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The wine of the future
Lorenzo Ruggeri
The bottle is ultra-light, we scan the QR code and an interactive video brings us straight to the vineyard. We’re among the rows of vines in the middle of the harvest, the producer calls us by name. While we pick the Sangiovese grapes, several frames take us to other worlds: we go deep into the soil, we travel back in time along a historical trail; thanks to a time-lapse we retrace the year 2050, with its rains, clearings and sunsets as a backdrop to the vegetative cycle of the vine. A young man comes over to us and fills our glasses, we hear two short notes about the tasting and we see the nutritional tables appear on the screen, together with a series of useful information: risks, benefits, occasions for consumption.
The producer’s range includes wines of different alcohol content, low-medium-full. Yes, there’s even zero. The visual and textual language is fresh, rhythmic, ironic: they never take themselves too seriously. We enter the cellar, it looks like a tourist office, a local information centre, wine is the connecting element: we can book a restaurant in the area, plan a visit to a nature reserve, find tips on producers of oil, cured meats and extra-matured cheeses to try. There are literary references, books written by local people, temporary art installations. The wine is at the full service of the local cultural background, the winery is a real hub for curious travellers: a powerful antidote to overtourism. Yes, in this issue we have decided to throw the ball well forward. We are convinced that Trump’s daily threats, market difficulties, alarmist labels and a certainly difficult climate are nevertheless bringing something good. A new season is beginning. Forced to question itself, the world of wine is accelerating the path of change that is more necessary than ever: in the vineyard, in the cellar, on the communication front, on the scientific level. The results are already visible. Never before has there been such serious talk about Piwi, the resistant varieties, which have finally reached a high level of quality. The opening comes also from Minister Lollobrigida who, in an interview with us, says he is very much in favour of assisted evolved technologies, the TEAs, moving on after the acts of vandalism on the experimental fields. Furthermore, several consortia have revised the nature of their statutes, many specifications are being revised, to remove those two specks of dust. For example, does it still make sense to talk about Superior, simply associating the word with a higher alcohol level? It doesn’t today and nor will it in the future. In a future without treatments, we imagine an increasingly lively wine, a sustainable model that restores value to the land and the people who work it. Just 500 years ago Galileo said that wine is a compound of humour and light. It will continue to change and synthesise everything around us, just like music, art and cultural background. And it will continue to make us dream, just like this excellent red wine from 2050.
Beyond the crisis: the revolution
New health trends, the economy, environmental challenges, new lifestyles: wine must change. For the future, we need training and new strategies in the field, in the winery and on the markets.
Key words: lightness and biodiversity
by Raffaele Mosca
of competence
Is this the end of wine as we know it? Or is it a new beginning? This is the question on everyone’s lips in these months of great uncertainty, straddling a 2024 to forget and a 2025 which, between the risk of US tariffs and domestic consumption that continues to slow down, could be even worse. ‘It’s still too early to talk about a structural crisis,’ explains Alberto Mattiacci, professor of marketing and business at La Sapienza University, “but there is certainly an epochal change underway: we have gone from a phase in which wine was only described as a positive product without any downsides, to the opposite extreme”. After meat, dairy products and even extra virgin olive oil – which could have been dealt the death blow by the Nutriscore proposal by some EU countries – the health zealotry of some institutions, media and consumers has also overwhelmed the nectar of Bacchus, adding to political, social and economic changes, as well as to the other crisis, namely the climate crisis, which leads to reductions in volumes, increased costs and results in the glass that are often different from those desired.
Of course, wine producers are not without blame: ‘The problem was thinking that the land of plenty would last forever and that you could continue
to put anything in a bottle and sell it at any price,’ suggests Mattiacci. In the midst of this bubble, insiders have often neglected the need for comprehensive training, which now, however, is proving indispensable to overcome the impasse. «Those who really know how to create value will come out unscathed, the others won’t». And so the wine 2.0 revolution involves a rethinking of skills and strategies that starts from the vineyard and winery and extends to marketing, communication and, if necessary, the development of new products.
Rethinking the vineyard
Viticulture is the area where people have been less inclined to stand by and watch. Italy can count on excellent research institutes and agronomic consultants in demand all over the world who have been working for some time on methods to counter the climate crisis in the vineyard. In the face of pessimistic forecasts that speak of an even more drastic upheaval of the climate in the next twenty years, one wonders whether or not there is a way to ensure that the territories that are today suited to excellence will remain so. «Vocation is not something absolute and static: it changes over time,» replies Attilio Scienza , professor
emeritus of the University of Milan and lecturer at the Gambero Rosso Academy. «In the future it will be more connected to what is around the vine.
The vine has developed over centuries as a liana attached to other arboreal plants; it interacts with the surrounding ecosystem through the exchange of volatile substances and develops resistance to light, heat and parasites. The presence of a wood or other arboreal plants in its vicinity has a very important mitigating effect. To face global warming and produce wines in line with consumer demand for greater lightness, it is essential to promote biodiversity in every possible way».
The other huge problem is drought: «Rainfall distribution is changing: torrential rains cause water to run off and are often alternated with long dry periods. The solution comes from rootstocks which, if chosen well, are not only able to increase water efficiency, but can even improve the quality of the grapes, contributing to the production of substances that prevent damage from water scarcity».
Zero impact
There is a lot of ambiguity around the idea of sustainability, which is essential these days:
practices such as integrated pest management, organic and biodynamic are difficult for the consumer to discern. Moreover, they are no longer enough to guarantee absolute respect for nature, because heavy metals such as copper and sulphur – used against downy and powdery mildew and permitted in any regime – have a far from negligible impact. One solution for zero-residue viticulture could be to use resistant vines: the Piwi (see article on page 30), created by crossing vitis vinifera with other species, but also those modified with CRISPR technology. ‘With this technique we obtain varieties that are the same as those that have always been cultivated, but which, thanks to the removal or substitution of some genes, have a much greater resistance to harmful agents’, explains Riccardo Velasco , director of CREA, in a speech at Valdarno di Sopra Day. Italy is at the forefront of research in this field, even if various associations of environmentalists, consumers and growers are opposed and equate the new genomic techniques with genetically modified organisms – which are in fact different because they are obtained by adding genes from different species – considering any experimentation immoral and potentially uncontrollable.
«Those who are against it think that there could be contamination of the surrounding environment,» says Maurizio Gily , one of Italy’s most important agronomists, «but this can only happen where there is pollination, certainly not in the case of a tree.»
A different oenology
A new wine-growing method must be accompanied by a new way of thinking about the winery. In recent years, oenologists have often been in the dock, seen by disenchanted consumers as Machiavellian sophisticators who, following invasive protocols, encourage the so-called “standardisation of taste”.
This is a completely different situation to twenty years ago, when hiring the right consultant seemed to be enough to achieve rapid success. Today it is not unusual to come across companies that pride themselves on not using an oenologist. But the answer to certain excesses cannot be the glorification of approximation, which moreover risks having not very different outcomes, given that there is nothing more standardising than an organoleptic defect. Rather, oenology must be less corrective and more interpretative: «Until now, we have often worked in silos: those in the vineyard limited themselves to producing grapes and in the cellar we only dealt with transformation,» explains Mattia Filippi , owner of Uva Sapiens, one of the Italian teams that offer consultancy to companies in the name of synergy between viticulture and enology. ’We must inaugurate a new humanism of wine, that allows us to overcome the medieval phase of overproduction and excessive industrialisation, to arrive at an oenology that has as its objective the expression of the identity of the place, the spontaneity and the digestibility that consumers demand in wine as well as in food». This process is in line with the search for lightness: «You don’t need to force things to produce contemporary wines: all you need is a perfect knowledge of the starting grape. And that’s why, from South Tyrol to Pantelleria, via Napa Valley, we follow the entire supply chain, even supporting communication when necessary, because basing it on concrete and verifiable elements is the winning strategy».
Beyond production
For Alberto Mattiacci, wine marketing and management are almost at ground zero: «It is not an industry of companies, but of VAT numbers. There is a lack of skills: many producers are not capable of marketing. And in no other sector is there the idea of simply making a product and
thinking that it will sell itself». In short, having an army of impeccable technicians is not enough: in the future there will need to be more people with economic and managerial training at the helm of companies, who know how to position the wine and study the markets, instead of letting themselves be carried along by the current. In addition to individual difficulties, there is also a collective problem: the Italian anarchic spirit translates into an enormous difficulty in conveying a clear image of products and territories. «The French are masters at this,» emphasises Mattiac-
ci, «take the example of Champagne. They have focussed all their efforts on making drinking it a celebratory act: they organise events and advertising campaigns, they invented sabrage, they also instil in the mind of the layman the idea that there is something special in the bottle. We should do the same».
Adulting
As for young people, who according to some no longer drink wine, the most interesting perspective comes from Danielle Callegari , a reference point for Wine Enthusiast and one of the most important voices for Italian wine overseas: «In addition to being a wine taster, I am also a professor of history at the University and every time I tell my students about my other profession, they are very intrigued. They say that knowing something about wine is necessary to feel like an adult».
So, rather than focusing on those who have just come of age, wouldn’t it be better to concentrate our efforts on those who are in a phase of transition? Probably yes, but there is a way to bring the approach forward: it’s to bring wine out of the academy and out of the formal contexts associated with adulthood. The many wine bars that have opened in recent years have already started down this road: sitting at the bar is a convivial and disengaged way to learn something; events – especially those of natural wine, which are less ritualised –are the other catalyst for young consumers who prefer dialogue and direct interaction to studio work.
Another wine
It’s difficult to imagine the wine industry of the future without alternative products that don’t conflict with traditional ones but allow it to reach new consumers. From this year, dealcoholisation in Italy has finally become a possibility, despite the reluctance of the majority of producers. Among them, there are those who wonder what sense there is in bringing about fermentation and then removing the result: isn’t that how you get simple grape juice? The answer is given by Martin Foradori Hofstatter, a South Tyrolean producer and no- and low-alcohol pioneer with his company Dr Fischer in Germany: «In Italy, this category is still in its infancy and there is a lot of confusion, also because several grape juices, at least in terms of packaging, are presented as dealcoholised wines. The production cost of grape juice is significantly lower». And the organoleptic quality is also lower: «So much so that to produce dealcoholised wine you have to start with an excellent raw material», explains Foradori.
In Verona 1,200 Top Buyers hailing From 71 Nations
Since 2022, Veronafiere has accelerated the international development plan of Vinitaly. Thus, the event dedicated to wine has become the flagship tool for the positioning of Italian wine production in the world’s main markets. In the same vein, all the initiatives aim to identify new and potential buyers profiled in view of the b2b event in Verona (also thanks to direct investments and those deriving from the collaboration with Ice Agenzia), which is the event of Vinitaly that takes place from 6 to 9 April
GOALS: THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
In addition to the international ‘super buyers’, invited and hosted by Veronafiere, there are foreign and national operators who choose the event as the main platform for promoting Italian wine. Moreover, after the 24 events around the world in 2024, including trade fairs, roadshows, Vinitaly previews and the Amerigo Vespucci stages (Tokyo and Doha), Vinitaly’s 2025 foreign calendar confirms a series of crucial stages. The most important new event is the Vinitaly India Roadshow (New Delhi, 7-8 March): after 16 years, India is back on Vinitaly’s radar with a two-year plan of initiatives. The agreement between Veronafiere and the Indian Chamber of Commerce was signed in Verona during the last International Wine and Spirits Exhibition. The objective is to organise business events to promote a potential market that is mainly high-end
From 6 to 9 April, Verona hosts the international fair dedicated to Italian wines. Plenty of space for low and no alcohol and mixology
and dedicated to strong growth in business tourism. A series of previously scheduled events have also been confirmed: Vinitaly China Chengdu (21-24 March), Wine South America (Bento GonçalvesBrazil, 6-8 May), Wine to Asia (9-11 May), Vinitaly China Roadshow (15-17-19 September, Beijing, Wuhan and Chengdu), Vinitaly USA (5-6 October) and Vinitaly @ Wine Vision (22-25 November).
THE NEW CHALLENGE OF NO E LOW ALCOHOL
The pilot project that expands the contents of Vinitaly 2025 starts from Jeddah, with No-Low alcohol (NoLo) wines officially entering the offer of the 57th edition of Vinitaly.
This was announced on 27 January in the Saudi Arabian city by the Verona Fiere management during the masterclass ‘Italian Grapes Reimagined: an Alcohol-free Tasting Experience’ based entirely on dealcoholised wines and alcohol-free cocktails, organised by Vinitaly on the occasion of the promotional stopover of the Amerigo Vespucci. Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere, said: ‘Vinitaly is a crossroads of trends that it has always intercepted, monitored and analysed in order to enhance services and content for our exhibiting companies and for the sector. With this in mind, from this year NoLo wines are included in the programme of the exhibition for the first time, to strengthen the role of Vinitaly in opening new markets and facing the challenges of evolving demand’.
The “dealcoholised” programme of Vinitaly 2025 has two focuses: ‘Zero alcohol and market expectations’ (8 April) and ‘Technology 0.0: production and innovation compared’ (9 April) created in collaboration with the Italian Wine Union and with the support of the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory. «The pilot project that goes from the product to training to dedicated technology,» explains the general manager of Veronafiere, Adolfo Rebughini, «will be consolidated in the next editions, becoming structural. The objective is to represent a complementary market to wines with a designation of origin that are experiencing strong growth on a global scale and to enhance the competitiveness of Vinitaly in a phase of profound transformation of
the sector». For this reason Vinitaly 2025 will present an Enoteca dedicated to dealcoholised wines and NoLo wines will also be the protagonists of the cocktails in the Mixology pavilion.
VINITALY: A TRADE FAIR FILLED WITH EVENTS
The exhibition programme from 6-9 April is, as always, full of events. It starts on 5 April with the 14th edition of Vinitaly OperaWine 2025 at the Gallerie Mercatali, the super tasting of the most iconic and representative wines of Italy according to Wine Spectator, which has selected 131 wineries from all over Italy for this year: it is the only event organised outside the USA by the US wine magazine. This year’s concept is inspired by the creative universe of New Yorker Keith Haring, an iconic figure of American pop art.
The Mixology area, inaugurated for the first time in the special edition of Vinitaly in October 2021, has also been confirmed. Created by Veronafiere in collaboration with Bartenders Italia and located in Hall C of the exhibition centre, in 2025 the Mixology area will include three areas: the exhibition area, the area reserved for 13 masterclasses and the B2B space for meetings with operators and buyers. Then there’s the unmissable Vinitaly and the City event, open to the city and dedicated to consumers and enthusiasts: events, meetings and wine tastings that become an opportunity to discover exclusive squares, buildings and locations in Verona that are often inaccessible.
Fewer bottles, more emotions
The wine list of the future: the new way of drinking and eating requires thought, by-the-glass offer, and storytelling
by Giuseppe Carrus
Numbers count, of course: so as not to be misunderstood, let’s say right away that we have nothing against full-bodied wine lists, the kind you find especially in historic restaurants that have been able to build formidable cellars over time with a depth of vintages that would make even the most expert pale. These are special cases and stories that have been built up over the years. However, times change, trends take new directions, customs and uses evolve. Building a great wine list today is certainly a difficult and complex task. Without a doubt, you need to rely on professionals who know not only how to choose the right labels – with a thought that is in line with the cuisine proposed – but also how to make a real profit and loss account: because those bottles are very often a real immobilised capital. It is true, however, that with the right skills you can build a great and stimulating wine list (whether it is small or extensive) that is ideal for enthusiasts, but also stimulating for those who are more familiar with the world of wine. Very often, wine lists with hundreds of labels, created without a second thought – where agents and representatives choose instead of the restaurant owner – create confusion among customers who are not too expert and at the same time don’t make the most discerning customers fall in love at first sight.
Thought & cuisine
First of all, the wine cellar must be the result of a solid idea: that it is in line with the cuisine, obviously; that it aims to offer different wines by the glass that are constantly changing (and that are in line with the main wine list); an idea that brings out beautiful discoveries, the result of research and curiosity. Last but not least, an idea that takes into account everything that revolves around the service of wine. In short, it’s useless to serve the best Barolo of an extraordinary vintage if the glass isn’t the right one and isn’t clean; if the serving temperature is wrong and if the person pouring doesn’t even show the label. Then there’s the medium: paper or digital? Here the preferences are very subjective. The more conservative among us believe that leafing through a beautiful, well-bound paper is part of a wonderful experience. However, it is also true that the ways of searching on a tablet are endless: you can filter by price, grape variety, territory, designation... Artificial intelligence is increasingly used and modern audio-visual means could project us directly into the cellar or the vineyards. Wouldn’t that be nice? But here too, everything must be done professionally and competently: otherwise it’s better to stick to the traditional format. And again, faced with
a multitude of labels that risk embarrassing diners, it might be interesting to have a small monthly selection of labels: it would help the wine cellar to be more popular and would help many enthusiasts.
Territory & research
«More territory and more research». Massimo Raugi, director of Villa Crespi in Orta San Giulio has no doubts: «The wine list of tomorrow will necessarily have to start from the sommelier’s expertise, in a cross between knowledge of the local reality close to the kitchen and curiosity towards artisan niches». And then there’s the push towards alcohol-free and low-alcohol: «In unsuspecting times, it was 2018, I had created a low-alcohol tasting here: a Riesling, a Piedmontese Moscato, a beer, a fermented drink. Today it’s something I’m no longer interested in doing, but certainly in the future there will be a part of the menu dedicated to this segment, just as I foresee an even stronger consolidation, not only of white wines, but also of organic and biodynamic wines, as they are more inclined towards sustainable agricultural practices».
Then there’s the pricing issue. Raugi still complains that in Italy there is a lack of knowledge about the world of wine, also due to the costs that have in-
creased more and more dramatically in recent years. But how do people drink at Villa Crespi today? «33% of customers choose to accompany their meal with a bottle», explains Raugi, ‘30% ask for a few glasses and the rest rely on the pairing proposal that comes with the tasting menu. «I am a great supporter of pairing with dishes», says the manager, «but you have to know the cuisine perfectly, otherwise you risk being banal and simply doing a wine tasting». The new wine list therefore depends on this, on the sommelier and his or her expertise. The great books to leaf through will not disappear, but the lists will be more selective and driven not only by the big names, but by constant research into local wines, including those from emerging regions, which are particularly interesting for newcomers. «The wine bar will be fundamental. At least three sparkling wines, one of which should be rosé, at least five white wines, five red wines and a couple of sweet wines: a large cellar and a long wine list should start from here».
Pour more by-the-glass an d keep an eye on the prices
Claudio Lilliu is a commercial agent from Cagliari who runs a small distribution business based on ar-
tisan products and a delightful wine shop in the heart of Cagliari. «I sincerely believe that this is the “darkest hour” for the world of wine and its protagonists. You know the film about Churchill? I don’t want to digress, but my thoughts on wine lists of the future require a little reflection that starts with the “dining room emergency”. Having trained staff, or at least staff who know how to support customers in their choices, is essential if you want to develop and build a good wine list. In general, restaurants, pizzerias and wine bars should have a rich but accessible, simple and versatile menu, which can be easily changed and varied and which –most importantly – has an important proposal of wines by the glass: glass, glass and more glass. I don’t know if I’ve made myself clear».
An important element, for Lilliu, is to satisfy the curiosity of guests who increasingly ask for glasses from small producers and linked to particular areas. «Finally, even if I don’t like them, I believe there will necessarily have to be a space dedicated to products with zero alcohol,» smiles the entrepreneur. «My last thought, which is no less important, is addressed to all restaurateurs: more attention should be paid to the construction of prices. Often wanting to charge a lot more per glass or bottle causes a block in rotations and a reduction in consumption.»
Stories to be told
Never forget the emotional, passionate side. A wine list can – must – also be this. The stories of those who produce the wine should be highlighted and told, as well as those who choose the wine. Alessandro Perini, director of the Romagnoli company in the Piacenza area and owner of a recently established wine distribution company, is absolutely convinced of this: «I believe that the future of wine lists in quality Italian restaurants will be increasingly oriented towards the presentation of authentic and passionate stories, because the wine list is like a book: emotion must transpire from every page to bind the reader. Wine is a journey through people, places and cultural backgrounds. Consumers are attracted to authentic and verifiable stories, rather than soulless brands, even if they offer good, decent wines that lack personality. This is exactly what I look for when selecting new companies to include in my catalogue: companies and products that exude emotion».
Artificial intelligence
«The wine list is experiencing a not-so-silent revolution. The era of heavy, hundreds-of-pages lists has come to an end, making way for more streamlined and dynamic selections, which can change on a weekly or even daily basis according to agreements with distributors and commercial agencies. Immobilising capital in the cellar
becomes unsustainable: this pushes restaurateurs towards innovative formulas for Italy such as the right to uncork, which allows customers to bring their own bottles and pay a reasonable corkage fee». This is the opinion of Andrea Gori, taster, critic, writer, owner with his family of the historic trattoria Da Burde, but above all someone who has always been very attentive to technological innovation, so much so that he calls himself the computer sommelier: «Artificial intelligence will enter this scenario, supporting both the restaurateur in the creation of the wine list and the customer in the consultation. Specific algorithms will generate personalised selections based on the owner’s indications, but also on consumer trends and reviews. AI indexing will allow sophisticated searches by emotions, pairings or occasions, not just by grape variety or region. The wine list of the future will be mainly digital and interactive, accessible via tablet or personal devices, with intuitive interfaces that will facilitate personalised experiences. Customers will be able to view multimedia content about each wine, from videos of the wineries to tasting notes, and even the history of the producer and a map of his vineyards (perhaps projected directly onto the tablecloth), making the experience more educational and engaging». These trends also intersect with those concerning attention to the environment and sustainability and the
“naturalness” of wines…
«We will have a growing amount of information about the carbon footprint of each bottle, and there will be an increasing demand for organic and biodynamic wines. The lists will also include more options: from non-alcoholic drinks to low-alcohol wines and other artisanal fermented beverages, thus responding to the evolution of consumption. Dematerialisation via QR code will allow real-time updates of the wine list, eliminating the frustration caused to guests by out-of-stock labels: thanks to a direct link with the warehouse database, each wine list will be constantly updated with actual availability. Technologies such as augmented reality will allow you to point the camera of your smartphone at a label to display additional information, while apps and social platforms will allow you to save preferences, share discoveries or interact with communities of enthusiasts. This evolution doesn’t mean losing the human element, but enriching it: the sommelier will use these tools to offer a more personal experience, freed from administrative tasks to finally dedicate themselves to true wine consulting, focusing more on the relational aspect than on the logistics of the wine experience. All the technology in the world should allow us to be even more human and refined in our service, not to standardise and trivialise the choice of a wine».
Wine, meat, sex The hypocrisy of neo-healthism
Anthropologist Massimo Canevacci:
“Restrictions and stigmatisation of wine and food are indicative of an authoritarian vision”
by Stefano Polacchi
The impression is that the spaces of individual freedom in the ways of eating and sitting at the table, drinking, behaving, are shrinking, and by a lot. In particular, after the Covid emergency there has been a sort of creeping (but not too much) strategy of standardising choices and habits in the name of a particularly clear “collective good” and to the detriment of individual freedom. The controversy – or rather, the crusades, at least in some quarters – over the dangers of drinking wine (and alcohol), the restrictions (and above all the scaremongering and social stigma with regard to wine) linked to the new rules (more commercials, after all, than concrete innovations) of the highway
code and the limits of alcohol tests.
And lastly, a decree – no less than a decree! – from the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, to regulate the behaviour of customers in bars, restaurants and public places and design a sort of ‘model patron’. According to the decree, the premises must appoint a ‘safety manager’ point of contact with the police, install video surveillance systems at their own expense, ensure adequate lighting of the area and define the rules of behaviour to be observed in the premises and in the immediate vicinity by adopting a “Code of Conduct” for customers to be displayed in the premises, which should contain a series of measures aimed at qualifying the ‘model cus -
tomer’. In short, the alarm that many expressed during the Covid-related restrictions, and which seemed like an exaggeration to many others, seems to be taking shape in some way... Is this really the case? We talk about it with Massimo Canevacci, an anthropologist specialising in human behaviour, who has just published his latest reflection: Cittadinanza Transitiva (Transitive Citizenship).
Professor, what’s happening? Does this extreme attention to the health of individuals make sense, given that it’s causing alarm in many situations?
My reflection starts from the observation that the concept of citizenship is now at the centre of essential questions about the ‘uniformity of the citizen’. Health fanatics seem to want to standardise the behaviour of individuals, also from a health point of view, starting from an idea of citizenship that wants to standardise people’s behaviour based on standards defined from above: sexual identity, world view, technology and, increasingly, nutrition and health.
Aren’t health awareness and healthism the same thing?
Healthism is a sort of degeneration of the attention to health: it is one thing to care about and pay attention to the psychophysical wellbeing of citizens, it is another to want to standardise habits. Everyone can decide to have one or more models. Healthism, on the other hand, aims to standardise everything: it wants to pre-form a standard model to which
all citizens should conform. Thus the ‘healthist uniform’ becomes an absolutely authoritarian thing that leads to the degeneration of healthcare.
In what sense degeneration?
It’s one thing to feel good, but it’s another to deprive yourself of the pleasures of life - food, sex, eroticism, art - based on pre-formed health standards.
Is this also the case from a nutritional point of view?
‘Nutrition‘ is becoming a sort of buzzword that oscillates between a correct vision of citizens’ health and a health-obsessed vision where nutrition is not about the pleasure of tasting, eating and being together, but about meeting standards in terms of body weight, proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
This health-obsessed vision is fuelling an ‘authoritarian’ vision of nutrition, established from above.
Can we talk about “neo-healthism”?
Healthism has had a very disastrous tradition in Europe, for example during Nazism, when in the 30s totalitarian states prefigured a uniform vision of nutrition and “health” also in terms of eugenics. Currently there is a revival in many western countries, from Europe to the USA, of a “uniform” vision that aims to bring together health, nutrition and the body by setting standards and parameters, determining what is right or wrong, even denying the possibility of gender choice. It’s an authoritarian trend that is emerging in many countries: the United States, China, Hungary, Russia... and Italy too. I’m not talking about eugenic healthism, as in the past, but about a healthism that aims to affirm ‘uniformity’, single rules, pre-established dietary rules that should give the sense of being in the world in a State...…
Does the campaign against wine have anything to do with this?
Well, it’s becoming a real obsession: asking for warning labels like for tobacco, is a step in this direction. Eating a lot of carbohydrates means disfiguring not only the body, but also the mind and the soul.
The same goes for meat, which is becoming almost a shame: you feel guilty for having killed living beings and for contributing to polluting the environment. As well as for taking substances that are harmful to our bodies as citizens.
Is pleasure being banned?
Of course, the pleasure associated with eating is also starting to be criticised. Real ‘food proscription lists’ are being drawn up with the aim of eliminating certain foods or products and shaming
those who consume them. All this is part of a model of “authoritarian uniformity”.
In this regard, where is the line between the duties of a State and authoritarianism?
The State must concern itself with health, but it can’t codify the dietary or relational models of people, of citizens.
So it’s not just about food? This also applies to art, to cinema: standardisation wins, just think of the productions, especially of companies like Netflix or Amazon. A director like David Lynch wouldn’t have a chance today. Think of two of the central sequences in Mulholland Drive: the director auditions two singers, the first is exceptional, but the production wants the second and in the end the director accepts. The director’s subordination to the
production is one of the many interpretations of the film in which the criticism of the increasingly regular model of US cinema and beyond emerges. I like the word “uniform” because it leads to uniformity. We see it in sport too: the fans are increasingly uniform, Roma and Lazio are both projected in a racist way. In music: it’s difficult to find today experiences that are strongly innovative as they could have been in the 60s and 70s or in the 90s when electronics created new soundscapes...
He also talked about gender choices... What does this have to do with food and health?
Diet, sexuality and health: there is an attempt to establish a sexual model similar to the food model, based on male and female, as Trump himself said when he took office. There is an equation between this sexual dualism and health food where a government predetermines what
is healthy for bodies, bodies that are male or female. An alternative gender determination is a pathology: like eating three plates of spaghetti or drinking a bottle of Amarone, a pathology. The nutritional model, the sexual model, the cultural, physical and political models are fixed in a top-down determination. But the State cannot interfere in the determination of my models and standardise them.
In this respect, do you see passive acceptance or do you think there could be opposition?
Sexual healthism is similar to food healthism: I believe it will create conflict and violence. Violence suffered, but also reactive violence.
But surely the State should be able to set limits, shouldn’t it?
I believe that each individual should
decide when to drink and what to drink: it’s not punishment that stops the danger, but the autonomy and conscience of each individual that should save our health and also our collective safety. My vision is based on the autonomy of the subject: a conscious person who knows how to decide. Quite another thing is a law that blocks and that has already decided, standardising what it means to drink or eat for each individual person. It’s not my decision, it’s the law that decides it for me. I decide when I can drink a lot and when I can drink a little. In the neohealth model, on the other hand, I no longer have this possibility: there is a law that wants to standardise the behaviour of citizens.
But how can the task of caring for a state be combined with individual freedoms?
This is the central question: how can society and the individual be harmonised. Let’s start from the consideration that “the processes of daily life” are in fact “processes”, “paths” and not rules or laws. The concept of intellectual autonomy is fundamental in imagining a free citizen. Instead, today there is a tendency towards dirigisme that prevents the autonomous decision of the subject, which is the great value of Western thought. The conflict that these “paths” between individuals, that everyday processes, can determine is definitely better than uniformity. In the contemporary conception, daily life is also determined by conflict: it is the reflection on how to resolve the conflict that determines whether a society is authoritarian or liberal. Conflict solutions cannot be predetermined: if you eliminate conflict you enter an authoritarian society.
The Salice Salentino and Brindisi DOP wines meet Italian signature cuisine
Salice Salentino Dop & Brindisi Dop on Tour, a project born from the collaboration between Gambero Rosso, the Salice Salentino Dop Wine Protection Consortium and the Brindisi and Squinzano Doc Wine Protection Consortium, as part of the Radici Virtuose project, has brought Apulian labels to some of the most interesting tables on the Peninsula, paired with the chefs’ dishes, from Milan to Rome, from Bologna to Martina Franca, passing through Naples. The dinners, organised by Gambero Rosso, from 2022 to 2024, allowed us to discover unusual combinations of the wines of the two top Apulian wineries and signature dishes designed and created ad hoc.
The historical and very contemporary expressions of Salento viticulture are paired with menus by great chefs selected by Gambero Rosso. Harmonies to be discovered by lovers of haute cuisine and fine wine. White, rosé and red wines, the fruit of a land between two seas, that can accompany every course with freshness, structure and personality, from the aperitif to the dessert.
DAMIANO REALE, CONSORZIO TUTELA
DOP SALICE SALENTINO
Rosé wines from a particularly suitable area, but also “red wines that, at different temperatures, show different nuances and the ability to enhance unusual and surprising combinations” says Damiano Reale, President of the Salice Salentino PDO Wine Protection Consortium. An opportunity to reveal a DOC wine like Salice to great chefs, as well as to the public of enthusiasts. “Our designation best represents the wine-making history of the entire Salento area and through participation in this series of events we have had the opportunity to
10 dinners from north to south to raise awareness of the potential of Apulian wines and their ability to pair well with dishes that go beyond tradition
proudly promote our identity and our wine excellence to the many lovers of this land”.
ANGELO MACI, CONSORZIO TUTELA DOC BRINDISI E DOC SQUINZANO
Angelo Maci, President of the Consortium for the Protection of Brindisi DOC and Squinzano DOC wines, is equally proud and persuasive: “Even the name, Brindisi, is beautiful. Brindisi is joy, folklore, celebration. Behind this denomination there is a long history, celebrating a territory dedicated to viticulture. We are convinced of the Negroamaro – the basic grape variety common to both Consortia – produced by the millenary history of which we have improved the characteristics thanks to advanced technologies”.
Today Salento has all the characteristics to be considered among the most important Italian wine-growing areas and it is precisely the millenary know-how and the Apulian sapling vines that are the major strengths of this land.
Vineyards by the sea cooled by the breeze and warmed by the sun, red earth and a remarkable complexity of soils that have in common a sandy texture of marine origin, organised in flat or gently sloping terrain. When you arrive in the terroir of the two denominations, what strikes the traveller is the red colour of most of these lands: a characteristic linked to the composition of the soil, rich in iron and aluminium hydroxides. The equidistant proximity of these vineyards to the two seas (the Adriatic and the Ionian) allows for temperature variations and excellent ventilation, giving the wines great flavour; in short, we are talking about a terroir capable of producing wines that are rich in extracts and have intense aromas, that stand the test of time.
SALICE SALENTINO DOP AND BRINDISI DOC: THE TYPES
An evocative landscape, on deep, clayey and iron-rich soil, among farms, watchtowers and baroque cities: this is the ideal habitat for the main grape variety of the area, Negroamaro.
For the Brindisi DOC the regulations are rich and detailed: as well as Rosso (also Riserva) and Rosato (also Spumante) it also includes Bianco (Chardonnay and white Malvasia as well as Sauvignon and Fiano). Brindisi Rosso, the most traditional blend, contains a minimum of 70% Negroamaro and usually Malvasia Nera; other authorised vines can also be used, such as the native Susumaniello, which is currently undergoing a true revival. An elegant and profound wine that characterises the denomination and differentiates it from its important cousins.
The protagonist of the Salice Salentino DOC is still “Negroamaro”. The “Salice Salentino” DOC red and rosé, without any specification of grape variety, is in fact reserved for wines obtained from the vinification of grapes from vineyards composed of at least 75% Negroamaro, with Malvasia Nera di Lecce, which is traditionally used by many wineries for a historic Salento blend. Salice Salentino Rosso, Rosso Riserva and Rosato (the first rosé wine in Italy was bottled here in 1943) are flanked by Salice Salentino Bianco (generally Chardonnay-based) and Salice Salentino Aleatico, a sweet wine of ancient tradition. In short, a complete range that has won over an international audience for its elegance, complexity, full-bodied structure and longevity.
From top left: Cosimo Guarino of Four Season in Martina Franca (TA); Andrea Provenzani of Liberty in Milan; Max Poggi of Circolo Bononia - Palazzo Bolognetti in Bologna; Davide Del Duca with sommelier Andrea Marini and floor manager Manuela Menegoni of Osteria Fernanda in Rome
THE LAST 4 DINNERS OF 2024
With a small overrun in January 2025 at Il Liberty in Milan, the last four dinners organised by Gambero Rosso for Salice Salentino Dop and for the Brindisi and Squinzano Docs. Learn about the dishes and food pairings.
Il Liberty – chef Andrea Provenzani
milano – v le monte GRappa, 6
02 290 11 439 – il-libeRty it
MENU
Marinated scabbard fish with turnip tops and taralli
Wines: Salice Salentino Negroamaro Rosato
Stelle di Lorenzo ’24 – Cantine De Falco
Salice Salentino Bianco Mani del Sud ’21 – Apollonio
***
Aubergine parmigiana wrapped with stracciatella
cheese and crispy courgette strips
Wines: Salice Salentino Rosato Rosarò ‘23 –
Feudi di Guagnano
Salice Salentino Rosso ’23 – Menhir Salento
***
Chickpeas and pasta with raw snapper roe, lime and sesame oil
Wines: Brindisi Rosso Camarda ’21 – Cantine Due Palme
Salice Salentino Rosso ’20 – Masseria Borgo dei Trulli
***
Yellowtail, olives, broad beans and chicory in an olive crust, broad bean and chicory cream with olive oil, garlic and chilli pepper
Wines: Salice Salentino Rosso Santa Croce Ris. ’21
–Vigneti Reale
Brindisi Rosso Anticaia ’20 – Cantina San Donaci
***
Pasticciotto pastry filled with with goat's ricotta and candied orange peel
Local bocconotto with toasted almond custard, dark chocolate and fig compote
Wines: Brindisi Masada ’19 – Cantine Lu Spada
Salice Salentino Ris. ’15 – Cosimo Taurino
A. A. Super-white
Alto Adige has a new model for whites of international caliber: low numbers, long aging
by Raffaele Mosca
The goal is quite specific: to compete in the fine wines segment, currently dominated by regions such as Tuscany and Piedmont. The strategy to achieve it, however, is not yet fully outlined: the Alto Adige wine consortium has identified the term “icons” to define regional wines that aim very high, but on the limits of the category, opinions are mixed. «A wine, to be considered iconic, must have a certain historicity,» explains Martin Foradori Hofstätter. Eduard Bernhardt, director of the consortium, argues, however, that the horizons are broader: «The icons are both the classic wines of our territory and ambitious newgeneration wines.» What is certain is that the project-which we could also call SuperAltoAdige because of similarities with what exists in Tuscany-runs on two parallel tracks: on the one hand historical and well recognizable brands that owe their success to almost unanimous critical acclaim, never too limited availability and a positioning in a high - but not unattainable - bracket from which even those who do not have an overly inflated wallet can draw at least on big occasions; on the other hand, wines of recent introduction, with a much more limited print run and a price tag in line with exclusivity, that aspire to play the champions league of world wine, often offered by the same winemakers who conceived them in comparative tastings with the greats of Burgundy, Bordeaux and the like. If the former - among which are brands such as Lafoá, Sanct Valentin, Nova Domus or Lowengang - will always continue to represent the best-known face of Alto Adige, the latter may give rise to a small revolution also because, being largely whites, they fill a huge gap in the Italian supply. “Collectors and big spenders buy the reds of the big appellations, but then, when it comes to finding a white equivalent, they point to single brands or directly to France,”
a well-known Milanese wine shop owner explained to us some time ago. Indeed, some of these super Alto Adige wines immediately found a place in the selections of wine boutiques, fine dining restaurants or simply frequented by the jet-set. But these are not anonymous luxuries, constructed on the drawing board to satisfy the whims of the paperoni: compared to a few bottles still in search of identity, most of the “new” icons reflect the multifacetedness of the South Tyrolean terroir even better than the classic wines.
Squaring the circle
The idea of fine South Tyrolean wine did not come out of nowhere, but is the latest step in a process that has reshaped the regional wine scene
Terlano’s great cooperage and tribute to Sebastian Stocker winemaker from the postwar years to the 1990s
over a 30-year period. The names that come up most often when talking about Icons are three: Sebastian Stocker, Luis Raifer, Hans Terzer. Figures who do not enjoy much notoriety, because the celebration of collective success at the expense of that of individuals is inherent in the “Germanic” DNA of South Tyroleans, but who stand to the region like Piero Antinori and Giacomo Tachis to Tuscany or the Barolo Boys to Piedmont.
Sebastian Stocker was the first to demonstrate the longevity
Luis Raifer: kicked off Colterenzio’s “international” traction revolution.
of whites from these areas. An oenologist at Cantina Terlano from the postwar period to the mid1990s, he began bricking up bottles to take them away from members who would sell everything right away and let them sit for decades. It had to wait nearly forty years before the board approved the launch of its first aged wine: 1979 vintage marketed in 1991, something unheard of at a time when the white wine sector in the Peninsula was still at year zero. Rarity, then, became the first South Tyrolean wine to tick off high figures and the Italian aging white par excellence: conceived according to vintage trends as
a single-varietal Pinot Bianco or Chardonnay or as a blend of three grapes typical of Terlano, but always aged for at least a decade between stainless steel barrels and bottle. For years it was unique in terms of positioning; then in 2010 came Appius, a creation of Hans Terzer, a winemaker who, with the Sanct Valentin line, had already made inroads into the restaurant scene in half of Europe. The grapes are almost the same, there is just a bit of Pinot Grigio to make the difference, but the protocol is totally different: aging is in barrique, release occurs after “only” four years. Terzer has always wanted to fight on equal terms with the rest of the world, and the tasting of four vintages shows that the wine deviates a bit from the usual South Tyrolean track to pursue international taste standards.
Luis Raifer is the man who, by uprooting a vineyard of Schiava and planting Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, started the “international” traction revolution at Colterenzio, another prominent cooperative. The house red, Lafoá, was one of South Tyrol's first Three Glasses in the late 1980s and early 1990s; the white his successors have dedicated to him, LR, embodies on an equal blend basis a style halfway between the wines of Terlano and Appius in terms of balance between freshness and power. Alongside him from this year is Gran Lafoà, white wine of the year for Gambero Rosso's Vini d'Italia 2025 guide, which follows the worldwide trend of seeking pure expression of individual grape varieties and deftly plays the very difficult championship of the world's great Sauvignons.
The saga of Chardonnay-based wines continues with Bolzano's TAL and Nals Margreid's NAMA, the only single-varietal expression in the saga, which is exquisitely Burgundian in approach. But if everyone only enforced on the varieties of which ultra-premium expressions also exist in other territories, this would be quite limited. Instead, as we move away from the classic estates, the picture of super-South Tyroleans becomes more complicated, and there are those who, defying stereotypes, try to achieve similarly ambitious results with grapes often considered “B” grade. Outside of Terlan, Pinot Blanc is a misunderstood Cinderella, supplanted by Pinot Grigio in the low end and claudicant in the high end. Yet Kellerei St. Pauls, one of the lesser-known cooperatives to the general public and one of the fastest-growing, has chosen the “holiest,” or oldest, vineyard of Pinot Blanc in the hands of its own growers to produce a wine that steps outside the usual canons of the area: it is aged in amphora and exhibits a subtler profile than the
others, but an intriguing one. Then there is Gumphof, a renowned but modestly sized private winery, with its Renaissance, which bridges the gap between the new and old guard; it comes out at somewhat more affordable figures, but with the aforementioned Super Alto Adige it shares a limited run. It is timely in reflecting the varietal's expressive versatility: the slightly more intense aromatic side evokes the location of the vineyards at the beginning of the Eisack Valley.
The Gewürztraminer challenge
Gewürztraminer is a grape variety from which it is complicated to make a very ambitious wine because of modest acidity, high sugar levels and the aromatic exuberance that is often exacerbated by the Alpine climate. Yet it was he who gave birth to the first wine that was able to bring home the most coveted international recognition ever: 100 points from Robert Parker for the first marketed vintage, 2009, of Tramin's Epokale. The Termeno cooperative's genius idea was to draw inspiration from Alsatian abboccate versions, opting for a sort of middle ground between dry and passito and for aging in the meanders of a mine at 2,200 meters, where the stable climate would allow for slower evolution. It is a “unicorn wine,” and will always be the exception and not the rule: an exercise in style if you will, but centered enough to succeed in the collector's bracket of wines and tick upward prices in the secondary market.
The other way to enhance Gewürztraminer is that of Martin Foradori, who has focused on aging rather than residual sugar, demonstrating what some aficionados had long understood, namely that, with a very long bottle rest in full Terlano style, the aromatic part of Gewürztraminer
is reduced in favor of much more interesting aromas.
With a print run of about 1,000, the Konrad Oberhofer Vigna Pirschrait is another meteor, but it could easily become a new benchmark, not least because it is among the few wines in the group to come from a single vineyard. And tying each label to a terroir rather than a “superselection” concept could be the next challenge, as the Consortium recently received the green light for Additional Geographical Units. ricevuto il via libera per le Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive.
Epokale, gewürztraminer from Cantina Termeno: the 2009 vintage scored 100 cents for Robert Parker
i centesimi
>Terlaner Primo Grande Cuveè 2021 97
10 fine wines from Alto
Adige
Collector or celebration wines that trace Italian styles or defy convention. They do not overlap with the territory’s great classicswhich, thanks to this expedient, maintain a fairly affordable price point-but they promote the repositioning of Alto Adige on the global wine chessboard
Cantina Terlano Terlano (BZ)
A whiff of flint anticipates melted butter, saffron, white flowers, subtle hints of roasting. Explosive, overwhelming but extraordinarily agile, with that intense saline part that is the hallmark of Terlano wines accompanied by honeyed references that plump up, perfectly integrated acidity completing an impressive progression for overall harmony.
>A.A. Chardonnay Nama 2021 96
by Raffaele Mosca
Nals Margreid Nalles (BZ)
Candied citrus, chamomile, summer melon, flint and an all-Alpine balsamic breath. The mouth is perfectly coherent, shot through with darting acidity that makes the sip particularly slender and flowing. Perfectly dosed wood, toned and at once creamy finish reminiscent of the best wines from Puligny Montrachet and environs. A model of style and cleanliness.
96
>Terlaner Rarity 2008
Cantina Terlano Terlano (BZ)
One of the few editions from with a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Blanc typical of Terlan instead of from Pinot Blanc. It is 16 years old but doesn't show it: aromas of chamomile, medicinal herbs and toasted hazelnut with a slight honeyed background. Still extremely young, the acidity is incorporated into the creamy structure, the long finish insists on iodine and dried fruit tones.
95
>A.A. LR 2020
Colterenzio Cornaiano/Appiano (BZ)
More fragrant and less evolutionary than its predecessor, this wine is floral and balsamic with hints of exotic fruit and vanilla. Straight, lashing and then softer, the presence of Sauvignon makes itself felt with vegetal hints that dilute the richer side of ripe fruit and honey. Precise and developing finish. Tasting three other vintages showed that it evolves well over 7-8 years.
>Gewürztraminer Konrad
95
Oberhofer Vigna Pirschschrait 2010
94
>A.A. Bianco Tal Bianco 1930 2021
Cantina Bolzano Bolzano
More Chardonnay, less Sauvignon for the second vintage produced, and some aging in cement eggs. This is a wine that-blinded with a Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres from Bouchard--shows more freshness: floral and mentholated, without excess butter or wood. Equally slender on the palate: appealing for streamlined dynamics, citrusy and saline, potentially long-lived.
94
>A.A. Gewürztraminer Spätlese Epokale 2020
Cantina Tramin Termeno (BZ)
The ambition is to rival Alsace late vintages, but the profile is very different. A balsamic puff frames lychee, peach in syrup and rosewater. The grams of residual sugar are 64, but well balanced by acidity and a saline reminder. Elegant, composed, easy to sip on its own, with time it will develop more depth
The slalom of reds between Schiava and Pinot Noir
If the super Alto Adige whites follow a line, the reds struggle to find a common thread. Some play on Bordeaux varietals and some focus on traditional Schiava, defying the prejudice that would have it for ready-to-drink wines. Pfannenstielhof in St. Magdalena waits a good five years before releasing der Pfannenstiel, a flagship wine with an almost “Burgundy-like” aromatic structure. Speaking of Burgundy, Pinot Noir is the other variety used for collectible reds: of them all, Franz Haas's Ponkler is the most unique, from vines at 750 meters.
93
>A.A. Bianco Appius 2020
Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano Appiano (BZ)
Explosive, debuts on tones of yellow flowers, boxwood and elderflower, followed by pineapple, flint and balsamic. Enveloping at the opening and then straighter; more alpine in freshness than earlier vintages. The feeling, however, is that it continues to play on intensity rather than finesse, with floral, exotic references, discernible warmth and an almondy touch on the finish.
Hofstätter Termeno (BZ)
The terpene part came off in favor of intriguing aromas of tangerine, white pepper, curry, hints of hydrocarbon and dried fruit. Aromatically similar to a great Alsatian Gewürz, but without even the slightest hint of sugar. Honeyed and hydrocarbon referrals give depth to a sip that makes balance its strong point: ripe, but without any sagging.
93
>A.A. Pinot Bianco Sanctissimus 2019
St. Paul’s San Paolo (BZ)
True to the varietal with its restrained, whispery profile centered on tones of toasted hazelnut, flint, ginger and candied citrus. Citrine freshness with an oxidative hint at the bottom-probably related to the amphora passage-that softens the edges and gives fullness. Degreasing, faux-magro, perfect now with a cacio e pepe or in a few years with mushrooms and truffles.
93
>A.A. Pinot Bianco Renaissance 2019
Gump Hof Presule (BZ)
Subtle white flowers and wild herbs, followed by subtle hints of dried fruit and smoke. Composed and reserved at this stage, but dragging in dynamics, with balsamic and citrus zest references to lend elegance and pleasantness. A small vertical showed that it will reach its expressive peak within 4-5 years.
Tenuta Luisa: A Century of Passion and Innovation in Friuli
The Luisa family is a dynasty in the winemaking industry, hailing from Corona, a small hamlet in the municipality of Mariano del Friuli, within the Friuli Isonzo DOC. This region, in Italy’s far northeast, sits at the crossroads of Slovenia, Austria, and the Julian Alps - a fascinating borderland with a rich history of viticulture dating back to pre-Roman times. It was officially recognised as a DOC in 1974.
The landscape here is shaped by gentle plateaus descending from the Collio and Carso hills towards the Adriatic Sea, marked by the evershifting course of the Isonzo River. Over time, the river’s movements, floods, and sediment deposits have enriched the land with noble organic matter and layers of gravel, carried down by melting snow from the mountains. The region enjoys a Mediterranean microclimate, with ample sunshine and significant temperature variations that slow down grape maturation, ensuring balanced acidity and structure, as well as complex and nuanced aromatic profiles.
It is within this exceptional terroir that the Luisa brothers, Michele (as oenologist) and Davide (as
agronomist), lead Tenuta Luisa, honouring the legacy of their father, Eddi. Their work is a seamless blend of shared passion, decades of expertise, and a constant drive for innovation. The story of the Luisa family spans nearly a century, beginning in an era when working the land was a laborious and humble craft. While staying true to their roots is essential, they also embrace the future, recognising that innovation has revolutionised winemaking.
In recent years, Tenuta Luisa has invested significantly in technology across various production stages and expanded its cellar, a development that also enabled the implementation of a photovoltaic system. Sustainability has always been a core value at the estate, particularly in vineyard management, leading to prestigious certifications such as SQNPI and Diversity Ark.
Because while knowledge accumulated over generations is fundamental to winemaking, it is only through respect for the land that truly soulful wines can be created.
The spark of Super Sauvignon
Gran Lafoa by Colterenzio is the product of a project born 30 years ago: one of the first South Tyrolean outsiders
by Giuseppe Carrus - photos by Francesco Vignali
perfectly: made up more of light than heat, of great temperature fluctuations and evening breezes, where the roots sink a few centimetres into the earth and then creep through the moraine debris and further down the porphyry. Not a generic Sauvignon, but our Sauvignon».
This is how Alex Ferrigato describes the label that won the special White of the Year award in Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia 2025.
A label, the 2021, in its first year of production, given that the Gran Lafoa was only born four vintages ago, but it has a history made up of many vintages of the particular grape that finds its ideal habitat here and has become the winery’s symbolic white.
To trace its history we have to go back to 1993. That was the year
Luis Raifer, director of the Colterenzio winery and, left, Martin Lemayr, kellermaister of the South Tyrolean cooperative
when Luis Raifer, then President and Director of Colterenzio, decided to produce a wine of the highest quality from a single vineyard called Lafay.
Evolution
The company’s journey along the road to quality had already begun in the mid-1980s when the winery began planting international vines and producing wines that were, on the one hand, a true expression of the terroir, and on the other, the offspring of careful vinification aimed at exalting every single peculiarity that came from the vine, but also from the soil and climate. The name on the label of that vineyard became Lafoa (this was in the mid-1990s) and it went from a single plot to a group of vineyards all located in the same area for a total of 15 hectares. It began by using only small wood and the grapes came from very young vines. The radical change came in 2005 when it was decided to use much larger woods and not to carry out malo -
Today, more than 15 years later, a new turning point: the return of small wood, but only 50%, and the rest steel. And above all, malolactic never carried out. This is the turning point for Gran Lafoa. The bar is set higher and, in some ways, we return to our origins: a single vineyard - not the original one, the Lafay, but one not far away - at an altitude of 450 metres and facing north, the result of a planting in the 1980s.
26 years of Sauvignon
Last October, on the occasion of the presentation of Vini d’Italia 2025, we organised a vertical tasting of Lafoa, going back over the history of this great South Tyrolean wine. We started in 1995 and arrived at the 2021 vintage and compared the two labels, Lafoa and Gran Lafoa. In between, some incredible vintages that demonstrate the enormous ageing capacity of this wine. Above all, it stands out how the character -
istics of the vine, the soil and the climate manage to win out over whatever cellar technique is used, both in the past and at present. This demonstrates the fine work carried out in the transitions between vats and barrels, work that is deeply respectful of what nature has provided. Now and in the past.
The journalists who participated in the vertical: Jessica Anne Tan, Sangmi Kim, Mathias Gade, Asem Tussupbayeva, Rolf Madsen, Vincent Ochieng, Kristy Wenz, Mark Dewolfi, Cynthia Ribeiro
Lafoa & Gran Lafoa
93
>Alto Adige
Sauvignon Lafoa ’95
Colterenzio
Cornaiano (BZ)
The garment reveals a still brilliant golden straw colour; the flavour is very intense with beautiful minerality and an almost salty background that goes well with the light reminiscences of sage and currant buds perceived on the nose; the sip is vital and vibrant with marked acidity that gives, after thirty years, a textbook freshness. Very, very long finish.
97
96
>Alto Adige
Sauvignon Lafoa ’05
Colterenzio Cornaiano (BZ)
Intense, bright golden straw-yellow in appearance. Great olfactory breadth with aromas of dried herbs and sage that then reveal a background of candied lemon and sponge cake. Great complexity and great character are revealed on the palate: the flavour is rich and pulpy, the acidity is perfectly integrated and the finish is very long. A wine of great class
>Alto Adige
Sauvignon Lafoa ’13
Colterenzio Cornaiano (BZ)
Wonderful bright straw yellow, it seems like a very young wine. A classic wine in its varietal notes, although there is no lack of white fruit notes that add to the greener sensations. In the mouth, minerality dominates the sip, which is very savoury. For the rest, the palate is rich but with an excellent freshness that brings us back to a very balanced vintage.
97
>Alto Adige
Sauvignon Lafoa ’16
Colterenzio Cornaiano (BZ)
Brilliant straw yellow, showing beautiful youth. Intense and refined on the nose, with beautiful, very clear fruity sensations, an iodine and brackish background to which are added splendid and exquisite floral, aromatic and officinal herb memories. The palate is powerful and rich but also elegant, long, fresh, with acidity and savouriness well bonded together.
94
>Alto Adige
Sauvignon Lafoa ’21
Colterenzio Cornaiano (BZ)
The little brother of the Gran Lafoa shows itself from the start to be refined but much more varietal than the others, with the notes of the variety dominating the nose. The palate is enveloping with structure and acidity in balance but also a slightly bitter background, typical of the variety, especially in its youth. The finish is nevertheless clean and elegant.
97
>Alto Adige
Sauvignon
Gran Lafoa Ris. ’21
Colterenzio Cornaiano
Straw yellow with bright, greenish nuances. A nose of class and character with very nuanced varietal notes of exotic fruit, but also refined floral hints. The flavour, especially when compared to the Lafoa, is deeper and more structured with acidity that gives rhythm to the sip and gives, together with the savoury part, a finish of great length, but above all a great deal of elegance.
The seasons of wine and a great Trebbiano. Spinelli and the challenge of everyday wine
Every year, when we attend tastings in Abruzzo, we know that we can expect a few surprises. Not only because the production fabric expands with new players practically harvest after harvest, but also because we often witness first-hand some changes that take place within well-established realities, evolutions that, sometimes slowly, sometimes less so, come to the surface and are capable of surprising us. This last situation is what we have been able to photograph with the Spinelli family business. «We weren’t born as winemakers» says Carlo Spinelli, who runs the business with his brother Adriano, «the world of grapes and vines is something we arrived at gradually». Before dwelling on the stages of this family history, it’s a good idea to take a look at a map to understand exactly where we are: «we’re in Atessa, in the heart of the Sangro Valley, a valley that currently lives as much from agriculture as from industry. Obviously it wasn’t always like this: after the Second World War, vegetables and fruit trees were grown almost everywhere here. Sharecropping was still practised and my father Vincenzo was a sharecropper».When the system was decommissioned, the land was granted to the workers, in small plots of course; but this is where the adventure began. Carlo, leaves the floor to his son Vincenzo, who carries the name of his grandfather: «I believe that we Spinelli’s are gifted with a peculiarity that distinguishes us: we can’t stand still; we have to change,
The family – in its farming life – has always changed direction, and has now arrived at quality winemaking with a benchmark company in the Abruzzo region
renew ourselves; it’s really part of our DNA». With his brother and their respective families, grandfather Vincenzo continued the agricultural business, starting a profitable trade with the mountainous areas of the hinterland. «Among the products sold were also grapes, which the mountain dwellers used to make wine for their own consumption», continues Vincenzo: «at that point my grandfather realised that you could earn much more from grapes than from vegetables». The first insight had to do with a crystal clear entrepreneurial spirit: «let’s skip a step and sell the wine directly». A gamble, a leap in the dark, which also generated some disagreement with the rest of the family: «my grandfather didn’t own any land or have enough savings, but he nevertheless decided to bet everything on buying vineyards, leaving the rest of the agricultural activities aside. He had seen the future.» Since then the vineyards have increased and the company has undergone a fairly typical evolution within the wine sector in our country: bulk wine as a starting point; then the entry of his children into the company, the second generation, and at the same time the start of bottling. What has been described so far is essentially the background to a success story that has brought this solid family business to the forefront of various commercial sectors and to different markets, both in Italy and abroad: «Dining, hospitality and catering, large-scale retail trade, and since the mid-eighties also abroad: we didn’t focus on a single type
of market, but we had the ability to differentiate», explains Vincenzo: «in fact, even in this case we decided that a well-established practice had to be changed. If in the 2000s our turnover was divided between 60% of foreign markets and 40% of the domestic market, in recent years we have decided to recalibrate our objectives. Since 2008 we have been focusing mainly on the Italian market: we know that nobody is a prophet in their own land but we strongly believe in this move. And in fact, for now, we have reached a turnover equally divided between Italy and abroad».
Between Atessa and Lanciano, the Spinellis currently take care of about a hundred hectares of property. But, over time, the company has also started to take an interest in vineyards located in the southernmost part of the province of Chieti. As mentioned, as there are many commercial areas to cover, over the years the family has forged deep working relationships with some trusted suppliers. Vincenzo continues: «We have tried to copy the best in this field, that is, the South Tyrolean cooperatives. We are a private, family-run organisation but we work with many partners whom we have asked to espouse our cause. We don’t just buy the grapes, that would be too simplistic and not in line with our production philosophy. We follow and support them throughout the year: both in terms of work in the vineyard, but also, for example, when they need administrative or bureaucratic advice.
We agree on the type of product we want and then guarantee a favourable price for the grapes. In short, they are people who are in all respects part of the company».
«The flexibility of a family business» - continues Vincenzo - «and the solidity of a highly structured organisation: this is our strength». A combination that has brought about the creation of a new line, which has added a fundamental productive element to the company. This is the “Le Stagioni del Vino” range, from which comes the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo ‘21 that won the Tre Bicchieri in Vini d’Italia 2025, the company’s first. Carlo and Vincenzo, and with them the rest of the family involved in the company, are very proud of this new achievement. Vincenzo speaks for everyone when he explains to us the reasons behind this project: «since my grandfather founded the company, and especially since my father and uncle took over, the goal has always been to provide a wide audience with a good wine for daily consumption. While working on this, however, we tried to combine the bulk of the production with “high” lines, coming either from selections of vineyards or from particularly good vintages. But we wanted something more. Our DNA started to stir again and pushed us towards a more stimulating challenge. The playing field was initially that of white wines, a sector to which we had perhaps devoted less effort over time. We thought of a wine that was Abruzzese to the core, but at the same time made
with a different hand, with a different idea and a different school of thought. After extensive research, we turned to Enrico Paternoster, a wine consultant from Trentino, the deus ex-machina behind this line, a sort of satellite navigator on paths unknown to us, but also a mentor for my cousin Andrea, who has started to take care of the winemaking side here in the company. We wanted to create a line that would leave its mark and we hope we have succeeded». Le Stagioni del Vino is released for the first time with the 2020 vintage: in addition to two whites, made from Pecorino and Trebbiano grapes respectively, the line also includes a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Vincenzo concludes: «we’ve been offering this line on the market for three years, but we’ve been working on it for ten; we waited all this time because we weren’t yet satisfied with the result achieved. When we felt ready, we jumped in. We knew we had a good line and the Tre Bicchieri award for Trebbiano “21 was further confirmation».
THE TASTING
Abruzzo Pecorino Sup. Terre di Chieti
Le Stagioni del Vino ‘23
Immediately very explosive in the glass with notes reminiscent of passion fruit and sage. These are counterbalanced by citrus nuances of grapefruit and almost balsamic streaks that anticipate a very sharp, direct palate, with an almost extreme acidity. It still needs some time in the bottle and we are quite sure that time will smooth its edges.
Abruzzo Pecorino Sup.
Le Stagioni del Vino ‘22
With a year more ageing, the exotic note is more subdued and the bouquet becomes more elegant. The aromas are well blended: there is a varietal touch of green olive that gives way to puffs of menthol and yellow citrus fruits. The ageing process also benefits the palate, which has a solid structure, a deep flavour and a mineral note that begins to emerge with greater definition.
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Le Stagioni del Vino ‘22
Let’s change grape variety but stay with white wines. Trebbiano ‘22 is an almost electric wine at this stage. Fresh hay, lime, eucalyptus, a hint of shoreline: these are the sensations that overlap in its aromatic profile. In the mouth, the acidity is very clear, but this in no way detracts from the overall precision of the flavour. Here too, we are betting on a positive evolution in the bottle.
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Le Stagioni del Vino ‘21.
This is the wine that we awarded Three Glasses to in the latest edition of the Italian Wine Guide. We taste it again and once more perceive a pleasant smoky aftertaste that anticipates a rather typical note of fresh cereal that gives way to aromatic herbs and hints of lemon and citron. The palate is solid and endowed with a dynamism that carries the flavour along with a marked sapid perception.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Le Stagioni del Vino ‘22
While the whites are vinified and aged only in steel, for the Montepulciano a period of about a year in large Slavonian oak barrels is also preferred. The 2022 version has a fragrant and at the same time typical nose in which cherry and morello cherry blend with an elegant sensation of graphite. In the mouth the tannins are of a good grain, rounded and flavourful. The finish leaves us with refreshing balsamic sensations.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Le Stagioni del Vino ‘21
The warm 2021 vintage makes the fruity sensations a little reluctant to give in. The bouquet then turns first to a slight sensation of leather and, only later, a hint of sour cherry appears, embraced by a note of cocoa beans. However, the whole is very composed. The tannin is just a little rougher than in the 2022, but this helps give a certain rhythm to the sip.
Cerasuolo
d’Abruzzo Zione ‘23
We also tasted the Cerasuolo from the Zione line, another high quality range in the crowded panorama of company labels. The colour is the traditional cherry red and brings with it a crisp wild strawberry and a lovely note of bitter orange peel. There is a hint of tannin that marks the time of each sip and a graphite hue that gives it an extra facet.
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Zione ‘22
So much for those who think that Cerasuolo is a wine to be drunk immediately. When it’s well made, the least rosé of rosé wines can give great satisfaction even when it ages a little. Blackcurrant and ripe pomegranate refresh the sensation of rose and red cherry. In the mouth it is sharp and taut, slightly smoky, juicy and with a savoury finish that grows.
Spinelli
Atessa (CH) via Piana La Fara, 90d 0872897916 cantinespinelli.it fcantinespinelli $cantinespinelli
Something has changed
Barolo 2021 and Barbaresco 2022: two vintages, two seasons and two very different ratings
by Divina Vitale
The 2021 vintage for Barolo shows itself to be particularly brilliant, characterized generally by great energy and length, with chalices proposing themselves for long ageing, as indeed is well suited to the appellation. More uneven-though obviously for Barolo as well, the different provenances, zones and subzones give different nuances to each other-the 2022 vintage for Barbaresco among whose labels a nice range of judgment emerges. This is the summary after the Nebbiolo Prima tastings: the appellation previews that brought more than 300 wines from 175 Piedmont wineries to the blind tasting counter. Organizing the event with critics, journalists and operators was the Albeisa consortium, which gathers 318 producers around the flagship-bottle of Langa wines, which in 2024 used 24 million Albeisa bottles.
Checks on markets and numbers at the event show that the U.S. remains the top foreign market for Nebbiolo with Barolo’s 18.7 percent and Barbaresco’s 19 percent share. Then come the German markets with 12 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively.
«Today – xplains Marina Marcarino, president of Albeisa and producer, –in an ever-changing context with respect to the effects of climate change, the main challenge is adaptation, which we are addressing through study, observation and the adoption of agronomic strategies to preserve the freshness of the wines. Nebbiolo, in particular, has
’21 and ’22, vintages and winemakers
The 2021 vintage stood out for its more traditional character: a rainy year characterized by heavy snowfall generated wines expressing elegance, classicism, and harmonious evolution.
The 2022, on the other hand, showed more markedly the effects of climate change: vignerons had to deal with a particularly dry season that required early harvests. Nevertheless, thanks to the water reserves accumulated underground in previous years, the vines were able to respond well, avoiding major criticalities. In this context, the role of the farmer and the producer was decisive in defining the identity of the wines.
shown extraordinary resilience, as evidenced by the excellent results of the 2023 vintage, despite high temperatures and prolonged drought. The producers’ attention,” Marcarino further states, ”is focused on maintaining the balance of the vineyards, through careful soil management and pruning designed to reduce plant stress. At the same time, new solutions, including genetic innovations, are being explored to deal more effectively with future challenges, in a climate framework that is certainly challenging because it is still uncoded and full of unknowns.»
PS. The following tastings are the result of preview tastings. The scores (and the wines) may change over time, even considerably: these here are impressions and not definitive evaluations.
>Barolo Cerviano Merli 2021 96
Barolo 2021 17 preview labels
Abbona Dogliani (CN)
A courtly wine in its aromas, ethereal and dreamy, endowed with magical seduction. Most elegant and fine, it unleashes a beautiful mouth in which the synergy between fruity flesh and tannin is superbly decanted. Deep and mouthwatering, it has a rhythm that is a crescendo on the palate and gives an exhilarating expression of Barolo.
>Barolo Serra 2021 95
>Barolo Acclivi 2021 98
G.B. Burlotto Verduno (CN)
A Nebbiolo that is a manifestation of Verduno in one of its most successful expressions. With aromatic tints and very pure traits in the glass, it has splendid personality and vocation. Heady, it offers hints of pitted fruit mixed with delicate herbs. The palate is a riot of flavours, subtle yet intense and provocatively drinkable. A wine of great emotions.
>Barolo Bussia 2021 96
Parusso Monforte d’Alba (CN)
With a darker aromatic profile rich in caramel tones, coffee and small dark fruits, it is pulpy on the palate but has fresh recalls with menthol notes and a radiant dynamic. Looseness and agility characterise the sip with attractive chiaroscuro. The mouth is both taut and sweet, with great charm and fullness.
>Barolo Ravera 2021 96
Gian Luca ColomboSegni di Langa Roddi (CN)
From a 50-year-old vineyard of 0.4 hectares on soils composed of sandy marl comes this cru of great future vision. A version of extreme grace and elegance: it smells of violet flowers mixed with delicate spices. In the mouth it reveals all its intensity and a great deal of beautiful matter. Of excellent smoothness and elasticity, it has superb tannic management.
>Barolo Angela 2021 96
Mauro Marengo Novello (CN)
Barolo that comes from a selection of grapes in the communes of Barolo (geographical mention ‘Terlo’) and Novello (geographical mention ‘Ravera’) is endowed with great vivacity and fragrance on the palate. In the mouth, it releases beautiful tension and great length. A Nebbiolo of outstanding brilliance, elegance and finesse. It has an infinite, tasty, dynamic sip.
Prunotto Alba (CN)
A bright and very fresh version with juicy hints of ripe berries, fresh herbs and dark wild flowers. Second vintage for this Barolo that has structure, solidity and a successful tannic texture. It lingers pleasantly in the centre of the mouth, with a modern ease, a character that connotes a style that aims for maximum drinkability.
>Barolo 2021 95
Carlo Revello & Figli La Morra (CN)
A convincing Nebbiolo with a layered nose of scents ranging from violets to cherries with earthy, fleshy hints. The grapes come from Manoncino (Serralunga d’Alba), Bricco Manescotto and Annunziata (La Morra). Cheerful and bright in the mouth, it ensures a tasty and easy drinking experience. A wine of great character.
>Barolo 2021 95
Réva La Morra (CN)
With winking olfactory nuances, it has variegated tones ranging from small fresh fruit to wild and aromatic herbs. The grapes come from Monforte, Serralunga d’Alba and Grinzane Cavour and yield a beautifully crafted Nebbiolo, vibrant and sunny, taut and assertive. It has a lot of substance, a precise and well-balanced tannic texture and weave. It has a spicy finish.
>Barolo Bussia 2021 95
Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo (CN)
A timeless classic you would recognise among a thousand. Characterised by an extremely elegant spiciness with light citrus tones mingling with hints of coffee and tobacco. From a fine drinkability heart with great power and structure, very representative and well articulated.
>Barolo Sottocastello di Novello 2021 95
Ca’ Viola Dogliani (CN)
From the Novello vineyards, this Nebbiolo is more whispery and austere on the nose. It is in the mouth that it expresses its strength and character. Fresh and spicy, it is very rhythmic on the palate where it does not become greedy for complexity. With relaxed and excellently integrated tannins, it is endowed with infinite charge and extraordinary persistence.
>Barolo San Lorenzo di Verduno 2021 94
Daniele Pelassa Montà (CN)
Another excellent interpretation of the terroir with this Barolo that is clear and precise, confident, very dynamic and savoury. It has a progression on the palate of great vigour and a finish rich in flavours and beautiful acidity. Its sip is contemporary, charismatic and passionate.
>Barolo Vigna La Rosa 2021 94
Fontanafredda Serralunga d’Alba (CN)
From a more austere nose, it becomes very readable and brilliant on the palate, proving to be a wine of character and depth capable of offering, in this vintage, ease of drinking and an excellent unfolding with a finish that shows a nice juicy tannin.
>Barolo Meriame 2021 94
Paolo Manzone Serralunga d’Alba (CN) Nebbiolo grown on calcareous clay soil with a south-west exposure with tones of great delicacy on the nose. Everything played on the finesse concedes a mouth of high elegance and flavour. A wine that knows how to manifest, in addition to its great territorial relevance to Serralunga, a magical harmony. Superb interpretation of the vintage.
>Barolo Bussia 2021 94
>Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2021 93
Ghëddo di Giovanni Pippia La Morra (CN)
A classic Barolo made using the traditional formula that takes in the best grapes from the communes, it is neat and sharp. In the mouth, it is very performing and expands with ease and composure, great balance and beautiful matter. Flowing and decisive, austere enough, it is solid and refined.
>Barolo del comune di La Morra 2021 93
Crissante Alessandria La Morra (CN)
With distinct and fresh aromas, crossing flowers and small fruit, it is inviting and lively, concentrating all its strength and structure in the centre of the mouth, characteristics that outline its complex but noteworthy personality. At the moment, the overall balance is not yet defined but it is a wine that will be made in time and very well
>Barolo le Coste di Monforte 93
Famiglia Anselma Barolo (CN)
With its still compact aromas from which spicy nuances emerge, it nonetheless makes a firm grip in the centre of the palate where it brings back a fabulous flavour that never leaves you. With more fleshy and textural traits, it never remains uniform and always offers new tones that make it very personal and of great interest. Excellently profiled and excellent in the finish.
Diego Conterno Monforte d’Alba (CN)
Severe and more rigid on the nose, it immediately develops a lively, dazzling progression in the mouth. It has excellent stuffing and natural agility. It is well executed and is very pleasant on the palate. A sincere wine without superstructures that weigh it down and leave it free to express itself to the full.
>Barbaresco Giacone
Lorens 2022 96
Barbaresco 8 labels you can’t miss
Walter Lodali Treiso (CN)
Here is a Barbaresco that is all about finesse, refined and elegant with an aroma that unfolds and articulates in floral notes such as violets and fragrant, fresh small fruit. Brilliant in colour it conquers the mouth with harmony and an excellent rhythm. Very tasty and extremely pleasant, it recalls conviviality.
>Barbaresco Gallina 2022 97
Oddero la Morra (CN)
A refined cru born in a marly soil rich in fine sand. The ‘22 version is exciting, with great aromatic generosity, ease on the palate and extreme finesse. A pressing and very agile, vital and responsive sip emerges. With excellent drinkability and precise, enveloping and very tasty tannins.
97
>Barbaresco Ovello 2022
Cascina Morassino Barbaresco (CN)
A company dedicated to the almost exclusive production of Barbaresco for generations, it has hit the mark with this vintage: a Nebbiolo with a rich personality that already strikes the nose for the variety of aromas unmistakably linked to the vine. In the mouth it is very full, taut and flavoursome, endowed with a fine acidic backbone. Destined for very long ageing.
>Barbaresco 2022 96
Castello di Verduno Verduno (CN)
This Barbaresco encompasses selected grapes from vineyards in the Rabajà bas and Faset subzones. An illuminating version in both colour and texture on the palate. In the mouth it is very sunny and rhythmic, and there is a magical balance between the most characteristic aromas: fruit and spice. Enjoyable right from the first sip, it has energy and harmony to spare.
>Barbaresco Bricco di Neive 2022 96
Enrico Serafino Canale (CN)
Barbaresco of great complexity but at the same time great ease and clarity. It gives sensations of small black fruit such as blueberries and blackberries, but also floral hints of rose and violet and more tobacco. In the mouth it is very joyful and supple, juicy and savoury. Of excellent progression with enveloping tannin and interminable pleasantness.
Basarin 2022 95
>Barbaresco
Cascina Luisin Barbaresco (CN)
From old south-facing vines in the commune of Neive comes this Nebbiolo of great aromatic elegance and tinged with rich floral aromas that invite drinking. It is stimulating on the palate where the flavour becomes pulpy, taut and savoury with light mentholated hints. It never ends its charge ensuring a crescendoing finish and great persistence.
>Barbaresco 2022 95
Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco (CN)
Barbaresco of classic lineage endowed with integrity, structure, complexity, minerality and freshness. A Nebbiolo of great charisma that wins you over immediately at first sip. Majestic but at the same time of excellent balance and perfect tannic “wording”. Fine and vibrant, it delivers a dynamic and very long finish.
>Barbaresco Nervo 2022 94
Pertinace
Treiso (CN)
From the historic cooperative comes this structured and very well-proportioned Barbaresco cru. The nose is distinguished by the tasty aromatic variety that ranges from red berry notes to aromatic herbs with a diffuse balsamicity. In the mouth it is satisfying and of great harmony with a good lengthening that brings out a nice juicy tannin.
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Italian wine takes centre stage in Kenya: Gambero Rosso brings 50 producers to Nairobi
In the first ten months of 2024, the import of our wines increased by about 12%: Italy is the third supplier, after South Africa and France
by Giuseppe Carrus
New markets for new scenarios. For the second consecutive year, Gambero Rosso has returned to Kenya, bringing about 50 Italian wineries for a tasting. The event was held in Nairobi on
30 January as part of the international Top Italian Wines Roadshow. The event showcased wineries that represent the great Italian wine regions and was attended by a large audience of industry professionals, restaurateurs and Kenyan enthusiasts who took part in masterclasses and guided tasting sessions. ‘Italian wine producers have returned to Nairobi in greater numbers than last year. This indicates that, over time, Kenyans increasingly appreciate
Italian wine. In the first ten months of 2024, imports of our wines increased by about 12% and our country is still the third largest supplier, after South Africa and France, with good margins for improvement. We can currently say that one in 10 bottles of wine that you find in supermarkets and restaurants in Kenya is Italian’, said the Italian ambassador to Kenya, Roberto Natal. During the day, Gambero Rosso also awarded prizes to Italian restaurants, wine bars and importers that have distinguished themselves for the quality, research and promotion of Italian cultural background and tradition through food and wine.
Curious and attentive consumers
What do we bring back from this trip?
First of all, the Kenyans’ happiness during the event. Happy to taste Italian wine, happy to discover the beauty of Italian wine. They literally invaded the beautiful Shamba event space, an old farm on the outskirts of Nairobi. The well-known and prestigious denominations are known to most, but sommeliers, importers and restaurateurs know that there is much more to Italy than that. The questions suggested a certain level of knowledge. We had already noticed this last year, but it seems that in just 12 months we have moved forward ten years. On the other hand, this is what happens in emerging markets. People were curious, well-informed and eager to hear anecdotes and interesting facts about Italian wine. The seminars were led by Giuseppe Carrus, editor of the Vini d’Italia guide, and sommelier Victoria Mulu-Munywoki, a great wine expert with a particular passion for Italian wine. We tasted an extract of Italian wine, starting from the great Italian sparkling wine regions, and then moving on to structured reds and reds from the south of the peninsula, and including fresh and young whites, but also mature whites that demonstrate their ageing potential. And there were also suggestions for pairings with traditional Kenyan food.
Tre Bicchieri meets Wine Paris
by Lorenzo Ruggeri
It’s Tre Bicchieri o’clock in Paris. About 60 awarded wineries celebrated the complexity of Italian wine at the Wine Paris 2025 trade fair. During the event, Lorenzo Ruggeri, director of Gambero Rosso, guided a fullybooked masterclass covering the special awarded wines of Vini d’Italia 2025. French and international journalists were delighted by the class of world class labels such as Barolo Castiglione Falletto 2019 by Cascina Fontana (Winegrower of the year) and Chianti Molino degli Innocenti 2019 by Torre a Cona (Red Wine of the year).
Gambero Rosso has been a partner of Vinexposium since 2015.
Eating Italian in Paris has never tasted so good. The best Italian restaurants in town were announced during the Tre Bicchieri event. Tre Forchette, the highest recognition, went to
Il Carpaccio guided by chef Alessandra del Favero and Oliver Piras. The Top Italian Restaurants guide features many new entries such as Pizzeria Vittoria to Pastificio Norma; continuing with Enoteca, an historic address in the very central rue Charles 5, which won the Villa Sandi Best Contemporary Wine List award, thanks to an impressive
selection in the cellar, including historic labels, but also lesser-known denominations. The offer is supported by attentive and professional service. To check the entire selection in Paris, which includes restaurants such as Passerini, Dilia or Mori Venice Bar, we invite you to visit our international website.
“Alcohol-free? At the fair they were finished on the second day, but it’s only a phase. In Paris smiles are back.” Interview with the CEO of Wine Paris
We met up 10 minutes before the end of the Paris trade fair with Rodolphe Lameyse, director of Vinexposium, the organiser of the Wine Paris/Vinexpo fair, we take stock of this sixth edition of Wine Paris, which took place from 10 to 12 February, registering a total of 5300 wineries, including over 1200 Italian producers (+74% compared to 2024). Lameyse is experienced, he looks satisfied and doesn’t hold back with his answers.
What struck you about this edition?
The smiles on people’s faces at the fair. That wasn’t to be expected. Despite everything that’s happening environmentally, politically and economically, I felt a healthy optimism. Right now the atmosphere in the world of wine is the key. This is a sign of hope, of resilience: the wine community is ready to take on any challenge.
What didn’t work?
We must always improve, especially in services. We had some problems at the entrance on the first day due to a very high turnout. We will work on it, because everyone must arrive and leave in an optimal way. We must push and give more and more.
How did the experiment with the Zero Tasting pavilion go?
I must confess that on the second day we ran out of samples in the free tasting area, we had to go and get them from other areas.
Should we worry?
Well, for a start it’s a sign that the sector is renewing itself. I love wine and I’ll never be a customer of dealcoholised wine. But it’s a market segment and it attracts young consumers. It’s important to be present in it.
We tasted almost all of them a few hours ago. The quality is, on average, tragic.
I can’t blame them. Others obviously have different tastes.
Should we expect many more dealcoholised wines in the next edition? What is the real scope of this segment?
I think so. Now is the time for curiosity, for novelty, there is a lot of noise around dealcoholised wine. I don’t know the real scope of the movement. It could also just be a phase. Remember the raw wines a few years ago? Now you hardly hear about them. You always have to remember the cycles. For example, 5 years ago Vinexpo, after the very poor 2018 edition in Bordeaux, seemed doomed to fall into the clutches of Prowein. Well, as soon as I arrived, we were considered dead. Then with the move to Paris and some adjustments we became what you saw in this edition. Well, the calendar helped. You decided to get ahead of your competitors. It’s not just that. If prowein got ahead of us in turn, it wouldn’t change the results.
What have you changed? And above all, what do you plan to change because the trade fair system is increasingly being questioned in cost-benefit analyses.
We are more than a trade fair. Of course, we have worked on the wine lobbies, on the political level, but also a lot on content, on high-level conferences and masterclasses. The wineries have appreciated this aspect, our attitude to value, they know that we are not the same as Verona or Dusseldorf. We go beyond the commodity: Wine Paris has the power to influence, to attract attention.
Rudolp Lameyse director of Vinexposium
However, there does feel to be a bit of a disconnect between the fair and the city. Apart from the Nouvelle Vague section, do you intend to bring the natural movement into the fair?
We need to bring more young people in, but we can’t do the work for others, we have to raise interest in the fair, in the themes, remodulate what’s on offer. We have to create content, I’m thinking of conferences like the one on wine consumption of Generation Z by the Californian Wine Institute: it was packed. What is happening to the world of wine, are you worried?
Not in the long term, but right now I’m worried about this state of depression. There is political instability, I’m thinking of France, of the legislation on wine that is constantly changing. We are all closed in on ourselves because we are afraid. But it’s just a phase, there are phases of crisis and phases of recovery: it’s part of the economic cycle.
Your vision?
There will be wineries in difficulty and some will disappear, we can see this in France too. Those who will prevail are those who know how to produce quality and who know how to market, understanding the expectations of the market and adapting accordingly. I repeat: it’s the cycle of history. It’s a phase of decline and there will be phases of recovery. Who is doing better in France?
The Loire with Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir. And also Alsace in my opinion. Who’s worse?
Well, Bordeaux. But this year’s feedback was much more positive than last year’s. However, if there are too many wines, the de-planting plan will work. A new balance will be found and we will start again stronger than before.
Tre Bicchieri New York and Chicago
by Marco Sabellico
The Tre Bicchieri US tour concluded with two iconic stages, New York and Chicago. The success is demonstrated by the many people who attended the events, both in the Big Apple and in the Windy City. Euphoria and enthusiasm were certainly not lacking, but fear over threatened tariffs was a cause for concern.
New York City
Travelling from the West Coast due East here we are in New York City. The temperature was cold, but the midday sun dampened the crisp air. The Metropolitan Pavilion was already full within minutes of the
doors opening. Around two hundred wineries were present and many people, including industry insiders, importers, buyers and journalists. The day was rich and intense. On the one hand, a large room for tastings and meetings with producers, and on the other, two masterclasses organised, one together with Unione Italiana Vini and the other with the Lombardy Region and its consortia. Also present at the event were the Consul General of Italy in New York, Fabrizio Di Michele, and the Lombardy Region's Councillor for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Alessandro Beduschi, precisely to
underline the importance of a territory that is often almost unknown from an oenological point of view, despite an incredible wealth of productions and varieties (from Lake Garda to Oltrepò Pavese, up to Lambrusco Mantovano, passing through San Martino della Battaglia) that make it almost unique in its kind (Lombardy, for example, is also the smallest DOCG in Italy, that of Moscato di Scanzo, a red berry Moscato, obtained from an indigenous vine cultivated on a territory of just 31 hectares). Enthusiasm was experienced by the participants in the masterclass, conducted by Giuseppe Carrus with the participation of Juri Pagani (Valtenesi consortium) and Riccardo Binda (Oltrepò Pavese consortium), who were able to get to know the wineries awarded the Three Glasses more closely, but also much satisfaction on the institutional side. «We were in New York to excite a qualified audience, buyers, many people from the wine world who were able to appreciate our wines and the special features of our productions. So much enthusiasm and, above all, so many people who have promised to come, in some cases to return, on the Olympic occasion of MilanCortina 2026, to seek out a Lombardy emotion», said the councillor at the end of the day.
Promises and expectations that consolidate the exchanges and increase American passion for a
Italian dining in New York
After all, we are in gourmand Manhattan, a city that loves good wine and good food, and here, to conceal it would be hypocritical, one can try the best international cuisines, including Italian, of course. And that is why the Gambero Rosso event was also the occasion to celebrate, as it does every year, the much-awaited Top Italian Restaurant, with thirty award-winners (a true record at planetary level) among restaurants, pizzerias, and wine bars, scattered throughout New York City and the state of the same name. The quality is very high here, and this is demonstrated by the many stories of Italian entrepreneurs who have decided to bet everything on a city where, while on the one hand trends are anticipated, on the other they always try to throw their heart over the obstacle and give their best, with results that speak for themselves.
Alberto Ghezzi, owner of the Lucciola restaurant on the Upper West Side, which entered the Guide this year with Two Forks, has tried after the Covid to raise the bar a little higher by focusing on wine, despite the obvious crisis in consumption. A choice that also earned him the Villa Sandi - Best Contemporary Wine list award: «We went from having about sixty labels to one thousand five hundred labels on the list. We have believed in it so much that we have even created a wine club, which currently has 250 customers in the restaurant, and we organise many presentations with producers for this: for me it is essential to focus on wine enthusiasts precisely to combat a crisis that many people are starting to perceive.»
sector, the Italian wine and food sector, which despite the uncertainties due to the contemporary political and economic conjuncture and a change of course, with several contractions, in consumption, still give hope for a future that is at least welcoming for our country, albeit with challenges to overcome in the immediate present. A hint of fear and perplexity it is useless to deny that there are and they rhyme with the 25% tariffs announced by the Trump administration, which could cost Italian wine almost €1 billion in lost exports, but the figures for the last six months of 2024 show Italian wine imports up by 4.5% compared to the previous year and our country still remains first in terms of volume for wine imports to the United States.
Chicago
A few hours' flight and from New York we land in Chicago. Here the temperature is even lower and Lake Michigan is a huge sheet of ice. But, even here, there was no shortage of sunshine. Chicago, the producers say, has become the most inspiring event in the States and it is no coincidence that many prefer it to New York. The audience is highly selected, attentive and prepared and eagerly awaits the Gambero Rosso event. In the Windy City, the day was also rich. Two masterclasses were organised: one replicated what had already been done in New York in collaboration with Unione Italiana Vini (the result
Italian dining in Chicago
The enthusiasm for Italy and its food and wine is confirmed by the Italian restaurant scene here in Chicago, which grows year after year and proves that you can eat an excellent pizza or a succulent pasta dish here. As many as 12 award-winning local restaurants and pizzerias. At the top of the Top Italian Restaurants list are Coda di Volpe, Gallucci, Forno Rosso and Spacca Napoli for pizzerias (the latter was awarded Tre spicchi and the Villa Sandi Prize for Best Contemporary Wine List). Among restaurants, on the other hand, special mention should be made of Gioia, Tortello, Piccolo Sogno, Osteria Langhe, Italian Home Made Company, Monteverde, Lucca and, last but not least, Coco Pazzo, one of the pioneering Italian restaurants in the Windy City and with a Wine List of all respect, full of different vintages, focusing on the great cornerstones of Italian oenology (starting with Piedmont), but also rich in small productions that make our wine-growing country great. Tamra Weiss, restaurant manager, tells us: «Italian wine is wonderful, the more you study it and get to know it, the more you realise what there is still to discover. With us, wine is the absolute protagonist and is chosen to go well with our cuisine, but also to make Italian biodiversity known.»
The last note in our report we dedicate to water. Yes, that’s right. It seems an oxymoron, given that we are talking about wine events, but we are proud of our new partner who accompanies us abroad. It is Smeraldina water, a Sardinian water well known in these parts, which quenched our guests’ thirst. Smeraldina is a water of the highest quality, winner of many international awards and, not surprisingly, the curiosity of the patrons was great. Happy to have you as travelling companions around the world to promote Italian wine!
of the European project Taste the Difference), the other featured the two companies owned by the Moretti Polegato family, Villa Sandi and Borgo Conventi. The masterclasses were conducted by Giuseppe Carrus, who was joined for the second by Flavio Geretto (Sales Director of Villa Sandi and Borgo Conventi) and Diva Moretti Polegato representing the family that owns the two companies.
Among those present was Mike ... owner of one of the most charming whisky bars in Chicago and a small
wine importer with an unbridled passion for Italy. «I have been looking forward to this event from year to year, I cannot miss it for any reason. Italian wine is really something unique, between territories, native grape varieties and different vinifications, but what really makes the difference are the people. Coming here means seeing their faces, their passion, their explanations of how they make wine. For me, wine cannot be detached from all that.»
Roadshow and Tre Bicchieri USA: the West
Gambero Rosso opens the year with three major events in the United States, in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco
The great Italian wine industry has triumphantly begun its 2025 USA tour On February 24, the producers of the top Italian Wines Roadshow opened the tour in the glittering atmosphere of Las Vegas, which has always been a privileged destination for star-spangled tourism, where the great Italian wines are gaining more and more space. It was the very first time the Top Italian Wines
Second Chances”. More than 50 Top wineries uncorked their top labels at Ahern Luxury Boutique hotel, a classic event venue in town, from 1 pm to 5 pm. It’s been an instant success. To enrich the event three crowded masterclasses held by Marco Sabellico illustrated the contemporary Italian wine scene. And the professional and amateur audience really appreciated this insight. Main sponsor of the event – and of all the
flowing non-stop from all over the country – says Jodie Hellman, wine
the world, and moreover in a perfect temperature-controlled cellar. We ask what’s the trend in the city, in
there’s plenty of room for growth. We promise we’ll be back soon…
Los Angeles
The ne Angeles. and the venue was again City Market Social House. From 1 pm to 6pm a festive crowd gathered to 7 L. year we had a record participation. “A unique occasion for wine lovers, awaited every year, which underlines the growing success of Italian wines on this market” - noted Bruno Laclotte, portfolio manager of Hillside Wines and Spirits and Regency Wines “The uncertain climate of the elections and the fires have slowed down the market. Now let’s see what will happen with the probable increases in duties… We are taking precautions, and we have intensified our relationships with Californian wineries. I hope that politics and diplomacy will find effective ways to ward off this threat. Bordeaux is suffering now, Chateau and retailers have not supported importers and distributors enough, but as a Bordeaux native of four generations, I tell you that this is a temporary contingency, and it will sell well again. This opens growth prospects for Italy, and in fact we are expanding our portfolio, also considering the powerful support offered by Italian restaurants here in the city, which are very popular, much more than the French ones. We are
always looking for small niche and high-quality productions, the market loves new things. Today, for example, wines from the Marche and Sardinia have a lot of appeal. But those who drink Grand Crus do not have big problems”. And what do young people drink? - we ask again - “Kombucha and natural wines, orange, wines without sulphites… and everything that comes out of social media, at least at the beginning. Then little by little they get to wine, and the good kind. It’s a journey, and we accompany them.”. Jason Chietti, from Siena imports tells us “There is a desire for native varieties wines again: for example Castel del Monte Rosato Docg is going strong, Etna steals the show to Piedmont, which remains a classic with its great wines, but we have also discovered Alto Piemonte. Tuscany
with its classic wines remain stable, but there is attention for high-level novelties, such as wines from the Islands, like Sardinia or Biancolella di Ponza, for example, they are gems. We focus a lot on niche wines. Consumers today want traditional style wines, with little or no wood, while young people are very interested in Italian wines, especially if they are “natural”, and good. Low-No alcohol is a trend that is strong today, we will see if it remains stable". We ask if the fires that recently devastated the city have changed consumption: “At the moment a certain high-spending clientele, who lived in Pasadena and Pacific Palisades, and who used to dine out several times a week, has had to move, and this is felt. But it is a temporary thing. They will return.”
Lorenza Errighi, deputy consul of Italy
chef Mattia Agazzi – 3 Forks – also awarded by Villa Sandi with the Best Italian Contemporary Wine List award. A memorable day.
San Francisco
opened the Top Italian Restaurant in the World award ceremony, which is traditionally very rich in this area. 19 prestigious establishments were awarded, with many remarkable new entries, which demonstrate once again the popularity of the Italian gastronomic
food and wine gastronomic scene. And for the first time a new category was introduced in the guide: “Best Italian Bakery”. And the winner was Eataly with 1 Cornetto (1 croissant).
A prestigious new entry was Gucci Osteria by Massimo Bottura, run by the
On February the 27th the Tre Bicchieri Show was staged in San Francisco, confirming itself once again the most popular wine event of the year in town. The venue was the one every wine lover in the city knows: the Fort Mason Festival Pavillion. It was the culminating event of the Italian wine week in Frisco! 80 top wineries welcomed the massive audience with their great wines from every corner of Bel Paese, and it was more participated than ever in the history of the event. “Italy has always something new to offer - noted Billy Higgins, a wine lover and collector – and San Francisco has an Italian soul. There’s plenty of Italian restaurants and wine bars here, – not only in North Beach -and recently a lot of new openings, and also in wine shops you always find a big Italian selection. So you can experience a lot of niche wines: new varietals, new emerging terroirs… and that’s the thing that fascinates me most about Italy, beside the great classics, of course…”.
The climax of the day was at 4 pm, with the Award ceremony opened by the deputy consul general of Italy, Davide Corriero. 25 establishment have gained recognition in each category. Acquerello, and Belotti in Oakland, guided the parade with 3 Forks, which saw also Emporio Rulli awarded with the 3 Cornetti (3 croissant) as a Best Italian bakery, while Mona Lisa Mari e Monti by the Florese family, the recent offshoot of the super-classic Mona Lisa in Columbus Avenue, was the winner of the Best Contemporary Wine List Award by Villa Sandi. Main sponsor of the event – and of all the American tour - were Smeraldina mineral water, an excellence from Sardinia, and Pulltex. And then the show moved to Chigago and New York.
Tre Bicchieri World Tour ProWein Special Edition
by Marco Sabellico
event, organized by Gambero Rosso, took place on March 15th in Düsseldorf, just before ProWein 2025. From 13:30 to 19:00, the Radschlägersaal at the Rheinterrasse, a stunning venue overlooking the river, hosted this signature Italian celebration. Nearly one hundred producers awarded the prestigious 3 Glasses were present, showcasing 300 exceptional wines - an exciting treasure hunt for wine enthusiasts.
To enrich the experience, attendees had the chance to participate in two
Marco Sabellico, the editor-inchief of the Vini d’Italia guide. The first masterclass, in collaboration with the Valtènesi Consortium and represented by Juri Pagani, highlighted the exquisite Rosé wines from Valtènesi, a scenic region by Lake Garda that is cherished by German travelers for its stunning landscapes. “While Rosés may not be the first Italian wines that come to mind, the Groppello wines from Valtènesi possess an extraordinary finesse and charm” noted Detlef Rosembaum of the popular food, culture, and lifestyle site An den vier Enden der Welt.
twelve exceptional wines carefully curated by the Gambero Rosso team, featuring the prestigious Special Award winners from the 2025 edition of the Vini d’Italia Guide. This session was in collaboration with the Asiago DOP Consortium, where the wines were artfully paired with the renowned Asiago DOP cheese, a true Italian delicacy. Five different aging profiles of Asiago cheese - from Fresco to Fresco Riserva, and then Mezzano, Vecchio, and Stravecchio -provided a series of elegant pairings with the wines. Luca Cracco, marketing director of the
experience with a range of wines, from a classic method sparkler to elegant whites, robust reds, up to the dessert wine.
“It was a wonderful experience,” remarked Bernd Beyer, a food and wine consultant and communicator.
“With great Italian products, there’s always something new to discover. The pairings today were fantastic, but one truly touched my heart: the rare and sweet Moscato Passito al Governo di Saracena paired with Asiago Stravecchio. Simply fantastic.”
To cap off this exceptional day, we celebrated the success of the corner dedicated to the outstanding EVO oils from the Olio di Puglia IGP consortium , which showcased a selection of excellent labels for enthusiasts. The main sponsors of the event were Smeraldina mineral water, a Sardinian excellence, and Pulltex. In summary, it was another unforgettable day dedicated to Gambero Rosso and the best of Italian products. Auf Wiedersehen, Düsseldorf!
Top Italian Restaurants
A highlight of the day was the Award Ceremony for the Top Italian Restaurants in the World Guide. Over the past seven years, this guide has meticulously reviewed more than 800 authentic Italian restaurants in over 100 cities globally, and Düsseldorf was no exception. Eleven venues were honored, underscoring Italy’s growing influence in a city known for its diverse culinary scene, from pizzerias to wine bars. Saittavini and Gallo Nero achieved excellence in the wine bar category, earning the prestigious Three Bottles award. L’arte in Cucina, Da Damiano, Piazza Saitta, and Scarpati received Two Forks, while G. Saitta, Riva, and Primitivo - run by Niccolò Francoforte and Giampiero Mancini, who also won the Villa Sandi Best Contemporary Wine List Award - were recognized with One Fork. The best pizzas in town were awarded to Ristorante Scala, with Two Slices, and ThewaytoNapoli, with One Slice.
Cheers and Cheese to the EU Great success for Prosecco Doc and Grana Padano PDO in Switzerland
The initiative promoting two cornerstone products of the Italian food and wine scene is moving forward achieving great success: Prosecco Doc, the most beloved sparkling wine in the world with 660 million bottles, and Grana Padano, the most consumed PDO cheese globally, which also recorded production and export records in 2024 (+9.15%). Switzerland remains one of the privileged destinations for these two Italian excellences, as evidenced by the success of events organized by Gambero Rosso to jointly promote these two important brands of Italian food and wine.
For this occasion, Gambero Rosso chose an excellent partner, a true ambassador of Italian material culture in Switzerland: the Luigia group, which, with its numerous restaurants and pizzerias,
is a true reference for Swiss gourmet enthusiasts, even present in Dubai. An archipelago of venues, 12 in total, capable of serving 90,000 meals a month and employing 300 people. An ambitious project, born in 1995, centred around the Luigia Academy in Meyrin, near Geneva, which trains staff. Luigia and its venues work with authentic Italian products, selected on strict criteria of quality and environmental sustainability, following the philosophy of the circular economy, recycling, and blue economy. A significant portion of the products used in Luigia’s venues, such as EVO oil, comes from the beautiful model farm Col di Lupo Poggio alle Streghe in Magliano, Tuscany, in the province of Grosseto: 60 hectares cultivated organically and powered by renewable energy sources. From December 2024 to February 2025, in six
Swiss venues, including Capocaccia in Geneva, known for its elegant fine dining, and the Luigia restaurants in Lausanne, Geneva, Meyrin, Zurich, and Opfikon: for two weeks, each of these locations offered a special menu designed to enhance the pairing of Prosecco Doc and Grana Padano PDO.
Gambero Rosso participated in a series of dinners-meetings with the world of communication and social media, where Marco Sabellico, curator of the Gambero Rosso Wine Guide, illustrated the characteristics of the two products, from production methods to their centuries-old history. While Prosecco dates back to the 1700s, Grana Padano’s history takes us back to the Abbey of Chiaravalle, on the outskirts of Milan, around the year 1000! History, traditions, culture, and especially an extraordinary level of quality in the products once again fascinated journalists and consumers, contributing to the great success of the initiative.
The menus crafted by the chefs of the Capocaccia and Luigia team expressed the natural synergy of Grana Padano PDO with Prosecco Doc, each in various forms: Brut, Rosé, and Extra Dry for Prosecco, and aging from 18 to 24 months for Grana Padano. The gourmet menu at Capocaccia was more sophisticated, featuring Oeuf Mollet en Crouton paired with a Prosecco and Grana Padano sauce, puntarelle, and anchovies, or
Linguine with beurre d’Alpage and Grana Padano aged 24 months, matched with Prosecco Brut ’23 for the first dish and Prosecco Rosé Brut ’23 for the second. The menu at Luigia was more casual yet equally delicious, with Riz Carnaroli deglacé au Prosecco Doc avec Cepes, chamomile, and Grana Padano 24 months, which paired perfectly with Prosecco Rosé ’23, or Zabaione au Prosecco Doc sur Crumble de Grana Padano 18 Mois, which found an excellent match with Prosecco Extra Dry ’23. These are just a few of the dishes that delighted the palates of those who enjoyed one of the menus from Cheers & Cheese. Apart from the premiere, it was a great opportunity to showcase two excellences of the Italian gastronomic landscape to a cultured, attentive, and passionate audience.
2024
CAPOCACCIA GENEVA: 5.12-19.12
LUIGIA LAUSANNE: 6.12-20.12
LUIGIA RIVE GAUCHE GENEVA: 5.12-19.12
LUIGIA MEYRIN: 5.12-19.12
2025
LUIGIA ZURICH: 21.01-04.02
LUIGIA OPFIKON: 21.01-04.02
Consorzio di Tutela del Formaggio
Grana Padano DOP
Via XXIV Giugno, 8 Desenzano del Garda (BS) +39 030 9109811 granapadano.it
Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione di Origine controllata Prosecco
Via Calmaggiore 23 Treviso +39 0422 1572383 prosecco.wine
food
Beyond the myth >Spaghetti
Spaghetti originated in Sicily around the year 1000; tomatoes arrived centuries later. A symbol of Italy, but difficult for chefs to handle
by Antonella De Santis
Trabia was a place full of mills, farms, dry pasta factories, exported to the Mediterranean basin. This is recounted by Muhammad al-Idrisi in The Book of Roger. Trabia is a town a stone’s throw from Palermo and the book is actually entitled Book of Pleasant Journeys to Distant Lands. We are in the 12th century. You read that right: pasta factories in the 12th century. Does this mean that pasta is in our DNA? Quite the contrary. Massimo Montanari explains it well in his tasty little book entitled Il mito delle origini, breve storia degli spaghetti al pomodoro (The Myth of the Origins, a
Spaghetti requires time and attention. Peppe Guida: ‘It’s very different with fresh pasta’ (photo by Francesco Vignali)
brief history of spaghetti with tomato sauce), in which he demonstrates how origins are not simply a place, a time or a seed, but a concomitance of causes and conditions. In Sicily, there is Greek and Roman culture, Arab influences, Jewish communities, the Islamic world and, of course, the most favourable climatic and geographical conditions and suitable social and dietary patterns. A melting pot that should give a clean break to any parochialism, which instead looms like a shadow when talking about pasta. The story goes through a concomitance of often unpredictable conditions whereby tria, as dried pasta was called at one point (the term spaghetti, with the variants -ini and -oni, is credited only in the mid-19th century), stopped being an ingredient like so many others to become a food category,
Their origin in the Mediterranean is ancient, difficult, stratified, the result of interaction between different cultures and peoples. Today they are a symbol of Italian Style, but modern gastronomy struggles to manage their cooking and preparation
determined by a collective name, finally overcoming the mistrust reserved for preserved foods, poor foods and foods for the poor. This explains its absence from some court cookbooks.
Dried pasta and restaurant dining
A bit like what happens nowadays in haute cuisine restaurants, where fresh pasta dominates the scene, to be moulded at the will of the chef, who can show off his flair and skill (sometimes even his ego) in shaping dishes from the main ingredient. This is not the only reason: dry pasta, which takes a quarter of an hour or more to cook,
does not fit in with the high-precision, fast-paced assembly lines that some kitchens are, especially where tasting menus impose tight deadlines. There are kettles (handling large pots of boiling water during service is inadvisable), but what about fresh pasta that is ready in the blink of an eye? Not to mention, adds Peppe Guida, one of the greatest exponents of dry pasta, that the risk of error is very
high: «It must have bite, al dente, but not excessively hard, hard, and not mushy either. If that split second passes, it is ruined and the customer has to wait another 12-15 minutes. With fresh pasta it’s different: it keeps cooking better and if you make a mistake in a couple of minutes you can make it again». And he adds: «You also have to have it in your blood: you have to talk to it. If you want to
make a memorable dish, technique is not enough, your heart has to be in it too. Then, with years of experience, you don’t even need to taste it, you see it in the emulsification, the consistency, the glossiness». Seen like this, one almost has to wonder who makes them complicate their lives, especially with long pasta, which adds difficulty upon difficulty. Just think of Benedetto Cavalieri’s spaghettoni with their characteristic bow shape: 52 centimetres folded in two. We asked those who use them, such as Solaika Marrokko, one of Italy’s best young chefs. Right from the start at Primo’s, in Lecce, she chose spaghettoni, «partly because it was the right type of spaghetti for the dish and partly to bring forward local producers». The difficulties in management? «There are, but you just have to know how to organise yourself,» she replies decisively. She prepares them with yellow dates, oregano and caramelised chilli pepper - a variation on the most classic of Italian dishes, spaghetti with tomato and basil, an “Archetype”, as Niko Romito calls it in his 10 Lezioni di Cucina.
The type of tomato changes, the aromatic herb changes, the chilli works a little, but the sense in the end is the same. ‘It was born as a challenge: everyone knows tomato pasta, there are so many comparisons,’ he explains. Thus the bet to make a new one, different but not too different. And to say that it is a recent marriage between pasta and tomato. Further back in time, dry pasta was plain and cheese was its favourite spouse, according to the canons of galenic medicine, which wanted to combine the wet (pasta) with the dry (cheese); the taste gained, and so it went on for quite a while. But at a certain point the macaroni was dyed red, not immediately because it
Chef Peppe Guida’s perfect spaghetti with tomato sauce, immortalised by Lido Vannucchi for the book published by Gambero Rosso.
took a while to become familiar with the tomato: in the early days it was likened to aubergines, insane apples, and like them it aroused suspicion: it was an oddity, an ornament. Then it became commonplace, when a Spanish sauce came into common use. It was the 17th century and at that time sauces were all the rage to add flavour and colour to dishes. At the end of the 17th century, Antonio Latini, in his Scalco alla moderna, recommends it for boiled meats; about a century later, in Naples, the tomato meets spaghetti, in a natural version, in preserves or with meat sauce. Depending on cases, occasions and possibilities, but in the meantime the coupling is made and the more time passes, the more it consolidates. Initially, it is not as much a dish of the common people as it is of the middle class. But it is still an accessible dish. Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well is a sounding board throughout the Peninsula. Flavours changed, fats changed (butter, lard, suet, lard; olive oil came later); proportions also changed with cacio cheese finishing the tomato sauce and not the other way around, but the die was cast. By the second half of the 20th century pasta tomato oil cheese were closely linked and along with them onion or garlic. Or perhaps both, as Pellegrino Artusi suggests, who also gives an account of basil, now an essential part of any self-respecting spaghetti al pomodoro dish (with the patriotic function of uniting the colours of our flag to complement the taste). And perhaps it is this that has consolidated a myth that could not be more false, of a dish originating in our culture and roots.lla nostra cultura e delle nostre radici.
The Italian spaghetti
Spaghetti with tomato sauce is a dish that identifies a country. So much so that it’s not difficult to find it in the many restaurants that uphold the name of Italian cuisine abroad. Think of the Iaccarino family, who from Portugal to China, from Missouri to
New Zealand put their signature on it, with Spaghetto Don Alfonso, which is nothing more than pasta with tomato sauce. Extremely simple and yet revolutionary, thanks to the explosive power of Mediterranean signature cuisine: simple, homemade, almost banal, emerging in an unsuspecting temple. No special effects, just a great ingredient, grown at Le Peracciole, the family farm that the Iaccarino family put at the service of the restaurant before many others. Chefs from Campania know the value of this simple dish, and it’s no coincidence that Gennaro Esposito also wanted to
Spaghetti in tomato water (in white) by chef Niko Romito (photo by Brambilla Serrani) bring it to Milan, to Caruso Nuovo, the bistro of the Grand Hotel et de Milan, while it’s a classic of the Bulgari hotels all over the world where Niko Romito’s Il Ristorante holds high the flag of classic (but modern) Italian cuisine. And in fact tomato pasta is now one of the classic hotel dishes, a definition that does not
do justice to the value of this dish, unless Fulvio Pierangelini is called into question, who strongly promoted it even in the five-star luxury hotels of the Rocco Forte group, not before having introduced it with all the honours (at the same price as lobster pasta) about twenty years ago in his restaurant in San Vincenzo. years ago in his restaurant in San Vincenzo. Provocation, then, anticipation, with hindsight. When it became clear that it is not so much or only the noble raw material that justifies the price of a dish, but the research, the value of the product whatever it may be, the chef’s thought. The intention - in a sense - the same that makes ready-made works of art. They boast about it abroad: the one Antonio Mermolia da Fiola tasted in Washington DC was a masterpiece, as was – albeit different in style – Daniele Sperindio’s in Singapore, not to mention Peppe Guida, who from the Antica Osteria Nonna Rosa in Vico Equense also arrives in New York through Di Martino’s Pasta Bars with his Devozione. He calls it that to emphasise the importance of spaghetti with tomato sauce: «For us from Campania, being devoted to something is rooted in our history. We are devoted to San Gennaro, to Maradona...»
That’s why giving a dish a name like that is a big deal’. The recipe is always the same: «When I throw in the spaghetti, I turn on the tomato sauce without seasoning, after 4-5 minutes I drain the pasta and put it in the tomato sauce for another 3 minutes to finish cooking, so it releases its starch, not too much, I don’t like risotto-style, slimy pasta. The secret,» he continues, «is to cook the sauce for as little time as possible to get the same taste, sweetness, aroma and colour as when it was first made.» When the heat is off, he adds a generous dash of oil and a basil leaf: philological. In Italy, on the other hand, there are those who have enjoyed playing hide and seek, such as Niko Romito who has made a white version, with tomato water, or Mauro Uliassi who, in pasta e pomodoro alla
Hilde (a short cut, however, Massi’s calamarata) recreates the aroma of tomato plant stalks by infusing very young fig leaves in butter. Most people, however, enjoy creating their own blend of tomatoes, in the same way that the best pizza chefs do with flour: years ago Nino Di Costanzo demonstrated his balancing act by making the sauce with 5 different types (copper coloured, datterini, pachino, del piennolo, San Marzano) to compose his perfect blend; a bit like the Cereas do, who for their famous Paccheri alla Vittorio combine San Marzano, Pachino cherry tomatoes and ox heart to create the right balance between acidity and sweetness in a very silky sauce, passed through
Spaghettone, yellow datterino tomatoes, oregano, caramelised chilli by chef Solaika Marrocco (photo by AUTfotografia)
a chinois, adding the magic touch: creaming at the table. Could this also be why they chose a format that reduces the risk of sauce splashing? Who knows, but to protect the guests there’s a suitable cloth bib that also increases the wow effect. Today they can be found all over the world, in all the Cerea family’s homes: from Brusaporto to St. Moritz, from Shanghai to Saigon. The recipe is half a century old and continues to win hearts.
The most loved
Spaghetti: we repeated the test that made the cover of Gambero when it first hit newsstands back in 1992.
Here are the best brands in large-scale retail trade
by Mara Nocilla – photos by Francesco Vignali
Pasta is the product that best represents us in the world. It’s very Italian but also international and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010. There’s even a global celebration dedicated to macaroni, World Pasta Day, which is celebrated on 25 October. We pay tribute to it with a ranking based on its most classic, most loved and best-selling format: spaghetti. This is a test we’re repeating 33 years after 1992, when the Gambero Rosso magazine went on sale on its own (and no longer as the back cover of Il Manifesto): the cover – designed by the genius of graphics Piergiorgio Maoloni – was dedicated to spaghetti. This ranking is also dedicated to ‘spaghi’: strands of dry pasta with a medium thickness diameter, the most versatile shape in the kitchen (at home, however, because in restaurants they are often impossible to find, replaced by the faster and more versatile fresh pasta: but it’s something completely different). While the length of spaghetti is about 25 centimetres for all brands (some artisan
pasta makers make it 50 centimetres, folded into a U shape), the diameter varies considerably. It ranges from one and a half millimetres to just over 2: it depends on the choices and traditions of the different production areas. The thickness of the famous Barilla Spaghetti No. 5, the most classic of the Parmesan company, is around 1.67 millimetres, compared to 2.07 millimetres of the Voiello Gran Spaghetto No. 105. And even the number that often accompanies the name of the product is not a key to understanding it: it doesn’t help to orientate oneself. De Cecco No. 12, Rummo No. 3, Voiello No. 104 and La Molisana No. 15 have a similar diameter. The processing techniques are also different and affect the colour and appearance of the pasta: the very amber ones, almost mustard yellow in colour, with a smooth and glassy ‘skin’ smooth and glassy, have been dried at high temperatures, above 100 °C; while the straw-yellow spaghetti tending to light golden and with a rough, porous and opaque surface have been subjected to a softer and
slower drying process, not exceeding 80 °C. Some artisan products don’t even exceed 40 °C, a feat for pasta makers that requires a durum wheat rich in protein and gluten, a lot of experience and time.
For our ranking we only considered industrial spaghetti, available in supermarkets in dozens of varieties: in our contest we lined up 39 samples, purchased from the main supermarket chains in Rome. To also consider in this contest those from artisan companies (obviously treated in a specific
classification, as we have done many times in these pages) would have meant at least doubling the number of products to taste and evaluate: a titanic undertaking. We tasted, but ‘out of competition’, without including them in the classification, the branded products of the large mass distribution players in the gourmet line: they are in fact made by artisan companies and have a very different price from their ‘industrial cousins’, for example the Pasta di Gragnano Igp Esselunga Top spaghetti, made by Gentile (in this regard see the box on ‘spaghetti we like’). These products are proof that ‘private label’ products are not only industrial, at least those of large-scale retail chains open to traditional and niche specialities.
Among the products tasted in our blind test were spaghetti from large industries in all the types present in the large-scale retail channel: ‘basic’ and certified Pasta di Gragnano PGI, made from 100% Italian durum wheat and traceable, and those made from EU and non-EU wheat, bronze-drawn macaroni, made with special grains
(Senatore Cappelli, for example) or in lines linked to supply chain projects. The 39 samples were tasted and evaluated by a panel made up of professional chefs and a representative of an artisan pasta factory. The blind tasting was organised at the Gambero Rosso schools: the cooking time indicated on the packet was strictly followed and no salt was added to the water. The spaghetti was tasted without any seasoning, without salt or oil.
What we looked for – and partly found – in the blind test: physical appearance, the good smell of ripe wheat and fresh semolina, the full and above all persistent flavour, the precision of the aromatic profile, the cleanliness at the end of the mouth, the structure of a good tooth, elastic, tenacious and snappy to the bite. A sensory analysis under the magnifying glass that highlighted the qualities and also the defects of products that, even in the less interesting and improvable cases, were of a good level, especially in comparison to those made abroad by competitors.
The best spaghetti in large-scale distribution
1 >Garofalo
Spaghetti n. 9 Pasta di Gragnano Igp
2 >L’Arte delle Specialità
Spaghetti Pasta di Gragnano Igp
3 >Voiello
Il Gran Spaghetto n. 105
4 >La Molisana
Spaghetti n. 15
5 >Esselunga
Spaghetti n. 5
6 >Granoro
Spaghetti Dedicato Ristoranti n. 180
7 >Combino
Bio Spaghetti
8 >De Cecco
Spaghetti n.12
9 >Consilia
Spaghetti n. 4
10 >Consilia Optima
Spaghetti Pasta di Gragnano Igp
11 >Tesori dell’Arca
Spaghetti trafilati al bronzo
T he following T ook par T in T he T as T ing panel :
Jones Bargoni, freelance consultant chef
Eugenio Marini, Gambero Rosso editorial staff
Giulia Mauro, chef at Passpartout restaurant, Rome
Mara Nocilla, Gambero Rosso journalist
prices are average re T ail prices
The ‘pasta report’ for February 1992
Here is the ranking from 33 years ago published in the first issue of Gambero Rosso sold in newsstands
ANNUAL PER CAPITAL CONSUMPTION (ESTIMATE) IN KG. WORLDWIDE
%
%
DIAMETER VARIABILITY %
WEIGHT INCREASE ONCE COOKED %
WATER CLOUDINESS TEXTURE STICKINESS
OVERALL RATING SENSORY EXAMINATION
STICKINESS
>Garofalo
Spaghetti n. 9
Pasta di Gragnano Igp
The pasta factory Garofalo, founded in 1789, is the undisputed winner of the ranking. Today it is one of the leading companies in Italy when it comes to macaroni, with dozens of shapes and different product lines, and a good presence abroad in over 80 countries. Since 2014 Ebro Foods, a Spanish multinational group specialising in rice, pasta and condiments, has been a majority shareholder in the company, but the historic Gragnano-based pasta factory continues to knead semolina and extrude penne and bucatini in the international capital of pasta using selected Italian, Australian and Arizona wheat. Beauty, aroma, flavour and texture all come together in spaghetti No. 9. A light golden colour and a porous skin, rough to the touch, which maintain their characteristics even after 10 minutes of cooking, it gives off a delicate aroma of fresh semolina. The flavour profile is also clean and gentle on the palate, with a mild but persistent taste. But its main strong point is its structure: fleshy, firm to the bite, not at all rubbery and very chewy.
Gragnano (NA) via dei Pastai, 42 0818011002 pasta-garofalo.com
500 g price 1,49/1,65
2
>L’Arte delle Specialità
Spaghetti
Pasta di Gragnano Igp
L’Arte delle Specialità is one of the 34 brands of the Todis stable, a leader in the large-scale retail trade in the discount channel, a network of over 300 sales outlets present in 11 regions, especially in central and southern Italy. The brand is dedicated to gastronomic excellence: typical regional products with designation of origin, made with quality ingredients using artisan methods and respecting tradition and the local area. Gastronomic luxury at prices affordable to all budgets. The spaghetti in this range is bronze drawn and slowly dried by the Liguori pasta factory in Gragnano, which has been in business since 1820. Good diameter thickness, well-kept appearance, slightly rough and porous skin of a pale and opaque straw yellow colour, they have a very clean nose and mouth, with delicate but fresh and precise hints of semolina and a good gustatory persistence. The structure is another of their plus points, and the most appreciated: after cooking for 12 minutes it is tenacious, meaty, al dente inside and out in a homogeneous way, with the ribbing in the core of the spaghetti.
Fiano Romano (RM) via Tiberina, km 19,300 07654031 todis.it 500 g price 1,09
3>Voiello
Il Gran Spaghetto n.105
One of the historic and evergreen names when it comes to macaroni. The company, founded in Torre Annunziata in 1879 by Giovanni Voiello, was taken over in 1973 by Barilla, who moved the factories to Marcianise, in Terra di Lavoro, equipping them with state-of-the-art facilities with 10 production lines. Since 2014, Voiello pasta has been produced using only selected Italian durum wheat. The history, experience, skilful processing and good raw materials can be seen and tasted in this Gran Spaghetto with its large diameter (2.07 millimetres), pale and opaque straw yellow colour and porous surface, which maintains its shape, light colour and rough texture to the touch even after 13 minutes of cooking. The aroma is gentle but expressive with fresh and precise hints of semolina. The taste is delicate but clean and consistent with the nose. The texture is homogeneous, elastic and substantial, rough and tenacious to the bite: if you want to find a fault with a magnifying glass, it is just slightly sticky on the palate.
Marcianise (CE)
S.S. 87 km 20+500 800445858
voiello.it
500 g price 1,69
4
>La Molisana
Spaghetti n.15
La Molisana is one of the historic names in Italian macaroni, since 1912. One of its strong points is the internal mill, where the durum wheat is stoneground and de-husked to transform it into semolina. After a period of crisis, in 2011 the historic pasta factory was acquired by the Ferro family (founders of Fratelli Ferro Semolerie Molisane in the 70s), who relaunched the brand through investments, new production lines and strengthening its presence on the international market. The more than 50 pasta shapes are produced with 100% Italian wheat and processed with bronze dies. As demonstrated by its spaghetti n. 15, with a light straw yellow colour and a porous surface that is rough to the touch. Their performance doesn’t stop at their appearance, their other appeals are their aroma and their expressive flavour, a delicate bouquet of fresh semolina with hints of bread. Their structure, al dente in 9 minutes, is also appreciated: they keep their cooking well, have a slight internal ribbing, and don’t clump, even if they are slightly chewy and soft on the outside.
Campobasso
c.da Colle delle Api, 100a 800818081 - 3801292455 lamolisana.it
500 g price 1,29/1,45
5
>Esselunga
Spaghetti n.5
One of the most dynamic players in large-scale retail, often present in our contests, enters the ranking with spaghetti No. 5, 100% Italian and bronze-drawn. The durum wheat, of selected varieties and traceable down to the individual plot of land where it is grown, is transformed into semolina by Molino Ferro, millers for 4 generations. The processing takes place in the historic pasta factory La Molisana . The good practice of the entire production process can be clearly and unambiguously seen in this ‘string’ with its beautiful golden straw yellow colour and rough, porous and opaque surface, which partly maintains the slightly rough sensation to the touch even after cooking. Once drained after 11 minutes of cooking, the spaghetti give off the characteristic smell of fresh wheat and semolina, a precise and clean sensation –although less intense – that we find on the palate. Homogeneous structure, snappy and with a good bite, elastic and with an inner ribbing; just a hint of stickiness.
Pioltello (MI)
fraz. Limito via Giambologna, 1
0292931
0292104456
esselunga.it
500 g price 1,19
6>Granoro
Spaghetti Dedicato Ristoranti n.180
“Dedicated to our land” is a project by Filiera 100% Puglia created by Granoro to promote agricultural products and agriculture in the region that has historically been the breadbasket of Italy. The partners who share this project guarantee a certified quality raw material that is traced from the field to the table through an agreement between the farmers, the mill and Granoro. A virtuous model that the pasta factory in Corato has extended to other typically Apulian products (tomato sauce, oil, legumes). The durum wheat comes from the Tavoliere plain, and the mill is also in the province of Foggia. A little further south, in Corato, a few kilometres from Castel del Monte, the semolina is transformed into classic pasta, “birigata” (a local shape), wholemeal pasta and large formats. Spaghetti, with a rather thin section and light colour, has a slightly porous surface and smells of semolina. After draining after cooking for 7 minutes, it has a delicate flavour, but is well-balanced and precise, and very al dente (perhaps a little too much so), with a ribbed interior and a slightly chewy consistency on the outside.
Corato (BA)
S.P. 231 km 35,100 0808721821 granoro.it
500 g price 0,95/1,28
7>Combino >Consilia
Bio Spaghetti
Lidl, a well-known player in the large-scale retail trade and leader in budget shopping, “best brand 2024” in the discount category according to a recent survey, also has its own brand of spaghetti. It comes in seventh position with the Combino brand in the Bio Organic selection (another line that dedicates space to pasta is Italiamo). The durum wheat comes from organic farms in the EU and non-EU areas, and the processing is entrusted to the Sardinian pasta factory F.lli Cellino in Santa Giusta, Oristano. Bio Spaghetti Combino are very thin, pale golden yellow in colour, with a rough surface and free of defects. After 8 minutes of cooking, they give off a very delicate scent of fairly fresh semolina. The flavour is also mild but not expressionless, and is appreciated for the precision of its aromatic profile. The structure could be improved: it is slightly chewy and sticky, not very tough to the bite, but overall it has a good texture and doesn’t stick together. For spaghetti with such a thin diameter it’s acceptable.
Arcole (VR) via A. Ruffo, 36 0456135111 lidl.it
500 g price 0,89
8>De Cecco
Spaghetti n.12
Currently in the spotlight thanks to the advert “Fatti della stessa Pasta” (They’re All Made of the Same Dough), with the new tennis champion Jannik Sinner as testimonial, the company from Abruzzo founded in Fara San Martino by Filippo De Cecco in 1886 (but the origin of the group dates back to 1831 with Nicola Antonio De Cecco, a miller) is one of the leading brands in the international market for Italian macaroni. Its numerous shapes and sizes are available in 7 different lines, from organic to gluten free, and for some years now also sauces, oils and tomato preserves, and can be found in shops all over the world. Its classic spaghetto n. 12, produced with ‘the best Italian and international wheat’ and bronze drawn, is a sure thing. Its appearance is one of its greatest strengths: it has a good diameter, a beautiful light and bright yellow colour, and a surface that is a little rough to the touch. The fragrance and aromatic profile are delicate, of fresh semolina. Cooked in 12 minutes, al dente in 10 minutes –as indicated on the label – it doesn’t increase in volume and is fairly tenacious.
Fara San Martino (CH) via F. de Cecco 08729861 dececco.com
500 g price 1,55/1,70
Spaghetti n.4
I prodotti Consilia sono una presenza quasi costante nelle classifiche del Gambero Rosso. Si trovano negli oltre 600 punti vendita legati al consorzio SUN (Supermercati Uniti Nazionali), che riunisce cinque insegne regionali della gdo del centro-nord Italia (Cadoro, Gulliver-Alfi, Gros-Pim, Gruppo Gabrielli, Italmark). Al nono posto in classifica gli spaghetti n. 4 della linea base, prodotti con grani UE e non UE dal pastificio abruzzese Delverde a Fara San Martino (gli altri pastifici ai quali si appoggia Sun sono del gruppo Newlat Food, a Sansepolcro e a Eboli). È il classico spago serio e affidabile già all’occhio, con la superficie opaca e delicatamente ruvida di tonalità tra il giallo dorato e l’avorio luminoso. Il profilo aromatico è molo gentile con ricordi di semola. Una certezza anche la consistenza, di buon dente e tenace al morso, nonostante avrebbe avuto bisogno di 30 secondi in più di cottura rispetto ai 9 minuti indicati in etichetta. Ottimo rapporto qualità/ price.
Milano via Antonio da Recanate, 1 0266986001 prodotticonsilia.it
500 g price 0,69
>Consilia10Optima
Spaghetti
Pasta di Gragnano Igp
Consilia repeats its presence in the ranking with another spaghetti, just a hair’s breadth behind its brother in ninth position. It is part of the Optima line, dedicated to Italian DOP, DOC and IGP excellence, is Pasta di Gragnano certified and is produced by a big name in the sector in the home of macaroni: Garofalo. It is made with 100% Italian durum wheat and is bronze drawn. The type of extrusion of the pasta is clear from the appearance of the spaghetti: a slightly rough, porous and opaque surface of a light golden colour. Characteristics that, together with the size of the ‘string’, are maintained even after cooking. The aroma is subtle but precise of fairly fresh semolina. The olfactory notes return to the palate in an overall gentle flavour. The only obvious defect of this product is the cooking time indicated on the label: 11 minutes is too long if you want to obtain spaghetti that is definitely al dente. It is better to drain the pasta at least 30 seconds earlier. But despite this, even if it lacks a bit of snap, the structure holds up well.
Milano via Antonio da Recanate, 1 0266986001 prodotticonsilia.it 500 g price 1,19
>Tesori dell’Arca
Spaghetti trafilati al bronzo
Tesori dell’Arca is one of the 11 lines under the Pam brand, a large-scale retail chain that stands for ‘Più A Meno’ (More, But Less), with over a thousand stores (and more than 550 iN’s Mercato shops, the discount channel of the Pam Panorama group). With its 3,200 brand products, the Venetian player aims for the highest yield in terms of quality-convenience, a strategy that in 2024 saw the company record double-digit growth in turnover and an increase in market share of 2%. The recent Tesori dell’Arca brand was created to offer the best quality at a competitive price. The spaghetti in the line is made with 100% Italian durum wheat and bronze drawn by the Armando pasta factory in Valle Ufita, Flumeri (AV). The appearance is as it should be: pale straw yellow colour, slightly rough and porous skin. The smell is reminiscent of semolina, the taste is delicate but persistent. After 11 minutes of cooking, the consistency is not very elastic and slightly slippery but full-bodied and tenacious to the bite, especially on the outside, and does not clump.
Spinea (VE) via del Commercio, 27 0415495111 pampanorama.it 500 g price 0,99/1,15
The artisans we love
Nowadays, in some corners of the more ‘enlightened’ supermarkets, you can also find brands of homemade pasta (spaghetti or spaghettoni) made by masters of the pasta-making trade and by farmers who produce and process the wheat or have it processed. The spaghetti (and spaghettoni) that “we” like, we at Gambero, who are often not satisfied with “supermarket” shopping - and excuse us for the habit! - are our “geography” of taste from north to south of the Peninsula.
>Benedetto Cavalieri
Maglie (LE) - benedettocavalieri.it
>Cocco
Fara San Martino (CH) pastacocco.com
>D’Amicis
Serracapriola (FG) pastificiodamicis.com
>Fabbri
Greve in Chianti (FI) - pastafabbri.it
>Faella
Gragnano (NA) - pastificiofaella.com
>Gentile
Gragnano (NA) - pastagentile.it
>Graziano
Manocalzati (AV) - pastificiograziano.it
>Mancini
Monte San Pietrangeli (FM) pastamancini.it
>Martelli
Lari (PI) - famigliamartelli.it
>Masciarelli
Pratola Peligna (AQ) pastificiomasciarelli.it
At The Crown Tirana, service and quality at the highest levels
The Crown Tirana Rooftop & Dining - at the top of most of the main sector platforms - is considered the best fine dining restaurant in Albania. The building that now houses it dates back to 1918, and in 1934 it was sold to Princess Adile Zogu. Inspired by the combination of refinement with modern and luxurious architecture, The Crown Tirana has been transformed into the ideal oasis to implement over 25 years of international experience in the field of gastronomy and excellence in service, thanks to CEO Fatjon Selimaj, a leading figure in tourism and gastronomy and Brand Ambassador for the largest wine distribution company in Albania (especially Italian labels).
The raw ingredients are carefully selected and the bread, pasta and desserts are strictly homemade.
The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Albi Subashi, a former award-winning and starred Sous Chef in Belgium, who returned to his homeland to show off the talent and knowledge he acquired during his career. The tasting menu is modern and innovative and changes seasonally. The wine cellar also boasts over 300 labels selected in collaboration with AlehandroGroup.
In addition to the main dining room, which is entirely made of glass and luxuriously furnished, the restaurant also offers spaces for events and banquets. Rooftop Dining on the fourth floor offers a spectacular view of the main attractions of the city
of Tirana, and an original environment with a French style decor, ideal for summer and spring evenings.
A new addition are the Bubbles & Afternoon Tea courses: inspired by Mr Selimaj’s experience in England, they have introduced the tradition of afternoon tea to the Albanians as well. During these events a selection of fresh local and international teas are paired with the best Prosecco labels and sweet and savoury delicacies. Another novelty that transforms The Crown into a weekend hotspot is Tirana’s Famous Brunch: a menu rich in flavours and freshness, with an extended opening time proposal.
Chef Albi Subashi has hosted renowned international chefs such as Najada Frashëri, Michael Reimenschneider and Enrico Derflingher in his kitchen for four-handed events. The Crown Tirana has also been awarded the Cravatino d’oro, the prestigious award for service excellence from A.M.I.R.A. Italia.
Another distinctive aspect of The Crown is the excellent service it offers, thanks to the talent and dedication of F&B Managers Bruno Brazhda and Endri Curri. The next step is the creation of The Crown Hospitality Academy, to train and professionally certify individuals and company staff who wish to improve their service through quarterly professional courses focused on on-the-job training style, with internationally recognised certificates, thanks to a collaboration of the academy with Amira Italia.
The champions of extra virgin olive oil
Presenting the best labels of 2025. But the law still treats the good ones and the ones worthy of the bin in the same way
by Indra Galbo and Stefano Polacchi
Here are the 2025 extra virgin olive oil champions, selected by Gambero Rosso’s Oli d’Italia. We have been evaluating the best made in Italy olive oils for 15 years. But there is still no definition of what the quality of Italian extra virgin olive oil is.
Ten years ago, Ivan Jakovcic, then a member of the European Parliament, presented a European resolution proposal for the introduction of a new product category that would enhance the chemical, sensorial, organoleptic and health aspects of quality extra virgin olive oil. This is a path that many Italian producers and consumers have been hoping for for years (also
because they know very well what ‘quality’ really is and what it means to compete with products that have the same name but are in reality almost to be thrown away) and that Gambero Rosso has also espoused with the Oli d’Italia Guide since its first edition in 2011. Fifteen years of tasting, comparing and striving to maximise the potential of Italy’s green gold.
Absent policy
As often happens in these cases, the first to receive the message of an editorial product with this imprint were the readers and the producers. Politics was less reactive, often in -
capable of taking actions that would create an approach for the evolution of the olive oil sector and decisively affect a qualitative turning point in national production. A turning point that should begin with concrete actions in terms of sustainability, training for olive millers and olive growers, and the valorisation of the varietal peculiarities of each territory.
Defining “made in Italy”
Also – and even more so – this year the Guide shows us how this process has already started ‘from the bottom up’ thanks to companies’ increasing attention to oil quality; what is lacking is the support and stimulus of effective policies (and politicians): that is, policies capable of guiding and promoting the change of an agricultural and business culture that is still anchored to outdated schemes. Italy can do its part by taking the reins of a process and being a protagonist: a national specification that defines ‘high quality Italian extra virgin olive oil’: through the establishment of more restrictive parameters than those provided for by the enormous European legislative gap, with targeted communication campaigns, with constant training for those who work in the fields and in the oil mills. The producers who have been in this Guide for 15 years are already doing this. Now we need to raise the bar. As a country, not just as individual companies. If we want to continue to say (and it is largely true) that Italian extra virgin olive oil is of superior quality.
Special Awards 2025
>Producer of the Year Marfuga 96
L’Affiorante Moraiolo Bio
Campello sul Clitunno (PG)
A consistent quality that doesn’t suffer through difficult years, and great skill in the processing of native varieties as well as in the marketing of oils. Their Affiorante is always excellent, a monocultivar of moraiolo that stands out for its aromatic complexity, all played out on herbaceous and balsamic tones. price 52 /l
>Oil Mill of the year
Donato Conserva 96
Mimì Coratina Modgno (BA)
A consistent quality that doesn’t suffer through difficult years, and great skill in the processing of native varieties as well as in the marketing of oils. Their Affiorante is always excellent, a monocultivar of moraiolo that stands out for its aromatic complexity, all played out on herbaceous and balsamic tones. price price 38/l
95
>Olive grower of the year Masoni Becciu
Cuncordu Bio Villacidro (SU)
Valentina Deidda and Nicola Solinas have become masters of organic olive growing at the foot of Mount Margiani. Their land management is enviable, as is the production of oils from local varieties. The Cuncordu is spectacular again this year, playing everything from the notes of green tomato and aromatic herbs, to balsamic and bitter. price 40/l
Frantoi Cutrera 95
>Best Lighty Fruity
Biancolilla Bio
Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG)
The Cutrera family’s is a state-of-the-art olive oil plant that uses the best possible extraction methods for local varieties. This year they have created an extraordinary single variety Biancolilla olive oil that is delicate and complex with vegetal and floral notes. An extremely versatile oil, splendid with raw fish. price 36 /l
>Best Medium Fruity
Sabino Leone 95
Don Gioacchino
Dop Terra di Bari
Canosa di Puglia (BT)
Expert olive growers and millers who are able to interpret the many nuances of Apulian olives: this year, with Don Gioacchino, the Leone family has given us a splendid interpretation of the Coratina olive, which is complex, balanced, herbaceous, balsamic, bitter, but also very versatile as a condiment. Price price 56/l
Oli d’Italia 2025 – Gambero Rosso 496 pages – price 9,90 euro in bookstores and on gamberorosso.it 83
96
>Intense Fruity Quattrociocchi
Olio di Roma Igp
Itrana
Terracina (LT)
Americo Quattrociocchi’s mastery knows no bounds, as does his ‘extreme’ interpretation of the Itrana variety, which this year finds its maximum expression and power in the bottle with the name of the Eternal City on the label. Tomato, aromatic herbs and balsamic tones intertwine in an explosion of powerful aromas. price 30/l
>Best Organic Tenuta Venterra 96
Cru #312 Picholine
Bio
Grottaglie (TA)
Sustainability as a production philosophy and a tool for quality. Antonella Ferrara has clearly chosen the path towards her 67,000 trees and a solar-powered olive press. The result is an oil, like this single variety, of extraordinary complexity that plays on bitterness and balsamic in a mix of elegance and power. price 33/l
>Best New Entry Gea 1916 95
Recondita Armonia Dop Umbria Bio Bevagna (PG)
Close to one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and in perfect harmony with the territory, Andrea Gentili’s organic farm covers 140 hectares, 17 of which have 4,500 olive trees that produce a magnificent Umbria Colli Martani DOP oil that stands out for its intense herbaceous notes followed by vegetal and dried fruit notes. price 40/l
94
>Monocultivar Mandranova
Cerasuola Palma di Montechiaro (AG)
An oil that overturns the stereotypes about Sicily’s green gold: cut grass, aromatic herbs, balsamic, bitter tones, all balanced between equilibrium and power. It is the result of the work of the Di Vincenzo family, who make quality their trademark, not far from the town that inspired Tomasi di Lampedusa’s famous novel ‘The Leopard’. price 28/l
>Blend Fattoria di Poggiopiano 96
Plenum Bio Fiesole (FI)
A guarantee of excellence, Plenum is an extraordinary oil every year thanks to the skilful hands of the Galardi family. Powerful and herbaceous tones intertwine with vegetal and almond notes in a blend that is symbolic of this corner of Tuscany. The estate is fascinating: a farmhouse with rooms and a panoramic swimming pool. price 46/l
94
>Best Pdo Madonna
delle Vittorie
Dop Garda Trentino Arco (TN)
Whether it’s wine or extra virgin olive oil, the Marzadro family, on the slopes of Monte Brione, is always committed to quality. This year, this approach has produced an extraordinary DOP wine from an almost equal blend of Casaliva and Frantoio that plays on notes of almond, artichoke, thistle and herbaceous nuances. price 43/l
>Best Pgi Dievole 96
Igp Toscano Castelnuovo Berard. (SI)
The scents of Tuscany in a bottle. This is what this impeccable blend of Maurino, Leccino and Frantoio varieties offers, with notes of tomato leaves, grass, nettles, almonds and rocket: oil that is the result of painstaking work that has been going on for years, following a company renewal that brought quality and long-term strategic vision. price 38/l
>Best Evo & Wine Poggio di Sotto 93
Igp Toscano Bio Montalcino (SI)
The Tipa family are champions of Brunello but they have never neglected the olive grove. With the same quality, an Igp blend of Frantoio (predominant), Moraiolo and Leccino is born, which plays on notes of artichoke, cypress, almond and bitter tones of rocket. An example of a winery that aims to produce an extra virgin olive oil that is on a par with its finest wines. price 41/l
>Best Evoo & Tourism Palazzo di Varignana 96
Claterna Ghiacciola Bio
Castel S. Pietro Terme (BO)
The transformation of Palazzo Bargellini-Bentivoglio into a resort dedicated to oleotourism is the brilliant intuition of Carlo Gherardi. The splendid location surrounded by greenery includes 150 dream rooms for oil-related experiences ranging from guided tastings to walks in the olive groves. price 48
>Best Consortium Produttori Friuli venezia Giulia 95
Blend n. 1
Martignacco (UD)
The Consortium was founded in 2022 to promote quality extra virgin olive oil in an area historically suited to the production of this ‘green gold’. Here the olives are harvested from around twenty farms, resulting in a blend that offers green sensations, from thistle to tomato, passing through aromatic herbs and nettle, enjoying a great balance between bitter and spicy. price 36/l
>Best Cooperative CAB Terra di Brisighella 93
Brisighello Dop Brisighella Brisighella (RA)
This is the cooperative that created the first Italian PDO oil and is still a point of reference today. The enviable consistency of production is at its best with the native variety Nostrana di Brisighella: vegetable notes of tomato and lettuce, aromatic herbs and a peppery finish that delicately lends aromatic persistence. price 44/l
85
Coratina Time
Coratina party in Paris. On February 11, Gambero Rosso and Consorzio Olio di Puglia IGP hosted a special event at Il Vicolo restaurant featuring some of the top extra virgin olive oil from Puglia. The theme was the powerful and intense Coratina monocultivar with its unique bitter and spicy profile. Lorenzo Ruggeri guided a seminar through tasting techniques, terroir and descriptions and pairings. Il Vicolo, a well-known family restaurant awarded by the Top Italian Restaurant Guide, offers traditional cuisine, revisited and perfected by talented chef Maurizio Carlucci, who combined flavours from the land and the sea. The restaurant has been awarded in the Top Italian Restaurants guide since 2020. Speakers were Lorenzo Ruggeri and Sebastiano Spagnoletti Zeuli, representative of the Consortium and olive oil producer.
Coratina is the most popular olive cultivar in central Apulia, where it is grown in solid blocks on 60,000 hectares and characterised by high and constant productivity. Coratina is generally considered to be a self-compatible olive cultivar thanks to its incredible aromatic profile. The event featured the story of 4 Apulian olive oil mills that feature the varietal. Among the best olive oil and food pairings, we noticed the Cuttlefish noodles in almond broth, fermented Jerusalem artichoke and lemon; the super classic orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe; and the surprising match between Coratina and smoked cardamom panna cotta, blood orange and caramelised hazelnuts. The Consortium Olio di Puglia was also in the spotlight during the Tre Bicchieri event at Wine Paris on February 12 with a dedicated corner featuring a wide range of samples. The main focus? Always Coratina!
Consorzio per la Tutela e la Valorizzazione dell’Olio Extravergine di Oliva a Indicazione Geografica Protetta “Olio di Puglia” radicivirtuose.it
INIZIATIVA REALIZZATA NELL’AMBITO DEL “PROGRAMMA DI RIGENERAZIONE ECONOMICA, SOCIALE E AMBIENTALE DEL TERRITORIO JONICO-SALENTINO COLPITO DA XYLELLA FASTIDIOSA, RADICI VIRTUOSE”, FINANZIATA A VALERE SULL’AVVISO MIPAAF N.10900 DEL 17.02.2020 “CONTRATTI DI DISTRETTO XYLELLA”.
The Great Oils of Puglia on Display in Düsseldorf
The Tre Bicchieri Event on the eve of ProWein remains one of the most important of the whole exhibition. It is a highly anticipated happening by German enthusiasts who crowded the Rheinterrasse on Saturday, February 15th, but wine was not the only star. A special guest of the event was the EVO oil from the Olio di Puglia IGP consortium, which received enthusiastic acclaim in the special corner dedicated to it. The success was anticipated the previous evening by a dinner that served as a true “laboratory” for pairing and exploring the olive oil landscape of Puglia. The evening took place at one of the city’s best restaurants, Piazza Saitta, an icon of Italian gastronomy in Düsseldorf. Giuseppe Saitta and his team, in collaboration with Gambero Rosso, created a fascinating journey of flavors that highlighted the uniqueness and characteristics of each of the oils from the six companies participating in the event. The dinner was aimed at a very select group of industry and lifestyle communicators and was hosted by Marco Sabellico, a journalist from Gambero Rosso, who explained the characteristics, territory, history and current trends, extraction methods and peculiarities of the different labels and typical cultivars of Puglia. Thus, in the opening, on a delicious Bruschetta with tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella, it was the intense fruity note of the pure Coratina from Di Martino Agricultural Enterprises that provided the final touch. The delicate marinat-
ed Sea Bass on a Lettuce heart was enhanced by the Mediterranean touch of the excellent Leccino monocultivar from Agricola Taurino, “The right oil… really makes a difference!” commented Denise Cézanne-Güttlich, editor-in-chief of Tutti i Sensi. The White Asparagus Cream with Balik Salmon dice found the perfect complement with the excellent blend of Coratina, Ogliarola Barese, and Peranzana from De Carlo, which enhanced its finesse with its intense yet balanced vegetal tones and delicate final bitter note. Then it was the turn of the pure Coratina from Guglielmi to add an extra touch of fragrance to the Gragnano Spaghetti with Pesto – “an excellent pairing – notes Kurt Zuckerman of Lifestyle – the aromas and saltiness of the pesto are enhanced by the decisive character and intense fruitiness of this oil.” Another pure Coratina, from Le 4 Contrade, amplified the Mediterranean aromas and the rich taste of the Veal Paillard with Garlic and Oregano with vegetables and arugula. To close the evening on a high note, the surprising Rosemary Sorbet with Strawberry Salad, with a touch of EVO from Pantaleo’s Coratina, “rose to another taste level,” noted Klaus Feldkeller, taster for Kein Korkschmecker magazine. “Giuseppe Saitta outdid himself with this pairing!” was the general comment. In short, a great Italian evening in the heart of Germany, marked by great cuisine and the inimitable fragrances of the great EVO oils from Puglia IGP.
Consorzio per la Tutela e la Valorizzazione dell’Olio Extravergine di Oliva a Indicazione Geografica Protetta “Olio di Puglia” radicivirtuose.it
INIZIATIVA REALIZZATA NELL’AMBITO DEL “PROGRAMMA DI RIGENERAZIONE ECONOMICA, SOCIALE E AMBIENTALE DEL TERRITORIO JONICO-SALENTINO COLPITO DA XYLELLA FASTIDIOSA, RADICI VIRTUOSE”, FINANZIATA A VALERE SULL’AVVISO MIPAAF N.10900 DEL 17.02.2020 “CONTRATTI DI DISTRETTO XYLELLA”.
Recipes from up-and-coming chefs
SILVIA BANTERLE
by Clara Barra
Born in Verona Age 37
Resident in Colognola ai Colli (VR)
LATEST DOWNLOADED ALBUM
Is it? di Ben Howard
LATEST BOOK READ
La ricreazione è finita by Dario Ferrari
MOST LOVED INGREDIENT
All kinds of aromatic herbs
LEAST LOVED INGREDIENT
Salumi
THE DISH OF A LIFETIME
SpaghettI with butter and yeast – Lido 84
GRAND MAESTRO WORSHIPPED
Niko Romito and Ana Ros
MOST ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE
Lorenzo Vecchia
RESTAURANT NAME
RESTAURANT CONTACTS
Colognola ai Colli (VR)
Località Casette 1 045 4826046 stillaverona.com
SEATS
35
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
stage at Erba Brusca (Milan) chef de partie at Il Liberty (Milan)
MY IDEA OF CUISINE something that makes us reflect on the world we live in
FAVORITE RESTAURANT ABROAD
Hisa Franko - Kobarid
THE WINE ABOVE ALL OTHERS
Vin de granaro - Menti
HAD I NOT BEEN A CHEF…
Travel book editor
DISHES
Scallops, citron and celeriac
Tube pasta with creamy helichrysum, miso and walnut sauce
Radicchio, rhubarb, raspberries and goat’s cheese
Pumpkin tarte tatin, crème anglaise and clementine and pumpkin sorbet
KITCHEN BRIGADE
Thomas Lorenzoni
DINING ROOM STAFF
Tommaso Venturini
Maddalena Tommasi
SOMMELIER
Tommaso Venturini
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
For the celeriac discs
1 celeriac
Sea salt
Sugar
For the cream and citron sauce
1 large shallot
250 ml fresh cream
125 ml citron juice
125 ml roasted celeriac stock
Salt
Black peppercorns
Butter
Xhantan gum (0.2% of the total final weight of the preparation)
For the herb butter
50 g butter
10 g citron juice
Leaves of verbena, hyssop, marjoram, oregano, thyme
For the raw and cooked scallops
20 scallops
Salt
Olive oil
Zest of 1 citron
>Scallops, citron and celeriac
Preparare the discs: Peel the celeriac. Slice it to a thickness of 2 millimetres and, using a pastry cutter (diameter 5 cm), even out the slices. Place the discs on a baking tray and sprinkle them with equal quantities of salt and sugar, marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. Rinse the discs, dab them dry, brush them with oil and bake in the oven at 90°C for 20 minutes.
Celeriac “crumble”: use the leftovers from the previous preparation, put them in a mixer and cover with water. Blend until it has the consistency of wet sand. Drain in a sieve and squeeze with a cloth. Half fill a small pan with peanut oil and heat to 170 degrees. Add 3 tablespoons of chopped celeriac and fry. Drain and leave to cool on kitchen paper.
For the sauce: thinly slice the shallot and leave to wilt in a casserole dish with a knob of butter. Add the citron juice and reduce by 2/3. Add half the cream and the celeriac stock (made by roasting 2 celeriac pieces in the oven, then leaving them to infuse, covered with water, over a very low heat for 3 hours). Leave to simmer for 10 minutes. When cooked, add the rest of the cream, the peppercorns and season with salt, then leave to infuse covered with cling film for 15 minutes: filter and weigh. Thicken with xanthan gum (0.2% of the total weight).
Herb butter: in a small saucepan, make the browned butter, removing the light frothy part that will form on the surface. Add the citron juice and the chopped herbs. Scallops: open the shells and remove the meat, which should be cleaned of membranes and rinsed. Marinate 12 scallops with salt and sugar (as for the celeriac) and after half an hour rinse them. Heat an iron frying pan and roast the scallops: 30 seconds per side, then deglaze with cedar juice. Cut the remaining scallops into tartare and season with salt, oil and cedar zest.
Plating: Arrange three slices of celeriac on each plate and cover them with some Asian salad leaves (mizuna, Japanese mustard...). Season the 12 scallops with the herb butter and arrange them on the salad, alternating with three small piles of raw scallops tartare. Sprinkle the celeriac crumble over the scallops; next to the composition, make four dots with the citron sauce. Finish with a few more salad leaves.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
For the helichrysum milk
900 ml milk
7 sprigs helichrysum
Salt
For the walnut sauce
100 g toasted walnuts
5 g glucose
Starch
For the pasta
180 g tubes
Cannellini bean miso
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Lemon juice
Walnuts for garnish
>Tube pasta with creamy helichrysum, miso and walnut sauce
For the milk: Pour the milk and the helichrysum into a pan and bring to the boil. Add salt, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for half an hour, then leave to cool.
Walnut sauce: Pour the roasted walnuts into a small pan with 500g of water, add a little salt and bring to the boil. Leave to simmer gently for about twenty minutes and then blend. Filter through a fine-mesh chinois to obtain a smooth liquid, then add the glucose, season with salt and bring back to the boil. Weigh the sauce and thicken it with 2% starch based on the weight: the starch should be dissolved in a little water and poured into the liquid, then everything should be brought back to the boil.
Plating: Strain the milk, separating it from the helichrysum, and bring to the boil. Add salt and 180 g of pasta tubes: cook for 10/11 minutes. When cooked, the milk will have reduced considerably and thickened to form a sort of cream. Turn off the heat and stir in two tablespoons of cannellini bean miso, grated Parmigiano and lemon juice.
Place the tubes in the centre of a small cake mould and cover with the cream. Create a circle of walnut sauce around them and complete the dish with walnut shavings, obtained with the truffle slicer.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
For the rhubarb cream
400 g rhubarb, cut into pieces
Butter
Salt
Madagascar peppercorns
A bay leaf
1 teaspoon lime honey
Cornflour (if necessary)
For the raspberry cream
500 g raspberries
Salt Oil
For the cooked radicchio
2 early Treviso radicchio heads
Butter
Dried rose petals
Salt
Shiro tamari
For the garnish
Pink Verona radicchio
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
>Radicchio, rhubarb, raspberries and goat’s cheese
Rhubarb cream and glaze: Place the rhubarb in a vacuum bag with two knobs of butter, the bay leaf, a few grains of Madagascar pepper and salt. Cook in the roner at 75 degrees for 40 minutes. Once cooked, keep the liquid for the glaze and blend the solid parts instead, whipping them with a little olive oil to obtain a smooth cream.
Make the rhubarb glaze: Pour the previously obtained liquid into a small saucepan, add salt and honey and reduce over a low heat. If necessary, thicken with a little cornstarch.
Raspberry cream: Spread the raspberries on a baking tray and bake in a static oven at 185°C for 8-10 minutes (until they start to lose volume and begin to brown). Blend with a little olive oil and salt, then filter through a fine chinois to separate from the seeds and obtain a smooth cream.
Radicchio: Remove the outer leaves but don’t discard them, cut the radicchio in half lengthwise and place in a sous-vide bag with two knobs of butter, 5 g of rose petals, salt and 2 tablespoons of shiro tamari. Cook in a Roner at 84°C for 40 minutes.
Fried radicchio: Employ the leaves discarded from the previous preparation: cut them into julienne strips and fry them in peanut oil at 160°C.
Plate the dish: Brush the flat sides of the cooked radicchio with the rhubarb glaze and bake at 200°C for 10 minutes.
Once roasted, cover with a generous amount of grated aged goat’s milk cheese and place in the centre of a plate. Dress with the two sauces, rhubarb and raspberry, alternating them in a zigzag pattern on the surface of the radicchio.
Arrange the leaves of pink Radicchio di Verona, lightly dressed with olive oil and salt, like petals along the entire length of the radicchio and finish with the fried radicchio.
INGREDIENTS
FOR 4 PEOPLE
For the caramelised pumpkin
Half a Hokkaido pumpkin
100 g sugar
25 g butter
For the sorbet
4 clementines
150 g pumpkin, peeled
50 ml water
105 g sugar
25 g dextrose
1.5 g carob flour
For the crème anglaise
60 g clementine peel
30 g sugar
165 g cream
30 g brown sugar
25 g egg yolk
For the butter and sugar
100 g sugar
50 g butter rosemary flowers to garnish
Pumpkin tarte tatin, crème anglaise and clementine and pumpkin sorbet
For the caramelised pumpkin: Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Slice it with a mandolin, so as to obtain 3 mm thick strips. In a large pan, melt the butter with the sugar and a drop of water; when it begins to turn a uniform golden colour, add the pumpkin slices and leave to caramelise for 4-5 minutes, turning them with tongs. When cooked, roll to create four “roses”.
For the sorbet: Squeeze the clementines and save the peel. Steam the pumpkin until very soft and add it to the clementine juice: blend everything together. Heat the water in a saucepan and separately mix the sugar, dextrose and carob flour. When the water is at least 40 degrees, add the dry ingredients and bring to the boil. Add the syrup to the clementine and pumpkin juice and mix well, with a pinch of salt. The next day, blend the mixture with a hand blender, filter with a fine sieve and put in the ice cream maker.
For the crème anglaise: Blanch the clementine peels three times (changing the water), put them in a small pan with the sugar, cover with water and leave to cook until the water is absorbed. Blend to a purée. Bring the cream to the boil and pour it slowly onto the egg yolks beaten with the cane sugar. Put the cream back on the heat and bring it to 85°C. Finally, mix it with the pureed peel and filter it with a fine chinois.
For the butter and sugar: place the ingredients in a food mixer and blend to a paste.
Plating: Place 35 g of the butter and sugar mixture at the base of four 6 cm diameter silicone moulds. On top of the mixture, place a ‘rose’ of caramelised pumpkin and cover with a disc of puff pastry 8 cm in diameter, folding the sides over to enclose the filling. Bake at 185°C in a slightly ventilated oven for 30 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, turn the tarte tatin out onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Pour the warmed crème anglaise into the centre of a deep plate. Place the tarte tatin on top and complete with a quenelle of sorbet and a few rosemary flowers.
