Fred Foodie- Eating and Drinking in and around Frederick, Maryland

Continuing my summer reading I recently finished Passion on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italyby Sergio Esposito which I picked up from FCPL.  Every time I am in New York City I try to find a way to slip over to the Italian Wine Merchant: a store devoted to nothing but Italian wines, so I was really excited to see this book by the store’s founder.  Part memoir, part travel guide, part my Big Fat Italian Family this book is a memorable account of how the author built his wine business through the unique relationships he forged with Italian wine makers and other personalities.  Interspersed throughout is the tale of him growing up, first in Naples and then as an immigrant in upstate New York.  His narrative about some of his family members had me laughing out loud at times- it especially resonated with my Italian-American heritage.  An enjoyable read, my only complaint was it made me very thirsty!