Italy at Your Table in Cincinnatiby filippo BartolottaThis morning while having breakfast with Kathy at her wonderful wooden, big and cozy home by a little lake in Cincinnati, life seemed to be very sweet.Here it's very cold and white by the tons of snow arrived in the previous days...Meggy doesn't seem to mind though.Also she is inside where it is all nice and warm and breakfast beautifully displayed by Kathy for us in the kitchen.Everything is quite all around, only the sound of the birds struggling to fetch for food in the snow covered land.I had a bit of a rough day yesterday after a last heavy night in Chicago and an early flight into Cincinnati.After the event with the daughter of one of our sweetest clients Barbara and I are invited to go a check the Green Mill. An old school Jazz Club where Al Capone used to hang around.Great setting, wonderful music and a lot of fun people, but we got back home late.I am so glad we have been having so many people inviting us to stay at their places. This is how you get to know a Country and its people.And a lot of the success of this trip is due to these friends. I thank you all and I look forward to seeing you at my home soon.Energy is contagious and passes from the first player to the second like quicksilver until it becomes a movement with its own momentum and its own direction...or something like that. This is a quotation grabbed from Kathy two mornings ago...I was talking with a journalist for an interview over the phone and when asked why am I enjoying this trip so much I actually forgot to tell her maybe the main reason: visiting these homes. Success in business is like riding a bicycle: either you keep moving or you will fall.H. Jakson Brown jr.And so we move. We head to the very elegant Kenwood Country Club for our Italy at Your Table show where our friends from Provident Travel andFifth Third Bank had organized a special evening for some of their best clients.This was my second time in Cincinnati. The first time I got there thanks to the CEO of AAA Alliance with whom we became friends after a trip to Italy with Provident Travel and us.This time we got here thanks to John Morley -Executive Vice President AAA- who made it all happen. John is a very kind Diesel engine who alwaysmanages to get things done, nice and neat.And so the event came out just perfectly. I guess I shouldn't be the one praising and leave others to say as they did repeatedly. Everybody simply loved Benedetta's food and everybody raved about the wines.It's terrific when I have a chance to talk so much in front of a big audience in such great silence and positive tension.Our wines where the stars of the evening. We started with the very crisp cherry driven and well structured Brunello di Montalcino 2004 Col D'orcia to move onto Gigi Rosso Barolo Arione 2005. We had used this wine already one or twice during the road show and it always required a little bit of time to show off, but then it shows a great floral and yet austere bouquet.Right after it was time for the "loved-by-everybody" Isole e Olena Cepparello 2006 followed by the Pinot Noir Like Propriet Sperino Uvaggio (Nebbilo, Coratina, Vespolina). I forgot the creamy and mineral Vernaccia di Sangimignano Panizzi 2006 which opened the evning pairing Benedetta's Cauliflower Sformato with Prosciutto di Parma and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale 25 years Malpighi.After this a Cincinnatian style prwan dish and a Tuscan style Arancino.I was on stage taking people on an Italian Wine Journey with video projection and Benedetta Vitali demonstrating some of her creations.Her Parmigiana arrived after the Stracotto and everyone raised their hands in a spontaneous applause.The second lot of reds kicked off with the new 2007 very peppery and dense refreshing Montevetrano (well done again Silvia!) and then back to back the most elegant Italian northern eat Red: SanLeonardo 2004; to finish off this round with monumental earthy and graphite like Sagrantino di Montefalco Arnaldo caprai 2003 Selezione 25 anni.The last round was done with the classy Grattamacco 2001 and Brabraresco Punset Campo Quadro 2001. then it was time for ripe black fruit Collemassari 2004, a splash of the great terroir driven Chianti Classico Riserva 2006 Monsanto. On the table right at the finish we also let the guests taste the two fantastic Elvio Cogno crus of Vigna Elena 2004 and Pernice 2005.I will never forget this evening and I will never forget the warmth and welcome of these people.

As I will neverforget what it is to come back home with two chirpy little kids jumping, kissing and hugging me.

I am very proud of my kids who are enjoying the New York School so much. Milo is speeding up with his learning path and now not only can he put together LEGO's on his own, but apparently he seems to be having a special gift for chess.