Synopses & Reviews
As a young child in Naples, Italy, Sergio Esposito sat at his kitchen table observing the daily ritual of his large, loud family bonding over fresh local dishes and simple country wines. While devouring the rich
bufala mozzarella, still sopping with milk and salt, and the platters of fresh prosciutto, sliced so thin he could see through it, he absorbed the profound relationship of food, wine, and family in Italian culture.
Growing up in Albany, New York, after emigrating there with his family, he always sat next to his uncle Aldo and sipped from his wineglass during their customary hours-long extended family feasts. Thus, from a very early age, Esposito came to associate wine with the warmth of family, the tastes of his mothers cooking—and, above all, memories of his former life in Italy. When he was in his twenties, he headed for New York and undertook a career in wine, beginning a journey that would culminate in his founding of Italian Wine Merchants, now the leading Italian wine source in America. His career offered him the opportunity to make frequent trips back to Italy to find wine for his clients, to learn the traditions of Italian winemaking, and, in so doing, to rediscover the Italian way of life hed left behind.
Passion on the Vine is Espositos intimate and evocative memoir of his colorful family life in Italy, his abrupt transition to life in America, and of his travels into the heart of Italy—its wine country—and the lives of those who inhabit it. The result is a remarkably engaging and entertaining wine/travel narrative replete with vivid portraits of seductive places—the world-famous cellars of Piedmont, the sweeping estates of Tuscany, the lush fields of Campania, the chilly hills of Friuli, the windy beaches of Le Marche; and of memorable people, diverse and vibrant wine artisans—from a disco-dancing vintner who bases his farming on the rhythm of the moon to an obsessive prince who destroys his vineyards before his death so that his grapes will never be used incorrectly.
Espositos luscious accounts of the wonderful food and wine that are so much a part of Italian life, and his poignant and often hilarious stories of his relationships with his family and Italian friends, make Passion on the Vine an utterly unique and enchanting work about Italy and its eternally seductive lifestyle.
Synopsis
As a young child in Naples, Italy, Sergio Esposito sat at his kitchen table observing the daily ritual of his large, loud family bonding over fresh local dishes and simple country wines. While devouring the rich bufala mozzarella, still sopping with milk and salt, and the platters of fresh prosciutto, sliced so thin he could see through it, he absorbed the profound relationship of food, wine, and family in Italian culture.
Growing up in Albany, New York, after emigrating there with his family, he always sat next to his uncle Aldo and sipped from his wineglass during their customary hours-long extended family feasts. Thus, from a very early age, Esposito came to associate wine with the warmth of family, the tastes of his mother's cooking--and, above all, memories of his former life in Italy. When he was in his twenties, he headed for New York and undertook a career in wine, beginning a journey that would culminate in his founding of Italian Wine Merchants, now the leading Italian wine source in America. His career offered him the opportunity to make frequent trips back to Italy to find wine for his clients, to learn the traditions of Italian winemaking, and, in so doing, to rediscover the Italian way of life he'd left behind.
Passion on the Vine is Esposito's intimate and evocative memoir of his colorful family life in Italy, his abrupt transition to life in America, and of his travels into the heart of Italy--its wine country--and the lives of those who inhabit it. The result is a remarkably engaging and entertaining wine/travel narrative replete with vivid portraits of seductive places--the world-famous cellars of Piedmont, the sweeping estates of Tuscany, the lush fieldsof Campania, the chilly hills of Friuli, the windy beaches of Le Marche; and of memorable people, diverse and vibrant wine artisans--from a disco-dancing vintner who bases his farming on the rhythm of the moon to an obsessive prince who destroys his vineyards before his death so that his grapes will never be used incorrectly.
Esposito's luscious accounts of the wonderful food and wine that are so much a part of Italian life, and his poignant and often hilarious stories of his relationships with his family and Italian friends, make Passion on the Vine an utterly unique and enchanting work about Italy and its eternally seductive lifestyle.
Synopsis
Esposito's luscious accounts of the food and wine that are so much a part of Italian life, and his poignant and often hilarious stories of his relationships with his family and Italian friends, make "Passion on the Vine" an utterly unique and enchanting work about Italy and its culture.
Synopsis
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.
A very personal celebration of food, wine and family that no one will be able to resist, Passion on the Vine is quite simply the most beautiful love letter to Italy you will ever have the pleasure of reading.
About the Author
SERGIO ESPOSITO is the owner of Italian Wine Merchants in New York City. He speaks at and hosts wine dinners throughout the country, has a much-visited Web site, and writes a popular e-mail newsletter about his discoveries and travels in Italy. He lives with his wife and two children in New York City.
Reading Group Guide
Infused with captivating images of a Neapolitan boyhood and a career devoted to the incomparable wonders of Italian wine,
Passion on the Vine is an enchanting love letter to a singular destination, written not by an outsider but by one of its most devoted sons. This is the story of a boy who grew up relishing the fresh ingredients of his familys table and was given thimblefuls of Sangiovese mixed with water. Herbs, cheeses, wild game, and vegetables were all available from local vendors and cooked with a reverence for fresh flavors. When he emigrated to New York with his family, such simple splendors became nothing more than a memory in a world where large portions of bland, processed food reigned, and Italian wine was dismissed as inferior.
Sergio Esposito has spent the rest of his life traversing two worlds, and American wine lovers rejoice because of it. Now the nations most revered authority on the vintners of Italy, with an business that attracts thousands of high-profile clients to his Manhattan store, Esposito takes us with him on his lively buying trips to his homeland. In chapters that blend poignant memories and hilarious family anecdotes with the poetic, sensual beauty of Italys old-world fields, Passion on the Vine introduces us to the artisans who cherish traditional fermentation methods and have elevated Italian wines to the world-class status they deserve.
True to his pioneering character, Esposito has produced a unique book that defies categorization. A tender family saga, an inspiring tale of immigrant success, a captivating armchair-travel experience that whisks you to locales that even most Italians are barred from entering, this intoxicating memoir yields much for your reading group to savor. We hope that the following topics, wine recommendations, and suggestions for further reading will enhance your conversations about Sergio Espositos Passion on the Vine. Salute!
1. Discuss the title,
Passion on the Vine. What does it take to develop a passion for a lifes work, or for an indulgence? What sparked Espositos passion for wine?
2. What did the opening scenes help you discover about the realities of the wine trade? How did these passages compare to the rosy images that travel writers so often use to begin their books? In what way do Espositos direct, sometimes gritty depictions only enhance the experience of his writing?
3. How would you characterize the dynamics of Espositos family? How was he influenced by his family stories of war and of a fallen aristocracy? What makes his brother, Sal, his best associate on buying trips? How do Espositos interactions with his wife compare to the families of his parents generation?
4. In the first chapter, Esposito describes his disappointment in discovering that a local restaurant no longer served traditional, regional cuisine. “Its too tough,” restaurateur Ernesto Iaccarino says. “Reviewers want you to have the food theyre accustomed to, and theyre usually accustomed to French stuff. They want modern touches. They want the foams, the unorthodox flavor combinations. We give them what they want so that we can survive.” How has the power of critics grown in other fields as well? Is there a disconnect between the food and wine that critics praise and the choices that personally please you?
5. Esposito describes the mournful scene of his familys departure for America at the end of chapter two. Previously, he had described a life centered around close-knit communities and magnificent food made from fresh ingredients, cooked at their peak of flavor. What were the costs and benefits of the Espositos departure from Naples? How might his parents characterize their immigration? Why might they find their Arizona condo more appealing than their homeland?
6. What role does wine play in Italian culture? What does the author mean when he writes that “Italian wine, like Italian food, is simultaneously no big deal and the biggest possible deal”? What is the significance of his observation that in his family, the goal of drinking wine was not to become drunk? Are American attitudes and laws regarding alcohol unhealthy?
7. Discuss Espositos tragicomic memories of life in Albany. How did Zio Aldo, alongside Espositos reticent father, serve as a model for how to be (or not to be) an ideal man?
8. What made Esposito the perfect candidate to become San Domenicos sommelier? What was revolutionary about Tony Mays approach to being a restaurateur?
9. Chapter six describes the spectacular meal during which wines of master vintner Guiseppe Quintarelli were consumed. Esposito describes them as “a mellow symphony,” attributed to the appassimento method in which grapes are dried, an extraordinarily risky process. “Why his wines are so remarkable has never been determined. In the lab, scientists have re-created the environment of his small working farm. … And theyve never made anything close to a Quintarelli.” To what do you attribute the success and complexity of wines from winemakers such as this? What common denominator seems to exist among all of the legendary wineries Esposito reveres?
10. What did Josko Gravners experience with cutting-edge technology say about the current schism between purists who see wine as a natural process and those who scorn ancient methods? Which would you prefer if you were to try to enter this business?
11. What cultural differences did you detect when Esposito and his wife crossed the border to call on Slovenian winemaker Ales Kristancic? What is symbolic about his sediment-laden bottles of Puro?
12. Chapter eight describes Espositos bungled introduction to Maurizio Anselma and his ensuing association with the greats of Barolo, including Bartolo Mascarello, who led Esposito to conclude that “the value of a great wine ... lies within the fact that you can never understand or master it,” a realization that caused the author to leave behind his whiz-kid mentality. In which American circles is this sense of ambiguity and wonder appreciated? Among what kinds of aficionados does the “whiz kid” prevail?
13. Does Luca Maroni, the radical modernist featured in chapter nine, have a future? How would the worlds perceptions of wine change if his algebraic formula and his argument against aging proved to be effective?
14. One distinction between the history of French and Italian wines is marketing. How did the winemakers Esposito depicts in Passion on the Vine respond to the need to market themselves? How is image both an asset and a hindrance to artisans?
15. What will you take with you from the story of Espositos meeting with Gino Veronelli, and the wines consumed in the aftermath of the vineyards razed by Prince Alberico Boncampagni Ludovisi? What do Espositos observations in his epilogue regarding the Princes methods say about contemporary attempts to define “traditional”?
16. In the books closing paragraph, Esposito observes the transformation of American impressions of Italians, from the early twentieth century image of “desperate hungry immigrants” and “a fascist state theyd fought against.” What does the twenty-first century promise in terms of American attitudes toward Europe in general and Italian exports specifically?
17. How has your own experience of wine changed throughout your lifetime? What transformations have you detected in the American marketplace for wines? What are the traits of your favorite wines? How has Esposito affected your approach to choosing and enjoying Italian selections?