Do you agree with this list of the top 50 Italian Wines 2012 voted by such names as world champion sommelier Luca Gardini, Raoul Salama (journalist of 'Reveu du vin de France') and Tim Atkin (master of wine, writer for The Economist e The Observer)

1. Valentini.  Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2007
2. Mascarello Giuseppe e Figlio Barolo. Riserva Monprivato Cà d’ Morissio 2004
3. Tenuta San Guido,  Bolgheri Sassicaia 2009
4. Conterno Giacomo,  Barolo Riserva Monfortino 2004
5. Quintarelli Giuseppe,  Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2003
6. Giacosa Bruno,  Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto 2007
7. Mastroberardino,  Radici Taurasi Riserva 2005
8. Marco De Bartoli,  Vecchio Samperi Ventennale s.a.
9. Ferrari,  Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore 2001
10. Casanova di Neri,  Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 2006
11. Montevertine,  Le Pergole Torte 2008
12. Elio Grasso,  Barolo Gavarini Vigna Chiniera 2008
13. Travaglini,  Gattinara Riserva 2006
14. Dal Forno Romano,  Amarone della Valpolicella di Monte Lodoletta 2006
15. Fattoria Zerbina,  Albana Di Romagna Passito Scaccomatto 2008
16. Lis Neris,  Tal Lùc 2008
17. Palari,  Rosso del Soprano 2008
18. Cavallotto,  Barolo Bricco Boschis 2008
19. Zidarich,  Carso Vitovska 2009
20. Poggio di Sotto,  Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006
21. Massolino,  Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda 2005
22. Rizzi,  Barbaresco Pajorè 2008
23. Produttori del Barbaresco,  Barbaresco Riserva Ovello 2007
24. Biondi Santi, Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006
25. Miani,  C.O.F. Sauvignon Saurint 2010
26. Case Basse,  Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2005
27. Pietracupa,  Greco di Tufo 2010
28. Voerzio Roberto,  Barolo La Serra 2008
29. Castello Banfi,  Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio all’Oro 2006
30. Ca’ del Bosco,  Cuvée Annamaria Clementi Rosé 2004
31. Tenute Sella Lessona, Omaggio a Quintino Sella 2006
32. Villa Bucci,  Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva 2007
33. Monte Rossa,  Cabochon Rosé Riserva 2005
34. Ar.Pe.Pe.,  Valtellina Superiore Sassella Rocce Rosse 2001
35. Podere Il Carnasciale,  Il Caberlot 2008
36. Barone Ricasoli,  Chianti Classico Castello di Brolio Colledilà 2008
37. Vodopivec,  Vitovska 2007
38. Il Pollenza,  Il Pollenza 2008
39. La Fiorita,  Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006
40. Rinaldi Giuseppe,  Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera 2008
41. Garofoli,  Verdicchio dei C. di Jesi Gioacchino Garofoli 2006
42. Polvanera,  Primitivo di Gioia del Colle 17 2009
43. Tenuta dell’Ornellaia,  Masseto 2008
44. Montevetrano,  Montevetrano 2010
45. Borgo del Tiglio,  Collio Bianco Ronco della Chiesa 2010
46. Bellavista,  Franciacorta Gran Cuvée Pas Operé 2006
47. Le Macchiole,  Messorio 2009
48. Antinori,  Solaia 2009
49. Marisa Cuomo,  Furore Bianco Fiorduva 2010
50. Fino Gianfranco,  Primitivo di Manduria ES 2010

Browse the main Travel Categories menu above for all the restaurants and trattoria featured in Delicious Itay divided by typology. Below we highlight a selection of places to eat in Puglia from the zone of the trulli to the top of Salento.

ingredients

4 egg yolks, 120 gr sugar, 2 dl. clear beer, 1 sachet of vanilla.

making it

Separate the yolk from the white of the eggs and add the former into a glass bowl.

Mix with the sugar until a homogeonous and voluminous texture has been achieved. Pour the beer into this and amalgamate it with care.

Place the bowl into boiling water 'a bagnomaria' and cook the mixture with a hand whisk until such time the zabaione takes on a creamy texture.

When it is sufficiently consistent, but not allowing it to reach boiling point, remove from the heat.

Serve the zabaione warm on slices of your favorite Italian cake.

ingredients

8 filetts of perch (each one about 70-80 grams), 50 gr butter, 1/2 glass of clear beer, extra virgin olive oil, flour, red pepper, salt, black pepper.

making it

Wash the fillets, dry them well and lightly flour them all over.

Melt 30 gr of butter in a pan together with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil before placing the fillets in the pan.

Cook on a medium heat for 8-10 minute so they become lightly brown.

Pour the beer over the fish and allow the liquid to evaporate.

Remove the fish with a ladel and keep them hot on a serving plate having sprinkled them with a spoonful of broken red pepper grains.

Filter then juice from the pan and pour over the fish, then serve.

ingredients

500 gr arborio or vialone nano rice, 3 onions, 3 green celery stalks, 5 carrots, 0.33 lager beer, 50 gr butter, 3 spoons extra virgin olive oil, parsley, 1,5 liters of vegetable stock, grated parmiggiano cheese, salt & pepper.

making it

Slice the onion to create thin onion rings. Do the same to the carrots and celery to create circular slices.

Place all the vegetables in a casserole dish with the olive oil and butter.

Add the rice and on a high heat and gently toast the lot before pouring over the beer.

Mix all the ingredients until the beer has evaporated.

Lower the heat and add bit by bit the stock, mixing the ingredients at all times and as the liquid is being absorbed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Just as the risotto seems cooked, turn of the heat and let the rice rest for a few minutes.

Add the parmiggiano cheese and a handful of chopped parsely.

Before serving, add a knob of butter to the risotto and stir it in.

ingredients

4 fresh goats cheeses, 3 dessert spoons of Abbey Beer, 8 slices of pancarrè/sliced bread, 16 slices of speck, 4 or 5 cucumbers under oil.

making it

Work the beer and cheese together to arrive at a soft and homogenous cream.

Remove the crusts from the pancarrè bread and cut the slices into triangles.

Toast the bread lightly on both sides, then spread the cheese cream onto the slices of one of those sides.

Cover each slice of toasted bread with a folded slice of speck.

Garnish with the cucumber and serve.

'Pomodori con il riso' is a very typical and popular summer dish in the Roman area. You can easily find it in every trattoria or osteria in Rome.

We think it is one of the most authentic flavors of the city, especially if eaten in a family trattoria in somewhere like Testaccio.

Along with traditional local dishes such as lasagna, homemade pasta and 'vino della casa' - local wine - served in half or quarter liter jugs, it does not get more authentic than this.

ingredients

Very round and large red tomatoes (they may actually be labelled 'pomodori oer riso' on the stalls, spoon of arborio rice, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Subiaco is located in the Aniene Valley inside the Natural Park of the Simbruini Mountains. You may not know exactly where that is, but its just 60 km from Rome, towards Mount Livata.

Roman Emperor Nero built his own prestigious villa here together with two artificial lakes created from the waters of the river. The legend says that the slaves who worked on it also founded the town of Subiaco.

A few centuries later, Saint Benedict arrived. The year was 480AD and he stayed here for three years as hermit in prayer and solitude inside a grotto of Mount Teleo. The subsequent Sacro Speco became a magnificent and unique complex hewed from the overhanging rock. The corridor and the walls of the structure are covered with amazing frescoes.

Saint Benedict wasn't finished here, he founded the Monastery of St. Clement on the ruins of the Nero's villa. It was here he wrote the famous rules of monastic life for the Benedectine monks.

All in all, the zone boasts 12 monasteries founded by the Saint. Follow the provincial road to find one of the the most important, the Monastery of Santa Scolastica, named after the sister of Saint Benedict.

In the 15th century, two students from Gutenberg arrived bringing with them a very early printing machine. A revolutionary device on which the the first ever printed book in Italian was created in 1465. This is why Subiaco is known as the birthplace of of typography in Italy. Visit the dedicated museum inside the complex.

The town of Subasio has a cute medieval center made up of little streets stretching up the hill. Look out for 'Via degli Opifici', named after the various factories which formed the medieval production zone of the Subasio, such as water mills, a pasta factory, wood-burning ovens and blacksmiths.

At the very top of the town is a fortress constructed in the 11th century when Subasio was at the top of his splendours, not least due to the Borgias. According to some historians, Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia were born here in 1476 and 1480.

Back to the River Aniene where you'll find the Church of Saint Francis donated by the great man when he came to Subiaco as a pilgrim. Enter it just to see the the painting of the nativity by Pinturicchio.

The nearby Saint Francis bridge crossing the river is one of the most beautiful and well preserved medieval bridges in Italy with its unique 37 meter arch called 'schiena d'asino' or 'donkey back'.

Finally, a modern curiosity for 50's cult movie lovers. Subasio is, of course, the birthplace of famous Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida.

If you are having a meal in Subasio seek out the baked trout, fettuccine pasta with porcini mushrooms or pappardelle with hare sauce. Also try the Subiachini cakes made with almonds and the Benedettino liqueur.

SUGGESTED LINKS
Benedictine Monasteries in Subiaco
http://www.terredaniene.com/

The Infiorata of Spello is a big event and the townsfolk prepare this great spring Umbria flower festival throughout the year.

Perhaps the most critical moment is the collection of the tens of thousands of flowers and millions of petals which begins the day the last event ends.

These petals are carefully stored in time for the following Spring when the bulk of the collecting takes place from March to May. The process of conservation is a locally guarded secret.

Eventually, the flowers have to be cleaned and the petals divided by colour.

Chasing Boars and Boar Hunters in Chianti is the subtitle to the new powerful book by Dario Castagno entitled 'District 9 of Chianti'.

It is another beautiful voyage into the heart of Chianti by Dario in both English and Italian and is an elegant coffee table hard back edition dedicated to wild boar hunting in Chianti.

Dario's words are accompanied by 200 pictures taken by acclaimed international photographer Fionn McCann.

"Canizza a fermo!." he announced enthusiastically. I didn't know what to say since I hadn't yet mastered the colloquiail jargon of the hunters.

I glanced at him with a vacant look, not daring to say a word; I had no idea whether canizza a fermo was a welcome greeting, whether he was telling me a wild boar was charging at me from behind.

(I later learned it meant that the dogs had surrounded a prey and were barking frenetically).

Trombe stared at me for a few moments; seeing this flaxen-haired fellow with his miltary garb and blond Bolshevik style moustache, I suddenly had a wild idea that he might be a KGB spy.

Maybe canizza a fermo was a coded password to which I was meant to respond with a phrase like "The cat in the hat lies out flat," after which he would pass me an envelope containing top secret microfilms.

Order your copy at www.dariocastagno.com