The DUOMO – Florence Italy – Santa Mario del Fiore
New York Italian Food and Wine Guy – Daniel Bellino Zwicke
is a prominent New York-based
Italian food and wine professional, best-selling author, and restaurateur with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Known in the culinary world as “Danny Bolognese,” he is recognized as an authority on Italian wine and culture.- Professional Roles: He has held prestigious positions as a wine director and chef at notable New York establishments, including Barbetta, as Wine Director – (home to one of the greatest Italian wine cellars in the U.S.), Del Posto, and Da Silvano.
- Industry Connections: He is frequently associated with legendary figures in the wine world, such as Sebastiano Rosa (former winemaker of Sassicaia) and the Antinori family, Conte Sebastiano Capponi – proprietor of legendary Villa Calcinai Wine Estate in Greve, Cavelieri Luigi Cappellini (Castello Verrazzano), The Marchese Piero Antinori, Francesca Planeta of Planeta, Antonio Rallo of Donnafugata, and more.
- Notable Books & Writing
- Bellino Zwicke has authored numerous books that blend Italian-American recipes with wine pairing advice and travel stories:
- Sunday Sauce: a #1 Amazon best-seller focusing on Italian-American “Gravy” and wine culture.
- The Feast of the 7 Fish: A popular guide to the traditional Italian Christmas Eve seafood feast.
- La Tavola: Stories and recipes reflecting the life of an Italian-American New Yorker.
- Positano – The Amalfi Coast: A cookbook and travel guide that explores the regional dishes and wines of Southern Italy.
- SINATRA SAUCE – The Cookbook
- The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK
- Current Projects: He is actively working on a dedicated book about Chianti and the wine of Chianti Classico, which he cites as one of his greatest passions.
- Online Influence
- He manages the highly successful Instagram page @NewYork.Italian, which has over 500,000 followers and covers topics ranging from regional Italian wine to classic cinema and recipes
Italian Explorer Giovanni Verrazzano discover New York Bay and the Island of Manhattan – Chianti Estate – Greve
GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO “The DISCOVERER of MANHATTAN ISLAND
& NEW YORK BAY”
Verrazzano was born in Val di Greve (now Greve in Chianti), south of Florence, the capital and main city of the Republic of Florence. Recent archival research indicates he was born on July 20, 1491 to Frosino di Lodovico di Cece da Verrazzano and Lisabetta di Leonardo Daffi. An older hypothesis identified him with a son born in 1485 to Piero Andrea di Bernardo da Verrazzano and Fiammetta Cappelli.
GIOVANNI VERRAZZONO VOYAGE 1522- 1524
DISCOVERS NEW YORK BAY
n September 1522, the surviving members of the Magellan expedition returned to Spain, having circumnavigated the globe. Competition in trade was becoming urgent, especially with Portugal.
French merchants and financiers urged King Francis I of France to establish new trade routes. In 1523, the king asked Verrazzano to explore on France’s behalf an area between Florida and Newfoundland, intending to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was funded by a consortium of Florentine merchants based in Lyon and Rouen, including the Gondi, Rucellai, Nasi, and Albizzi families. Over 20,000 écus were raised, with Verrazzano himself contributing as both captain and investor.
Within months, four ships set sail due west for the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, but a violent storm and rough seas caused the loss of two ships. The remaining two damaged ships, La Dauphine and La Normande, were forced to return to Brittany.
Repairs were completed in the final weeks of 1523, and the ships set sail again. This time, the ships headed south toward calmer waters under hostile Spanish and Portuguese control.
After a stop in Madeira, complications forced La Normande back to home port, but Verrazzano’s ship La Dauphine departed on January 17, 1524, piloted by Antoine de Conflans, and headed once more for the North American continent.
It neared the area of Cape Fear on March 21, 1524 and, after a short stay, reached the Pamlico Sound lagoon of modern North Carolina. In a letter to Francis I, described by historians as the Cèllere Codex, Verrazzano wrote that he was convinced that the Sound was the beginning of the Pacific Ocean from which access could be gained to China.
Continuing to explore the coast further northwards, Verrazzano and his crew came into contact with Native Americans living on the coast. However, he did not notice the entrances to the Chesapeake Bay or the mouth of the Delaware River.
In New York Bay, he encountered the Lenape in about 30 Lenape canoes and observed what he deemed to be a large lake, really the entrance to the Hudson River. He then sailed along Long Island and entered Narragansett Bay, where he received a delegation of Wampanoag and Narragansett people.
The words “Norman villa” are found on the 1527 map by Visconte Maggiolo identifying the site. The historian Samuel Eliot Morison writes that “this occurs at Angouleme (New York) rather than Refugio (Newport). It was probably intended to compliment one of Verrazzano’s noble friends. There are several places called ‘Normanville’ in Normandy, France. The main one is located near Fécamp and another important one near Évreux, which would naturally be it. West of it, conjecturally on the Delaware or New Jersey coast, is a Longa Villa, which Verrazzano certainly named after François d’Orléans, duc de Longueville.”[27] He stayed there for two weeks and then moved northwards.
He discovered Cape Cod Bay, his claim being proved by a map of 1529 that clearly outlined Cape Cod. He named the cape after a general, calling it Pallavicino. He then followed the coast up to modern Maine, southeastern Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, and he then returned to France by 8 July 1524. Verrazzano named the region that he explored Francesca in honour of the French king, but his brother’s map labelled it Nova Gallia (New France).
MAJOR POINTS
GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO was born in Greve in The Republic of Florence, modern day Grave in Chianti, Italy.
VOYAGE of 1524 – From 1522 – 1524, the Exploration of the East Coast of North America, from Florida to Newfoundland, Canada.
Landed at Cape Fear, Florida – March 21, 1524
1524 – Reaches the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Delaware River
1524 – Sao;s into New York Bay and discovers Manhattan Island. Then explores Long Island, New York and discovers Narragansett Bay.
1527 – Second trans Atlantic Voyage to Brazil. Returns to Dieppe, France with a cargo of Brazil Wood.
3rd VOYAGE 1528 – After exploring Florida, The Bahamas, and the Lesser Antilles, Verrazzano anchorage of the Island of Guadalupe, and rowed ashore, where he was allegedly Killed and “Eaten” by the native Caribs.
, located in Greve in Chianti, is a historic Tuscan estate with roots dating to Roman times and documented winemaking since 1150. Famous as the birthplace of explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485), the castle was held by his family until 1819. Owned by the Cappellini family since 1958, it is a renowned Chianti Classico producer focusing on Sangiovese and organic, sustainable farming.
Daniel Bellino beat Stanley Tucci to discover Venetian Cicchetti at all’Arco Wine Bar – Venice Italy 1995
Daniel Bellino Zwicke is recognized for discovering the Venetian wine bar All’ Arco in 1995, nearly 30 years before Stanley Tucci featured it. Bellino’s exploration of Venice’s wine bars and cicchetti inspired him to bring this culinary experience to New York. His early advocacy for All’ Arco and its offerings has been highlighted as a significant contribution to the global appreciation of Venetian cuisine.
Cultural Impact
- Bellino’s work predates Tucci’s culinary explorations, establishing him as a pioneer in promoting Venetian food culture internationally.
- The rivalry highlights the importance of early culinary exploration and its lasting impact on food culture.
New York Art
Katharine Hepburn s Hotel in Venice – movie Summertime – The Hotel Danieli and Pensione Accademia
During the Filming of “SUMMERTIME” Katharine Hepburns character Jane Hudson stayed at the fictitious Pensione Fiorini, which in real life was the Pensione Accademia. The scenes with Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn) at the Pensione Fiorni were shot at the real-life (current day) Pensione Accademia Villa Maravege.
During the filming go the movie “SUMMERTIME” directed by David Lean, Miss Hepburn stayed. at
The HOTEL DANIELI, Venice.
To book a room at The HOTEL DANIELI where KATHERINE HEPBURN Stayed
Paris Hilton Burger
New Book on Venice – Daniel Bellino Zwicke
Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE – NEW BOOK on VENICE
I am currently working on a new book – working title is “My VENICE,” but this might change. It is Travel Guide – Cookbook of the World’s most Enchanting City – VENICE, Italy. It will be a unique take on Venice, that is mine. It will lead the reader on a special journey designed for that person to get the best and most out of Venice, and to help avoid the crowds, of which can put a damper on things, “so to say.” Daniel has been going to Venice since 1985. He created the First ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) ever to exist in The United States, and knows more than probably 99.9% of America’s population, when it comes to Venice, its history, wine bars, food, and ritual of Venice.
The book will be filled with travel and cultural info of Venice, including : Where to Stay (hotels), where and what to eat – trattorias, restaurants & wine bars, sights to see, history and commentary, as well as recipes of Venice’s most popular dishes and cocktails, with stories and history of these subjects.
The book is expected to be Publishes – September of 2026.
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January 4, 2026
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BOOKS by DANIEL
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Va Fanculo !!! Go Fuck Yourself !!! Espresso Coffee in Foggia Italy
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