Vino Italiano Buying Guide: The Ultimate Quick Reference to the Great Wines of Italy

Oenophiles and gourmands alike will recognize Bastianich as the other half of Mario Batali's empire, which has put up such temples to food and drink as Babbo, Esca and Lupa in Manhattan. Bastianich also collaborated with Babbo wine director Lynch on Vino Italiano, and the two return with this companion, dedicated solely to listing vintners, vintages, prices and availability. They separate ""elite"" wineries from ""premier,"" ""rising star"" and ""value"" wineries. They note how much wine each winery makes and whether or not it has a restaurant or accommodations available should anyone want to go the source. Entries range from Abruzzo and Molise to Toscana and Veneto and everywhere in between--Lazio, Puglia, Sardegna. The descriptions of each winery are short and punchy (of Castello di Verrazzano: ""Their benchmark Chianti still has a rustic, wild edge"")--and there are literally hundreds of them. Seventy-plus pages of appendices do everything from ""decode crus"" to offer a full listing of all Appelations, or sets of official classifications for what grapes make up what wine and at what percentage. Sound complicated? Bastianich and Lynch infuse this guide with enough care to make readers want to puzzle it all out.