By: Morgan Weindel
Wine is one of the most beautiful and historical beverages throughout the world. More and
more people are consuming wine and naming it one of their favorites. This week Maria talks
about the historical significance of this delicious drink.
Maria tells her listeners, “The wines here aren’t just any ordinary beverage. There are works of
art filled with history that enhance all five of the human senses.”
She gives her listeners a delicious dessert to try with their favorite bubbly wine and sits down
with Laura Donadoni. Laura and Maria talk about their love of wine and educate people on this
tasty drink.
The Beauty of Wine
Throughout the years, people across the world have grown to love wine. Maria tells her
listeners how many wine lovers are not able to experience the beauty of drinking wine in Italy.
She tells her listeners about Chianti, one of the most scenic spots for wine making and tasting.
Many often overlook the beauty and historical significance behind wine. Maria tells her
listeners how the world is transforming the beautiful art of wine making to “some quickie Coca-
Cola beverage that is more or less fast food.”
She encourages her listeners to educate themselves on wine whether it’s traveling to famous
winemaking regions or just exploring the internet. Maria believes that the true purpose of wine
is often overlooked. She tells her listeners that wine was first created to enhance or sharpen
one’s senses with food.
Before giving her listeners a delicious recipe, perfect to pair with wine, Maria tells her listeners
the importance of pairing the correct wine with food. She tells them that red wine is best with
pasta and white wine is best with seafood or lighter dishes.
Maria tells her listeners, “A Glass of wine should always be accompanied by a food that
coordinates with its particular taste. Pair that wine with an appetizer or meal and really
concentrate on the taste that is on your pallet so you really understand what you are
experiencing.”
A Perfect Dessert
The most important part of enjoying wine is knowing what foods to pair the wine with. Maria
recommends making this delicious dessert and pairing it with a bubbly bottle of Braccheto
D’Acqui. The sweet dessert and the bubbly wine are the perfect combination for any occasion.
Below is the list of ingredients and instructions for Ciccolata e Amore, one of Maria’s favorite
desserts.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
8 ounces of dark chocolate
1 tablespoon of liquid coffee
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of sugar
6 ladyfingers or savoiardi
2 ounces of shaved dark chocolate
Instructions:
- Separate the eggs into two bowls, one for egg whites and one for yolks. Beat the egg
yolks with a fork until frothy. Beat the egg whites with wire whisk until a soft peak
forms. - Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
- Add in liquid coffee and butter and stir.
- With a wooden spoon, stir in the frothy egg yolks.
- Fold in beaten egg whites and sugar.
- Stir the mixture well until blended and remove from heat. Set aside.
- Cut ladyfingers in half lengthwise.
- Cover two small molds with parchment or baking paper.
- Arrange sliced ladyfingers on sides of molds.
- Pour in chocolate mousse mixture and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Remove cakes from molds by pulling on the parchment or baking paper. Place each on
serving dishes and garnish with shaved dark chocolate.
Meet Laura Donadoni
Later in the episode, Maria sits down with Laura Donadoni. Laura tells Maria that wine is her profession and they discuss how she fell in love with this beautiful drink. Laura tells Maria’s listeners how she first started working as a journalist in Italy. She would write about politics and any local or national news. Laura decided she wanted to focus on the
good news. Laura felt as though wine was the perfect solution because of all the happy,
passionate, and optimistic people who make wine throughout Italy.
She became certified and tells Maria’s listeners, “First of all, I studied a lot and then I traveled a lot through the wine regions of the world in order to tell the stories of the producers to apply
my journalistic and communication skills to the world of wine. And I created the Italian Wine
Girl blog, Instagram channel.”
Laura tells Maria that becoming certified in wine is not an easy task, with some people having
to take the exam nine or ten times. Her biggest advice for listeners is to not only study a lot but
to train your senses. Laura believes you must be able to recognize the spices and taste of wine
in order to educate people about it.
Laura and Maria believe the biggest part of becoming successful once certified in wine is being
passionate about this delicious beverage.
The Italian Wine Girl
Laura developed such a love and passion for wine she decided to share it with the world. She tells Maria about her blog, “The Italian Wine Girl.” Laura uses her blog to write about different
types of wine for her American fans. She also tells Maria about her Youtube channel where she often posts videos in English for her American fans. Laura creates videos about her travels in Italian wine regions, hoping to inspire people to travel more.
Laura and Maria talk about her podcast which she recently created. Laura tells Maria how her
podcast is in Italian for her fans in Italy. The podcast answers questions her Italian fans have
about the United States.
Laura tells her listeners that her Italian fans are very curious about the United States. From
talking about her American friends to the American market to the different wines she drinks in
America, Laura does it all on her podcast.
What Food Means to Laura
Although this week’s episode was focused on wine, Maria asked Laura what food means to her.
Laura tells Maria and her listeners that food means memories to her.
Laura says, “Food to me means memories because all of my beautiful memories are all food-related. I always remember what I had during a special dinner, a special meal with my family,
my husband. I always celebrate with food and wine so food for me is a good memory.”