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oTHE HAMILTON SPECTATORSATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2011 thespec.com

On a recent visit to Paris, I discov-ered an enchanting new hotel thatcelebrates the magic and power ofillumination.

The owner of Hotel Seven hasused technological invention totransport guests into a blissful en-vironment filled with emotion.

Each room is designed to come tolife and carry you into a dreamlikeworld simply by turning on lights

that come from both the floor andthe sides of the room making youfeel you are levitating.

To complete the picture is abeautiful sky mural painted on theceiling.

Tucked under a fluffy white du-vet, I was in heaven.

The experience gives a wholenew meaning to up lighting a de-sign trick I thought was mostly forilluminating indoor trees andplants.

It reminded me to design thelighting in a room first and makeuse of advances in lighting.

Now that green living has be-come the central focus in building,decorating and design, more prod-ucts are available to help us featherour nests responsibly.

Mood lighting, task lighting and

ambient lights come in LED andfluorescent fixtures, and thesecost-effective forms have seengreat advances in the quality oflight.

Experiment with light in yourliving space by trying up lighting.Because you cant see the fixture orthe source, light coming from be-hind a panel or under a shelf is agreat effect. Ceiling spots providefocus for artwork as well as overallambient lighting and are particu-larly effective with a dimmer.

You will be amazed at the differ-ence creative light design can pro-duce, and it will lift your spirits.Q: We have just purchased a

small condo as a holiday home. Itneeds some sprucing up but is ingood condition. The kitchen hasalmond cabinets and light beige

countertops. Too bland for mytaste. Is it possible to refinish thecounters? We have stripped wall-paper from the ensuite bathroomand the walls are not in good shape.Would you suggest a textured fin-ish or something else?A: You can paint your kitchen

counters after some preparation.Sand and clean with a heavy-dutydetergent to rough up the smoothsurface. Apply a high-stick primerdesigned for slippery surfaces. Letdry completely. Give it a day.

Apply any paint effect, includinggranite or marble that are full ofpattern and will add life to theroom. Use acrylic or melaminepaint for durability.

A simpler solution is to add somepizzazz to the backsplash. Updatewith stylish tile, and keep the cost

low by using plain tiles with ac-cents of glass, metallic or colourfulceramic in various sizes.

A textured plaster finish is a goodidea for the bathroom walls. Theplaster will fill in the imperfectionsand you can apply a smooth orslightly broken texture with atrowel.

Another option is paintable em- bossed wallpaper. Available inmodern and traditional patterns,you will love the effect. Paint anycolour and accentuate the patternby rubbing a little ochre over thepaint and wiping back.

SERGE RAMELLI, SPECIAL TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

In a magical suite at Hotel Seven, the bed and translucent furniture appear to be floating.

Take your decor into the lightCreative use of up lighting can dramatically change the mood of a room

DEBBIE TRAVIS

This column is produced by DebbieTravis and Barbara Dingle.E-mail questions tohouse2home@debbietravis.com.debbietravis.com

Italys lesser-known regions arehaving a wine boom, certainly inthe hilly province of Abruzzo.While the wines of the famousvineyards in Tuscany, Veneto andPiedmont continue to escalate inprice, those of Abruzzo remainbargains.

One of the leaders of Abruzziwines is also one of the last family-owned producers Dragani. Dra-gani Emanuele was given permis-sion by the authorities of Caldarialmost 200 years ago to sell winesgrown in what were consideredtwo of the finest vineyards in the

region, the Selva dei Canonici andFonte Melata.

The wines were immediatelysuccessful, and soon Dragani wasofficial supplier for the bishop ofnearby Ortona.

At the end of the Second WorldWar, the area lay in ruins but Ga-briele Dragani steered the compa-ny to rebuild.

He replanted the vineyards, ex-panded the winery, introducedmodern techniques and equip-ment, built the first bottling plant(now Abruzzos biggest) and beganselling wine across Italy for thefirst time.

Dragani continues to make out-standing single vineyard and re-

serve wines but none are sold here.We can buy two gems that defi-nitely fall into the steal category.

I tasted several Dragani wines,including the two available here,with the companys export man-ager, Vincenzo Gaeta. The DonGabriele Terre de Chieti and theGune Riserva MontepulcianodAbruzzo are most impressive butunavailable.

The two available here knockedmy socks off if for nothing elsethan the rock-bottom price of lessthan $7. They both far exceeded

what I expected.DRAGANI PINOT GRIGIO

TREBBIANO ($16.95 for 2 L, code620583). If you do the math, this isthe equivalent of $6.35 for a stan-dard bottle. The wine gets a simpleIGT (typical style of the region)designation as Pinot Grigio is notan officially approved grape vari-ety in Abruzzo. Doesnt matter.

This is a good white wine by anystandard, the varieties fermentedseparately in steel tanks to preservefreshness. Its floral on first im-pression, clean and inviting, fruit-driven with the Trebbiano lendingsurprising depth, coming acrosswith lemon, lime, green apple and

kiwi flavours and an underlyingnote of mineral and stone. A par-ticularly fine choice with shrimp orcalamari.

DRAGANI MONTEPULCIANODABRUZZO ($6.95, code 134890or $16.95 for 2 L, code 384511).Abruzzo makes a lot of wine fromthe Montepulciano grape, which isindigenous and the second-mostplanted grape after Sangiovese.Montepulciano is a late-ripeningvariety, so at its best in the warmerclimate of southern Italy. Thiswine has DOC or controlled de-nomination status.

This red is all one variety, againfermented in steel to emphasizethe fruit.

Again, its surprisingly complex,quite gutsy and has a rustic aura insmell and taste, with bright cherry,raspberry and juicy pomegranateflavours and a whiff of fresh herbsand spice. How about a grilled hotItalian sausage with it?

z z z

The annual California Wine Fairrolls into Toronto on April 4, offer-ing tastes from more than 400wines from 150 producers. Therewill be wines unavailable here,along with familiar names.

The fair is 7 to 9:30 p.m. at theRoyal York across from Union Sta-tion. Tickets are $70 by calling 1-800-558-2675 or visiting calwine-.ca.

The website also has a list of par-ticipating wineries and wines be-ing poured.

z z z

The Toronto Wine & Cheeseshow is next weekend, featuringwines, spirits and beers fromaround the world, and a wide se-lection of food creations.

It is at the International Centre,6900 Airport Rd., Mississauga.

Parking is free. Hours are Fridayand Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. andSunday noon to 6 p.m.

Admission is $15 if you buy tick-ets online (towineandcheese.com)or $18 at the do or.

Abruzzo triumphswith taste and price

BY DAN KISLENKO

dkislenko@thespec.com905-526-3450