(Italian Lifestyle) 意式風情

“Without qualification, the best book about Italian wine today, if only because Sergio Esposito understands that its mysterious greatness is in its poetry—the earth, its diurnal magic, the ghosts of great-grandfathers. A beautiful, boldly sentimental memoir.”—Bill Buford

As a young child in Naples, Sergio Esposito learned to appreciate the deep relationship between food and wine. Sitting at his kitchen table, he watched his mother, father, aunts, and uncles as they paired local dishes with simple country wines. So it seemed inevitable that the boy who savored thimblefuls of Sangiovese mixed with water would grow up to become America’s foremost authority of Italian wines. When his family immigrated to America, they were welcomed by their well-meaning relatives with a bland, uninspired meal, and his mother would soon discover that it was not easy to find the ingredients she needed to create authentic Italian dishes. Clearly America’s palate was in need of a makeover and as a young man, Sergio was inspired to open Italian Wine Merchants, a shop dedicated to bringing the most authentic Italian wines to America.

Passion on the Vine is Sergio’s evocative memoir of his journey from Italy to America and his frequent trips back to his homeland, some with his growing family in tow. He takes you to the cold hills of Friuli, the world-famous cellars of Piedmont, the sweeping estates of Tuscany, the windy beaches of Le Marche, and the lush fields of Campania. Along the way he introduces a cast of remarkable characters, not the least of which are his own mother and father—at times exasperating but always endearing. You’ll also meet the man who introduced Italy’s wine and gastronomic heritage to the world; a ballroom-dancing winemaker who bases his farming on the rhythm of the moon; and an obsessive prince who destroys his vineyards before his death so that his grapes will never be used incorrectly.

Passion on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italy…HK$ 198.00
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What's Being Said…

“Without qualification, the best book about Italian wine today, if only because Sergio Esposito understands that its mysterious greatness is in its poetry—the earth, its diurnal magic, the ghosts of great-grandfathers. A beautiful, boldly sentimental memoir.”
—Bill Buford, author of Heat

“This funny, stirring, edifying and delicious book made us want to be Italian. Mr. Esposito takes us on a tasty, sometimes hilarious, always wondrous tour of Italy, past and present, where we meet its passionate winemakers amid a gallery of other memorable characters and almost taste every drop of wine and every morsel of food that he describes throughout.”
—Dorothy, Gaiter and John Brecher, The Wall Street Journal
(Read the full article)

“Passion on the Vine is a spellbinding memoir; a vivid, funny, and, yes, passionate tale of family, food, and wine. The tour de force chapter on his childhood in Naples will make you wish you were Italian. Sergio Esposito is not only a great epicurean—he’s also a great storyteller.”
—Jay McInerney, author of A Hedonist in the Cellar

“Esposito’s glass is always half-full, when not filled to the brim, and always with something beautifully red and swirling and passionate, as are his words in this wine-adventure, story-memoir. His words are like the vines he so ardently writes about-earthy, deep-rooted; and the wines-perfect on the tongue, with a long finish.”
—Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun

“Sergio Esposito’s culinary memoir is as delicious as the wines and food he lovingly describes. Well, almost as delicious. His literary talents are already known to those of us who eagerly await his periodic newsletters on the latest in Italian wines, but he surpasses himself in Passion on the Vine.”
—James B. Stewart, Editor-at-Large for SmartMoney magazine and SmartMoney.com

“Do not read this book on an empty stomach…A charming tribute to food, drink, and homeland.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Read the full article)