THE AMERICAN CHEF CONNECTIONby Filippo BartolottaI know I messed it up with the gallery of the previous blog. It was too late in the night and I lost all the work that I had don the previous two hours because of an internet failure!!!Going a little back on the Road Show these is the trip as I left it in Texas.

So Benedetta and I arrived just in time to take a shower and get the wines ready for the first of three nights.

Despite the jet lag and the little hours we slept, the event went really well. Chef Giuliano Piscina and Ak Kolitz from The Girl and the Goat were at the elm of the kitchen and everything went smooth. I went to bed late but I slept like a baby ready to go for a proper Mexican meal.

I was then taken to Arturo's the best authentic Tex-Mexican in town with the avuelas making tortilla, eating the spiciest Jalapeno and the best goat tacos ever. Today no way, tequila only!

From here we went straight back to the house to get ready for the second night. The wines needed to be opened and dinner to be cooked once again for another group of friends. And once again Giuliano and Aaron put together a magic Texas meets Italy dinner!

The day after we got up a little earlier just to make sure we were going to be able to see the Alamo and have a proper Burger at Chris Madrid. As you have seen in the prior post, this place is so authentic and so packed with locals. I just loved it. Like being in the movies: people walking in with Lucchesi boots and cowboy hats eating the macho burger as if it were a little snack! Those that got to know me also know that when it comes to food I am a professional and so I surely went for the macho with Jalapenos. I loved it. No doubt the best burger ever tried and the hottest hot chillies!

This would have been our last night in Texas and so we had a proper rap up party, comparing and contrasting Italy at Your Table wines with some other cult Italian, French and American juices.

I have talked many times about my unique Italy at Your Table selection, but just in case here is the link to my tasting notes and winery descriptions. Below is a list of the wines which were opened at the end of the events to have some fun before heading of to the West Coast.

Filippo compare and contrasting Italy at Your Table wines with Bob's cellar. This is the spirit of this Road Show. Opening wines from private collection, discussing them back to back while enjoying great food. There isn't really competition when it comes to great wines, it is only a matter of moments, personal tastes and true pleasure. Nothing else should get in the middle: no neon lights, no noise, no shouting or showing off label knowledge.

There's only one way to enjoy the wine world: never stop learning. never assume you know what it can be, never pretend that someone else should like what you like!

Meanwhile, beautiful Sandi enjoys some newspaper time.

Mouton 1959

Latour 1978Latour 1982Soldera 1997Soldera 1998Biondi Santi Riserva 1997Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 1995Gaja Sperss 1998Harlan 2006Second Lable Harlan 2006Masseto 2001Sassicaia 1999Sassicaia 2001Me and Bob Long Horns with some vino...Chateau Mouton Rothshild 1959 was just delicious, balsamic, crystalline clear and very youthful.Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Soldera 1997 was a blast, packed with rigorous juicy fruit and tension.ChateauLatour '82 was very dense and smooth, very meaty and leathery.Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 1999. Sweet fruit, green peppers and earthy complexity. The 2001 still very young.Masseto 2001. Very good and powerful. Pleasant, but a little too inoffensive.Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Soldera 1998. very closed. Some very strong earthy and metallic nuances. Right now sweet fruit, needs time.Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 1998. Good structure, power and tar. Still too tannic.Sperss 1998. Extremely oaky.Harlan Estate 2006 was over concentrate, packed with cloves and super extraction with a lot of alcohol and black fruit. Needs time and brave palates!Biondi Santi Riserva 1997. Very thin to begin with with high acidity like always when opened. Potential for longer cellaring. Too young now.Chateau Latour 1978. Very animal with oxidative nuances and extremely earthy with a kg of mushrooms.

Texas was a great pit-stop and I look forward to it again soon!

The last night we went to bed at 2.a.m and at 6.a.m. everyone was awake to take us to the airport: you are a sport!!! Thanks.

Flying to Phoenix for a little brunch and then to Santa Barbara.

Nick and Kathy were waiting for us go to for the Pompeian Court Estate.

This is a villa in Montecito right under the Montecito peak which can look a little like the Vesuvio, hence the name of the villa. In all effects this house is surrounded by beautiful vegetation, olive trees and vines.

Among this, believe it or not the incredible Nebbiolo is cultivate here! Nick releases a very peppery and juicy light Nebbiolo. Together with this I have also included in the Italy at Your Table selection a very special Sangiovese 1999 from Babcock Estate. Bryan Babcock was with us and I discovered another amazing connection: he uses IsoleandOlena and Fontodi oak cask for his Sangiovese! Small world.

Kathy had though of every single details and it was really like being in a Renaissance Italian Villa.

This was a very easy event for me and Benedetta as Executive Chef Alessandro Cartumi of the Biltmore Four Season of Santa Barbara was cooking and the whole Four Season stuff was helping.

I therefore just concentrated on training the stuff and co-ordinating all of my wines and my foods!

At the end it was a wonderful evening with the most delicious centre piece ever "eaten in my life":)

Next is Highway 101 towards Carmel. Now I need a burger at the Old Town Bar on 18th street! From clean and blue California to dark and old city New York.

I love it. Tomorrow I'll follow up with the Carmel trail to San Francisco and Napa with my new chef friend Dusky!Buon appetito and buona notte,filippo