting in fizzy wines.” Liguria & The Rivera: The Movie: Enchanted April (Miranda Richardson, Alfred Molina, 1992) The Wine: “My suggestion is to look for wines bearing the Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC, preferably those made from the herbal, tangy Vermentino grape. The Riviera Ligure di Ponente appellation is a relatively large swath of vineyards west of Genoa, and Vermentino is definitely the star variety. The whites of Cinque Terre may be more famous, but the Ligure di Ponente wines tend to be more serious -- and Vermentino is the reason.” Lombardy & Milan: The Movies: •A Farewell to Arms (Jennifer Jones, Rock Hudson, 1957) •A Month by the Lake (Vanessa Redgrave, Edward Fox, 1995) •The Innocent (Giancarlo Giannini, 1979) •1900 (Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu, 1977) The Wine: “From the precipitous vineyards along the Adda River in Valtellina, on Italy's border with Switzerland, come wines from the nebbiolo grape that challenge the greats of Barolo and Barbaresco. Down south of Milan, in the pre-Apennine slopes where Lombardia meets Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, the vintners of the Oltrepò Pavese zone are turning out plump and spicy reds from the local croatina grape, known by its synonym, bonarda. On the shores of Lake Garda to the east, the local version of trebbiano is used in the fresh and fragrant whites of Lugana. And just west of Brescia, on the shores of Lake Iseo, are the vineyards of Franciacorta, where pinot noir and chardonnay are grown to produce Italy's finest Champagne-style sparklers. There is truly something for everyone in Lombardia, though it has yet to be discovered-meaning that values abound for the adventurous Italophile. “ Piemonte: The Movie •Passione d'Amore (by Ettore Scola, 1981) The Wine: “Because Barolo and Barbaresco can be a little earthy and tannic for some consumers, many producers throughout the Piedmont region are making blended wines in a more plush, soft, super-concentrated “international” style. This wine is one of the better examples around of this new generation of “super-Piemonte” reds: A blend of nebbiolo (the base grape of Barolo & Barbaresco) and barbera, “Segreto,” Cascina Ebreo, 1998 is a dense and inky red that won’t settle for anything less than a rich braised shortrib or a well-marbled steak. A powerhouse wine from an up-and-coming producer!” Florence & Tuscany: The Movies: • Tea with Mussolini(Cher, Judi Dench, 1999) • A Room with a View (Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter,1986) • Johnny Stecchino (Roberto Benigni, 1991) • The Agony and the Ecstasy (Charlton Heston, 1965) The Wine: “If there's one region of Italy that Americans feel comfortable with, it's Tuscany…..The producer names might not necessarily be familiar, but appellations such as Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino are always safe bets, particularly for those who've traversed their cypress-lined hills. That said, I'd like to lead you Toscanophiles away from the Florence-Siena-Montalcino axis and toward Tuscany's Mediterranean coast, headlined by the star-studded appellation of Bolgheri. The internationally-styled reds of the Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Guado al Tasso estates have turned Bolgheri into perhaps the most important wine zone in Tuscany-at least in terms of wine critics and the geeks who heed them. The maritime climate and sandy soils of Bolgheri have proved hospitable to "international" varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and merlot, and these days the Tuscan coast is studded with lesser-known but up-and-coming DOCs such as Candia dei Colli Apuani (near the Apuan Alps that connect Tuscany and Liguria) and especially Val di Cornia (centered around the southern coast town of Suvereto), where a number of producers-including the critically acclaimed boutique winery called Tua Rita-are turning out reds to rival the big boys of Bolgheri. The Tuscan coast is also home to one of Italy's great indigenous white varieties: vermentino. With a garlicky, herb-tinged zuppa di pesce, there may be no better white, and the one below is a great introduction to the Mediterranean-flavored variety.”		• March 02: Greenwich Village • April 02: Greenwich Village Again • May 02: Soho • June 02: Greenmarket at Union Square • July 02: Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbetto, and more... • August 02: Fromaggiorias • September 02: Brown Bagging It! • October 02: Candy Shops • November 02: Holiday Pies • December 02: Esspresso Stops • January 03: Soup Stops • February 03: Weekday Breakfasts • March 03: Best Burgers • April 03: Rainy Days • May 03: Spring at the Greenmarket • June 03: Summer Berries • July 03: Dining al Fresco • August 03: Tomatoes • September 03: Back to School • October 03: Picking Apples • November 03: Helping Others • December 03: Cookbooks for Reading • January 04: Film Series • February 04: Chocolate Fix • March 04: Wine Bars • April 04: Spring Planting • June 04: Sorbetti • July 04: Hot Places to Keep Cool in the Summer • August 04: Karaoke in NYC • September 04: Culinary Classes • October 04: Apple Pickin' • November 04: Organic Turkeys • December 04: Ice Skating • January 05: Movies for Wine Lovers