One of America’s most beloved authors on the pleasures of food, wine, and community is Angelo Pellegrini, an Italian immigrant whose wisdom and impact as a cook, gardener, author, winemaker, and mentor are legendary. 

Born into a humble sharecropper’s family in rural Tuscany 120 years ago this spring, Pellegrini rose to excel in several fields. He was a beloved University of Washington professor, a thoughtful author who wrote honestly about the immigrant experience, and a passionate promoter of the pleasures of food, wine, and company. His home garden was so lush that Sunset magazine once sent a photographer to capture it in every season of the year.