Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food - November 2017

year 21 number 112 - november 2017 - gamberorosso.it

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

The Italian-Asian culinary entente Top Italian Restaurants Our guide to cucina abroad

™

China. The Time is Now China wakes up to wine

™

Bergamo A culinary visit to this charming city in Lombardy

SOMMARIO 4

year 21 number 112 - november 2017 - gamberorosso.it

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

6 8 10 12 20 27 38 49

The Italian-Asian culinary entente Top Italian Restaurants Our guide to cucina abroad

China. The Time is Now China wakes up to wine

Bergamo A culinary visit to this charming city in Lombardy

Editorial by Lorenzo Ruggeri Food News Wine News Wine of the month Italian food, five Asian cities China. The Time is now There’s Bergamo, too!

Gianluca Gorini Recipes Smartwines. Berebene 2018 the best 12 wines of northern Italy

Across the border results are not always stellar, but we would never have expected to find in Italian restaurants abroad so much research and desire to innovate. We met Italian chefs who are open to the world, shrug off the weight of many stereotypes, often pair meat and fish, play around with local tastes, reinterpret, seek out suppliers who work responsibly, look for Italian flavors in local recipes and adapt them. Flavor goes beyond recipes and ingredients, goes back to instinct, to cooking times, to combining foods on terrain that is foreign to our cucina. Certainly, these chefs have to manage and harmonize their discoveries through doubly complex research.

So, we dedicate this month’s cover to a star among Italian chefs abroad. He has understood how to link Italian culinary culture with that of the Japanese. He has absorbed the techniques of both and set out to find small artisans for his ingredients. He has rethought seasonality and Italian rhythms, introducing the subtleties of his new setting. The result is one of the most sensational culinary experiences in all of Asia. And we won’t be surprised if soon many of these Italian chefs come home to entertain us with their backpacks full of contaminazioni. Will we be ready?

At the table, we Italians are an ultraconservative and traditionalist people.

On a classic right-left spectrum, we belong well beyond the extreme right as far as food goes, armed to the teeth to protect carbonara from cream and to fight fearlessly against those criminals who order a cappuccino at the end of a meal. We are indignant over minor matters in the kitchen, and we often eat Italian food when we travel abroad. We continue to scorn star-laden chefs, and sing hymns to the matchless meatloaf made by grandma. As a people, we are diffident about foreign cuisine, and rarely test those prejudices. Walk around Rome and you’ll see what I mean. Very few Italians are willing to take risks when dining out, and top quality restaurants serving foreign food are rarer than a good white truffle in May. In other words, it’s not easy at all to admit to influences from abroad – in Italian, the precise word for those is contaminazioni – which says it all.

Nevertheless, traveling around the globe for our guide to the world’s Italian restaurants, Top Italian Restaurants, along with a crowd of tragicomic imitators, we also found a new generation of Italian chefs who, in this context, are pure culinary avant-garde. They have made the sensibility of different countries their own. They have integrated ingredients that differ widely from each other. They try things out, experiment. Certainly, the

GAMBERO ROSSO

- Lorenzo Ruggeri

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NOVEMBER 2017

Savour the landscape, too.

Tenute SalvaTerra has been awarded the international “Best of Wine Tourism” award 2018 for the “Architecture and Landscapes” category.

Architecture, landscape and wine are intricately linked, as all three are the result of human thought and work. This time, we have not won recognition for our wines, but for our commitment to nurturing and promoting a major wine region and its produce.

The stunning natural beauty of Valpolicella awaits you.

NEWS

THE TASTE REVOLUTION. IN LONDON, HARRODS A FOOD HALL DO-OVER “By 2019, our customers will be able to experience the world’s greatest food emporium…Customers will be invited to see and smell, touch and taste products as they purchase; we will create magic like no other.” With these ambitious words Harrods Director of Food & Restaurants, Alex Dower announced the transformation that will soon involve the entire Food Hall of London’s luxurious department store. The renovation is the largest overhaul undertaken inside the store since the 1980s. The work is being managed by the David Collins Studio of London, a leading interior architecture practice for hospitality, residential, and retail projects worldwide. The Harrods do-over of their Food Hall is called The Taste Revolution, and it is scheduled for completion within two years. Space is being reshaped, and a new roastery and bake hall makes fresh coffee, pastries and bread in front of customers, with chef Lance Gardner and his team collaborating, creating exceptional baked goods on the spot. A pastry corner is overseen by chocolate maestro Alistair Birt, a 27-year-old artisan, specialized in the use of premium cocoa beans. Master roaster Bartosz Ciepaj and his team will offer coffee toasted in different ways, so clients can sample the different types while comfortably seated at the Coffee Bar. The new Roast and Bake section, located at the Basil Street entrance, will have a selection of sandwiches and salads to take away.

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CULINARY PHOTOGRAPHY. IN FRANCE, ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY INSPIRED BY FOOD The Festival International

a setting that resembles

in December (17-19) and

de

Cu-

the art salons of another

to the castle of Valençay

linaire describes itself as

era. The photographs se-

in early 2018. Both in

“the only international

lected are works of art,

haute couture and haute

cultural event for profes-

the creations of well-de-

cuisine,

sionals that links the uni-

fined personalities, and

whether stylists or chefs,

verse of artistic photog-

comparable with still life

travel the world seeking

raphy with the world of

paintings,

reinterpreted

inspiration, to stimulate

food” The goal of the fes-

for the 21st century. This

creativity and originality.

tival founded in France in

year the festival concen-

Chef Christian Le Squer

2009 couldn’t be clearer.

trates on the bond be-

(head of George V in Par-

Now in its eighth edition,

tween gastronomy and

is) and designer Franck

the

Photographie

itinerant

their

creators,

photog-

haute couture. Twenty-

Sorbier are the leaders

raphy show – it travels

four photographers from

of the event. The pho-

for two months, in No-

around the world each

tographs

vember and December,

present three different

the festival’s theme also

to Paris, Bordeaux, Va-

interpretations

showcase the aesthetic

lençay, and Toulouse –

theme. After opening in

component

brings together the in-

Paris on November 2,

which has recently be-

ternational world of food

the show moved to Bor-

come a favorite subject

photography and profes-

deaux (November 17-19),

even for amateurs.

sionals in the sector in

then goes to Toulouse

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NOVEMBER 2017

of

the

that

develop

of

food,

NEWS

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE-RELATED INDUSTRIES. EXPORTS APPROACH A RECORD 40 BILLION

IForty billion euros no longer seem like

to major customers, the USA, Canada

medium-large companies (over 50 em-

a mirage. Before the end of 2017, Italy

and Europe, in the January-July 2017

ployees) making up barely 2% of the

should shoot by this figure, thanks to

period are still unstable.

total. In a country like Germany, this

agriculture-related exports that are up

From agricultural production to dis-

group accounts for 10%. The actual Ital-

by 6%, led by wine, cured meats and

tribution, retail and food services, the

ian economic fabric, as it is structured

cheeses, which, on their own, prom-

added value of the entire Italian food

today, determines its propensity for ex-

ise to close the year with increments

and wine production process is esti-

port: 23% in Italy compared to 33% in

of between seven and nine percentage

mated (by Nomisma agrifood monitor)

Germany. To sum up, with 40 billion

points. According to the estimates of the

at 130 billion euros, equal to 9% of Italy’s

euros of agricultural exports, Italy is

Nomisma agrifood monitor, the great-

gross domestic product, with 3.2 million

improving, but is still far behind the 59

est contribution to this new record in

workers (13% of the total) and 1.3 million

billion of France or the 73 billion of Ger-

agriculture-related export comes from

companies involved. “The added value

many. To this picture, add the fact that

those three products that most sym-

of the Italian agricultural food industry,”

more than 60% of Italian agricultural ex-

bolize Made in Italy. Further progress in

said the head of the food-agriculture

ports comes from four regions (Veneto,

2017 is seen in the economic growth of

sector of Nomisma, Denis Pantini, “grew

Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Pied-

the sector’s businesses, which enjoyed

by 16%, compared to a decrease of over

mont). Southern Italy accounts for less

positive results in food/wine sales in the

1.1% in the manufacturing sector and

than 20%. That difference threatens to

domestic market in the January-Sep-

a 2% recovery of the entire economy,

increase further in 2017, despite a year

tember period (+1.1%). In detail, looking

seen in a significant manner only since

that is promising for Made in Italy foods

more closely at foreign markets, Italian

2015.” Even though Italy is not among

overall. In fact, Northern Italian exports

sales outside the European Union are

the world’s top exporters, and the Unit-

grew over 7% in the first semester of the

growing faster, although they represent

ed States, the Netherlands, Germany,

year, while the South was below 2%.

little more than a third of total revenue.

China, Brazil and France do better, the

Negroni theme, and an array of fruity,

Double-digit increases in sales are seen

country can still be content. The dif-

smoky and peppery cocktails.

in Russia and China, but they amount to

ference is linked to the fragmentation

about 2% of Italy’s total exports. Exports

of the Italian agri-food industry, with

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NOVEMBER 2017

NEWS

E-COMMERCE. AMAZON WINE WILL CLOSE IN DECEMBER Is Amazon taking a step backward in wine selling? Yes and no. The American online sales giant, which in 2016 had a net sales revenue of $136 billion (up from 7 billion in 2004), is scheduled to drop this service before the end of this year. This is not, however, an unexpected exit from the wine world. The group strategy is part of a larger approach related to the recent acquisition of Whole Foods, which already sells wine. The objective seems to be to avoid scattering offerings among different channels. Wine selling will continue through Amazon Fresh, Prime Now, and Whole Foods.

A legal issue comes into the picture too. Amazon Wine functions as a platform for consumers and wine producers that have specific licenses, and Amazon receives a commission on sales. This practice is not permitted in some American states. Competition for online business is strong, with other companies such as Deliveroo and Uber playing an important part in beverage home delivery. Amazon Wine’s exit is more like a new beginning in their overall commercial strategy.

CALIFORNIA. THE HARVEST IS SAFE, ABUNDANT, AND OF EXCELLENT QUALITY If in 2017, you say California, in the world’s winegrowing sector the second word that comes to mind is ‘fires’. But the flames that in October swept over the most important winegrowing region of the United States, causing victims and seriously damaging important wineries in Sonoma, Mendocino and Napa Valley, seem not to have affected the vintage year overall. The California Wine Institute just published its annual report on the year’s harvest and underlined the fact that although the fires were on the front pages of international newspapers, according to Robert Koch, CEO, “The vast majority of California’s 2017 winegrape harvest was unaffected by the wildfires and the vintage promises to be of excellent quality.” Rains had earlier ended a five-year long drought in California. The three regions mainly affected by the fires had already harvested 85% of their grapes, thus saving their production. In the entire state, the harvest amounted to 4 million tons, slightly above the historic average of 3.9 million. From the areas of Lake County to Paso Robles, from Lodi to Santa Barbara, the principal varieties (Pinot Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay) were in good health when they came into the wineries, and producers are optimistic. Robert Koch stated that despite the difficulties faced by some, the vintage year was seen as ‘a harvest of the heart’, and wineries are at work producing their wines and readying to receive visitors during the winter season.

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NEWS

“PRODUCTION DECIMATED.” ITALIAN PRODUCTION FALLS BELOW 39 MILLION HECTOLITERS The 2017 grape harvest is worse than had been predicted at the end of August. According to definitive estimates from the Italian Enologists’ Association (Assoenologi), wine production in 2017 will be under 39 million hectoliters. The association classifies the vintage year as the worst after that of 1947 (36.4 million hectoliters) and speaks of “decimated production”, 15 million hectoliters of wine less compared to last year’s 54.1. The month of September, during which many hoped for recovery, did not smile on Italian vineyards. In the Central-South of the country, high temperatures and drought caused the bunches to lose even more weight. A slight improvement was seen in some areas, thanks to rain, but mostly in terms of grape quality. The result is that some regions, like Tuscany, Lazio/Umbria and Sardinia, lost 45% of their harvest. Grape quality was varied around the country. Overall it was fairly good, but with sharp variations. Some zones brought in excellent fruit, and others, where the weather was particularly cruel, harvested inferior grapes.

USA. FRANCE ZOOMS AHEAD. ITALY RELINQUISHED ITS LEADERSHIP IN THE AMERICAN WINE MARKET IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER OF 2017 AFTER EIGHT CONSECUTIVE YEARS. THE AVERAGE PRICE OF SPARKLING WINES FALLING It was only a question of time,

ers had hoped for more. Busi-

wines, Italy is still the market

but the much-dreaded posi-

ness Strategies CEO Silvana

leader (962 million euros), but

tion shift was in the air for

Ballotta said, “It’s even more

the gain in value was only 1.6%,

months. It’s now official. In

painful to note how, in a year

compared to the French in-

the third trimester of this year,

of greatly increased wine de-

crease of 21.4% and the gener-

France beat out Italy as sales

mand in the world, the United

al average gain in the segment

leader in the United States, a

States became the litmus test

of 5.9%. Italian sparkling wines

position it had held for eight

for our reduced competitive-

were also under par: although

years.

announcement

ness on global markets, the

import values increased by

came from Osservatorio Paesi

result of weak and uncoordi-

8.7%, they did worse than the

Terzi of Business Strategies,

nated marketing and promo-

overall bubbly market, which

which, together with Nomi-

tion activities.” In 2009, dur-

grew in value by 11.5%. The

sma-Wine Monitor, gathered

ing the worldwide economic

French, with increases of 14%,

the latest information on wine

crisis, Italy overtook France for

were the absolute leader in

imports into the USA (Customs

the first time: 843 million eu-

sparkling wines with 432 mil-

data), updated through Sep-

ros of wine exports, compared

lion euros. It’s no consolation

tember 2017. France sold 1,220

to 703. Then, after eight years

to see that in terms of volume,

billion euros of wine, com-

of positive results, with France

Italy’s sales were double those

pared to Italy’s 1,210 billion,

always at Italy’s heels, ready

of France, 2.4 million hectoli-

with an increase of 18.8%, six

to snatch any advantage, Italy

ters, compared to 1.14 million,

times the Italian growth of be-

saw its American market share

when the average price was

low 3%. During more than nine

shrink compared to the same

way down.

months of growing American

period of 2016 (from 32.7% to

wine imports, Italian produc-

31.1%). In sales of bottled still

The

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NOVEMBER 2017

NEWS

GREAT SUCCESS FOR THE FIRST EMIDIO PEPE AUCTION IN NYC. THE 1967 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO SOLD FOR 1600 DOLLARS\ The collaboration between Emidio Pepe and Zachys Wine Auction raised the expctations. The event was scheduled on December 2ND at Smith and Wollesnky, and it was streamed worldwide. The auction included some of the most iconic vintages, and all the bottles come straight from Pepe’s aging cellar. All the lots have been sold for a very high price. The 1967 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has been sold for 1600 dollars, while three bottles of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 1970 were auctioned for 1700 dollars. Twelve bottles of the very good 1983 vintage were sold for 3.200 dollars; six bottles of 1990 for 1500 dollars. International collectors recognized the value of such an artisanal methods, the coherence and the philosophy of Emidio that always drove him to elevate the Montepulciano to a world-class red, were correct. Huge success also for the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: twelve bottles of the 2004 vintage have been traded for 3000 dollars.. In fact, all of the 53 vintages auctioned with Zachys, were made exactly at the same way: hand destemmed and fermented in concrete. Emidio was a pioneer in aging Montepulciano but especially, in aging Montepulciano in bottle. In this way, they could preserve integrity, liveliness and youth. “It is a unique occasion and an extraordinary moment” says Emidio “to be able to tell the history of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with bottles that are full of life and have sense of place”. Emidio devoted his life to the aging of Montepulciano and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, strongly believing in their great aging potential, even when times were different and people were disbeliever. The auction crowned his career, his philosophy and his way of life.

WINE OF THE MONTH VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO SELVABIANCA ‘16 IL COLOMBAIO DI SANTA CHIARA EX-CELLAR PRICE: 6,90 EUROS + TAXES Mario Logi’s sons, Alessio, Stefano and Giampiero, head the family winery where a profound respect for the environment shapes all their handling of soil and plants. This translates into treatments without insecticides, to meticulous care in the vineyard and to rigorously hand-only grape selection during the harvest. These choices lead to the production of wine with a true bond with the territory.

The winery’s agriturismo is in a building that dates back to 1800. An old wine cellar, totally dug out of the tufo, has been preserved. The Pieve di San Donato, a picturesque Romanesque church from the 12th century, is also on the property.

Among its excellent wines, a wonderful version of Vernaccia Selvabianca ’16 stands out, with its fresh, citrusy, almost lime-like fragrances, then notes of aromatic herbs, good structure and a pleasurable, savory finish. It is all at a price so reasonable that it rated our national prize for quality in Berebene 2018, the Gambero Rosso guide that seeks out and recognizes the Italian wines with the best quality/price rapport.

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Lugana: the wine and its types On the southern shore of Lake Garda is a grape-growing zone that has come to the world’s attention thanks to the quality and appeal of its white wine. Lugana comes from the five municipalities of Desenzano, Lonato, Peschiera del Garda, Pozzolengo and Sirmione The wine The rules that govern Lugana production allow for the presence of a maximum of 10% complementary, non-aromatic, white grape varieties. Today, however, the zone’s producers tend to vinify Lugana exclusively with turbiana grapes, a sign of respect for a variety that has proved itself in this terroir. Turbiana, if interpreted with moderate yields and handled by a sensitive grower, can become a fragrant and savory white, proving itself to be a noble, ancient variety, producing whites rich in subtlety and personality.

The types Current production regulations describe five types of Lugana: a basic version, Superiore, Riserva, Vendemmia Tardiva and Spumante.

Basic (base) Lugana is the productive motor of the entire denomination, its fundamental building block, the qualitative marker of the zone. It accounts for almost 90% of the DOC. The color is a light straw-yellow with greenish highlights. Aromas are delicate and offer floral sensations mixed with notes of almonds. The palate is pleasant, stylized, well-defined, taut and flavorful.

Introduced in late 1998, Lugana Superiore must undergo a period of aging of at least a year from the harvest. It generally presents a varied and complex profile. The color has golden highlights. Fragrances, more articulated than in the base version, offer notes of grass, chlorophyll, ripe apple, citrus fruit (especially mandarin oranges) along with notes of hazelnuts or spices from time spent in wooden barrels (today these are always less new but toasted, and have larger capacity than formerly). The palate, more structured, is sustained by lively, tonic acidity and marked by a mineral-based sapidity that confers intriguing saline notes to the wine.

Lugana Riserva, introduced into the production rules with the latest modification of 2011, is the natural evolution of the Superiore type. The wine must age for at least 24 months, of which 6 are in the bottle. It displays a more brilliant color, more evolved and complex aromas with smoky notes of flint and balsamic tones. Minerality is warmer on the palate, but similarly mouth-filling, savory and long-lasting.

The longevity of these dry, still versions varies from type to type, but also from style to style. Today, production is more oriented towards vinification in steel and on lees (a prolonged stay of the wine on its own yeasts to increase body and flavor) and often involves mixed aging methods (partly in steel and partly in wood) for the more important selections, both Superiore or Riserva. As a

result, Lugana is turning out to be longer lived than in the past.

The newest type is Vendemmia Tardiva, or Late Harvest. This is a different Lugana, more experimental, and distant from the sweet viscosity of traditional dried-grape wines. This Lugana is obtained with over-ripening on the vine by means of a late harvesting of the grapes at the end of October and the beginning of November. No further rack drying occurs. These richer and more concentrated grapes confer a late harvest profile on Lugana which is softer and denser, without being excessively sweet. The sugar residual is efficaciously balanced by acidity.

The Spumante version, which was introduced in the production regulations in 1975, represents a well-established tradition, despite its minimal production impact.

Today, Lugana Spumante is produced both

by Charmat or Martinotti methods (re-fermentation in autoclaves) and by metodo classico (bottle refermentation). In the first case, the sensory profile is simpler and fresher, with primary fragrances of citrus fruit (citron, primarily) and a creamier, more generous perlage. With the second method, the profile is more refined and complex, the bouquet more elegant and dynamic, the perlage more graceful and crisp.

IN

THE NEXT ISSUE:

LUGANA EXPERIENCE:

PAIRINGS AND PLACES TO SEE

CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013 CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REGULATION NO. 1308/2013

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

EXPLORING LUGANA Part III

ITALIAN FOOD, FIVE ASIAN CITIES Eating Italian food in Asia is no longer an experience to avoid, as it was up to a few years ago. Today fine-dining restaurants, pizzerias, trattorias and wine bars in Asia can measure up to many on the boot.

Having launched the Top Italian Restaurants guide, we traveled around Asia for three weeks to celebrate those who stimulated our culinary sensibility, to test new restaurants, and to see what was most loved and least popular about Italian cucina. What happens when Italian food meets local taste?

Il Ristorante - Luca Fantin

TOKYO

O

ur tour began in Japan.

“Here they don’t like dishes that are particularly salty.

Their threshold is different from ours. Very fatty consistencies don’t go over either,” Luca Fantin told us. He’s a star among Italian chefs abroad. In Tokyo for 8 years, he won our Tre Forchette Tricolore award. “From the Japanese I learned discipline and perfectionism in procedures ranging from fish preparation to smoking foods, which here is very delicately done and never invasive.” Working together with Luca we found one of the best pastry chefs we met in our travels: Fabrizio Fiorani, Roman, who, like Fantin worked under the baton of Heinz Beck (La Pergola) in Rome.

“By the end of dinner, clients are tired and need something that awakens the senses, that makes them laugh,” Fabrizio added.

His desserts combine great technical verve and playfulness in an extraordinary mix of consistencies and shapes. To have dinner at the restaurant bearing Luca Fantin’s name in Bulgari Ginza Tower is a complete culinary experience, the outcome of a complex process perfected with the help of over 50 local suppliers. From Italy comes wine, olive oil, cheeses, rice and truffles. A meal is a product-based menu, exquisitely seasonal, Italianissima in its approach and sensibility.

For example, Il mercato secondo Luca, The Market According to Luca, is a sequence of ten dishes, varying according to the season.

Spaghetti Monograno Felicetti with sea urchins is a dish that deserves framing, masterful in its hint of pepper. This was our third experience at the restaurant, and it is constantly improving, the accomplishment of a team of experts that have been together for a long while, a rare happening in Italian restaurants abroad. A few minutes away by taxi is another restaurant that won Tre Forchette, Heinz Beck Tokyo, opened in 2014 thanks to the talent of Giuseppe Molaro from Campania. He manages to alternate the classics of Italo-German chef Beck with dishes that showcase excellent local products in a total experience of fine dining. “It was very difficult at the start, but now we are experiencing great satisfaction,” Giuseppe told us. The third restaurant to achieve the highest award is Faro Shiseido, also in Ginza. “Recently game has been in demand. As for wine, our clients always want to know more about it, and our wine lists are improving a great deal from our search for depth,” said Renato di Sarò, general manager, who comes from experiences with Gualtiero Marchesi, Giorgio Pinchiorri and Joël Robuchon. Our award for a solid restaurant with traditional cucina went to the admirable Elio Locanda Italiana, where flavors from the Italian South are paired with a great selection of wines.

The best pizzeria proved to be Giuseppe Ericchiello’s Peppe Napoli sta’ ca’ while Bar&Enoteca Implicito was the top wine bar.

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ITALIAN FOOD, FIVE ASIAN CITIES

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3 1. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin 2. Heinz Beck Tokyo

3. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin 4. Taverna de’ Medici 5. Il Mercato

The Surgiva Taste&Design Award is Launched The Surgiva Taste&Design Award made its debut during our Asia tour. This mineral water, which originates in the heart of the Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta in the Trentino region, is the main sponsor of the Top Italian Restaurants guide. The award was created to showcase those places that combine fine food, good service and love of detail.

During the Osaka event, the award went to Luogo di Takeuchi, a restaurant with only a few tables that has been offering Italian cucina characterized by wonderfully clean flavors, and where the staff looks after clients tenderly, putting them at ease with a few deft gestures. In Tokyo, the Surgiva Taste&Design award went to Faro Shiseido, on the tenth floor in the heart of Ginza. And finally, in Hong Kong, the Taste&Design award was handed to Top Italian Restaurants’ Chef of the Year, Alessandro Cozzolino, executive chef at Grissini, and only 27 years old. This historic Italian restaurant, located inside the Grand Hyatt Hotel, offers a memorable view of Victoria Harbour and the Kowloon skyscrapers, combining careful service, essential, elegant design and a cucina of extraordinary identity.

The Surgiva Taste&Design Award is assigned to those italian restaurants around the world distinguishing not only for the quality of the food, but also for the attention paid to its presentation, service and the design of the ambiance.

Surgiva, in line with its role as a partner in finetaste, aims to showcase taste in all its manifestations, from good cooking to style. The fundamental concept is that mineral water can make a difference, thanks to its lightness, by accompanying to perfection the tasting of great dishes and great wines. It can also play a role as a design element on a lovely table.

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NOVEMBER 2017

TAIPEI - BEIJING

O

pening an Italian restaurant seems to have become a new hobby in Taipei. New places ranged from small regional bistrots to more innovative formats like Il Mercato, with its new equipment, a solid wine list put together by Giuseppe Vaccarini, and a totally Italian team in the kitchen. Among restaurants, Marco Lotito’s Il Sorriso also stands out. Piccola Enoteca in Zhubei City, an hour south of Taipei, is Boris Wang’s place, where he offers excellent Italian products and a major wine list. Many local restaurateurs invest a great deal in research. They travel to Italy often to study, to find inspiration and to import ideas and new formats as well as traditional ingredients. The regional focus is the most prevalent. “The first year was very complicated.

Many dishes were sent back to the kitchen.

But we are convinced that we have to maintain our identity – no overcooked pasta, no invented recipes,” said Riccardo Ghironi, the chef at Taverna De’Medici. His specialty? Testaroli dell Lunigiana, a house-made Tuscan pasta.

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ITALIAN FOOD, FIVE ASIAN CITIES

B

eijing is proving to be the Asian capital for Neapolitan pizza.

Our winners are two pizzerias better than any others in China, Bottega dei fratelli Salvo (where they also make an excellent Genovese pasta) and La Pizza, both in the zone of Sanlitun, the neighborhood where the Italian Embassy is also located. Among restaurants, at the top is Mio, in the Four Seasons hotel. It is led by creative young chef Nello Turco. His cucina is one of contrasts and borrowings, the outcome of his experiences with Heinz Beck and René Redzepi. Opera Bombana offers the solidity of chef Marino d’Antonio’s cucina. Among the trattorias, our award went to Mercante, where Omar Maseroli cooks authentic cucina emiliana among the narrow streets of the old city, the hudong. “Beijing’s clients are very conservative in the kitchen and it is very hard to offer them authentic Italian cucina,” commented Fabio Nompleggio, chef of Cèpe, the restaurant in the Ritz Carlton hotel. Among his signature dishes is l’amatriciana in broth and perfectly prepared venison tonnato.

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HONG KONG - SHANGHAI

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oday it is easier to find excellent red shrimps from Mazzara or a truffle from Alba in Hong Kong than in Bologna. Major investments and untrammeled competition have made Hong Kong one of the world capitals for cucina italiana. “We can get anything in Hong Kong. There are no restrictions. Many new places are opening promoting Italian food,” said Paolo Monti, chef at the well-established Gaia, founded in 2001. Hong Kong, along with Tokyo, has the largest number of restaurants to win our Tre Forchette. That award went to Tosca, thanks to the style of chef Pino Lavarra, 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana and Grissini, flagship restaurant of Grand Hyatt. While Tre Gamberi went to Giando, the restaurant of Giandomenico Caprioli, with its focus on fine products and an extraordinarily deep wine list, including Barolo and other fine labels from the 1950s. “In the last few years, the economy of Hong Kong has slowed down. Certainly it’s the China effect: salaries have been cut. But the extraordinary interest in Italy continues, calling perhaps for simpler restaurants with more informal menus,” Luca de Berardinis, Operetta chef told us. Here we found one of the best researched and most contemporary selection of Italian wines, with the spotlight

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6. Nello Turco 7. Mio 8. Grissini

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9. Alessandro Cozzolino 10. Grissini 11. Primo 1 12. Va Bene

ITALIAN FOOD, FIVE ASIAN CITIES

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he drive to reduce pollution seems to be working in Shanghai. The sky was bluer than we’d ever seen it. Neapolitan pizza suffered, though, due to its preference for the now-forbidden wood-burning ovens, we were told by chef Jacky Xue, owner of Primo 1 and winner in the fine dining section. “I fell in love with Italy. I opened my first restaurant, Top Chef, but now is the time to aim higher. People in Shanghai are ready for another kind of Italian cucina. I make elegant food with a mix of superior Chinese products and excellent Italian specialties,” Jacky said, as he turned out a perfect espresso for us. Among the trattorias, the ‘real Italian consul’ in Shanghai won – Marco Barbieri and his Da Marco. For twenty years he has offered solid, authentic cucina, including excellent, well-seasoned grilled chicken and delicious peppery mussels. Finally, another very young chef won in the fine dining section.

Age means little abroad when it comes to accomplished chefs. Natalino Ambra works in the Va Bene restaurant, an appealing place in the heart of the French Concession. “Six years in Shanghai is a long time. There are many limitations, but with a bit of organization, we solve everything. For example, I purchase cheese way ahead of time to avoid the many restrictions and limits the Chinese government can impose.”

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The Richness of Diversity Knowing the diversity of the places in which we grow our vines helps us to value the rich legacy of our land. Castelli di Jesi, Conero and Abruzzo: 3 areas, 10 vineyards, 210 hectares divided between Verdicchio, Montepulciano and other typical grape varieties of the Adriatic coast.

Montepulciano Verdicchio Pecorino Montepulciano

Castelli di Jesi

Conero

110 hectares 65 hectares

Abruzzo

35 hectares

Umani Ronchi - Via Adriatica 12 - 60027 Osimo (AN) ITALIA - Tel. +39 071 7108019 - www.umanironchi.com

CHINA. THE TIME IS NOW Cigarettes smoked during the tasting, yawns, empty gazes – our first tastings in China shocked us.

But, over seven years, the Chinese relationship to wine, especially among members of the trade, has radically changed. True, our approach has changed too. Emphasis on the technical doesn’t work here. We made a concerted effort to shift gears. Year after year, we saw younger people become interested in wine and more women. Tasters were more curious and focused.

by Lorenzo Ruggeri

THE STORIES

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Wine lists in Beijing are finally emerging from the TuscanyPiedmont axis. Restaurants are evolving.

Our Beijing event was held in the new Intercontinental Hotel of Sanlitun, a fashionable neighborhood for major restaurants (and pizzerias). The questions we heard, the overall approach to tasting and talking about wine, now demonstrated a solid foundation on which to build.

Numbers support this observation. “Why is Etna Rosso not a DOCG if this is the average quality?” “What is the difference between the northern and southern slopes?”

These were a couple of the questions raised in one of the three seminars offered.

Wine lists in Beijing are finally emerging from the Tuscany-Piedmont axis. Restaurants are evolving. There are trattorias with regional slants, gourmet pizza places and new famous-name openings. “The Italian

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wine world has to take the new generation of Chinese into account. Above all, there are many women, and they are open to innovation. But our communication is still directed to a masculine public, to businessmen. Today, consumption in China is different, and calls for another approach. They want easier wines, with appealing packaging,” explained Francesco Paganelli. For more than 25 years he has been traveling between China and Japan. For the last 10 he has been export manager for Gruppo Cevico.

Given its climate, preferences in Beijing are still largely for concentrated and muscular wine, but in Shanghai, fresher labels and sparkling wines with moderate alcohol content are growing in popularity, Francesco told us. In this city too, where the Gambero event attracted more than 1,200 people, the change of pace seems dictated by operators, importers and journalists who increasingly look for finesse and drinkability, while admitting that their tastes are not fully in line with the market. Paganelli went on to say, “A great change is taking place regarding Italian wine. Sales are taking off. I don’t see how this trend will stop, at least before 2019. Consider that wine is something that has only recently become part of the Chinese lifestyle. I see 1997 as the watershed year, when we took back control of Hong Kong. We opened up to the world, to commerce. Many expats arrived, above all here in Shanghai. The twenty-year-olds of today grew up with wine. They were influenced by Westerners. Now they are used to drinking wine with meals. This generation doesn’t

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CHINA. THE TIMES IS NOW

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have money to spend yet. They’re still studying. But soon they will have a lot more money and they’ll change the market. The effect on Italian wine could be enormous.”

“What am I betting on? I’m ready to bet on Lombardy’s wines for the future. They have history, appeal, and many different types that could take off here,” added Ray Chen, director of sales for Sinodrink. More than commenting on trends and changes in taste, many managers and sommeliers at Italian restaurants in Shanghai underlined the importance of directing diners’ choices. “We have to establish a relationship based on trust. Then the client can be guided. Here at Bombana, our customers have learned to drink thoughtfully, even with whites. Italian wine finally has a deep presence, thanks to the courage of professionals who made good choices and brought in new things. Shanghai moves at a different pace, compared to the rest of China. Here the foundations have been built. I’m very optimistic, but there’s a lot of work to do in the rest of China, in the

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1. Lorenzo Ruggeri 2. Marco Sabellico and Eleonara Guerini Editors - in - Chief Vini d’Italia

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THE STORIES

third level of cities where we haven’t shown up yet,” explained Gian Luca Fusetto, food and beverage director of 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana. He has been in China for nine years. His optimism is sustained also by the suspension, until September 2019, of the Harmonized Certificate that imposed further analyses and regulations on European wine.

It’s a crucial moment. The data furnished by the EU SME Centre for the January-August 2017 period show that Italy has become the fourth country for exports, beating out Spain, with a market share of 6.6%, equal to $107 million. That number is growing, but is still startlingly small when the dimensions of the entire market are considered, and the share attained by France, which accounts for 43% of wine imported into China. “Italian wineries have to understand that China has rules and commercial logic that are completely different from those of the United States or Europe. Sales campaigns cannot just duplicate familiar models. We have to appreciate the Chinese perspective. I am extremely optimistic, but remember, we’re talking about China. Here the government can change the game overnight,” Francesco Paganelli reminded us.

And what about Hong Kong? As usual, it writes its own story. In contrast to mainland

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CHINA. THE TIMES IS NOW

China, importation licenses aren’t required here. There is no customs tax, anyone can import, and knowledge of the Chinese language is not a requirement. As a result, competition is pitiless and the average understanding of wine decidedly superior. The Gambero Rosso event, as usual, took place the day before the Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Fair. Those we interviewed at the fair noticed fewer buyers from other Asian countries, but at the same time, saw demand that finally is turning to more expensive wines, to great labels. The average price point requested is rising. The city’s Italian restaurants are in the forefront of sales. Finding a position on the Hong Kong scene is necessary for wine sellers to have an impact, to be noticed. But the real game is played on the mainland.

HONG KONG DISCOVERS OLTREPÒ PAVESE The first Hong Kong tasting entirely dedicated to metodo classic bubblies from the Oltrepò Pavese enjoyed an excellent response. The zone has 3,000 hectares devoted to pinot nero grapes and a winemaking tradition that goes back 150 years. Seven cuvees added up to a high-profile line-up. We saw expressions of amazement at the moderate cost of the labels tasted, on the faces of an audience of local operators used to tasting new territories and styles every day. “What’s the positioning of these products in Italy? Why have we never heard of them before? With this high quality and low price point we can open extraordinary market opportunities if we have a strategy,” said Lina Au Yeung of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce. Sometimes we have to go abroad to understand the significance of what we have at home, near at hand.

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GAMBERO ROSSO-UMANI RONCHI

THE RED LINE LINKING MARCHE AND ABRUZZO This year makes 17 – the number of Tre Bicchieri awards on the Umani Ronchi roster. Once again, in Vini d’Italia 2018, the Marche winery won its laurels, this time with Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Vecchie Vigne ‘15, one of the territory’s great classics.

Umani Ronchi has almost seventy years of history in the heart of the Marche region. Their 180 hectares of vineyard lie among the towns of Cupramontana, Montecarotto and Osimo, on the slopes of Mount Conero. But Umani Ronchi does not produce wine only in this zone. Almost two decades ago, Michele Bernetti expanded the firm across the Tronto River, the southern border of the region. “We bought an Abruzzese property in 2000,” Umani Ronchi’s owner explained, “in the Roseto degli Abruzzi municipality. The new estate, 35 hectares of vineyard, is behind the old town of Monti Pagano and near Morro d’Oro, a place that particularly struck us both for its position and for its terrain, well-suited for the production of fine Montepulciano wines.”

We asked why a winery profoundly rooted in its region felt the need for another location to produce wine.

Bernetti said, “It was a gradual process. For at least a decade we had begun collaborating with Abruzzese producers in order to complete our offerings with a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo label, something many of our long-term partners had been asking for. Its success encouraged us to have a base of our own. We wanted to control all the production phases, from the vineyard to the bottle.” But his motivations were not exclusively commercial. “Integrating our production with Abruzzesi wines,” Bernetti continued, “makes sense when you look at the map of our two regions.

Both face the Adriatic, both have a strip of hills that stretch southwest-northeast. Clearly there are differences, but extending into the Abruzzo is very natural

for those of us from Marche.” The link between the two winery areas is also favored by the grape variety, Montepulciano, which dominates the reds grown in the two Adriatic regions, although they produce very different wines. The Conero, with its clayey-calcareous soil strongly feels the influence of the sea and enjoys summer breezes. “It is a cooler zone compared to Monti Pagano, where the grapes ripen slightly earlier. Montepulciano in the Abruzzo, thanks to the slightly warmer climate, has greater structure, more color, and is slightly spicier. In the Conero, we have good ripening, but usually we get wines that are a little less structured, a little more elegant and fresh.”

With the new Abruzzese vineyards, another variety also enters the picture, the increasingly popular Adriatic grape, Pecorino. “The name we gave to this new Pecorino, Centovie, comes from the tiny hilltown that rises a few hundred meters from our property. We came to pecorino after a few years. It’s a variety that deserves all the success it is enjoying. It gives us very contemporary wines that are fresh, savory, and have great, rich personalities. It allows producers to interpret it differently, a little like Verdicchio.” We ask if it’s easier to sell Verdicchio or Montepulciano d’Abruzzo labels. Bernetti told us, “These are both very well-known varieties, and anyone familiar with Italian wine appreciates both. Perhaps Montepulciano is easier. It’s very common, made by many producers, and the name is easy to remember. But everyone considers Verdicchio a great classic of Italian whites, and so it’s always on important wine lists.” We ask about pecorino. “It’s still at the beginning of its career. It will take time to find a solid position on various markets, but I’m sure it too will become a classic among Italian wines around the world.”

The link between the two winery areas is also favored by the grape variety, Montepulciano, which dominates the reds grown in the two Adriatic regions, although they produce very different wines

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GAMBERO ROSSO-UMANI RONCHI

1. Massimo (on the left) and Michele Bernetti 2. A grape of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 3. The new Due Bicchieri Rossi Pecorino Centovie

BY WILLIAM PREGENTELLI

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CENTOVIE, A FLAVORFUL, ELEGANT PECORINO In the year 2000, Michele Bernetti and his father Massimo admired their future Monti Pagano property from the vineyard that would give birth to Centovie. “The view was spectacular, with the Gran Sasso mountains in one direction and the Adriatic in the other.” The wine is fermented in stainless steel vats and ages for 12 months, 50% in large oak barrels and the rest in cement vats. “It is a rich Pecorino, with a saline aspect that makes it truly pleasant and elegant. That pleasant savory trait won it Due Bicchieri Rossi.” Michele also announced, “We are also producing a red version of Centovie, a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo produced in Roseto. It will be an elegant, stylish red, equal, if not superior to our Pecorino.”

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Umani Ronchi via Adriatica, 12 - Osimo (AN) 0717108019 - umanironchi.com

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THERE’S BERGAMO, TOO! Why Bergamo ‘too’?

Because when we talk about Lombardy, we tend to focus on Milano, as if everything happens there. The truth is, the whole province is bubbling. Bergamo has always been a presence on the culinary map of Italy, thanks to great, still-important names.

But recently, there’s even more going on, and we tried to take a careful look

by Gualtero Spotti

THE STORIES

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this geographic area has always known how to develop a clear tradition of restaurants and notable eating places

ergamo lies halfway between the plains and the mountains, surrounded by lakes and hills. It has few food products that have become known outside its immediate area, but instead, the small city has long had a restaurant tradition that endeared it to those who love spending long hours at the table. One of the names that has come to symbolize this reputation is Cerea. The much-admired family has over fifty years of history in the business, and last year a great gala celebrated founder Vittorio. The Cerea’s success in the field comes from their flair for hospitality and dedication to hard work, but also from their ability to join quality in the kitchen with serving large numbers of clients. The two chefs, Chicco and Bobo, are masters of lucid organization, and run a

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multiform kitchen that can also cater events and prepare specialized packaged foods.

Everyone knows the Cerea family and their Da Vittorio is a legendary Italian restaurant, but we must also look beyond them.

Many places in this zone deserve more attention than they usually get. In the city itself, in the charming Città Alta, we put ourselves in the hands of Antonio Cuomo, executive chef of Hostaria, the restaurant inside the Relais San Lorenzo. This place merits a visit not only for the creative intuitions of a talented young chef (who also turns out excellent vegan dishes) but also for the beauty of its underground setting, surrounded by the medieval and Roman remains of the ancient city. Not far away, in Piazza Vecchia, is one of the new openings of recent months, the shop and restaurant Lalimentari. Here the emphasis is on tasty platters of cured meats and cheeses – all Italian – as well as on wellthought-out cooked dishes. An excellent choice of wines and an informal atmosphere complete the pleasure of the experience.

Instead, if you like a more curated menu, cucina d’autore, put yourself in the hands of Enrico Bartolini, in the oldest part of Bergamo. Last year he inaugurated Casual, a more relaxed version of his restaurant in Milano’s Mudec Museum.

Coming down the hill to the Città Bassa, there are other interesting places contributing to the vivacity of the scene. Carroponte is the brain child of Oscar Mazzoleni,

new eating places opened in Bergamo between 2012 and 2016.

340 closed the percentage of increase in the number of restaurants, trattorias and pizzerias in Bergamo between 2012 and 2017 fruit and vegetable shops, 296 butcher shops and 198 bakeries in the province of Bergamo restaurants and hospitality offerings in the province in 2016.

In 2010, there were 5,259

is the highest rating Bergamo attained in the various Italian surveys on quality of life – from Italia Oggi. For Sole 24Ore, Bergamo was 33rd. For Legambiente, 44th

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A CITY OF TREASURES “I am convinced that restaurant food in Bergamo has improved in recent years. It’s really hard to find a bad meal. That’s an interesting and important factor, I believe, for a city that is discovering its calling as a tourism destination.

Bergamasca cucina has never been known for its complexity. Traditionally it was based on simple, substantial ingredients, mostly corn and polenta, or on casoncelli, our typical filled pasta, and the cheeses from the local valleys.

Over the years we’ve seen growth, not only in terms of quantity, but also in the quality of hospitality opportunities.

Zero-kilometer, experimentation, but also the re-reading of traditional recipes and borrowings from elsewhere have made the city more attractive from the culinary point of view. We have also learned to spotlight what we have. We are the richest territory for DOP cheeses in Italy. About a dozen of our restaurants have won Michelin stars or Gambero forks. I advise those who come to Bergamo for the first time to stay a while. It takes time to know the Bergamaschi, and that’s true for Bergamo itself, too. Our city is not only the narrow streets of Bergamo Alta, but it also has marvelous hills, historic neighborhoods, and a fascinating early 20th-century center of town. It is rich in culture, history, and things to do.

– Giorgio Gori (MAYOR OF BERGAMO )

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1. Entrance to Hostaria del Relais San Lorenzo 2. Antonio Cuomo, chef at the Hostaria 3. Cod e Melgot, a dish at Da Vittorio restaurant

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4. Veal sweetbreads, sage and eggplant at Casual (photo Paolo Picciotto) 5. Marinated anchovies, emulsion of bitter almonds, caramelized onions, chopped red shrimp at Casual (photo Paolo Picciotto)

THE STORIES

an expert, affable host with a long career of restaurants around Italy. It won the Gambero Rosso prize last year as the best bistrot in Italy in the restaurant guide. It recently became one of the few Krug Ambassades in Italy (there are 132 in the entire world).

“Carroponte is a place where you just feel good,” Mazzoleni explained. “People want to drink a bottle of wine, whether sparkling or still and we offer a big choice. Some come for dinner, others just to have a glass at the bar with finger food.”

The Lombardy System The development of Milano is one of the rare reasons why we aren’t necessarily embarrassed to introduce ourselves as Italians when abroad. Its history makes even us proud. The city’s economic, civil and urbanistic development has naturally been accompanied by a growth in culinary offerings that Milano never enjoyed before.

The phenomenon was talked about so much that we began to wonder whether the 2015 Expo boom, with the growth of general food awareness, increased professionalism and courageous investors, had affected the entire region, from east to west, not only the big cities. It turned out that creative entrepreneurs can be found at Gardone Riviera’s Lido84, where Riccardo Camanini works with the East Lombardy project – the zone has been named the 2017 European Region of Gastronomy – and in Pozzuolo Martesana’s Volm (Lorenzo Vecchia and Olexandra Marfia, both under30s). Davide Caranchini’s Materia is in Cernobbio, on Lake Como and Paolo Lopriore, who has been avant-garde for 15 years, opening the way for many, is in Appiano Gentile. There has always been life outside Milano, but today there’s even more. The same is true of other large cities: Rome, Florence, Bologna, Bari and Torino have set the rhythm, but the movement has caught on and is worth exploring.

— Massimiliano Tonelli

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URBAN CHEESE The Bù Cheese Bar is the right place to taste Bergamo’s cheeses and at the same time experience the city’s current mood. Why? Because it’s where young people meet for an aperitif, stop for a coffee at the counter, or enjoy a glass of wine. Good lunch and dinner dishes always feature the Italian cheese world. A handsome and ample display of both fresh and aged cheeses represent the nearby Alps (the Orobie) but not only, with such products as Branzi, Formaggelle, Taleggio, Agrì di Valtorta and Quartifolo al Gorgonzola, to name only a few. Inspired by the French bar à Fromage, Bù also brings the entire cheese production process to the city with its live-action mini dairy, producing yogurt, butter and cream.

THE STORIES

Two restaurants opened last year, N.O.I and Impronte, each reflecting the personality of its chef/proprietor. These two young cooks have very different but equally interesting characters. In N.O.I (which stands for Nuova Osteria Italiano) Tommaso Spagnolo displays more of a bistrot style, with simple, straightforward dishes featuring excellent ingredients and focusing on the pure expression of flavor. He has worked with Daniel Humm, Swiss chef /co-owner of Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad in New York

6. Oscar Mazzoleni chef at Carroponte 7. Finger food at Carroponte 8. Facade BĂš Cheese Bar 9. A selection of cheeses at BĂš Cheese Bar 10

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10. Squid at the Impronte restaurant 11. Cristian Fagone and Francesca Mauri of Impronte 12. The N.O.I. dining room 13. A dish from Nasturzio in Desenzano di Albino

THERE’S BERGAMO, TOO!

City, and with Heston Blumenthal, a British chef who owns Dinner in London and two pubs in Bray. Cristian Fagone, in Impronte, chooses a more classic, comprehensible style, full of flavor and substance, less experimental. Fagone was largely influenced by working with Philippe Leveillé in Miramonti l’Altro in Concesio, near Brescia, about 50 kilometers away.

Three other restaurants are worth mentioning. Osteria della Brughiera, is where Stefano Arrigoni reigns over a beautiful, elegantly furnished home. In the kitchen, chefs Paolo Benigni and Steafano Gelmi mix tradition and innovation, finding some interesting global notes in their choice of ingredients.

In Nasturzio, three under-30 chefs (Johnny Signorelli, William Bertocchi and Cinzia Mismetti) offer excellent innovative cooking that re-interprets traditional local classics and includes such items as Peruvian-style ceviche and pak choy. The third on our list of new openings is Florian Maison, Umberto De Martino’s restaurant. This sure-handed chef from Campania brings a fresh example

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THE VOLCANIC GELATERIA Al d. Mangiami is the first liquid nitrogen gelateria in Italy.

Gelato here is made without preservatives or hydrogenated vegetable fats, without jelling or thickening agents, and with only fresh fruit. Ecosensitivity principles even call for biodegradable spoons, cups and cone covers. The idea comes from Marios Gerakis, Greek in origin but Bergamasco by adoption. He decided to apply modern techniques and processes to his search for both flavor and purity in ice cream. His workshop has no traditional ice-cream making machinery. Instead, it has a large thermos container of 200 liters of liquid nitrogen at -196° C and a mixer. Artisan skills and technology combine to produce amazing results.

ADDRESSES

THE STORIES

Bergamo ™ AL CARROPONTE E. DE AMICIS, 4 - 0352652180 ALCARROPONTE.IT - @ALCARROPONTE VIA

™ HOSTARIA

DEL RELAIS SAN LORENZO L. MASCHERONI, 9 - 035237383 RELAISANLORENZO.COM - @RELAISANLORENZO P.ZZA

™ LALIMENTARI P.ZZA

VECCHIA, 12 - 035233043

™ IMPRONTE VIA

C. BAIONI, 38 -Â 0350175557 -

IMPRONTERISTORANTE.COM

@IMPRONTERISTORANTE ™ N.O.I. A. PITENTINO, 6 - 035.237750 NOI-RESTAURANT.IT VIA

™ BU CHEESE BAR

MONTE SAN MICHELE, 1 – 035220289 @BUCHEESEBARBERGAMO VIA

™ CASUAL VIA

SAN VIGILIO, 1 -Â 035260944 - @ENRICOBARTOLINI

ENRICOBARTOLINI.NET

Foodshop ™ AL D. MANGIAMI VIA

ZAMBONATE, 51 – 0350606273 - @ALDMANGIAMI

ALDMANGIAMI.IT

™ OL FORMAGER VIA

SAN TOMASO, 100 – 035239237

OLFORMAGER.IT

Albino ™ NASTURZIO

RIPA, 12 - 0350631800 RISTORANTENASTURZIO.COM @RISTORANTE_NASTURZIO VIA

Brusaporto ™ DA VITTORIO VIA

CANTALUPA, 17 - 035681024 - @ENRICOCEREA

DAVITTORIO.COM

San Paolo d’Argon ™ FLORIAN MAISON

MADONNA D’ARGON, 4/6 0354254202 FLORIANMAISON.IT VIA

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of Mediterranean colors and flavors to a northern enclave, a resort on a quiet hillside a few kilometers from the city.

These may be the provinces, but Bergamo proves itself to be one of the most interesting culinary zones in Italy, offering traditional culinary menus, but also new restaurants with young chefs aiming to develop quickly, and bistros that also showcase local culture.

The area faces the extra challenge of being only a few kilometers from a compelling city like Milano. ™

Villa d’Almè ™ OSTERIA DELLA BRUGHIERA VIA

BRUGHIERA, 49 – 035638008

OSTERIADELLABRUGHIERA.IT

The address section includes our rating icons.

These are the newest ratings in the 2018 edition of Ristoranti d’Italia, published on October 23.

You can find it in bookstores and newsstands in Italy and on e-commerce platforms.

Everyone interested in great food travels in Italy with it.

14. A dish at Florian Maison 15. Umberto De Martino, chef, Florian Maison 16. Marios Gerakis owner gelateria Al D. Mangiami 17. The under-30 chefs from Nasturzio: Johnny Signorelli, Cinzia Mismetti and William Bertocchi 18. A dish at Nasturzio

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CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013 CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REGULATION N. 1308/2013

Amarone della Valpolicella Great family prestige from 5 generations

Via Costabella, 9 - 37011 Bardolino (VR) Lago di Garda - Tel. +39 045 7210022 - zeni.it

RECIPES

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GIANLUCA GORINI

GIANLUCA GORINI BORN IN

AGE

RESIDENCE

Pesaro

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Bagno di Romagna (FC)

RESTAURANT NAME

RESTAURANTS BEFORE THIS ONE

daGorini

OWNER

RESTAURANT CONTACTS

PARTNER

via Giuseppe Verdi, 5 Bagno di Romagna (FC) 05431908056 - dagorini.it

EMPLOYEE

Le Giare [Cesena] Poggio Rosso [Borgo San Felice - Castelnuovo Berardenga (SI)]

;

NAME OF SOUS CHEF

BEST-LOVED INGREDIENT

Leonardo Gasperoni

Verdure

AGE OF SOUS CHEF

MOST-HATED INGREDIENT

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Foie Gras

KITCHEN BRIGADE

THE DISH OF A LIFETIME

Christian Imbriaco, Giorgio Fiondi, Collin Hutchinson

Semifreddo allo zucchero affumicato di Paolo Lopriore

NAME SOMMELIER

MOST VENERATED MAESTRO

Matteo Albanesi

Niko Romito

FRONT OF HOUSE

MOST RESPECTED SAME-AGE COLLEAGUE

Sara Silvani, Matteo Albanesi

Oliver Piras

RESTAURANT CAPACITY

MY CUISINE'S HASHTAG

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Clean, essential, persistent, identity-laden, true, light BEST-LOVED RESTAURANT ABROAD

IF NOT A CHEF, I WOULD HAVE BEEN

The Clove Club in Londra

a musician

THE WINE ABOVE ALL OTHERS

Ribolla Gialla by Gravner LAST MUSIC ALBUM DOWNLOADED

THE DISHES I’M PRESENTING

Il Latitante

by Daniele Silvestri

Veal sweetbreads, chives, capers and matcha tea Radicchio all' Unbitter, dried sausage and bitter orange Tortelli stuffed with quince, cave-aged pecorino cheese and green peppercorns Fuchsia: rhubarb gin, bitter almond and raspberry

LAST BOOK READ

Apparentemente semplice

by Niko Romito

by Stefano Polacchi - photo by Lido Vannucchi IN THE NEXT ISSUE SIMONE CIPRIANI'S RECIPES

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RECIPES

Veal sweetbreads, chives, capers and matcha tea ,ࠛࠔࠟࠒࠑࠖࠒࠛࠡࠠ ࠓࠜࠟ ࠬ ࠠࠒࠟࠣࠖࠛࠔࠠ 600 g clean veal neck sweetbreads 50 g chives 100 g unsalted butter 20 g matcha tea 10 g salted Pantelleria capers 4 Swiss chard leaves 100 g salted butter 1 lime Flake salt

Chop chives and blend with unsalted butter. Strain. Warm the mixture in a small pan, helping, if necessary, with a little warm water. Salt and put aside.

Wash the Swiss chard, remove the central ribs and blanch in salted water.

Drain on paper towel and keep warm.

In an iron pan, warm the salted butter and toast the sweetbreads on all sides. Continue cooking, moistening with butter, and stop cooking while inside is still pink.

Heat the chive butter without bringing to a boil. Spread on the plate, add two salted capers, a sweetbread cut in half and a Swiss chard leaf. Season the meat with flake salt, dust with tea powder and finish with grated lime zest.

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GIANLUCA GORINI

Tortelli filled with quince, pecorino di fossa cheese and green peppercorn extract Cut the quinces in half, place them in a vacuum sac and steam at 90° C for 3 hours. Cool. When cooled, open bag, cut quinces into small pieces and pass through a Greenstar (or similar) extractor. Bind the fruit extract obtained by adding .6 g of agar for every 100 g of quince extract. Adjust for salt, sugar and add some reduced white wine.

Prepare fresh egg pasta working the flour, coarse semolina and eggs with a little extra-virgin oil and a pinch of salt. Leave to rest. Place water and the pecorino cheese in a Thermomix. Process at 50° C until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous. Season with the green peppercorn extract and put aside to rest. Strain through a fine strainer, add some reduced white wine and adjust salt. Roll the pasta out very thin and make tortelli with the quince filling.

The dish: cook the tortelli in abundant salted water, drain, and nappe with a little butter and grated pecorino di fossa. Place the pecorino sauce in a deep plate, add a few drops of centrifuged pepper extract and the tortelli. Finish with freshly grated cave-aged pecorino.

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,ࠛࠔࠟࠒࠑࠖࠒࠛࠡࠠ ࠓࠜࠟ ࠬ ࠠࠒࠟࠣࠖࠛࠔࠠ 2 quinces, not over-ripe 200 g cave-aged pecorino cheese (di fossa) 100 g water 100 g dry Albana wine (reduced to 20 g) 50 g extract of fresh green peppercorns J ݇RXU 50 g coarse semolina 2 eggs Extra-virgin olive oil Flake salt

RECIPES

Radicchio with grill smoke, Un Bitter, dried sausage and bitter orange Bring the cream to a boil. Add the grated Parmigiano and beat in with a whisk.

Strain and place in refrigerator until thickened.

Bind Un Bitter DiBaldo with the xantana, using an immersion blender. Repeat the operation three times and then strain through a fine sieve.

Remove the zest from the oranges and centrifuge at high speed. Adjust the consistency with orange juice to obtain a cream. Place the orange cream in a pastry bag.

Grate the sausage with a large hole grater.

Wash and clean the radicchio. Cut each head into 6 sections. Blanch each section for 2 minutes in acidulated water. Drain and dry well. Season each piece with olive oil and salt. Grill rapidly over live coals to obtain a light smoky flavor.

Arrange the sections in an oven dish, cover with aluminum foil and complete the cooking in a ventilated oven until radicchio is meltingly soft.

Prepare the plate: first nappe the plate with a teaspoon of Parmigiano sauce.

Arrange a section of warm radicchio on top, season with the sauces of Un Bitter and orange zest. Finish with a tablespoon of grated sausage.

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,ࠛࠔࠟࠒࠑࠖࠒࠛࠡࠠ ࠓࠜࠟ ࠬ ࠠࠒࠟࠣࠖࠛࠔࠠ 6 heads of Radicchio Rosso di Treviso IGP 200 g heavy cream 140 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano ½ kg dried Mora Romagnola sausage 200 g Un Bitter 2015 DiBaldo 0.15 g xantana 2 organic Sicilian oranges 100 g red wine vinegar Extra-virgin olive oil from Brisighella Salt

GIANLUCA GORINI

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RECIPES

Fuchsia: rhubarb gin, bitter almond and raspberry ,ࠛࠔࠟࠒࠑࠖࠒࠛࠡࠠ ࠓࠜࠟ ࠬ ࠠࠒࠟࠣࠖࠛࠔࠠ For the rhubarb soup 4 rhubarb stalks 200 ml water 100 g sugar 50 g gin ½ vanilla bean 1 organic lemon

For the sherbet 250 ml raspberry puree 40 g sugar 20 g glucose syrup 125 g water 50 g lemon juice 2 g gelatin leaf

For the almond cream 200 ml fresh cream 75 g white chocolate 10 g glucose 30 g almond puree 1 gelatin leaf 12 fresh raspberries 12 fresh peeled, sliced almonds

Prepare the soup: wash the rhubarb stalks and cut into cubes ½ cm per side.

In the meantime, bring water to boil with the sugar, zest of one lemon and the vanilla bean. Add the rhubarb and turn off the heat. When cool, add gin and refrigerate.

For the raspberry sherbet: mix the raspberry puree with the water, sugar, glucose, gelatin leaf (dampened, squeezed out and dissolved) and the lemon juice. Blend in an ice cream maker and keep in freezer at -14° CFor the almond cream: soak the gelatin. Bring the cream to boil with the glucose and pour over the white chocolate. Add the gelatin leaf, squeezed out, and the almond puree. Keep in refrigerator for 12 hours. Beat with a whisk until it reaches a creamy consistency.

Prepare the plate: place two tablespoons of rhubarb soup in a deep dish. With the help of a pastry bag add the almond cream, giving it a meringue-like shape. Complete with a quenelle of sherbet and garnish with fresh raspberries and sliced almonds.

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GIANLUCA GORINI

Veal sweetbreads, chives, capers and matcha tea

Tortelli stuffed with quince, pecorino di fossa cheese and green peppercorn extract

Tera Trebbiano 2016 - Fondo San Giuseppe Brisighella (RA) - fondosangiuseppe.it

Serenaro 2016 - Villa Venti 5RQFRIUHGGR b )& ٢ YLOODYHQWL LW #YLOOD YHQWL

“This Trebbiano grows 400 meters above sea level. The particularly calcareous soil of the zone lends wine a marked minerality, a great deal of freshness, and the acidity we need,” explained sommelier Matteo Albanesi, “to contrast the fatty aspect of the sweetbreads which, in this dish, along with the chives sauce, are the stars of the show.”

“Serenaro is made with a white variety called famoso, an indigenous grape from the zone of Romagna between Cesena and Rimini,” explained Matteo Albanesi. “It contributes sustained sapidity and a lot of yellow fruit flavor that goes perfectly with the quince filling. The savory quality of the wine also helps contrast the spicy, piquant notes of the green peppercorn, without ever overwhelming the dish.”

Radicchio all' Unbitter, dried sausage and bitter orange

Fuchsia: rhubarb gin, bitter almond and raspberry

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“This is a fortified wine infused with aromatic herbs and spices. It goes into the sauce, and we suggest it as a pairing to prolong the flavor of the dish,” the sommelier said. “Its fairly high alcohol content helps clean the palate of the succulence of the sausage. Its aromatic nature goes well with the orange extraction that is at the heart of the dish.”

“The grapes for this Albana are harvested when overripe and after they’ve been in contact with noble rot. The wine’s floral and fruity aroma pairs well with the acidity of the rhubarb, the raspberry and the bitterish notes of the almonds. The over-ripe grapes complete the dish with sugar that the dessert doesn’t have,” explained the sommelier.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER “I met Gianluca at a competition for young chefs organized by Luigi Cremona. It was platonic love at first sight.

He presented an incredible dish and won. At that time, he worked at Borgo San Felice in Tuscany. Later he went on to Giare in Montiano. We did an intense job there, photographing each new menu. We actually were documenting a thought process. He was young and promising – today he’s a wonderful reality.”

– Lido Vannucchi

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keybusiness.com

FLAVOR AND COLOR

THE BEAUTY OF NATURAL COLOR natural ingredients with coloring properties

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Its use in food preparation is permitted in all salty and sweet products.

Concentrates exclusively from fruits, vegetables and edible plants.

GUSTO PINK contains Radish and Cherry

GUSTO GREEN contains Spirulina and Carthamine

Molini Spigadoro S.p.A. Via IV Novembre, 2/4 06083 Bastia Umbra (Pg) Italy Info: +39 075 80.09.216 info@molinispigadoro.com

GUSTO YELLOW contains Pumpkin

GUSTO RED contains Red Beet

CREATIVITÀ IN CUCINA

www.molinispigadoro.com

RATINGS - BEST WINES UNDER 13 EUROS

BEREBENE 2018 THE BEST 12 WINES OF NORTHERN ITALY Awards are based on price/quality ratio.

From Piedmont to Emilia Romagna, the unmissable labels costing less than 13 euros in wine shops.

Over the next months, we will publish Central and Southern Italy

Stefania Annese and William Pregentelli

National award for quality/price Northern White

Gambellara Cl. La Bocara ‘16 - Cavazza c.da Selva, 22 Montebello Vicentino (VI) 0444649166 cavazzawine.com 8.40 euros

The Cavazza family winery is one of the most respected in this historical denomination in the province of Vicenza. Their best Gambellara, La Bocara, embodies everything we look for in our publication. It is good, easily findable, and truly affordable. Articulated aromas suggest flowers and white fruit. The palate is juicy, savory and enormously pleasant.

National award for quality/price Northern Red

Rossese di Dolceacqua ‘16 - Maccario Dringenberg via Torre, 3 San Biagio della Cima (IM) 0184289947 11.80 euros

In the hinterlands of Imperia, near Bordighera, is San Biagio della Cima. Giovanna Maccario and Goetz Dringenberg work about four hectares of steeply sloping vineyards. The uncontested king of the vines is the rossese grape, although the couple are planting new indigenous white berry cultivars (malaga, rossese bianco and massarda).

Rossese di Dolceacqua ’16 Maccario Dringenberg is a great red with silky tannins, offered at a moderate price.

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RATINGS

National award for quality/price Northern Rosé

Valtènesi Chiaretto RosaMara ‘16 - Costaripa via Costa, 1a Moniga del Garda (BS) 0365502010 costaripa.it 9.90 euros

Mattia Vezzola is a well-known name in the Italian wine world. Here in Valtenesi, he gave himself a mission: bring the wines of this zone to the peaks of Italian enology. He certainly attains his goal with RosaMara, a Chiaretto that features, besides groppello, also marzemino, sangiovese and barbera grapes. The result is a pale rosecolored wine, fresh and assertive, with tautness that doesn’t interfere with fruitiness.

In the finish we again find pleasant whiffs of balsamic notes.

Regional award for quality/price Valle d’Aosta

Valle d’Aosta Petite Arvine ‘16 - Château Feuillet loc. Château Feuillet, 12 Saint Pierre (AO) 3287673880 chateaufeuillet. vievini.it 13.00 euros

Maurizio Fiorano’s small winery was founded only 20 years ago, even though the family has been working in this sector for generations. From his perfectly situated five hectares in Saint-Pierre, he makes a range of flawless wines, where reds and whites are equals in terms of quality. Petite Arvine, grown between 700 and 800 meters above sea level, stands out for its citrusy aromas and for the great acidic freshness that renders the wine pleasantly taut.

Regional award for quality/price Piedmont

Barbera d’Asti Libera ‘15 - Bava s.da Monferrato, 2 Cocconato (AT) 0141907083 bava.com 10.90 euros

The winery created in Cocconato in 1911 by the Bava family is still one of the most dynamic and important in the Asti zone. Most of the firm’s vineyards are in the Monferrato zone, between Cocconato, Cioccaro di Penango and Agliano Terme, and this is where this Barbera d’Asti Libera ’15 comes from. Richly fruity, it offers hints of Mediterranean scrub aromas. Juicy in the mouth, it has good acidity that gives it length and freshness.

Regional award for quality/price Liguria

Colli di Luni Vermentino Pianacce ‘16 - Giacomelli via Palvotrisia, 134 Castelnuovo Magra (SP) 3496301516 azagricola giacomelli.it 10.00 euros

The Giacomelli winery, founded by Roberto Petacchi in 1993, works on two levels.

Its 12 hectares of vineyard are divided between flatland and hillside, and so the wines themselves are divided between pleasant, immediate IGT labels that come from the valley floor and DOC wines, structured and complex. Pianacce, with its aromas of rosemary and its interminable savory finish, belongs in the second category.

Regional award for quality/price Lombardy

Lugana di Sirmione Giovanni Avanzi ‘16 - Avanzi via Trevisago, 19 Manerba del Garda (BS) 0365551013 avanzi.net 9.40 euros

Since 1931, the Avanzi family has been producing wine and olive oil in the beautiful corner on Lake Garda called the Valtenesi. The firm can draw on more than 70 hectares (counting vineyard and olive groves) divided into four areas in the most significant part of Garda’s Brescia zone. Besides fragrant rosé wines, the winery turns out pleasant whites like this Lugana di Sirmione ‘16 in the Giovanni Avanzi line. Perfectly balanced on the nose between fruity and floral components, in the mouth it is taut and savory, with great tension and minerality.

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BEST WINES UNDER 13 EUROS

Regional award for quality/price Trentino

Trentino Sauvignon Vich ‘15 - La Vis Valle di Cembra This wine is the recent result of vineyard research begun in this cooperative winery in the early 1980s. Sauvignon blanc grapes, grown more than 500 meters above sea level, in Valle di Cembra, give a complex wine with straightforward fragrances, acidic backbone, tones of mango and tropical fruit, including pineapple. Its welldesigned aromas are excellent on the finish. It is a great wine at a more than accessible price.

via Carmine, 7 Lavis (TN) 0461440111 la-vis.com 9.50 euros

Regional award for quality/price Alto Adige

A. A. Lagrein ‘16 - Cantina Convento Muri Gries Cantina Convento Muri-Gries is located in the midst of beautiful vineyards in the center of Gries, an historic neighborhood in Bolzano. The winery was founded at the beginning of the 20th century. Christian Werth, head enologist, works with passion and professionalism. The classic Lagrein is once again a wine more than worthy of our award. Fermented on its lees, it displays a dark garnet red color. Aromas are intensely fruity, with tones of ripe plum, black currants, chocolate and notes of violet. In the mouth, the wine is intense and velvety, with fine tannic structure, elegant, soft and fresh on the palate.

p.zza Gries, 21 Bolzano/Bozen 0471282287 muri-gries.com 13.00 euros

Regional award for quality/price Veneto

Soave Cl. Clivus ‘16 - Cantina Sociale di Monteforte d’Alpone via XX Settembre, 24 Monteforte d’Alpone (VR) 0457610110 cantina dimonteforte.it 7.90 euros

The important cooperative structure of Monteforte has created a primary role for itself in the winegrowing panorama of the denomination. Their Soave Clivus embodies to perfection the idea of an everyday wine, a glass that can join qualities of flavor and aroma to availability and affordability. The result is a perfect outcome for a white that deserves to be sought out and savored. It will surprise you.

Regional award for quality/price Friuli Venezia Giulia

Collio Bianco ‘15 - Roncùs via Mazzini, 26 Capriva del Friuli (GO) 0481809349 roncus.it 11.30 euros

Marco Perco is an expert vignaiolo, a grapegrower who produces wines of character that have a very personal style. Ancestral winery practices joined to modern vinification and grape must that stays in contact with its indigenous yeasts for many months result in long-lived wines that embody and enhance the peculiarities of the Capriva del Friuli zone. Friulano, pinot bianco and sauvignon blanc grapes together create a white of good aromatic expressiveness, wonderfully pleasant and tasty.

Regional award for quality/price Emilia Romagna

Lambrusco di Sorbara Secco Sergio Scaglietti ‘16 - Donelli via Carlo Sigonio, 54 Modena 0522908715 donellivini.it 7.70 euros

This paradigm Lambrusco di Sorbara displays a lovely intense, brilliant rose color.

The wine balances the full and pulpy fruit of the variety with a wonderful mineral note of flint stone. Fragrances are captivating and the palate is lively, vertical and vibrant, calling out for another sip. Although dry, it has the softness lent by ripe fruit that renders it even more harmonious.

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GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it SENIOR EDITOR Lorenzo Ruggeri PHOTO EDITOR Rossella Fantina LAYOUT Maria Victoria Santiago CONTRIBUTORS Stefania Annese, Stefano Polacchi , William Pregentelli, Lorenzo Ruggeri, Gualtiero Spotti, Massimiliano Tonelli PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS Marcello Crescenzi, Lido Vannucchi GR USA CORP PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Paolo Cuccia Advertising GAMBERO ROSSO S.P.A. via Ottavio Gasparri 13/17, 00152 Roma tel +39 06 551121 - +39 06 55112206 fax +39 06 55112260 Advertising director Paola Persi email: ufficio.pubblicita@gamberorosso.it Gambero Rosso and are registered trademarks belonging to Gambero Rosso S.p.A. GAMBERO ROSSO is a Registered Trademark used under license by GR USA CORP Copyright by GAMBERO ROSSO S.P.A. 2017.

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November 2017

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