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When you look at a soft shoulder bottle of wine, you can identify it as a Burgundy bottle and find Pinot Noir or Chardonnay inside. If you see a tall shoulder bottle, it is recognized as a Bordeaux bottle and we find Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon in those. Then there is the Albeisa bottle that has its own unique shape, between the Burgundy and Bordeaux bottle. And, it has the name "Albeisa" embossed around it. This name is a symbol, it is more than the bottle but what is in the bottle. It is about a place and people. I wrote about the story of the Albeisa bottle in the Napa Valley Register and share it here. To speak of the wines of Piemonte, Italy, little more needs to be said than Barolo and Barbaresco. The prestige of those two areas, as well as the entire region of the Langhe, is known by wine lovers around the world. But have you ever looked closely at a bottle of Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, or Arneis and seen the embossed words “Albeisa” printed around the shoulder of the bottle? Have you wondered why it is written on the bottle? Do you know the meaning of that word? The Albeisa bottle is a distinct element that symbolizes a region, a people, a tradition, and more.
Twenty-Five years ago, I moved to a small town in northern Italy. I knew no one and spoke no Italian. But, when you are blond and pale, you stand out and soon in this town of 46,000, I had made friends. Throughout the six months that I lived in Italy, one of my fondest memories was dinner. It was not the food, although always good, but rather the ambiance, the idea of friendship around a table, enjoying good food, wine and conversation. I went back to Vercelli this past week and my friends all came together for a large dinner. And that is why, dinner with friends Italian style is the Please The Palate pick of the week. I have had many good dinners in the US and with my foodie friends, a meal is the entertainment for the evening. Yet most times, dinner in the U.S. is a precursor to something else, such as heading to a bar, a movie or a concert. And, most dinners take between one to two hours. But in Italy, dinner is the event of evening. Dinner is scheduled for 8pm or 9pm and will last three or four hours.
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