What goes better together than pizza and wine? While in New York, pizza has become a class get-together comfort food, its origins in southern Italy originally had it that pizza would be an artfully-crafted dish intended for the individual. Move aside, dollar pizza: at Kesté Fulton, pizza’s reclaiming its original glory.
With a wide-ranging flavor palette bringing together dough, tomato, mozzarella, and a variety of toppings, pizza’s ultimate companion can be none other than wine, which accents every meal with notes of fruit and spice. Cavit Wines upholds the important role of wine with a spectrum of options to choose from, the most popular being Cavit’s Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Prosecco, and Rosé. Of all these, Pinot Grigio is a classic favorite, while Prosecco is recommended to go with anything.
Diving into the Makings of Cavit Wine
Cavit Wines are grown in northern Italy in a region known as Trentino, where the temperate climate enhances the fruity flavors. 4,500 farming families make up Cavit’s cooperative, ensuring a sense of community is harvested with every bottle. Operations at Cavit bring together sustainable farming practices with advanced research taking place with the Institute of San Michele all’Adige, one of Europe’s leading winemaking schools. Top it all off with the most technologically-advanced winery in all of Europe, and Cavit Wines has consistently been ranked highest among brands internationally. In the U.S. alone, Cavit offers the #1 Pinot Grigio, making it a perfect choice for get-togethers.
Pairing Cavit Wine with Class Pizza
Bringing it all back to the companionship wine and pizza share, a number of pizza topping are recommended withe each wine to bring out each other’s flavors. Pair the Pinot Grigio with any cheesy pizza to balance out the heavy richness of stacked cheeses, while the Pinot Noir paired well with both meat and mushroom pizzas. Cavit’s Moscato wine brings a touch of sweetness to pizzas layered with spicy toppings like jalapeños, and Prosecco, as mentioned, goes well with anything.
To browse Cavit’s wine collection and purchase a selection for your next event, visit their website. To learn more about the ins-and-outs of pizza making, visit the Pizza Academy Foundation. And to simply pick up a pizza on your next night out, visit Kesté Fulton at 77 Fulton Street.
SWISH Beverages, a company founded by Josh Ostrovsky and David Oliver Cohen, is notable on a few levels. First, it is a celebrity-founded company, as Josh and David are very well-known; between the two of them they have over 14 million followers of social media. Second, it is a fast-growing company, as SWISH’s new Pinot Grigio — known as “Family Time Is Hard” — is the company’s third wine offering. Third, well, these are very entertaining people that not only bring a sense of humor to wine, but also have brought quality-oriented wines to the marketplace.
Downtown had the pleasure of conducting Q&A with both Josh and David over e-mail, and both were hilarious as expected. While their love of The Olive Garden is most likely ironic, there is no denying that the two have no shortage of greatness ahead of them. Beyond the SWISH online store, Josh and David can both be followed via Twitter.
How did you two first meet?
David Oliver Cohen: we met in the West Village in a cute little park on Jane Street while we were walking our dogs. It was straight out of a Nancy Meyers film like You’ve Got Mail, or It’s Complicated, or Cape Fear.
Josh Ostrovsky: He was wearing a fleece and leather sandals and looked like a friendly…freelance writer. He didn’t pick up his dog’s poop and we watched a guy slip in it cartoon-style, like when someone slips on a banana peel. We laughed together. A friendship was born.
DOC: Honestly, the name came to us before we knew what kind of wine it would be. We had talked about doing a limited-edition holiday wine, but we didn’t know what varietal made the most sense. We all love Pinot Grigio, and our super cute Italian winemaker, Claudio uses a Pinot Grigio in our rosé blend so we decided to go with it.
JO: I wanted it to be called “My dad is a judgmental dick who wanted me to be a podiatrist but I wanted to follow my dreams IN YOUR FUCKING FACE DUDE I TOTALLY MADE IT, OH AND ALSO I EAT ICE CREAM FOR DINNER SOMETIMES BECAUSE I’M AN ADULT,” but that was too long, so we settled on “Family Time Is Hard.” Because it really is.
Were any members of your family offended by the name of your Pinot Grigio?
DOC: We haven’t spoken to anyone in our families in years.
Is it true that White Girl Rosé came about as a result of a rosé shortage in the Hamptons?
JO: That’s true. Two summers ago rose was running DANGEROUSLY LOW in the Hamptons. I capitalized those words to make it sounds even more dramatic than it was. People were running through the streets, trying to hoard every last drop they could get their hands on. We decided at that moment, that was would never allow such a tragedy to occur again. Not on our watch.
DOC: Not all heroes wear capes.
You now have three wines in stores. Do you have plans for additional varieties? A cabernet,
perhaps?
DOC: We definitely have our hands full at the moment with the Pinot Grigio, the rosé and the can of sparkling rosé. But we are always developing new things, so you never know where we’ll end up.
Where is your wine sourced from?
DOC: Our winery is located in central California. All the products are grown produced and bottled in one location.
JO: The new Gilmore Girls is honestly so good. The fear is obviously that after 10 years it will feel non-congruent, but it eased back into the narrative in a seamless way.
Have you always favored wine? Or is that something you grew into?
DOC: We let our massive audience tell us what they wanted. We have a huge following and we wanted to be able to give them a product that they’d be excited about beyond the books we have written and the social media we do. They wanted rosé.
JO: I was raised by two wealthy gay dads in a sun-drenched loft in SoHo in the ‘90’s, there was A LOT of wine. So yes, I’ve always been into it.
JO: Mostly just dealing crippling anxiety. And antiquing!
Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?
DOC: Probably, The Olive Garden on 22nd Street or the Olive Garden in Times Square.
JO: Probably Nobu — the black cod in Miso with its sweet/savory burnished crust, and flaky, buttery interior is a revelation…Just kidding, The Olive Garden on 22nd Street or the Olive Garden in Times Square.
For a lot of brands, it’s a big deal when they have celebrated a 25th anniversary. In the case of Barone Fini Wines, the company’s history goes back over 500 years, and owner Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini is the 15th generation of the family involved with the company. These days, 150,000 cases of Barone Fini wine each year, specializing in Pinot Grigio and Merlot. Its tagline is “a noble commitment to quality,” as Barone Fini’s output is the product of sustainable agriculture.
Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini spoke to Downtown about the history of his family’s wine, also touching on his history with New York. Speaking of which, last month, Barone Fini partnered with I Trulli on a Ferragosto menu, of which 100% of the proceeds from sales of Barone Fini were donated to the Food Bank For New York City. More about Barone Fini can be found on the website of Deutsch Family Brands: www.deutschfamily.com.
Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini / Photo by Melinda McCoy
Is it true that your brand has been around since the late 1400s?
Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini: Yes, dating back 15 generations, my family has been cultivating vineyards since 1497 when the Bonmartinis and the Finis were joined in marriage and began producing wine. The Barone Fini brand has been in market for 40 years.
Did you ever consider a different career path? Or did you always known that wine was going to be in your future?
GB-F: With a long lineage of family members before me who cared for the vineyard, I always knew that I would be involved in the winery. But it was important to me to chart my own course and learn about science and business operations and as a foundation for my career. I studied Molecular Biology at Princeton University, which opened my eyes to science and chemistry and I ventured on my own to begin a printing business as well. Both of these experiences I bring with me to my role in the winery, helping to foster and grow the operations.
Do you have a favorite of the Barone Fini varieties?
GB-F: Pinot Grigio is my favorite varietal. It is the most universal wine I can think of with food, and I love to eat! It has a wonderful mountain crispness that resets the palate, enhancing the delicacy of a fish such as a Halibut or Seabass. But it also has the strength to slice through the salty, richest pasta sauce on earth called “Ragu alla Bolognese,” and its natural mineral balance soothes the heat of the hottest pepperoncini sauce. It will even make a steak taste better.
Beautiful packaging aside, what separates Barone Fini wines from other fine wines?
GB-F: Thank you for the compliment! The center of our label is my family’s coat of arms or crest. The Pinot Grigio inside our bottle is the highest quality standard for a Pinot Grigio because it is D.O.C. — Denominazione di Origine Controlata — and we go to great lengths to ensure that we produce the highest quality wine from old vines, through hand-harvesting methods. And most importantly, we are still able to produce this high-quality wine at an affordable price.
Why are only Pinot Grigio and Merlot made for the U.S.? Are there plans to offer other varieties in the future?
GB-F: 500 years of experience has taught us that both Pinot Grigio and Merlot are approachable wines that are perennial favorites for millions around the world, and our location in the region offers spectacular growing conditions for these two varietals. We take meticulous care of our old vines and cultivate only the finest grapes to produce the best Pinot Grigio and Merlot we can. Perhaps in time, we’ll look to plant new varietals on our gorgeous mountainsides, but for now, our focus is to continue producing the best quality wines at the most affordable prices.
When was the first time you came to New York City?
GB-F: I was born in Gloucester, MA and spent a lot of time in Milan as well as other European cities. My first time coming to New York City as an adult, I was incredibly excited to experience the energy and electricity of one of the greatest cities in the world.
Do you remember the first bar in New York to carry your products?
GB-F: It’s been a long time, so I don’t recall the first place I ever saw Barone Fini offered on the menu, but I vividly recall eating at Ristorante Gino on Lexington [Avenue] between 60th and 61st which had been in business for over 50 years and was a hotspot for the likes of Ed Sullivan and Frank Sinatra, back in the day. I remember sitting down and was so happy to see our Pinot Grigio on the menu, that we ordered a bottle and had a great meal.
Do you have a favorite bar in New York City?
GB-F: The city offers so many amazing places! I love The Loeb Boat House in Central Park. When I think of New York, I think Boathouse. How exciting to sip my Pinot Grigio with amazing food on a beautiful lake! I also enjoy AVRA on 48th between Lex and 3rd. Everything about Avra is about freshness. The fish is incredible and they have great wine to pair with their amazing menu and Mediterranean décor. I love the romantic setting of One If By Land Two If By Sea on 17 Barrow Street because I am a “romantico” at heart.
I also LOVE Pellegrino’s on Mulberry, it’s my new Gino’s! And of course, Delmonico Kitchen on West 38th [Street] –- a New York staple. I also enjoy going to Bell Book & Candle on West 10th Street. It reminds me of being in an underground cellar. Their rooftop garden is amazing, and the restaurant focuses on sustainable practices and responsible procurement, something we adhere to at the winery. Too many great places in the city to keep track of!
Later this month, there will be a Ferragosto menu at iTrulli in which 100% of the proceeds from sales of Barone Fini wines are donated to the Food Bank For New York City. How did that partnership come about?
GB-F: Ferragosto is an annual Italian summer holiday that originated as a religious holiday and a festival of the Italian harvest. Centuries ago, it was a time when aristocrats and peasants broke bread together, which was unheard of even back then. While today most Italians celebrate with fireworks and friends, we thought it would be appropriate to give back in the spirit of what Ferragosto was all about. The team at I Trulli put together a great menu and all proceeds from the sale of Barone Fini will support the Food Bank For New York City, which has worked to bring over one billion meals to hungry New Yorkers. What an incredibly beautiful accomplishment.
Is there a Barone Fini accomplishment you’re most proud of?
GB-F: Every day we’re blessed to be doing what we do for a living, and I often think if my ancestors would be proud of what we’ve accomplished. Adhering to their traditions and respecting the land they once cultivated, while producing a new vintage every year that maintains the highest quality, is something I take great pride in. It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly, but I think my greatest accomplishment will be passing it down to the next generation and teaching them the skills that my parents taught me.
