Italy in Fremont - and Wine in Woodinville

I found it.

Long in search of a neighborhood Italian joint where I could savor my garlic-laden, carb-chocked, straight-talkin' favorites from the Mother Land, I stumbled on Pontevecchio. And I did not want to get up and leave.

With a decor leaving something to be desired but reminding me of some of the best random European cafes, this place dishes out hard-core Italian specialties, friendly service, and ample wine pours. I devoured a garlic spinach ravioli special (homemade, duh) filled with ricotta and topped with a Pinot Grigio, olive oil, butter and garlic heart-attack-in a gravy boat sauce. Freshly grated cheese blanketed the puffy pillows in motherly goodness. Hubbie ordered a Penne Alla'Amatriciana that was a wonderful kaleidoscope of green and red fantasy. Piping hot, full of herbs and flavor, and a lingering smell of garlic that I think is still with us 2 days later. But I don't give a crap. This place absolutely rocked and I am going back again and again and again.

The colorful spot right past the Fremont Bridge borders in cheesy kitsch (there's even Italian soccer posters from what looks like the 80's in the window) but chalk it up to authenticity and treat yourself to some of the best Italian food I've had in the US. Period. It's dubbed the "Place for Lovers" and I understand they even have opera nights each month.

This place is living proof that swanky Pottery Barn votives, fussy waiters and small portions do not a great dining experience make. I felt like I was in someone's house and we enjoyed the glimpse of Summer that God gave us on Saturday as we ate and sipped in the window of this joyful little find.

Sunday brought us to the Woodinville Wine Passport 2008, a festival of open winery's and lots of smiles in nearby Woodinville Wine Country. Skipping the typical pretty winery tasting rooms, we headed straight to the office parks that house many of the region's budding wineries. Tents were set up in parking lots, and office suites flung open their doors, revealing modest but lovely tasting room set-ups and barrels of wine being stored it what would pass for temp agency offices or something. Given the close proximity of most of the place in the office parks, you could gleefully hop from one to another in minutes. This was how we managed to hit about 12 wineries in 2 hours.

Top picks: Des Voigne's lovely Untitled (a happy accident) and Solea Cab; Covington Cellars Sangiovese and Viognier; and Arlington Road Cellars' Monolith. More to come on the wines and how to handle a tasting festival in my www.intowine.com monthly column.

We stopped in at some traditional wineries with full property and tasting rooms before we left Columbia nd Januik. Januik, while voted Winemaker of the Year or something from Seattle Magazine, was the worst, most commercial, "cattle-driving" wine tasting I've ever been to and not the greatest wine I've ever had - will not be back. Gray concrete, steel everywhere, and pourers who just poured and didn't share any knowledge or passion about the wine. Horrible.

I will take the passionate, friendly, talkative folks at the office parks any day. This was the true spirit of winemaking and wine culture full of passion, warmth and accessibility for anyone. Loved it.