October 2000

Features

• Panini Power

  Five recipes for the grilled sandwiches adored everywhere from Milan to Seattle.

• Piedmont on Top

  The premier wine region of Italy is the pinnacle of both innovation and tradition.

• Rationalist Man

  The Italian Rationalists are back, thanks to one passionate collector-turned-dealer with an eye for great modernist design.

• Restaurant News

  Notes from around the country: steak houses, dining-room face-lifts and umpteen wines by the glass.

• Richard Meier's Dolce Vita

  Lunch at the architect's Hamptons farmhouse means a celebration of the sweet life he enjoys while building a church outside Rome.

• Roman Holiday

  An inn with a restaurant and a farm re-creates Italy--in Mendocino.

• Self-Portrait with Spaghetti

  A brief memoir of an ongoing love affair with Italian restaurants.

• French Revolution

  Even as Italian grapes gain worldwide acclaim, Italian winemakers are looking to France for new ideas.

• Ideal Antipasto Wines

  Mario Batali and Michael Chiarello compete to make the best first courses. They both win.

• Kitchen Confidential

  Sharing some war stories from the renovation front lines.

• Majolica Mecca

  American importer Carol LeWitt, the owner of Ceramica, takes us on a tour of Deruta, Italy, to meet the masters of Majolica.

• Marco Degrazia's Starpower

  Marco de Grazia has turned some of Italy's finest winemakers into cult stars. Here he pairs a few favorite discoveries with a delicious Florentine menu.

• Chianti for Beginners

  What's new in Italy's most famous wine region? F & W wine editor Lettie Teague gets some answers from an expert.

• Ciao, Champagne

  Italy's traditional Proseccos and new-guard spumantes want to give French sparkling wines the boot.

• Fan Club

  Everyone has a favorite Italian restaurant. Ask and they'll tell you about it.

• First Families

  How the Gallos, the Mondavis and other pioneering clans shaped the history of California wine.

• American Wine Awards 2000

• Beyond Shiraz

  Maverick Australian winemakers are discovering the wonders of Italy's great grapes.

• Wine Lover's Italy

  A region-by-region guide.

• Teachers' Pet Tricks

  The secret to beautifully cooked pasta and other insider tips from renowned Italian culinary instructors.

• The Antipasto Challenge

  Mario Batali and Michael Chiarello compete to make the best first courses. They both win.

• The Wine Wizard

  Riccardo Cotarella, nicknamed "the Wizard," is the winemaker of themoment both at home in Italy and, believe it or not, in France.

• Travel Coach

  If you want to watch an olive pressing in Sicily or attend a mock wedding in Tuscany, these tour designers will arrange it.

• Meet the Press

  How the author learned to love his grandfather's 150-pound wine press.

• My Daughter, the Chef

  A mother who prides herself on her kitchen prowess learns to step back and leave it to the pro.

• Netting a Table

  A traveler's guide to the best restaurant advice on the Web.