DR, you caught me with your title, two of my favorite subjects Italy and Wine not to mention a mystery. Its funny writing to make suggestions to an author if you have never written a book yourself, but I have read plenty and I favor mysteries. As another reader commented, it is a little hard to identify with a character when you do not know their name nor have clues about their appearance. When I read I am making a movie in my head as I go along I try and visualize what I am reading. Perhaps other do not do this but for the visual readers you may want to give them some of the external Sofi too, we get to learn a lot about  her inner life but she does not take shape as a physical being in the first chapter. 

So you are not a total outsider. Also explain why an Italian American get out into the world alive without learning the basics of spaghetti sauce and seasonings? I’m not Italina and I’ve learned to make a decent sauce from scratch even though Paul Newman’s sauces can save a gal from doom at  a dinner party.

Place space between balmetti and that.