Happy Veterans Day!

I wanted to take a time out from the usual review today and wish all of the men and women of the armed services, past and present, a Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to keep this nation safe! 

On this day, as well as Memorial Day, I think of my grandfather, Vincent Palumbo. Not only did he start the business that is now my career, he was a WWII veteran. He has always been an inspiration in my life and always love sharing his story whenever I can. 

On June 3, 1943 in Big Spring, Texas my grandfather, 22 years old, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps. As a bombardier with the Eight Air Force and part of the 306th Bombardment Group, my grandfather risked his life for our country in WWII. While on his B-17, nicknamed the “flying fortress,” I am proud to say that he accomplished 32 combat bombing missions over Germany and German occupied countries. My grandfather would often share stories with me about the war and his time as a bombardier, but I will always remember the diagrams that he would draw me when he would explain the flight formation and how the bombs were dropped. I loved when he did this because I was so proud of his position as the bomber on the lead plane. Wherever my grandfather dropped his bombs is where the rest of the bombardiers would drop their bombs. He had to be incredibly accurate and on target for all 26 missions as a bombardier in the lead planes and he was. My grandfather earned the rank of Captain and was awarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross. 

Make sure to thank both past and active duty men and women for their service today! 

Luxury Italian Wines at the Liquid Art House

A couple weeks ago I had a rare opportunity to taste truly wonderful wines at the Liquid Art House in Boston. I dragged my best friend out with me at 10:00 at night (a late night wine tasting...a first for me!) to swirl and sip fine Italian wines. The location for the tasting added a great vibe to the event. If you are looking for an interesting restaurant, this would be the place to go. This unique gallery-restaurant concept showcases pieces from local, emerging and established artists for your viewing/eating pleasure.      

One of the wines that I was looking forward to tasting was Luce, which the distributor above proudly showed off. Luce is a Montalcino, which is a blend of nearly equal parts Merlot and Sangiovese. It is unique because it was the first wine created in Montalcino by combining these two grapes. The Merlot lends its softness while the Sangiovese grape provides structure and elegance. Luce displays delicate notes of wild berry fruit including black cherry, blackberry and black currant. Notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg also linger on the nose. The palate is elegant and soft with silky tannins, great structure and a touch of mint on the finish. It is completely sold out in Massachusetts but the 2012 vintage is set to be released late-Spring 2015!    

While I had many favorites...not difficult to do when all the wines score over 90 points and are $$$...my budget friendly choice was the Montesodi Chianti Rufina from Marchesi De' Frescobaldi. It is 100% Sangiovese grapes hailing from Tuscany. The Frescobaldi family has been making wine for more than 700 years. Their wine-making philosophy is that each of their nine estates operates independently with the goal of making wine that best represents the site of its origin. 

From the Castello di Nipozzano estate, Montesodi is produced from grapes grown in the Montesodi vineyard, which is regarded as the finest on the Tenuta for growing Sangiovese. It's wine profile was described by the man pouring as velvety, supple and well-balanced. On the nose I detected notes of blueberry, black berry and raspberry fruits. Also some violet floral notes with a spiciness from black pepper. The finish is long and elegant dominated by licorice undertones. A great buy if you are looking for a Chianti for a special occasion! 

Have a great weekend! 

Sweet Basil Birthday Celebrations

Ready to dive into this tasty meal!

Mike cutting into his ribeye steak.

Pesto spread, fresh bread, homemade pottery and a cozy atmosphere are all things that make up one of my favorite dinner spots. Mike and I celebrated his birthday at this Italian eatery, Sweet Basil, in Needham. It is a first come, first serve no reservation situation, but a small wait is completely worth it! I always leave happy and pleasantly full, which usually means a doggie bag for lunch the next day. 

We ordered the calamari fritti with a spicy tomato sauce for an appetizer. Mike chose the ribeye steak with spiced onion rings, roasted cauliflower and bleu cheese-horseradish aioli on top. He graciously gave me some to try and wow! The onion rings melted in my mouth. I went with the sauteed veal cutlets with mushrooms and figs in a port wine sauce and side of handmade pesto pasta. Everything was so delicious! 

Now for my absolute favorite part of Sweet Basil, you can bring your own wine!! For a $5 corkage fee you can skip the high mark-up prices and bring your favorite bottle. This means the sky is the limit for me and I wanted to bring something special in honor of Mike's birthday. I chose a bottle of Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. 

Across the board the 2007 vintage was considered nearly perfect for cabernet sauvignon, especially from the Napa Valley region. After aging in the bottle, Faust poured balanced and elegant. The red fruits were dark and complex yet so silky and smooth. It is still big bodied and full with some smoke and spice on the nose along with the red fruits. The tannins are well integrated with the oak and the finish is long. Overall, a wonderful bottle accompanied by delicious food and even better reason to celebrate!