The Tre Bicchieri tasting-- put on by Gambero Rosso, the Italian epicurian/vinurian magazine and the Slow Food organization--is one of the more perplexing tastings around. It was held this past Monday at the Puck Building in NYC.

This is always a wildly anticipated event. Usually the line to get in snakes around the block. This year I got to the entrance early, and marched right in. I plotted my attack as I perused the some-odd 170 wines. Out of I don’t know, 170 wines? There were about five I wanted to taste and about ten that I could (if pressed) drink.

There is some paradox. How is it possible that the Produtorri del Barbarescos can exist in the same room with Gianni Masciarelli from Abruzzo? (Ah, I remember that I used to like those Masciarelli's. Now, the wine smacks of wine consultant, like most of the wines that won the prestigious award.). How is it possible that the lovely Dettori Tenores ’03, a Cannonau elevaged in cement, was in the same room as the silly Donna Fugata.

I love those Dettori wines, by the way. I love that someone in Sardinia is making natural wines, but the prices are so high (Tenores is $90+) that when pressed at a wine shop or restaurant, I'll drink Minervois, thank you. But still, I appreciate they wines exist and am trying to hatch a plan to visit.

There were a few other wines that I liked. Let’s add to my list Biondi-Santi and Bruno Giacosa’s Barbaresco Rabaja Riserva. Who needs tasting notes? The wines are fantastic. I just wonder who slipped these in, and I would love know the politics.

So, I left in record time. Am I the only woman to leave this tasting without purple teeth? (Probably).

Anyway, the tasting paled next to the Polaner tasting two days later.