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the art of the chefTwo Gentlemen of VeronaBack in the Italian countryside, time does more than fermentgrapes—it has forged a dedicated passion shared by wineaficionados Severino Barzan and Daniele ZamunerJust to the north of the A4 on the road from Milan to Venice lies the ancientcity of Verona. For centuries before Shakespeare laid the scene here for hisstar-crossed lovers, the city’s prime location made it a center of trade, culturalexchange and pursuit of the arts that exists to this very day.Today, among therolling hills at the foot of the Dolomite mountains, two men with very differentbackgrounds have pursued their individual passion for wine and arrived at veryesteemed places because of it.Severino Barzan was born near Aviano, Italy and, at the age of fourteen, wentto work in an uncle’s vineyard in the Champagne region of France. After studyingto gain the government certifications necessary to operate in Italy’s hospitalityindustry, in 1986 he bought an osteria in Verona known for its tradition of servingfood and wine. Over the next few years, the place known as Bottega Vini to the localsand Bottega del Vino to much of the rest of Europe and many cognoscentiAmericans became a place to enjoy the world’s great vintages in a casual, friendly andentirely approachable atmosphere.As the reputation of Bottega del Vino grew, Mr. Barzan faced a dilemma knownto restaurateurs the world over: great wine needs great wine glasses, but great wineglasses are notoriously fragile and known for their high prices and short life spans. So,beginning around 1995, Barzan set out to solve this sommelier setback. He beganSeverino Barzan (left) and Daniele Zamuner (right) share a devoted passion for great wine.Image courtesy Robert J. Hall.working with regional glass blowers to find a crystal formula (only crystal can achievethe combination of weight, balance and clarity sought by connoisseurs) that wouldmeet his exacting demands but be durable and dishwasher safe.The result of Barzan’s successful effort is a range of lead-free crystal wine glasses,the shape, weight, balance and clarity of which can only be made by hand usingcenturies-old techniques.Yet, because of their durability, they are remarkably inexpensive.Beginning as a ball of molten glass at the end of a blow tube, the glasses areblown into wooden molds and carefully shaped into their final configuration. TheAbove: The finished product. Imagecourtesy Bottega del Vino Crystal.Left: Bottega del Vino’s refined processinvolves drawing the stem out of thesuper-heated body of the glass. Imagecourtesy Bottega del Vino Crystal.90 2006 Issue 4