Aielli & Benevento

It happened in 218 B.C. Hannibal, the African general, successfully led his armies out of Cartagena, Spain across the Pyrenees and the Alps to defeat the Roman legions on the Italian plain and almost destroyed the Republic.
—Source: National Geographic, 11/2005.

While White Truffle (aka Bianco Tartufo) season is coming to close (starts in late September and runs for about eight weeks) there still is much to be said on this Italian delicacy. According to a Nov. article in the Wall St. Journal, researchers at UC/Berkeley have found the reactions by people to the scent of truffles varies dramatically due to the androstenone, the chemical gives it that musky aroma. The truffle haters claim smells that range from rotting wood to sweat, while truffle lovers describe heaven like scents of earthy, honey, woodsy…at $1600 a pound this season, truffle virgins should proceed with care.

Venice, Caravaggio, and St. Francis of Assisi are the respective subjects on three new books given us by America’s publishing houses. Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil author John Berendt has written a similar city-lore ala crime drama called The City of Falling Angels. It is on the NY Times best seller list for good reason: its an immensely enjoyable as well as informative book about Venice. The Lost Painting is also on the non-fiction bestseller list. By Jonathan Harr, the author whose previous work A Civil Action became a movie starring John Travolta. Harr’s latest effort involves Caravaggio masterpiece that as the title suggest disappears for a few hundred years only to be rediscovered. The latest new book with Italy as the backdrop is On the Road With Francis of Assisi which got a very positive review by the Washington Post (12/2).

That’s time you will need if you want the best in an Italian hand made men’s suit. Brioni, founded in Rome 60 years ago, is the epitome of serious luxury custom clothing. Despite a new atelier in Milano, they do it the old fashion way, where the tailor undertakes bespoke work, with the suit pattern first measured to the customer and thereafter they cut the chosen fabric. Suits start at $ 5,000.

The last Wine Spectator issue ranked the 100 best wines of the world drawn from a list of 12,000+. Fifteen Italian wines made the ‘05 list. Two were ‘Top Ten’ picks, a super Tuscan (#5) Sette Ponti’s 2003 Toscana Oreno and a Brunello, Castello Banfi’s 1999 Poggio all’Oro Reserva, (#8).
To see the other 13 ranked Italian wines go to the listing at end.