A CHALLENGE BETWEEN PENNE AND FORKS

Press Chefs, the event dedicated to Cuvette, the “gastronomic” Franciacorta of Villa Franciacorta, has combined good humor, cuisine, wine and journalism for the second year at Gustincanto (Fidenza, Parma).

“ Autumn Walk in the Villa ” is the name of the winning dish of the second edition of Press Chefs, a challenge to the last forkful that saw food and wine journalists , for once, put aside pens and notebooks, dedicating themselves to pots and rolling pins in the preparation of a “creative” potato tortello , under the direction of Luca Bagnoli, resident chef of Gustincanto . The professional chefs , usually the recipients of their reviews, evaluated them, objectively and without a spirit of revenge. Three teams, Green&Black, Emozione and Forever Green , got to work to prepare, respectively, three “signature” recipes: Autumn Walk in the Villa , Emozione Veronica and Non è autunno . The first was judged perfect when paired with Cuvette , the “gastronomic Franciacorta” of Villa Franciacorta. << Cuvette was a gift from my father, Alessandro Bianchi, for my wedding >>, said Roberta Bianchi , who runs the company together with her husband Paolo and sons Alessio and Matteo. << With Press Chefs we wanted to change perspective, asking journalists to think of a dish in relation to the wine and not vice versa. The result is a fun and exciting event. The challenge for the next edition could also include an anti-waste message, asking the authors to also create a recipe with leftovers >>, concluded Roberta, who hosted the evening with Alberto Schieppati .

The format of Villa Franciacorta , a historic company in Monticelli Brusati (BS) that produces exclusively Millesimati, was created to enhance a specific idea : Franciacorta is not just a wine for toasts or special occasions, but can successfully accompany an entire meal . The perfect demonstration is Cuvette , a brut vintage with golden reflections and a fine and persistent perlage, with a bouquet that recalls brioche bread and candied fruit, of excellent complexity and a wonderful flavor, which played a key role in the competition, enhancing the tortelli , the first course that was the object of the challenge and revealed to the competitors only at the beginning.

Press Chefs was not just a competition, but also an opportunity to underline the link between the two worlds , that of food and wine criticism and that of cooking, which, without cooperation, could not fully express themselves. The competitors, who during the challenge realized how much work there is behind a dish, were divided into teams of four: the winner Green&Black, with Alex Li Calzi, Camilla Guiggi, Elena Formigoni and Nadia Toppino; Emozione composed of Elio Ghisalberti, Francesco D’Agostino, Sandro Piovani and Veronica Fumarola and Forever Green made up of Alberto Lupini, Alfonso Mollo, Marco Lupi and Paolo Valente. The teams were judged by a jury of experts composed of chef Cristina Cerbi of Osteria di Fornio (PR), chef Carlo Bresciani of Antica Cascina San Zago (BS), president of the Italian Chefs Federation , and Luca Bagnoli, resident chef of Gustincanto . The pairing commission was composed of Chiara Marando, Lorenzo Caraffini , Riccardo Penzo and Stefano Incerti . Not an arrogant challenge nor a moment of conflict, but a game that wanted to unite with humor and irony two areas that are close and, in some respects, interconnected .

<< Once again, toasting with Villa Franciacorta means sealing unique moments and making them special >>, said Roberta Bianchi. << Villa Franciacorta, a wine to remember !>>

BLACK OBSIDIAN, THE RED OF THE AEOLIAN ISLANDS BY TENUTA DI CASTELLARO

Emblem of the volcanic terroir, composed of 90% Corinto Nero, it is the symbolic wine of the Sicilian winery with the aim of preserving the traditions and peculiarities of the territory.

An ancient native variety, the clear intent to perpetuate the thousand-year-old winemaking tradition of the island of Lipari, the idea of giving life to the first true “ classic Rosso delle Eolie ”: this is how Nero Ossidiana was born, one of the symbolic wines of Tenuta di Castellaro , which takes its name from obsidian, the intense black volcanic rock that characterizes the landscapes of the Aeolian Islands. Sun, stones, wind, earth and sea: this and much more are contained in the organic wines of Castellaro, which are born from the volcanic and at the same time Mediterranean terroir of Lipari, and from native vines of the Aeolian Islands. Corinto Nero has ancient origins, and is thought to have been introduced to Sicily by the Greeks. Over the centuries, it has adapted to the climate and soil of the Sicilian islands, where it has found the ideal conditions for growing, thanks to the proximity to the sea and the presence of volcanic soils rich in minerals. “ With the consultants of the French company Pépinières Guillame – says Massimo Lentsch , who founded the winery on the island of Lipari in 2005 – specialized since 1895 in the production of quality vines, at Tenuta di Castellaro a mass selection of this indigenous variety, the Corinto Nero, was carried out in the vine-growing lands of the Aeolian islands, together with the Malvasia delle Lipari ”.

The plants were reproduced starting from the scions (vine shoots), chosen in a vineyard with different DNA, in order to maintain maximum genetic variability within the same vine variety, with plants with different physiological and productive characteristics. Thanks to this recovery work, Tenuta Di Castellaro can take advantage of the national primacy of the cultivation of Corinto, a variety with a very low yield and challenging in agronomic management.

Present since the first harvest, that of 2008, Nero Ossidiana – Corinto Nero cut with 10% Nero d’Avola – with a deep ruby red color, ” is a complex and structured wine – explains the winemaker of Tenuta di Castellaro Emiliano Falsini – which stands out for its salty scents and spicy tones, but also for its strong and decisive character. The wine, which balances the acidity and elegance of Corinto Nero with the soft warmth of Nero D’Avola expresses all the typicality of a land that is both volcanic and marine, representing the oenological union between the island and the sea “.

32nd Mondial des Vins Extrêmes: the winners of the competition in Rome on November 30th

The award ceremony at Palazzo Rospigliosi will be introduced by a wine talk on biodiversity in the vineyard. Starting at 3 pm, tasting tables at the Starhotels Metropole.

The awards ceremony for the winners of the 32nd Mondial des Vins Extrêmes and the 4th edition of the Extreme Spirits International Contest will be held on Saturday 30 November in the Sala delle Statue of Palazzo Rospigliosi in Rome.

Organised by CERVIM – Centre for Research, Studies, Safeguarding, Coordination and Promotion of Mountain Viticulture, the Mondial des Vins Extrêmes is the only wine competition in the world dedicated to wines from heroic viticulture , to promote and safeguard the production of small island or mountain wine-growing areas, on steep slopes or terraced, while the youngest Extreme Spirits International Contest was created to enhance distillates from grape marc, lees and wine and their respective extreme production areas.

To anticipate the ceremony, at 10.00 , the wine talk entitled Extreme wines: biodiversity that gives value to the territory . The debate will see authorities, experts in the sector, journalists and producers discuss the topic: speakers will include Giancarlo Righini , Councillor for Budget, Economic Planning, Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Hunting and Fishing, Parks and Forests of the Lazio Region, Narvay Quintero , Minister of Agriculture of the Government of the Canary Islands, the winemakers Antonio Santarelli , of the Casale del Giglio Winery – Le Ferriere (LT), Margherita Longo , of the Hibiscus Winery in Ustica (PA), and Marko Skočaj , of the Dolfo Winery in Brda (Slovenia). Moderator Franco Santini , journalist and food and wine critic.

At 11.30 the delivery of the 64 Grand Gold Medals and 241 Gold Medals to the wines that have distinguished themselves in the Mondial des Vins Extrêmes , carefully selected from over 1000 competing labels from 356 companies from 25 countries, and the awarding of the spirits that won 8 Grand Gold Medals and 25 Gold Medals from among the 76 entries in the Extreme Spirits International Contest from Italy, Switzerland, Peru and Spain.

“We are proud to celebrate again this year in the Eternal City the excellence of wines and spirits that are born in heroic territories, where the passion and tenacity of producers give life to extraordinary references – declares Nicola Abbrescia , President of CERVIM –. The Mondial des Vins Extrêmes and the Extreme Spirits International Contest represent not only a certificate of quality but also a tribute to the biodiversity that these areas preserve. These awards confirm the importance of continuing to promote heroic viticulture that preserves traditions, protects the environment and contributes to making the wine and cultural identity of each territory unique”.

The event will continue at the Starhotels Metropole with tasting tables of the award-winning excellences . The tasting will be organized in three shifts starting at 3:00 pm, each lasting two hours. The first, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, will be reserved exclusively for accredited journalists and operators. The following ones, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm and from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, will also be open to the public of enthusiasts at a cost of 25 euros. There is a reduction of 15 euros for Go Wine members and 20 euros for members of industry associations (AIS, FISAR, ONAV). Entrance tickets can be purchased at the link www.gowinet.it/evento/degustazione-vini-premiati-al-32-ed-del-mondial-des-vins-extremes-a-roma-2024/.

They Will Be Famous in Wine will involve restaurants and wine shops in the city

Third edition of Saranno Famosi nel vino. Sunday 8 and Monday 9 December 2024 Stazione Leopolda viale Fratelli Rosselli 5 Florence.

Tasting stands, cooking shows, guided tastings, food and events in the city’s wine shops and restaurants

Saranno Famosi nel Vino, an event now in its third edition featuring emerging wineries and wineries that have presented one or more new labels to the market in the last ten years, will also involve numerous wine shops and restaurants in Florence this year.

Each restaurant selected by journalist and food and wine critic Leonardo Romanelli, artistic director of Saranno Famosi del Vino, will be assigned and delivered three labels from three different wineries that will take part in the new edition on Sunday 8th and Monday 9th. In the days leading up to the event, the restaurants will be able to offer wine tastings to their guests, for a preview of what can be found at Stazione Leopolda in Florence.

In addition to the restaurants , a series of wine shops selected by the artistic director Leonardo Romanelli will host in their spaces on Saturday some producers who will let the public taste their labels, also telling their story and their projects. This will be a great opportunity, in preview, to come into direct contact with the winemakers who will animate the event.

Restaurant List

Trattoria Antellesi Via Faenza 9r Florence
Antico Ristoro Cambi Via S. Onofrio 1r Florence
The Stracotto Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini 17 Florence
The Ghibellines Piazza San Pier Maggiore 8-10r Florence
Bellagro Piazza Ravenna 10-11 Florence
Natalino Borgo Albizi 17r Florence
Cat and Fox Inn Via Ghibellina 145r Florence
Boboli Trattoria Nicolò amari Via romana 45r Florence
Nedo The Gourmet Workshop Piazza Paolo Uccello, 12, 50142 Florence
4 Lions Wine Shop Via dello Sprone 15r Florence
The Old Tavern Viale V. Pratolini 3/5/7 Florence
Pitti Gola Wine Shop Piazza Pitti, 16 Florence Florence
Enoteca de’Giusti Via Giuseppe Giusti, 2r, 50121 Florence
Oltrarno Osteria Piazza Pitti 16 Florence
Osteria dell’Enoteca Piazza Pitti 16 Florence
Osteria Il Piacere via Gabriele d’Annunzio 149b 50135 Florence
Red Onion Restaurant Via dei Conti 53r Florence
Trattoria Sant’Agostino Via Sant’Agostino 23 Florence
Oliva Bistrot Florence Piazza Pitti 14r Florence
The Warehouse Piazza della Passera 2/3 black Florence
Osteria Hiron Via Lapo da Castiglionchio 10 Florence
Guné Via del Drago D’Oro 1/3r Florence
Horton Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti 87r Florence
The Holy Drinker Via Santo Spirito 64r Florence
Cosimo III Wine Shop Via Santo Stefano in Pane 9r Florence
Cobblers House Via Il Prato, 68r Florence

List of wine shops

Obsequium Wine Shop Bistrot Borgo S. Jacopo 17 Florence
Modern Winery Via Arnolfo 13a Florence
Gambi Wine Shop Via Senese 21r Florence
Pure Passion Paolino Via Antonio Scialoia 28r

They will be famous in wine, as every year, will bring together not only wineries from all over Italy, young and also historic, but with something new to tell, but also gin producers with their creations.

On Sunday and Monday you will be able to wander among the stalls and taste all the labels present at the event, explained by the winemakers themselves or by their closest collaborators, and also participate in cooking shows and masterclasses directed by Leonardo Romanelli and the Fisar Sommelier Association, partner of the event.

Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the universe of gin and discover artisanal realities that produce this fascinating distillate which, thanks also to the continuous research of botanicals and their union, which makes each label unique, is capable of telling with its aromas and flavors stories of tradition and belonging to a territory.

During the two-day event, it will be possible to purchase bottles and take home a nice souvenir of this highly anticipated edition, as well as taste gastronomic delicacies.

Opening hours

Sunday 8th December from 11am to 8pm

Monday 9th December from 11am to 6pm

One day ticket cost 20 euros

5 euro discount for Fisa member sommeliers

Accreditation request

To request press accreditation write to accreditostampa@sarannofamosinelvino.it

also specifying the name of the reference newspaper

To request accreditation for restaurateurs and wine merchants, write to info@sarannofamosinelvino.it specifying the name of the restaurant or wine shop and the names and surnames of those requesting accreditation

(maximum two accreditations per activity)

Accreditations can be considered valid only after receiving a positive confirmation response via email.