Vino Vino, Austin, TX

PAELLA EVERY SUNDAY

7 PM SHARP!

It’s all about the acid. No, not the LSD, man! The acid! The acidity!

Acidity is what makes wine food-friendly: it helps to stimulate your appetite by setting your digestion into motion and it also helps to break down the fattiness in the food you eat (the same way we use the acidity in vinegar or citrus to marinate different foods).

Acidity also help to preserve wine as it ages (by fending off any unwanted bacteria) and balancing the wine’s alcoholic content.

The bright acidity in Barbera — the quintessential red grape of northern Italy — is just one of the things that we love about it. Its natural acidity, combined with its ripe red and berry fruit flavors, give it a wonderful versatility, making it a great match for a wide variety of dishes.

On Jeff’s recent amazing trip to Italy, he got turned on to the Barbera d’Asti by Damilano, one of Piedmont’s greatest Barolo producers.

Check it out by the glass at Vino Vino: it goes with nearly everything on our menu!

Here at Vino Vino, we dig figs.

That’s just one of the reasons we’ve decided to open a new Italian restaurant here in Austin, Texas, called Al Fico — “at the fig tree.”

And being that we are also hip to social media, we’ve already launched a new blog, Twitter, and Facebook so that our friends can follow along as we build out the restaurant and start developing our new all-Italian menu and wine list.

And for the folks who want to find out about special offers and pre-opening events, they can sign up for Al Fico’s e-letter by clicking here.

What does Al Fico mean? Click here to find out the story behind the name…

Please click here to visit us on Facebook and like our new page…

Some folks don’t have time to visit our website every day. That’s why we’re constantly updating our Facebook with information about special events, tastings, and offers.

And because we don’t have space to post every single fantabulous photo of our food and wine here on our blog, we often post the overflow on our Facebook.

We recently shut down the old Vino Vino group page: so if you haven’t had a chance to do so already, please like us on Facebook by clicking here.

PAELLA EVERY SUNDAY

7 PM SHARP!

Why did Jeff go to Italy in late 2011 in search of its greatest food and wine? Stay tuned: we have some big news to share very soon!

Photos by Linda Ryan.

Dinner at Trattoria Masenini in the heart of Verona is always an unforgettable experience.

Classic pumpkin- and amaretti-filled ravioli, a seasonal mainstay of northern Italian cuisine.

Gnocchi topped with shaved black truffles.

“Torta della Nonna,” grandma’s cake…

Did you know that in Italy they don’t call it Italian food? They JUST CALL IT FOOD!

Evening Happy Hour
Monday-Friday 5:30-7 pm

$2 OFF ANY GLASS OF WINE
HALF-PRICED
SELECT DRAFT BEER
6 HALF-PRICED APPETIZERS

Late Night Happy Hour
Sunday-Thursday 10 pm-12 am

$2 OFF ANY GLASS OF WINE
HALF-PRICED
SELECT DRAFT BEER

Photos by Linda Ryan.

We loved this photo that Jeff brought back from his recent “Amazing Voyage to Italy”: it shows how the unique geography of Alto Adige (South Tyrol) creates the ideal conditions for growing fine wine grapes.

Note how the relatively narrow valley floor (an ancient river bed) is flat and how the Alps “spring up” around it. In the summertime, heat collects on the valley floor, helping the grapes to ripen healthily. But when the sun sets, the high altitude brings the temperatures down, creating the classic “temperature variation” needed to make truly great wines. And all the while, the shape of the valley, running north-south, naturally ventilates the vineyards, as the northern breeze comes down the corridor from the northern Alps.

Jeff paid a visit to legendary Alto Adige producer Alois Lageder, where the winemaker projects images of live yeast cells on the aging casks (yeast is what turns the sugar of grape juice into alcohol). Classic music is played to “soothe” the wines as they age.

Why did Jeff travel to Italy in search of its finest foods and wines? Stay tuned to find out!

On deck for later this week: Jeff’s visit to Trattoria Masenini in Verona…

Why did Jeff travel to Italy? Stay tuned and you’ll find out: we have BIG NEWS that we will be announcing mid-January…

In the meantime, here are some images from his recent trip to Alto Adige (AHL-toh AH-dee-jay, otherwise known as South Tyrol, German-speaking Italy).

Photos by Linda Ryan.

Geographically speaking, South Tyrol is essentially an ancient river bed in the Alps, a truly unique and literally awesome natural phenomenon. Sunshine on the valley floor in spring and late fall raises temperatures high enough for the cultivation of fine wine grapes. But the extreme altitude makes for cool summer evenings — ideal for the production of awesome wines.

It’s also one of the most breathtakingly beautiful landscapes in all of Europe.

Spaetzle or spätzle, the classic noodles of German-speaking countries. Note the gorgeous yellow color of the pasta.

Canederli (in Italian), Knödel in German, bread balls stuffed with Speck (smoked prosciutto), the classic cured pork of South Tyrol.

Speck is both salt-cured and smoked, giving it a slight smoky and spicy flavor. Served here with sautéed wild mushrooms foraged in the Alps.

Stay tuned for the next installment! “Jeff visits epic winemaker Alois Lageder.”