Clearly, there is huge demand in the the U.S. market for Italian wine, but at the same time, there is great competition. Debra and Dino Santonastaso, two enthusiastic Italians, have recently begun selecting and exporting wines to the U.S.

Beppe D'Andrea is a dynamic and enthusiastic spokesperson for his native Tuscany. A long time winemaker, he is the leader of the Slow Food Movement in the Chianti Classico region.

We've seen quality improvement in wine over the past few decades, resulting in more and better access to better wines, from virtually all regions. A vast, region-wide example of conscious planning to make better wines is "Chianti 2000."

Until recently, I'd never tried fennel pollen -- the yellowish dust that drifts off the blossoms of the green feathery plant. If angels sprinkled a spice from their wings, this would be it.

I often think to myself, "if I could be any man in the food business, who would it be?" And obviously, there are a lot of candidates. But there's real...