Food/grappa pairing tested last night at the Gran Galà della Grappa organized by Roberto Castagner at the Antica Bottega del Vino in Verona. Among the guests present were Riccardo Illy, Dario Tommasi, Maurizio Danese, CEO of Veronafiere who anticipated the theme of the next Vinitaly with grappa also starring at the table.

Illustrious guests, journalists, wine producers, importers and opinion leaders took part in an unprecedented evening organized yesterday evening by Roberto Castagner at the Antica Bottega del Vino.

Pairing grappa with any meal is possible. At the Gran Galà della grappa held yesterday evening, Monday 7 October, at the Antica Bottega del Vino in Verona, the flagship distillate accompanied every course with refined elegance, from aperitif to dessert. About sixty guests were present, including journalists, wine producers, importers, opinion leaders and friends of Roberto Castagner, master distiller and founder of the famous distillery in Vazzola (Treviso). The CEO of Veronafiere, Maurizio Danese, was present and anticipated the theme of the next Vinitaly with grappa also taking centre stage at the table.

The evening opened with an aperitif with Casta Negroni based on Casta, the grappa created in 2017 for mixing, Bitter Castagner in which Treviso PGI radicchio is also infused, and Vermouth Castagner based on Glera. Then the dinner continued with Grappa Prosecco Ice served chilled and paired with pumpkin risotto. The Fuoriclasse Leon Amarone was served with beef cheek braised in Amarone and also accompanied the tiramisu. Masterful was the tasting, guided by sommelier Sara Tosti, of Riserva 23 years, the grappa celebrating Roberto Castagner’s entrepreneurial journey, with flakes of Domori dark chocolate, an excellence in the world of quality chocolate from Riccardo Illy’s Polo del Gusto, guest of the evening. During the dinner, Valpolicella Classico Superiore Rafaèl and Amarone Ca’ Florian by Dario Tommasi were served. Tommasi was present at the event and promoted the meeting between Roberto Castagner and Luca Nicolis, director of the ancient Bottega del Vino.

Abroad, spirits and mixed drinks represent two segments where food pairings are already a reality, just think of food pairings with spirits such as whisky, vodka, tequila, rum and brandy.

“As with wines, there are also basic rules for pairing food/grappa – explains Roberto Castagner -. For a fish appetizer, rather than cured meats or for a first course such as risotto or pasta with ragù, we must look for a dry, but soft, fruity white grappa, perhaps served cold or iced, which is able to enhance the aromas that are being savored, but above all to degrease at the end. Then, instead, if we want to pair it with meat, for example with a braised meat or a Florentine steak, we must pair it with a structured grappa, perhaps Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet, aged in oak barrels that give it those typical hints of vanilla and spices; so I eat meat and sip a few drops of grappa: this pairing is enough to enhance the meat and make the grappa a truly exceptional companion. With the most famous dessert in the world, tiramisu, but also with chocolate desserts, we pair it with very aged barrique grappa, over 3 years old; if we are talking about ice cream, a fruity white grappa of Prosecco or Moscato is fine».

But grappa is also gaining a place of respect in the world of mixology. “Today – explains Samuele Ambrosi of the Cloak Room Cocktail Lab in Treviso, creator of the Casta-based Ve.n.to cocktail – at least 15-20 percent of bartenders normally use grappa in cocktails while until a few years ago no one offered it. Today in any cocktail bar defined as such they know what a Ve.n.to is and this is a victory for the world of grappa and if you ask for a grappa-based cocktail you will taste something wonderful”.

Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato will be the protagonist at the Milano Wine Week 2024 with a day that will be held at Palazzo Bovara on Wednesday 9 October.

The last places are available for the event that includes a talk and a showcooking with chef Daniele Canzian, the initiative is part of the European campaign “Born Sustainable” , created in collaboration with the Consorzio Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG and the Consorzio del Roccaverano DOP, and co-financed by the European Union.

The initiative aims to raise awareness among consumers and industry professionals about the importance of responsible consumption, promoting respect for the environment at every stage of production and consumption of these high-quality products, involving five countries: Italy, France, Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

On October 20th and 21st Modena becomes the Italian capital of champagne.

More than 900 champagnes representing 167 companies. Everything is ready again this year in Modena for the most important event in Italy dedicated to the world of champagne. Two days of tastings and master classes of the highest level.

There are now just a few days left until the opening of the 7th edition of Champagne Experience , a reference event in Italy dedicated to champagne that will take place in the spaces of ModenaFiere on Sunday 20 and Monday 21 October 2024. The event is organized by Excellence – Società Italiana Distributori e Importatori Srl, a company that brings together twenty-one of the largest Italian importers and distributors of excellent wines and spirits.

This edition will also offer professionals and enthusiasts a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the world of champagne thanks to the presence of more than 900 labels for tasting representing 167 entities divided between historic Maisons and small vignerons .

The exhibition subdivision of the wines, based on their geographical origin, corresponding to the different production areas of Champagne – Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte des Bar – in addition to the “classic maisons” gathered in a specific area, is confirmed again this year within the five thousand square meters of the ModenaFiere Pavilions.

“ The Champagne Experience organizational machine is ready to welcome all the professionals, operators and champagne lovers who have already registered,” says Luca Cuzziol , president of the Italian Distributors and Importers Society. “The places available for the master classes are almost sold out, which, like every year, represent a highlight of the event and allow for in-depth study of specific topics thanks to the presence of exclusive guests and highly professional speakers.”

There will be 6 master classes, divided into two days of the event. It starts on Sunday 20 October , at 12.30 with the master class entitled “ FROM CHOUILLY TO MESNIL-SUR-OGER ”, led by one of the most expert journalists and champagne promoters in Italy, Alberto Lupetti : it will not be a generic comparison of Blanc de Blancs, but a real sensory journey that will allow participants to understand the small, but decisive, differences of two terroirs that are very close to each other.

At the same time, sommelier Luca Boccoli will lead the engaging meeting “ THE DARKNESS BEYOND THE PERLAGE ”, a master class where participants will taste 6 cuvées blindfolded, guided by a great blind taster.

Champagne Experience cannot fail to have a speaker from beyond the Alps and this year Geoffrey Orban will be present, director of Educavin, consultant and trainer who for over 20 years has been committed and working for the dissemination and knowledge of Champagne: he combines parcel studies with geo-sensorial tastings of the land, to understand the interactions between soil, vine and fruit. There will be two meetings that will see him as protagonist and presenter, always on Sunday 20 October: the first, entitled: “ AUBE, RICEYS AND MONTGUEUX ” at 2.00 pm, the second, “ QUALITY BETWEEN SMALL AND LARGE MAISON ” at 3.30 pm.

On Monday 21 October, two more master classes will see Alberto Lupetti as speaker: starting at 12.30 with “ DA BOUZY AD AY ” and ending at 15.30 with “ COTEAUX CHAMPENOIS ”.

This year, the collaboration between Modena Champagne Experience and Champagne de Vignerons is renewed, an association created in 2001 by the Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne with the aim of spreading the work carried out by small vignerons.

Finally, the calendar of events includes a series of Sponsor Classes, organized by the partners of Champagne Experience, dedicated not only to champagne, but also to excellent products from the Emilia region. In this regard, this year too, the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano and the Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco will be present as partners of the event.

All catering services during the event will be provided by the Modena a Tavola Consortium, while the wine services will be provided by ONAV (National Organization of Wine Tasters), a historic partner of Champagne Experience.

Champagne Experience takes place under the patronage of the Municipality of Modena and with the support of the Modena Chamber of Commerce : their contribution and presence alongside the event are essential for the organization of this important event.

over twenty of the best wineries in Trentino-Alto Adige producing wine together, at almost three thousand metres above sea level, for a unique tasting: the Top Wine 2950 Symposium returns on 18 and 19 October for its twenty-fourth edition.

Christian Rabensteiner of Società Incremento Turistico Canazei: «An opportunity to promote the beauty and excellence of our territory». Roberto Anesi, sommelier: «Tasting at high altitude is a unique experience for the sense of smell and taste which, after an initial moment in which they need to adapt, will allow us to appreciate the most refined part of the wine!».

Over twenty of the best wineries in Trentino-Alto Adige that produce wine together, at almost three thousand meters above sea level, for a unique tasting: the Top Wine 2950 Symposium returns on October 18 and 19 for its twenty-fourth edition. If, as one of the greatest Italian food and wine experts, Luigi Veronelli, said, “wine is the song of the earth towards the sky”, one can easily understand the peculiarity of the highest food and wine tasting in the world, which is held on the panoramic terrace of the Val di Fassa inside the Rifugio Maria , on the summit of Sass Pordoi , at an altitude of 2950 meters.

An increasingly popular event. This edition opens on October 18 with the masterclass featuring the excellences of Tuscany with Lupicaia and Trentino with San Leonardo.

All in a breathtaking natural setting, Sass Pordoi, which offers a novelty, inaugurated in 2024: the new «Lunar Tour» trail, a route through the suggestive landscape of the peak that recalls the characteristics of the lunar environment.

Top Wine Symposium 2950 is organized by the Canazei Tourist Enhancement Company , in collaboration with the Fassa and Fiemme Sommelier Association and Cedea Mineral Water.

“Top Wine is not just a food and wine event, but an opportunity to promote the beauty and excellence of our territory, in the perfect combination of landscape and taste – explains Christian Rabensteiner of Società Incremento Turistico Canazei -. Starting from a simple idea, we were able to create an event that for more than twenty years has attracted more and more wine lovers and not only to our beautiful Dolomites”.

“Tasting at 3000 meters above sea level is an uncommon experience for our senses. Due to the lower pressure and the reduction of oxygen – says Roberto Anesi , sommelier – the aromatic profile of the wine that initially appears a little restrained, after an initial moment of adaptation, returns soft and elegant aromas”.

The link between wine and mountains

With its ability to link the passion for wine to that for the mountains, Top Wine is the most significant autumn event for Sass Pordoi, between the summer and winter seasons. For the first day of the Symposium, Friday 18 October, the meeting between Trentino and Tuscany takes place: in the masterclass of the expert sommelier Roberto Anesi , guests will be accompanied in the tasting of wines, deepening the characteristics of the territories of origin, through flavours, nuances and history.

The second day, Saturday 19 October, will be the beating heart of the Symposium, with a rich and varied wine offering: twenty local wineries will be the protagonists, with Tuscany as the guest of honour. In addition to a selection of whites, reds and sparkling wines, the event will offer an exceptional gastronomic experience with the “Top Wine Plate”, created by chef Giovanni Gabrielli. To accompany the wines, a refined selection of finger food, the result of the event’s precious collaborations. The welcome will be taken care of by Gaetano Bonanno, Matthias Trottner and Stefano Ghetta, to guarantee an unforgettable experience.

The beauties of the territory and the Lunar Tour

The Terrazza delle Dolomiti, the heart of the event, is part of the complex which also includes the funicular system built in 1963 by Maria Piaz, also known as “Mare del Pordoi”, together with her son Francesco. From the terrace, guests will have the opportunity to admire the iconic peaks of the Dolomite chain, from the Catinaccio Group, Sassolungo, Sella to the historic Marmolada. To enhance these environments even more is the new Lunar Tour route, inaugurated for the 2024 summer season: 1300 meters of path through a “lunar” landscape, precisely because of the absence of vegetation typical of high-altitude environments. The route, reachable via cable car, is also suitable for inexperienced walkers and people with reduced mobility.

Sass Pordoi is a mountain that can be enjoyed in all seasons: from the winter snow to the awakening of nature in spring, from summer sunsets to the colors of autumn. And it is a mountain visited every year by tens of thousands of people, coming from all over the world.