This year marks the 150th Anniversary of Campari, the alcoholic aperitif obtained from the infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants, and fruit in alcohol and water. Often classified as a type of bitter, Campari is well-known for its signature deep red hue. Continue Reading »

In what is still a developing story, 150 people have died as the result of an earthquake early this morning in the Abruzzo region of Italy, which is in central Italy, east of Rome. Continue Reading »

I vividly remember the first time I tried Gorgonzola cheese. I was sitting outside a little café in Milan, Italy, after the first whiff of what smelled like putrefying garbage, and taking one more look around to make sure it wasn’t a joke I placed the cheese laden baguette in my mouth. After the retching subsided and I was able to rinse out my mouth with ice tea I sat wondering how anyone could possibly enjoy such food. Well many years later I have acquired a taste for the cheese, though I still squirm sometimes, along with many other foods that I would have never eaten before. Continue Reading »

It was a battle of epic proportions. The fine people at Campari believe that a calendar full of Jessica Alba posing in swimsuits is better marketing than the Wine Mutineer in a smoking jacket with a four-hour cigar and tumbler of Campari on the rocks. Each month’s photo could be taken in a different Saddam ghost palace. The shots would look something like this: Continue Reading »