So many folks from across the world called to make sure we were alright following the rains that caused catastrophic flooding in Houston last week. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all of them.

Our neck of the woods was spared by the rising waters. But RooRoo (aka Rusty), one of our two rescue dogs, had a really rough time of it. He’s terrified of the rain, thunder, and lightning. Understandable for a dog who was abandoned most likely after Hurricane Harvey and left to fend for himself.

He and I were awakened by thunder and lightning early Sunday morning and he wouldn’t leave my side until the storm subsided.

And that was when this song came to me. By 9 a.m. it was recorded and mixed.

That’s RooRoo on the right in the photo above, with our other dog Paco.

Whenever I comfort RooRoo during a tempest, I always remember that I’m only returning the favor. During the early closures of 2020, when we were still a single-income household and I barely knew how I was going to pay the rent and feed our family, he spent many a sleepless 3 a.m. faithfully by my side. He would look up at me with those wide eyes as the panic attacks came and went. He didn’t have to say the words: it’s going to be okay, daddy, we’ll get through this together.

And “he saved my life on a stormy Texas night.”

I hope you enjoy my love song to RooRoo. Lila Jane directed and edited the video. Thanks for listening. And thanks, again, to everyone who called to make sure we were alright.

He’s a sly boy
He’s a shy boy
He’s an apple of my eye boy
He’s a cry boy
He’s a sigh boy
He’s got no alibi boy

Once he saved my life
On a rainy Texas night
Cause he’s my boy
Cause he’s my boy

He’s a brown boy
He’s a clown boy
He’s a take me back to town boy

He’s a snide boy
Wide eyed boy
He’s a never leave my side boy

I know he’ll save my life
On another rainy night
Cause he’s my boy

When the storms come back to Houston
And the lightning fires up the sky
He will hold me, he will scold me
Cause I can not stop the rain
From fallin down
As he lies by my side

Cause he’s my boy my boy
a bundle of my joy boy
Cause he’s my boy my boy
He’s my wonder why boy

I know he’ll save my life
On a stormy Texas night
Cause he’s my boy

It’s a question that I get asked a lot: is restrained sulfur the reason why Italian wines are easier on the body when consumed in Italy?

And even before the wine community’s current obsession with sulfur and that bizarrely applied word “sulfites,” the same conundrum took the shape of why do the wines in Italy taste better than they do here?

In the case of the latter query, the answer sometimes came in the form of because the Italians keep the best wines for themselves. (A tint of an old and unhappy trope there?)

Today, many people tell me that they believe it’s because Italians use less sulfur.

A friend and colleague from California wrote me the following earlier this week:

I’m on perhaps 20 facebook groups abut Italian travel, and on virtually every one, once a month, there’s a discussion about how people can drink the wine in Italy because “they don’t add sulfites over there.” Or “they have no additives over there in their wine.” People are judging this based on their reaction to wines while in Italy, vs here in the US.

My belief is that it’s not a question of additives or sulfur.

In my view and experience, the wines often “taste better” to vacationing American travelers for the following reasons: 1) they are eating fewer processed foods while in Italy; 2) they are eating more wholesome and balanced meals, including foods that are easier to digest; and 3) they are more relaxed, less stressed, probably sleeping more, which also aids in digestion.

They’re probably also having better sex than when they are at home. Just kidding but there’s something to that, too!

When you order “house wine” in a country restaurant in Italy, you are probably drinking a wine that has more sulfur added than your $130 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Tavern wines are usually bulk wines, often sold by the demijohn.

That’s a photo of tagliatelle al ragù that I ordered in a hotel restaurant near the Bologna airport. It wasn’t actually the best or most wholesome meal of my trip. But it was a hell of a lot healthier than the Sysco-driven food we often eat stateside.

Paired great with a glass of cheap Lambrusco!

In your experience, why does the wine taste better and feel better in Italy?

In the wine business, there are good nights and there are bad nights. And then there are those unforgettable nights when you are reminded what a blessing it can be to be in this trade.

This morning as I’m waiting to board an early flight back to Houston from one of my favorite cities in America, I am feeling immense gratitude for the dinner Chef Pat Pascarella and his team prepared for our Abruzzo consortium dinner last night at his amazing Alici Oyster Bar in Atlanta.

If only you could hear the oohs and aahs that met the presentation of his brodetto, one of the iconic dishes in Abruzzese gastronomy! And the notes of elation didn’t just come from the wine professionals who attended our event. Even my colleagues from the consortium, the president and communications director, were wowed by the menu and the meal.

In my line of business, there are nights when you arrive at your event and the wine is still in its boxes waiting to be wiped of its Styrofoam snow. And then there are NIGHTS when you arrive at the venue and the staff has already chilled the whites and Cerasuolo with ice tubs at the ready.

Chef Pat, I cannot thank you enough for the thoughtful and truly heartfelt menu. And your team, my goodness, what an incredible group of young restaurant pros.

I’m also feeling grateful for all the Atlanta wine folks who came out to taste and chat with us. This was my second event for Abruzzo in Atlanta and let me tell you, this city has a vibrant and rich wine scene. And there is a feeling of solidarity and collegiality matched only by the professionalism of its members.

Last night’s dinner was one of those great ones that make you remember why we get up at the crack of dawn to rush to airport and board another plane… and do it all again.

Atlanta, mon amour, I hope to see you soon!

Happy International Workers’ Day!

Oops, I did it again.

Just after leaving the Milan airport last month, I got clocked doing 120 kilometers an hour in a 110 kph zone. Yes, that’s 6.21 miles per hour over the speed limit.

I’m no speed demon. As a matter of fact, I’m more of an overly cautious, defensive driver.

But as European traffic laws and electronic surveillance of drivers become increasingly stringent and robust, people like me are ticketed more frequently, often because we simply don’t realize we’ve entered a new speed limit zone.

The most frustrating thing about Italian speeding and traffic tickets is that they are incredibly difficult to pay from abroad. And by the time you receive the official ticket (not just the notice from the rental car agency), you’ve already accrued penalties that drive up the cost from around €50 to nearly €200.

Here’s the good news. It used to be that you had to pay a local authority via a bank wire. Now, Italy has implemented a new portal called Pagopa.

But here’s the catch. When the rental agency forwards the notice about the ticket, it includes the ticket reference number but does not include the code for the recipient of the money (the local authority who processes the payment).

Hoping to avoid subsequent penalties for late payment, I wrote to the Pagopa help email asking for assistance. They responded the next day and provided the second code I needed. And voilà, I paid my ticket on time! A miracle! At least in my experience…

A good friend recently told me that he was able to pay a ticket using PayPal. But in his case, he was already 60 past the payment due date and so he had to pay the extra fines.

It’s great news about Pagopa.

But for the first time ever, I managed to avoid the extra fines.

Thank you, Pagopa! You are awesome!

Chianti by Cantagallo first came to my attention thanks to my friend Giacomo Butera of the Gruppo Butera importing and distribution company here in Texas. Giacomo graciously donated some of the wine to our Hue Society event last month in Houston.

I loved the wine so much that I organized a tasting with owner/winemaker Dario Pierazzuoli (above) at Vinitaly earlier this month.

His wines, which come from the Montalbano subzone near Florence, are old school all the way: large cask aging and the classic slightly under-ripe flavors of lovingly grown 100 percent Sangiovese. This is that marvelous kind of wine that you find in the taverns that dot Chianti country.

But the thing that really blew me away about the wine was that it lands in my market under $20!

Yes, it’s true: there still are value-driven finds like this wine, wines that genuinely capture and express the place where they are grown and reflect the people who raise them. Dario, for the record, is a Tuscan through and through, including his love of and talent for wit.

Dario’s focus is Sangiovese in a broad spectrum, from fresh and extremely food-friendly to rich and meditative. He also makes fantastic Carmignano at his other farm, Le Farnete.

Meeting and tasting with Dario reminded me of the Italian wine world’s endless journey of discovery. No matter how much wine you taste, no matter how many wineries you visit, no matter how many Vinitalys you attend… there is always something uncharted, unknown, and wonderful to stumble upon, as I did with these excellent wines.

Thank you, Giacomo and Dario, for taking time out to taste with me. And the best news is that the Chianti Montalbano is available here in Texas.

Buon fine settimana a tutti! I hope you drink something great this weekend!

The crazy season of tasting is upon us!

Please join me in the following cities for events where I’ll be speaking and pouring. Thanks for your support! I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Thank you!

Abruzzo Seminar
Houston
Tuesday, April 30

I’m leading a guided tasting of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for the Abruzzo consortium. Even if you’ve attended my Abruzzo seminar in the past, you might be surprised by how I’ve expanded the talk. Here’s the link to reserve.

Abruzzo Dinner
Atlanta
Thursday, May 2

I’m so stoked to return to Atlanta, one of my favorite places in the U.S. Please DM me (jparzen [at] gmail) if you’d like to attend the Abruzzo dinner we are doing at Chef Pat Pascarella’s Alici. He’s doing a killer Abruzzo menu. The event is open only to trade and is free. This will be a super fun event.

Friuli Seminar
Houston
Tuesday, May 7

I’ll be pouring a wonderful flight of Friulian wines at my new Houston wine bar home, Vinsanto, on the west side. There’s a nominal fee of $30 (the wines aren’t cheap!). 7 p.m. start time. Please DM me to reserve (jparzen [at] gmail). I’ve only done one of these so far but the crowd was lovely.

Top Drop
Vancouver
Monday-Tuesday, May 13-14

I still can’t believe that I’ve been asked to be the keynote speaker at this year’s Top Drop festival in Vancouver. SO looking forward to this trip and immensely grateful to the organizers for including me. My talk is Monday, May 13, and then I’ll be hanging at the grand tasting all day on Tuesday, May 14. Let’s taste! And wow, feeling #blessed. Click here for info.

Sicily Dinner @ Rossoblu
Los Angeles
Wednesday, May 15

It’s meant so much to me to work with Rossoblu in LA where I was wine director when the now landmark restaurant opened way back when. We have an amazing flight of Sicilian wines lined up and Chef Steve Samson (my great friend since college) kills it when it comes to Sicilian cuisine. This will be another super fun one. Here’s the link to reserve.

Thank you for your support!

I pray for peace this Passover.

It is clear that the Israel response to the Hamas attack last fall has been a catastrophic failure.

Hope for the return of hostages has dwindled. Hamas military remains active.

Israel’s response has achieved none of the declared goals.

And this must be said: the Biblical disproportion of Israeli retaliation has wantonly denied yet another generation of Palestinians its basic human rights — through fury and violence.

Whether you are an anger-filled student occupying your university campus or a late-middle-aged father seething quietly with grief for a fallen ideal, it is also clear that Israel’s moral standing in the world — its very right to exist — has been soiled by its leaders’ extremism, self-serving agenda, and disastrous lack of vision.

I pray for peace this Passover.

This season always evokes memories of my brother Aaron. He died in 1972, when he was around 15 and I was five. In the world he knew, Israel was in a golden moment of its history. Born the child of trauma, it was then a beacon of hope. The 1973 war was unimaginable.

In the years that followed that conflict, kids like me sent pocket change to groups that would plant trees in Israel — in the memory of a lost family member. I wonder if that tree still grows today.

May we all find inspiration in the Passover story and its tale of suffering and redemption.

May we all find moral strength and spiritual clarity in the community bonds we celebrate as we gather for the holiday.

May we all pray for peace in the Middle East and beyond.

It’s hard to explain the “rush,” the adrenaline you feel when you’ve got an agenda that includes ten stand visits in one day. You navigate the listing crowd of socializers and boozers who could care less that some of us are there to do business and get shit done. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and rewarding for those seeking meaningful connections and dealmaking.

It’s Vinitaly. It never changes. And I wouldn’t miss it for anything. It’s where you see so many of your contacts, personal and professional, each year. And it’s where you make meaningful connections for the year ahead.

One of the new trends at the fair this year was the interest in low alcohol and alcohol removed wines. I was surprised to see a number of producers showing zero alcohol classic method sparkling wines.

I also tasted more than a handful of classically vinified (i.e., containing alcohol) pét-nat wines at the most unlikely of stands. In a couple of cases, well-established conventional winemakers told me that the restrained alcohol in “re-fermented in bottle” wines strikes the perfect balance for the shifting market. All the pét-nats I tasted were clean and fresh and delightful. It made me think about how important the natural and progressive wine movements have been and their positive impact on classic winemakers.

Another highlight was visiting the Slow Wine stand where I got to visit with so many old friends. They do a great job of simply celebrating their ethos: on any given day of the fair, you can find any number of “Snail” wines to sample.

Perhaps an echo of the not so optimistic outlook, some iconic producers skipped the fair this year. But most of the biggies were still there.

My Vinitaly ended beyond the fairgrounds. The last day I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Lini 910 where I interpreted and did a talk for my client, the Lini family, super great friends.

For all there may be to complain about the fair, it brought the Italian wine world together once again. And I, for one, am glad for that. Thank you, Vinitaly.