Italy in a Glass: The Italian Art of Gathering with Susan Gravely

Italy in a Glass — with Susan Gravely of Vietri

On the podcast, I recently had the pleasure of reconnecting with Susan Gravely, CEO and a founder of Vietri. You may remember Susan from Episode 65, when we explored Italian ceramics and hospitality in celebration of Vietri’s 40th anniversary, around the release of her first cookbook, Italy on a Plate. Now she’s back to talk about cocktails and gracious entertaining through her latest book, Italy in a Glass.

In this episode, we chat about how to make hosting feel effortless, the joy of pairing Italian food and wine, and how to make the perfect Venetian-style Bellini.

Listen to the full episode here or keep reading for some of my favorite moments with Susan.

Tell us more about your book, Italy in a Glass

 After Italy on a Plate came out, I spent a lot of time on book tour, and that experience changed me in ways I didn’t expect. I learned that everyone wants to talk about their dreams and be heard. I learned how to listen better, slow down, and have deeper conversations with people. We’re losing our communication skills in so many ways today, and I think people are hungry to communicate more than we realize.

So, Italy in a Glass is more than a cocktail book. It’s a guide to gracious entertaining and to embracing the simple joy of gathering and listening. My goal was to make everything feel easy, to bring readers inside different places and perspectives, and, honestly, to keep learning about people along the way. Over the years I’ve been asked to write travel essays, recipes, and memoir, so this book lets me bring all three of those interests together, with the hope that it inspires people to travel more — especially to Italy.

One thing I learn every time I go back to Italy is that Italians live in the moment. From top executives on down, once the workday ends, it ends. They don’t carry the same weight of work and worry that we do here in America. Time has a way of shrinking our problems down to size, and Italians seem to understand that instinctively. They aren’t fighters; they’re lovers of life. There’s laughter, there’s food, there’s real enjoyment in tasting and talking about what’s in front of you.

The whole book is meant to feel warm, inviting, and effortless, because I truly believe entertaining can be that simple. We all get anxious about what we’re serving or how our home looks, but I tell people: just use the mixture of plates and glasses already in your cupboard. Some might be the first set you ever bought, some might be your grandmother’s dishes. They don’t need to be expensive — they just need to tell a story. Garnish with a piece of fruit you already have on hand, or cut some greenery from your yard and pair it with a few flowers. You can use a few books on the table as décor or a conversation piece.

If there’s one lesson from Italy I hope readers take with them, it’s to worry less. Americans carry so much worry, and I don’t think we have to. My mother always told me never to make a decision at night — sleep on it, and the problem looks smaller in the morning when you’re rested. Life is such a short ride. All we really want, in the end, is to be together. Stand up for what you believe in, be a good citizen, care about others and about the world — but don’t carry it all on your own shoulders. It’s too big a burden for one person. Put it in a box, put the lid on, and come back to it later when you actually have the time and space to work on it.

Learn more

Listen to the full podcast episode with Susan, learn more at vietri.com, and follow them on Instagram at @VietriInc.

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Italy on a Plate with Vietri Founder, Susan Gravely
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