Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food n.128

year 22 - number 128 - april 2019 - gamberorosso.it

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

Best Club Sandwiches in the World SAGRANTINO Among the people of Montefalco discovering stories and unique glasses around the world, dark and tannic, which recall a sense of the sacred

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2020 EXPO DUBAI Waiting for 2020, the city is seeing a surge in new Italian restaurant openings, which are also ushering wine consumption

MAURO ULIASSI of the great chefs in 3 ď ś Portrait signature dishes: Uliassi's eclectic spirit and the ability to combine traditional meat dishes with the fruits of the sea

SOMMARIO 4

year 22 - number 128 - april 2019 - gamberorosso.it

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

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Best Club Sandwiches in the World SAGRANTINO Among the people of Montefalco discovering stories and unique glasses around the world, dark and tannic, which recall a sense of the sacred

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2020 EXPO DUBAI Waiting for 2020, the city is seeing a surge in new Italian restaurant openings, which are also ushering wine consumption

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Ode to the trattoria News Wine of the Month Top Italian Restaurants in Dubai 2020 Expo Dubai. Italian Food and Wine prepare for the event A truly Italian wine & food journey in the core of Westminster Club Sandwich Theory and Practice (and why chefs can’t stop making them) Montefalco and the peoples of Sagrantino. A caresse in a punch Mauro Uliassi. Talent and eclecticism on the Adriatic

MAURO ULIASSI of the great chefs in 3  Portrait signature dishes: Uliassi's eclectic spirit and the ability to combine traditional meat dishes with the fruits of the sea

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36

30 58

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La soluzione logistica avanzata per il mercato Wines & Spirits Wine & Spirits Logistic Macrosystem Solution è il pacchetto logistico personalizzato per l’industria del settore “beverages”, un mercato all’interno del quale Giorgio Gori ha raggiunto elevati standard in termini di competenze, partnership, risorse, capacità organizzative e tecnologie. Procedure di trasporto modulari e sicure, contratti con i vettori più aff idabili, tariffe e condizioni eccellenti, sistemi di magazzinaggio ottimali, faciliteranno il percorso dei vostri prodotti dalla linea di imbottigliamento f ino al consumo f inale. Soluzioni informatiche web-based, arricchite da preziosi strumenti di controllo e previsione, vi forniranno informazioni in tempo reale sull’intero processo logistico.

w w w.ggor i.com

Ode to the trattoria Those who love wine, love a trattoria. Love that sweet sensation of comfort, those cuddles that only traditional cuisine can lend. Italians at the table are extremely conservative, they're almost obsessive: an attitude that has handed down historical baggage of recipes and flavours that's simply inexhaustible. This is not just about regional specialties, but about cuisines that change literally on a city basis, even depending on the neighborhood. We have the love for cooking in our blood, there is no other culture that speaks so frequently about food: at the bus stop, on the beach, at work, on the train, on vacation, in the morning, at midnight.

And yet, for years the Italian restaurant scene has denied its less affluent and peasant origins, it has sought inspiration abroad to feel more sophisticated, pursuing France on its shores, foie gras, jus, squab to show off its skills, that certain rigid service that's so far removed from the actual way we live at the table. The same thing happened to our wines in the 1990s, they adopted barrique oaks even on native varieties that really didn't need it: it was necessary to conquer international markets. Today the situation has reversed: it's the great restaurants that are now chasing the dishes typical of the trattorie, that joyful approach to the table. In Italy and abroad, foreigners love us as we are. They love our taverns, a good slice of salami or prosciutto to start, the intensity of a buffalo mozzarella, the spiciness of pecorino, the thickness of a fresh hand-rolled pasta at home, a proper Milanese cutlet. They prefer joking with an innkeeper instead of listening to a sommelier with the tastevin pendant around the neck. Customers now are surprised by artisan products that taste of truth and territory. High cooking temperatures, embers, the wood-fired oven, large meat cuts to be shared are being now rediscovered. It's again the time of the trattoria. And we who are touring all year to discover new restaurants, are the first to rejoice for this momentum of concreteness. Gone are the days of experience and surprise at all costs, at the table we only ask to feel good.

— Lorenzo Ruggeri

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NEWS

PERUVIAN CUISINE, THE KEY TO SUCCESS

by Annalisa Zordan There is Andean cuisine based on corn, potatoes and other tubers, there is the Criolla one born from the influence of Spanish traditions and the Chifa, born from the fusion of Peruvian cuisine and that of Chinese immigrants, mainly Cantonese. There's also the now famous Nikkei and novoAndean cuisine, a new culinary style born in Peru thanks to the interest of local gastronomists that wish to revive traditional local dishes from pre-Hispanic past, that thus restrore value to many native ingredients.

A "mixture", to mention the famous food festival organized in Lima, which in recent years has become one of the most important food cultures in the world. What exactly happened? Is it all about the skill of the chefs? Or is there a specific project behind this surge? We interviewed Amora Carvajal Schumacher, Director General of the Peruvian Economic and Trade Office. Let's immediately erase any doubt: it's not only the merit of the chefs. Of course, Virgilio Martinez and his numerous projects–– from the Mater Iniciativa project to the 3500-meter restaurant Mil,or the even the more famous Gaston Acurio, who became a reference point for the Mandarin Oriental group, for which he developed the format Yakumanka – acted as a megaphone for Peruvian cuisine.

But the leading player of this success is actually the government. "Since the government started supporting Peruvian cuisine, many private individuals have started opening up many successful restaurants," explains Amora Carvajal Schumacher, "so, in general, we are seeing a tremendous growth. Of course, some restaurants open, others close, but the trend is positive: we are talking about three top restaurants a year, all with big investments behind them and an interesting gastronomic research".

But how exactly did the government invest? They left with about 3 million Peruvian Nuevo Sol (just over 800,000 euros) and in the course of two five-

year marketing investments, promotion and event campaigns have quadrupled, also involving international press. "It all started in 2006 with the "Peru mucho gusto" campaign where we also involved airlines. The initial goal was to extend the stay in Lima for all those travellers who came to the city just to fly." Then we published a book by the same name and participated in the Madrid Fusion gastronomic convention as a guest country. "From there we realized that we too could organize a convention, so in 2007, with the great help of Gaston Acurio, it was Apega's turn with the support of the ministry of tourism.

We never expected it, but 5,000 people took part in the event".

The following year there was Mistura, with a broader concept and an even bigger participation. "Mistura also opened up to other cities and regions, giving visibility to all the local cuisines.

The people of Lima, who are also the

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1.. Ceviche de pescado 2. Josè Del Castillo and his asado 3. Camote, a typical product of peruvian cuisine

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NEWS

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highest spending, were thus able to learn about the country's various regional cuisines".

Ten years have passed since then, and the number of restaurants together with

their turnover has doubled, also driving gastronomic tourism. "If before tourists went to French restaurants, now they go to Peruvian cuisine restaurants. Even the hotel trade has changed: it happens

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more often than hotels feature local products, like bread, cheeses, and fruit.

In any case we are aiming for luxury tourism, which therefore provides for a lower influx, but higher spending, unlike Mexico for example�. Now more than ever people come from all over Latin America and Europe, perhaps also because for five years the government decided to open up to other events beyond Madrid Fusion, in Italy, England, France. But conventions and chefs are just the tip of the iceberg. "What I always like to remind people is the story of quinoa: once it cost very little and almost nobody ate it, not even in Peru, now it is part of the daily diet and producers are happy. Same thing with potatoes.

The merit for this goes to those chefs who leverage our infinite biodiversity, I think for example of Virgilio Martinez who in his Mater studies all the varieties of potatoes. Now, in his wake, we are for example focusing on the increasingly high quality of cacao and coffee".

In short, if people first knew Peru only thanks to Machu Piccho, now the country has become a gastronomic destination, where restaurants are moreover offering traditional cuisine and are becoming increasingly popular. "I adore Virgilio, mind you, but seeing the line outside the restaurant Isolina del Josè del Castillo makes me proud because it means that even Peruvians are proud of their traditions". And indeed thanks to the chef of Castillo the homemade gastronomy, or as he defines it "a cuisine of memories and family recipes", finds the right positioning among the many fine dining restaurants opened in these years. Future projects? "The project, born from the ministry of tourism, is now also supported by the ministry of health, education and the environment, everyone is doing something to promote Peruvian gastronomy, also because from gastronomy we arrive, backwards, to the small producers in the Amazon".

NEWS

CHEF’S TABLE STREET FOOD. THE POPULAR NETFLIX SERIES FOCUSES ON THE STREET FOOD KITCHENS OF ASIA

by Livia Montagnoli

The last season of Chef's Table – the sixth if counting the baking spin-off – was released on Netflix only a few weeks ago. The cast selected around the world

by David Gelb, producer of the series with a cult following (the first season dates back to 2015), has gradually become more heterogeneous, up to including personalities that are outside the circle of the great Michelin starred kitchens, to focus on issues of social, political and cultural significance. On April 26th, however, it will change once more, with a new season completely filmed in Asia.

This is the initial piece of information acquired on the new series, very few previews have been shared at the moment on Chef's Table series dedicated to street

food. Not an absolute novelty, considering how often, especially in the last few episodes released, the camera lingered on street food and the popular traditions that fuel its success (the excursus on Mexican popular cuisine by Enrique Olvera, or Christina Tosi's pop pastry shop, for example). This time, however, the food show is clearly moving to the streets, to intercept the consumption habits of a community, and the stories of excellence that have arisen almost from nothing, which even guide books have begun rewarding in recent years. One among them is Jay Fai's, a very dynamic street chef from Bangkok, awarded a Michelin star for his crab omelettes, served in a room with a spartan street kitchen to

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say the least. Notoriety has brough with it a queue that is assembled outside the eatery every day, turning an enterprise from one of her legendary omelettes.

According to the poster of the series, which portrays her, she should be one of the protagonists of Chef's Table Street Food. The nine episodes will each filmed in a different country on the Asian continent, "to tell stories of perseverance in handing down the gastronomic and cultural roots of a community". But it's the spin-off may continue to live on its own life, with new seasons dedicated to the theme. Let's therefore expect sets that range from street vendors, food trucks and open-air markets. Waiting for some more succulent details.

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WINNER AT PINK ROSÉ FESTIVAL 2019

CHIARETTO InANFORA Getting back to the wine making roots

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

NEWS

PRODUCTION. RECORD-BREAKING ITALY IN 2018: ALMOST 55 MILLION HECTOLITERS OF WINE. DOP PERCENTAGES ARE STILL RISING, PGIS ARE DOWN

by Giancluca Atzeni

Characterizing 2018 is not just another record in value in Italian wine exports. There is also the record in the production of wine and must, which reached an extraordinary figure of 54.78 million hectoliters.

Analyzing the historical data, this is the best result since the year 2000. The years 2004, 2005 and 2016 were also clearly exceeded, particularly abundant (see chart).

It goes without saying that Italy is confirmed, with official numbers, and beyond its estimates, in its role as the leading producer country in the world, ahead of France and Spain. The percentage increase compared to 2017 (which with 42 mln/hl is among the poorest of all together with 2012) is equal to 29%.

Agea data, collected by Ismea, referring to the production declarations of Italian wine companies, also betray that 2018 was the year in which more Dop wines (22.6 million hectoliters) were produced, with PGI wines that fell to 13.2 million hectoliters and with common

Wine

Dec 2018

Nov 2018

Oct 2018

Sep 2018

Aug 2018

Jul 2018

Jun 2018

May 2018

Apr 2018

Mar 2018

Feb 2018

Jan 2018

Dec 2017

ISMEA INDEX OF PRICES AT ORIGIN - 2018

fonte: Ismea

Tot. agricolture

harvest, and of this abundant production, was a sharp drop in quotations at the origin. The Ismea index, after exceeding 183 points in the spring of 2018, dropped to 153 points last December, to the same levels of a decade ago.

wines and musts totaling 19.2 million hectoliters. Considering only PDO productions (excluding musts), 62% is composed of white wines; while among the IGP the proportion red/rosĂŠ and white is 50%. On prices, the effect of this

PRODUCTION ITALY 2000-2018

50

Common and mustes

40 30

Igp

20 10

Dop 2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

0

source: Collected by Ismea based on Agea and Istat data

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NEWS

THE DRAGON READY TO OVERCOME GERMANY AMONG BUYER COUNTRIES. ITALIAN WINE AT 142 MLN

by Loredana Sottile

Also for 2018, Italy remains the fifth wine supplier for China, for a value of 142.3 million euros (-0.2%), one step away from Spain (143.1 million euros; -16.3%). This is what emerges from the analysis of the Vinitaly-Nomisma Wine Monitor on the Chinese market (see table below), where the general trend was down by 2%, after years of great expansion. In fact, France also lost positions, although it remains at the top of the rankings (903 million euros; -7.2%). On the other hand, the two countries benefited from tax duties with the most plus signs: Australia (660 million euros; +3.2%) and Chile (319 million euros; +9.8%). Looking at the types, Italian sparkling imports are down (-5.7%, to 17.5 million euros), in contrast with the world trend, while bottled still wines – which alone represent almost 87% of Italian suppliesin value – earn 1% (123.4 million euros). "The Asian market, and in particular the Chinese one is increasingly strategic from a future point of view for our oenological product" is the comment of the director of Veronafiere Giovanni Mantovani from Vinitaly China Chengdu, on the occasion of the International Wine and Spirit Show in Chengdu, the historical six-monthly fair on wine sector (17-23 March). Despite the setback, on the whole, China confirms itself as the fourth global wine buyer with a share of 2.4 billion euros and is about to overcome mature Germany, at 2.6 billion euros. A clash that is the paradigm of the Old and New World: the most mature country Vs most promising country. Zoom in on Italy, it is clear that the absolute numbers still speak German (worth 950 million euros vs. 142 million), but the trend appears favourable for the Country of the Dragon (see table). Consider that in the last 5 years the import by value has registered a growth of Chinese demand 40 times higher than the German one (+80% vs. +2%). Given that it's also reflected in volume imports (+53% vs. -11%). A separate chapter, is the price, with Italian wine that in Germany does not exceed an average of 1.85 euros/litre, while in China, in the last five years, has recorded a doubledigit growth: 3.92 euros/litre (about 40% higher than the world average and more than double the German one).

2018 VS 2013: CHINA AND GERMANY IMPORT FROM ITALY

Total Wine Still wines Sparkling

Unbottled and big formats China

Germany

CHINA. IMPORT OF WINES 2018

IMPORT 2018 Supplier

VARIATION 2018/2017 Average Price Volums

Values

Volums

Average Price

Values

FRANCE AUSTRALIA CHILE SPAIN ITALY

(millions €) 903,27 660,38 318,81 143,09 142,34

(.000 hl) 1.805,81 1.652,82 1.677,12 698,97 363,18

(€/litre) 5,00 4,00 1,90 2,05 3,92

(%) -7,2 3,2 9,8 -16,3 -0,2

(%) -22,4 14,5 28,2 -48,0 -3,2

19,6 -9,9 -14,4 60,9 3,1

TOTAL

2.414,93

6.875,51

3,51

-2,0

-8,5

7,0

(%)

NEWS

CHAMPAGNE. BITTERSWEET RESULTS. THE ITALIAN MARKET IS DOING WELL

New record for Champagne which, in the course of 2018, reached a turnover of 4.9 billion euros. The 2018 budget, presented at ProWein by the Epernay Committee, leaves a bittersweet taste.

Because this performance is the result of weak growth (+0.3%), accompanied by a general decline in volumes (-1.8% at 301.9 million bottles). A slowdown that is owed to the sales trend in France (first customer) and in the United Kingdom, two markets that together comprise 60% of total sales and recorded a 4% decrease in volumes and 2% in the round business. Excluding the domestic market, Champagne sales grew by 0.6% in quantity and 1.8% in value, mainly thanks to the demand in markets outside the EU. In particular, 23.7 million bottles were sold in the USA (+2.7%), in Japan 13.6 million (+5.5%), in the area of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan 4.7 million of bottles (+9.1%). Australia stops after ten years of uninterrupted growth (8.4 million bottles). Canada also performed well (+4.8% at 2.3 million bottles), Mexico (+4.3% at 1.7 million bottles) and South Africa (+38.4% above the million-bottle limit). Even in 2018, Italy remains a safe haven for Champagne. The growth in value continues (+4.2% compared to the previous year) with a turnover of 158.6 million euros (excluding taxes, ex cellar). The volumes are stable, according to ComitĂŠ, with 7,362,506 bottles.

Italy confirms its position as the fifth export market for turnover.

VENETO, PIEDMONT AND TUSCANY ON THE PODIUM OF FOREIGN SALES. MARCHE, LIGURIA AND VALLE D'AOSTA RACE FORWARD. DOWN SARDINIA, BASILICATA AND MOLISE Veneto firmly in first place and Piedmont second, ahead of Tuscany. The podium of the regions that export the most wine in Italy is also confirmed in 2018.

All three have values with the plus sign, according to Istat data, between 4.4% in Tuscany and 3.5% in Piedmont, which defends second place despite a lower increase. Immediately below, three regions that have not grown as far as wine exports are concerned. Trentino Alto Adige, Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy (which account for almost 19% of national exports) recorded a zero increase and, in fact, contributed to slowing down the Italian growth in 2018, limited to 3.3%. It goes better in the lower part of the top 10, with good performances in terms of Abruzzo (+6.3%), Puglia (6.7%) and above all Sicily (+8.7): a trio of regions that represents about 7.5% of the national sector. The best growth performances include those in Marche (+9.5%), Liguria (+13.1%) and Valle d'Aosta (+11.9%). Bad, on the other hand, Sardinia, Basilicata and Molise, which leaves almost a third of the 2017 export on the ground.

EXPORT OF WINES IN VALUE 2017/2018 (source Istat)

Regions

2017

2018

quote %

(thousands/â‚Ź)

35,7 16,4 15,6 8,9 5,3 4,5 2,8 2,5 2,1 1,9 1 0,9 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,4 0,1 0,1 / / 100

2.219.870 1.022.285 978.196 532.399 321.948 270.802 181.619 159.022 138.348 117.735 65.720 56.987 47.721 34.362 23.828 21.801 4.869 2.302 2.112 1.540 6.204.560

Veneto Piedmont Tuscany Trentino/Sudtirol Emilia Romagna Lombardy Abruzzo Puglia Sicily Friuli Venezia G. Lazio Marche Campania Umbria Liguria Sardinia Calabria Molise Basilicata Valle d'Aosta ITALY

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var.% 3,6 3,5 4,4 0,1 0,3 -0,1 6,3 6,7 8,7 4,3 5,2 9,5 0,2 0,9 13,1 -6,9 1,1 -29,3 -9,4 11,9 3,3

NEWS

WINE OF THE MONTH

GUIRY 2016 TENUTA BIODINAMICA MARA San Clemente (RN) www.tenutamara.it ex-cellar price: 14 euros + taxes The wine of the month takes us to San Clemente, in the province of Rimini.

We were literally bewitched by the retaste of this pure Sangiovese that aged for 16 months in large barrels.

Giordano Emendatori's passion as at the base of this extraordinary project, dedicated to his wife Mara.

This was made possible thanks to painstaking care and an attentive eye towards sustainability, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, where biodynamic principals prevail. And both their architectural approach and the facility demonstrate great sensitivity to the environment and aesthetic principals. Their original wines consistently prove to be personal and intriguing, and full of flavour. While awaiting their flaghsip wine, which is still aging, we enjoyed, again, another 100% Sangiovese, a splendid 2016 Guiry. It offers up delectable, mature aromas, with no lack of fresh and floral notes, hints of spices and medicinal herbs. The palate comes through supple and full-flavoured with good supporting acidity. It's dry, reviving, full of edges and flavour: a wonderful gastronomic wine. It embodies delectable taste, character and exceptional drinkability. And it costs very little considering the value in the glass. The wonderful 2016 vintage strikes again.

GAMBERO ROSSO X BATASIOLO

Batasiolo. Family passion in the name of Barolo

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Batasiolo is the name of the toponym, located under the Bricco Manescotto, where the namesake winery is based and owned by the Dogliani family. This family has diversified its investments over time, coming primarily to notoriety for its construction companies, but its origin is undoubtedly peasant. When in 1978 Mattarino Dogliani bought from the IDV (International Distillers Vintners, a multinational operating in the field of spirits, alcoholic bev-

erages and wine) the Kiola winery of La Morra, the Doglianis were already wine producers. Batasiolo was born from the fusion of Kiola with the previous viticultural activity of the Dogliani family. Rich in landed properties, Batasiolo starts off with a large number of farmhouses counting close to 80 hectares of which 65 are positioned in areas particularly suited for the production of Barolo.

Today, with subsequent developments under the guidance of Fioren-

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zo Dogliani, the farmland property is spread over 140 hectares of which 120 are vineyards. Thus, among the many records of the Dogliani family there is also that of being the largest private owner of vineyards cultivated with Nebbiolo da Barolo with about 75 hectares divided between 7 farmsteads all located in the prized Barolo area: Batasiolo, Morino, Cerequio and Brunate in La Morra; Boscareto and the historic Briccolina in Serralunga d’Alba; ď ľ

GAMBERO ROSSO X BATASIOLO

1. The barrel room of the La Morra cellar 2. A shot of the tasters during the vertical of the different cru 3. Fiorenzo Dogliani 4. The 16 Barolo labels tasted for the different vintages WORDS BY GIANNI FABRIZIO – PHOTOS BY ALESSANDRO LERCARA

THE BATASIOLO CRU BOSCARETO municipality: Serralunga d’Alba altitude: 400 - 330 metres asl hectares of Nebbiolo from Barolo: over 16 first year of production: 1980s number of bottles produced: 13,000 aging of the wine: large size Slavonian oak barrels character of the wine: austere and tannic, needs time to reach maturity, particularly long-lived BRICCOLINA (aka Corda della Briccolina) municipality: Serralunga d’Alba altitude: 380 - 320 metres asl hectares of Nebbiolo from Barolo: 1,90 first year of production: 1980s number of bottles produced: 9-10,000 aging of the wine: French oak barrels character of the wine: powerful and tannic but refined by the barrique, very long-lived

BOFANI (or Bussia Vigneto Bofani) municipality: Monforte d’Alba cru: Bussia (Bussia Sottana) altitude: 300 - 250 metres asl hectares of Nebbiolo from Barolo: 9 first year of production: 1980s number of bottles produced: 13,000 aging of the wine: large size Slavonian oak barrels character of the wine: fruity and soft, already accessible in youth, good longevity

CEREQUIO municipality: La Morra altitude: 350 - 300 metres asl ettari a nebbiolo da Barolo: 2,20 first year of production: 1996 number of bottles produced: 13,000 aging of the wine: large size Slavonian oak barrels character of the wine: refined and of great class with very accentuated balsamic aromas, already good in youth but with good longevity

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GAMBERO ROSSO X BATASIOLO

Batasiolo.

Family passion in the name of Barolo Bricco di Vergne and Zonchetta in Barolo, Tantesi and Bussia Bofani in Monforte d’Alba. Thanks to its vineyards, at the end of the 1990s Batasiolo vinified about 10% of the entire Barolo production. The pride of Fiorenzo is to be part of a lineage - the Langhe - of capable, stubborn, far-sighted people, of winegrowers and entrepreneurs who have made Barolo known all over the world, telling their own story and the story of the territory.

Over the years, extensive work has been carried out to replace and modernize the vineyards, and the winery has also undergone several interventions (only 4 years ago the new barrel room was opened with controlled temperature and humidity and now the dedicated cellar is being renovated with classic method sparkling wines). But the pride of the Batasiolo are the approximately 200,000 bottles of Barolo and for the cru (depending on the years) from 4,000 of the Briccolina to about 13,000 of Boscareto, Bussia Bofani, Cerequio and Brunate).

Moreover, the emphasis over the years has been on Barbera d’Alba Sovrana, about 65,000 bottles from the best vineyards in the area, on the Dolcetto d’Alba Bricco di Vergne, on the Langhe Chardonnay Morino vineyard and on the Moscato d’Asti Bosc dla Rei. Today, the company’s wines are distributed all over the world, thanks to the meticulous work done in very difficult times to export to overseas markets.

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COMPARING THE GREAT CRUS We tasted the different crus in the different vintages and found that they greatly improved with aging compared to when we tasted them for the first time

2013

92/100 Barolo Cerequio The Barolo Cerequio is characterized by its fresh and clear fruity quality (raspberry and wild strawberry) and by the balsamic connotation that represents the brand of the cru, which tends towards aromas of mint and eucalyptus. The mouth has a dense texture and good harmony with soft tannins that envelop the long finish.

91/100 Barolo Bussia Vigneto Bofani The Barolo Bussia Vigneto Bofani presents a particularly intense garnet ruby profile. The nose is dominated by fruity sensations, enriched with aromas of sweet tobacco that make the whole more complex, while the mouth has fullness and volume, capable of contrasting the never sharp tannic richness.

90/100 Barolo Boscareto The Boscareto is, as always, difficult to approach when young. Already the nose is closed and unwilling to allow itself and the fruity part appears, for now, timid,

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leaving room for hints of dried herbs and cinchona, with a distant memory of tar. On the palate the tannins are still rough, promising a bright future, but leaving little room for immediate pleasure.

93/100 Barolo Briccolina Barolo Briccolina has an amazing olfactory gentleness for a Barolo from Serralunga d’Alba.

The sweetly spicy and vanilla oak undoubtedly helps the fruity and floral notes, increasing their complexity. The mouth is appreciated for its rich qualities and for the perfect synergy with the oak and for the great persistence of the aftertaste.

2008

93/100 Barolo Cerequio The Cerequio 2008 still has a very young attitude and a multi-faceted nose, with aromas that are still little aged where the character of the cru comes out without halfmeasures, with a slight vegetal nuance compared to 2013. In fact, in addition to the notes of mint and eucalyptus, one can catch a touch of anise. The mouth is

powerful, with nice pulp to balance the tannic shoulder.

92/100 Barolo Bussia Vigneto Bofani On the nose the Bofani Vineyard doesn’t hide the characteristics of the colder 2008 harvest, which marries the aromas of red berries to clear and pleasant plant sensations. The palate, based on the freshness of acidity and tannic delicacy, achieves an enviable balance. More than powerful, the Bofani 2008 focuses on finesse.

95/100 Barolo Boscareto The Boscareto 2008 is a Barolo of great character that stands out for its beautiful olfactory breadth expressed through the more classic notes of the Barolos of Serralunga d’Alba (wet earth, spices, cinchona and dried flowers), combined with red fruits. The mouth is pleasantly austere and of great tannic density, while maintaining a beautiful sweetness of fruit and great delicacy of the vintage.

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86/100 Barolo Briccolina The colour is marked by important garnet hues as witness to the greater contact with oxygen, while the nose grasps a presence of oak that’s a bit intrusive with vanilla notes in the foreground.

On the palate, youth and tannic strength tend to dominate the stage, closing on a fairly long but slightly too dry finish.

2005

95/100 Barolo Vigneto Cerequio In color, Cerequio 2005 shows reflexes of certain youth, which is confirmed by the still decidedly fruity olfactory notes with strawberry aromas in evidence.

Then the complex balsamic part of the cru

(anise and fennel) takes over. On the palate this Barolo 2005 amazes for its fullness, harmony and length. It’s a refined and classy wine that still has room for growth.

96/100 Barolo Vigneto Boscareto The Boscareto confirms the value of an undervalued harvest at the time of aging.

The nose is lazy and takes time to open up, after, however, it offers classic and traditional aromas ranging from notes of wet earth and undergrowth to those of tar and smoke, passing from memories of china and roots. The mouth, powerful and rich with still a slight tannic edge and a savory vein, impresses for youth.

1998

93/100 Barolo Vigneto Cerequio The wine still looks quite young for a Barolo of twenty years, while the nose, still intense, expresses qualities of great harmony with the synergy between still very much alive fruity aromas and those delicately mentholated of the cru. On the palate the tannins are soft and delicate and the tactile sensation is that of velvet: the wine has reached full maturity..

1996

93/100 Barolo Vigneto Boscareto Although the color––soft and garnet––appears rather evolved, the subsequent phases of the tasting prove the op-

 Batasiolo – fraz. Annunziata, 87 – La Morra (CN) – 0173 50130 – batasiolo.com

GAMBERO ROSSO

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posite. Starting from the complex and multifaceted nose that leaves a long trail of liquorice and cinchona aromas, combined with hints of dried flowers and goudron. The mouth, still powerful in the acid/ tannic push, is also endowed with great body and good pulp.

95/100 Barolo Vigneto Corda della Briccolina More lively than the Boscareto 1996 in favour of the Corda della Briccolina. The nose fully expresses the finesse of the vintage through refined notes of medicinal herbs, tobacco and rose, but also expresses its freshness, with the presence of fruit and spices.

The palate is softened by the oak barrique

which buffers acidity and tannins. The finish is particularly persistent.

1990

96/100 Barolo Vigneto Boscareto At the sight this young wine of almost thirty years seems younger than the two Barolos 1996. The nose appears intense, rich in shades of tar, cinchona and undergrowth, but also more unexpected aromas for his age, ranging in the red fruit family; finally, a distant memory of black olive paté gives complexity. Even on the palate it still feels young, with a long finish supported by fine tannins and a correct acid vein.

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN DUBAI

LUIGIA Rixos Premium - Dubai www.luigia.ch Average Price: 250 AED This is the best pizza in Dubai. This is as well one of the very best traditional restaurants in town. The choice of ingredients is strictly maniac, which are personally selected and self-imported. The pizzaioli and management are greatly invested in the business management, avant-garde technology controls each phase of the production.

We’re not sure if we prefer the pizza or the cuisine offer, with amazing traditional recipes like parmigiana or a mind blowing al dente and melting spaghetto al pomodoro (miracolato). The pizza napoletana is exceptional: left to proof at least 48 hours, baked to perfection and topped by sublime ingredients in each bite. Take for example the nostrana topped with fior di latte from Agerola, piennolo tomatoes and fresh basil. Flavors are super clean and fragrant enhanched by quality olive oils, authentic buffalo mozzarella and a huge portfolio of gourmet pies: if you

RISTORANTE ARMANI Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, B uri Khalifa - Dubai www.armanihoteldubai.com

IL BORRO TUSCAN BISTRO 906 Jumeria Rd - Dubai www.ilborrotuscanbistro.ae Average Price: 220 AED Style, classic, contained, el-

Average Price: 400 AED

egant, hues are typical of Tus-

Chef Federico Sanna has proven to be one of Dubai’s most solid chefs.

Located within the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, the Armani is understandably in the cradle of luxury, with breathtaking views of the fountains. Tables are well-spaced out and the menu features elaborate dishes with a solid backbone, and that rely on quality ingredients. Here the service is simply outastanding, restaurant manager Massimo Fonte guides a very professional team. Classic dishes may include seared scallop, pumpkin cream, mushrooms, or well al dente risotti. We found the roasted lamb loin perfectly cooked and well accompanied. Great attention is paid to the smallest of details, including the bread selection and the sweet meal endings. International wine list with Dubai recharges.

can trattorias. Handsome delicatessen counter at the entrance, the perfect slicer and the perfect espresso machine, too. And then finally, solid Italian cuisine that’s ingredient-based, focusing on organic products and using traditional recipes, and always under the close supervision of chef Fulvio Opalio, who is very capable of managing the city’s tempo. Homemade dishes shine in the panzanella, or the chickpea cream from Chianti, the pici all’aglione (handamade Tuscan pasta dressed with lots of organic garlic, tomato sauce and basil), the tagliatelle with Umbria black truffle and fabulous Fiorentina steaks. The bread and the pizzas are equally good. The wine list is well structured with reduced markups for Dubai. Tuscan wines of Il Borro take center stage. Meal endings feature

love pizza, you’ll love Luigia. The wine list

daily sorbet, tiramisu or little apple cro-

features around 30 labels, and a short se-

statas.

lection available by the glass. More than highly recommended.

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TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

Dubai, Dubai, Dubai. Few cities have grown on a food level like Dubai has.

The regional classic recipes are the symbol of a city that adores traditional Italian cuisine served in an elegant setting. Dubai has already welcomed Heinz Beck, and Niko Romito, and has just host the first adventure abroad of Massimo Bottura. There’s still space for improvement but you’re going to have many surprises. And if you love pizza…

SOCIAL BY HEINZ BECK

NIKO ROMITO

Crescent Road, The Palm Jumeirah Dubai

Jumeira 2 - Dubai

www.hiltonhotels.it

Average Price: 500 AED

Average Price: 400 AED Elegant, sustainable, pretty essential.

That’s the spirit of the Heinz Beck Dubai venue. Some of the dishes are those found on the Pergola menu in Rome, including the Beck restaurant’s most renowned dessert, the raspberry 1.1, or the classic fagottelli carbonara together with others devised especially for the Dubai restaurant. Resident chef Francesco Acquaviva, from Rome, offers an extensive menu, with a focus on appetizers like Panzanella 2.0 or Perfume of Sicily: cous cous with prawns in tempura.

We enojoyed the rich seafood risotto over the lobster spaghetti; then, the delicate sea bass with celery and capers sauce.

All made with ingredients and techniques that have made Beck one of the top fig-

www.bulgarihotels.com The location chosen for Niko Romito’s restaurant is beautiful, close your

top italian restaurants

©

eyes and you could be in one of the most scenic places in Sardinia. Bright, tastefully decorated, with the aid of an

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all-Italian staff. The menu has completely changed since the opening, we found a very well focused and solid offer with classic recipes and a creative verve. During our last visit we tasted a well cooked traditional lasagna, melting, very well cooked and tasty. Equally centered was the chicken alla diavola, one of Niko’s obsessions, served with olives and capers.

Excellent chocolate krapfen is the perfect meal. Wine list with many classics, first of all from Tuscany. Very kind and professional service. .

ures in the current dining scene. The selection of Italian wines, could use a little bit of improvement.

www.gamberorosso.it/restaurants/

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2020 EXPO DUBAI. ITALIAN FOOD AND WINE PREPARE FOR THE EVENT Waiting for 2020, the city is seeing a surge in new Italian restaurant openings, which are also ushering wine consumption.

The return of Gambero Rosso to Dubai has also seen the presence of the vice premier Luigi Di Maio: “Together we will do great things”.

Here are some previews of the Padiglione Italia.

EVENTS

D

ubai is a huge open-air construction site. The long wait is about to end, as Expo 2020 is upon us and Gambero Rosso, for the fourth consecutive year, has returned to the United Arab Emirates to promote and publicize our food and wine heritage.

The Notte Italiana event hosted at Palazzo Versace on Monday April 15th featured 40 Italian wineries selected from the Vini d’Italia guide.

“We are here to promote and test the Italian agro-food industry in view of the Expo. The Dubai market is crucial, there are operators from all five continents and it’s also important for Sub-Saharan Africa, a market in huge growth,” commented the President of Gambero Rosso, Paolo Cuccia.

The vice prime minister and minister for economic development Luigi di Maio thanked all the importers and entrepreneurs present at the event: “Congratulations for what you have done so far, your work has made Italy worthy. An auspice for the future, for 2020 Expo Dubai, the pavilion alone will already be a great affirmation of our country, an important work that will communicate Italian excellence. We will do great things together, my presence here is only to represent political institutions: the Government is present with our businesses and expects a lot, because Italy has so much to give”.

ITALIAN WINES IN THE UAE But let’s look into the market specifics. In 2018, Italy exported wines and musts to the United Arab Emirates totalling 12 million euro, up 7% from 11.2 million in 2017. This positive trend is confirmed by the numbers in the first months of 2019. According to Istat data study on foreign trade, in January, Italy exported wine to this market for 

From the left: Valentina Setta, Italian consul general in Dubai; Tiina Eriksson, director of international events Gambero Rosso; Luigi Salerno, CEO of Gambero Rosso; Paolo Cuccia, President of Gambero Rosso; Luigi Di Maio, vice Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Policies and Economic Development; Yogesh Mehta, CEO of Petrochem; Manlio Di Stefano, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Liborio Stellino, Italian Ambassador in the United Arab Emirates

ITALY PAVILLION AT EXPO 2020. HERE’S A PREVIEW

A surface area of 3,500 square meters, 25 meters high, placed in a position of maximum visibility within the expo site. These are the first details of the Pavilion that will represent Italy in 2020 in Dubai, the theme of the Universal Exposition is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. The design was entrusted to the temporary grouping of companies consisting of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, Italo Rota Building Office, F&M Ingegneria, Matteo Gatto & Associati. It will be a journey into Italian beauty. According to the architecture project, the hulls of three Italian boats arriving by sea will be turned upside down and raised, one next to the other, on high pillars, becoming the roof of the Pavilion. Each painted differently, the three hulls seen from above will look like three petals that make up the colors of the Italian flag. The architecture celebrates the history of Italian men and explorers, who for centuries sailed the seas and travelled to distant lands, weaving contacts and relationships with the entire world.

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WORLDTOUR

RESTAURANTS AWARDED BY TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS Five Italian venues were awarded during the Notte Italiana event in Dubai, confirming an extremely dynamic market. Standing out among the bistros was Il Borro, the restaurant of the Ferragamo group, winning Due Gamberi recognition thanks to a solid cuisine made of traditional Tuscan recipes and a carefully selected wine list. Among the fine dining venues, Armani/Ristoranti with Due Forchette emerges, led by chef Federico Sanna and manager Massimo Fonte. Same recognition goes to Social by Heinz Beck, led by the very young Francesco Acquaviva, and Il Ristorante Niko Romito, entrusted to the expert hands of Giacomo Amicucci. Tre Spicchi for the best pizzeria in Dubai goes to Luigia, well directed by manager Antonio Lagrutta. Perfectly leavened and cooked pizza, topped with a careful selection of ingredients, accompanied by a cuisine that is confirmed as one of the best in the city.

The spaghetti al pomodoto, for example, is simply mind blowing. A great example of Italian cuisine that was much appreciated during the evening, punctuated by the recipes and flavours studied for the occasion by the Luigia team.Due Spicchi, same rating for Giro Pizzeria.

945,000 euro, up by over 6%. Export quantities also increased (+5%). Wine lists are still leaning towards red wines, with whites growing only in the last few years, despite the mild and windy

climate. Driving consumptions is the restaurant sector, concentrated in large hotel chains and shopping centres: there are 14,000 restaurants in Dubai, a simply impressive figure given the user

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catchment area. Everyone wants to open in the city, but the market remains among the most difficult for those seeking to offer restaurants of constantly high and profitable quality. ď‚„

EVENTS

 THE RESTAURATEURS’ POINT

OF VIEW “Compared to when we first started, we have gained one business day in the week, the clientele is now concentrated between Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Everyone is waiting for the Expo. I saw this in Milan: there was a huge boom and the city later lived a lot in the wake of that. It will also happen here, even if the idea that it’s enough to build everywhere to get people in the door is not sustainable. There will be a peak next year and until 2021, then who knows... “, says Carlo Bevilacqua, restaurants director at Bulgari Resort Dubai.

Il Ristorante Niko Romito opened in September 2017 with a view of Jumeirah Bay: “It’s hard to bring our cuisine concept here” adds sous chef Emilio Di Cristo “we have to educate palates, but we are slowly succeeding.

Ingredients are excellent, everything can be shipped here and we already have a loyal clientele”.

“It is not easy to design a well-stocked wine list because there is in fact a dual monopoly between African Eastern and MMI, plus taxes are among the highest in the world but we are already planning to expand and create a very scenic showcase. The wine needs to be seen, otherwise customers will never order it,” says Antonio Lagrutta, manager of Luigia in Dubai Marina.

Among the latest openings we’d like to shed light on the only establishment opened out of Italy by Massimo Bottura, torno subito W Dubai The Palm, entrusted to the young talent of Bernardo Paladini. 1960s ambiance, a gelato cart, pedal boats with packed lunches, sand coming from Rimini, pizza and a lean menu entrusted to a team trained at Osteria Francescana. “The idea is of a fun dining” says Paladini “here customers always

ISWA Eight wineries, eight families. Operating under the same keyword: system cooperation. During the Dubai event, there was a seminar dedicated to ISWA, the Italian Signature Wines Academy, a strategic alliance between historic brands: Allegrini and Villa Sandi (Veneto), Masciarelli (Abruzzo) Arnaldo Caprai (Umbria), Feudi di San Gregorio (Campania), Fontanafredda (Piedmont), Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi (Tuscany) and Planeta.

Led by Lorenzo Ruggeri and Gloria Mainella, this was a journey across Italy through 8 great wines and 8 wineries that share the same values and vision. The idea of joining forces to bring value and share the challenges of exports is proving to be successful, just look at the growing turnover of the companies that are a part of it. The emphasis is on the value of hospitality and, therefore, on the power of wine in tourism, bringing attention to accommodation facilities, the gastronomic products of a place, and its artistic heritage. Share information on foreign markets, promoting ourselves in a compact way. One of the rare virtuous examples of Italian producers, who have understood that abroad they are not competitors but reliable partners.

ask for pasta with cream and chicken or for fettuccine Alfredo, we are working on a menu that’s a play on the great fakes of Italian cuisine in the world, but made with super ingredients. Food waste here

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in Dubai is the norm: over 70% of the food produced. We offer dishes of reuse, such as panzanella and in view of the Expo we have a great commitment: the opening of a refectory”. 

the first “wine cruise” in the world 18-25 January 2020 GRANDIOSA CRUISE FLAGSHIP

€ 581

€ 499

TAXES AND INSURANCE INCLUDED

PRIVATE WINE TASTING INCLUDED

come on board with the GIGANTI DEL MARE with the best ITALIAN WINE

booking@winesea.it

(ONLY FOR THE FRIST 100 BOOKING)

ITINERARY - 8 days / 7 nights

Genoa, Civitavecchia, Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa

winesea.it

technical organization

EVENTS

DUBAI - PHOTOGALLERY

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WORLDTOUR

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GAMBERO ROSSO X ITALIAN HOSPITALITY COLLECTION

Luxury its changes skin. 5 spa resorts for a 100% Italian experience Tourism, hotels, vacation. We talk about it all with Roberto Micciulli, CEO of Italian Hospitality Collection who is launching a new style in hospitality, all in the name of Italian-style..

What is the fundamental characteristic of «Italian-style» hospitality?

Unique style, great passion, impeccable hospitality, unmistakable elegance: the Italian Hospitality Collection group is inspired by these elements.

You offer different solutions for different needs: thermal spas, family vacations, mountain living. What is the leit motif?

The philosophy of the group is simple: the guest is at the centre of everything and is welcomed with warmth and passion, typical of Italian hospitality, this happens in all our facilities, each strongly correlated to the territory in which it belongs. Our five hotels – starting from the new entry Le Massif in Courmayeur������������� –������������ are located in places of excellence, rich in art, history, culture and surrounded by breathtaking nature. The three spa resorts in Tuscany share a unique philosophy of well-being called Equilibrium.

What is the significance of the term, ‘luxury’ today?

Unique experiences, well-being as a lifestyle, enchanting nature, tailored services: key elements that make the difference in terms of luxury and exclusivity. The hotel today is no longer

1

a detail, but a place containing experiences and memories; is a destination within the destination.

What is the meaning of “family vacation”?

The group has always paid great attention to families and all our hotels offer dedicated services, mini clubs with activities and experiences designed for younger guests. In particular, Chia Laguna, for its seaside location and long tradition, is an all-round family resort. Even the new Le Massif has immediately placed itself as an ideal destination for families who love the mountains, in summer and winter.

What is the role of food in all this?

In Tuscany food is one of the fundamental points of the Equilibrium phi-

GAMBERO ROSSO

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losophy. The starting point for all the resorts is the Mediterranean diet, then each property in the different resorts expresses its individuality, also in light of the excellence of the area and the creative flair of our executive chefs.

Think Le Massif, which offers recipes from the Aosta Valley cuisine with French and Italian influences, or the Chia Laguna in Sardinia.

How do you define the “experiential tourism” formula?

We aim to strengthen the link between our hotels and the intrinsic characteristics of each place. I am reminded of Thermal Yoga in the Grotta Giusti, the largest thermal cave in Europe. Where else in the world can you practice yoga inside a natural grotto with steam baths, defined by Giuseppe Verdi as the Eighth Wonder of the world? Nowhere else, I believe.

GAMBERO ROSSO X ITALIAN HOSPITALITY COLLECTION

1. Fonteverde in San Casciano dei Bagni 2. Chia Laguna in Sardinia 3. Le Massif in Courmayeur in The Valle d’Aosta region: the latest jewel in the IHC Collection crown

Italian Collection. 3 formats for 5 locations Spa, Wellness & Relax in Tuscany The elegant ancient structure of Bagni di Pisa, the suggestive scenery of Fonteverde in the Val d’Orcia and the Grotta Giusti in Monsummano Terme - an ancient thermal cave dating back 13 million years around which rises the resort by the same name - the offer for wellness and thermal spa relaxation at the Italian Hospitality Collection is articulated as encounters with nature, art and beauty in a land that makes bien vivre its identity. At the centre, thermalism as a lifestyle, which is the philosophy behind the Italian Hospitality Collection, that has reinvented the concept of Medical Spa in Tuscany and whose leit motiv is the concept of “Equilibrium,” a special philosophy of remise-en-forme that unites well-being of body and spirit. Four fundamental actions of personalized programs: tailored food plans; thermal therapy; relaxation techniques; physical exercise.  Bagni di Pisa – San Giuliano

Terme (PI) – l.go Shelley, 18 05088501 – bagnidipisa.com  Fonteverde – San Casciano dei Bagni (SI) – loc. Terme, 1 057857241 – fonteverdespa.com  Grotta Giusti – Monsummano Terme (PT) – via della Grotta Giusti, 1411 057290771 – grottagiustispa.com

2

Family Resort at the seaside One hour from Cagliari, in southern Sardinia between Teulada and Santa Margherita di Pula––one of the world’s most beautiful marine settings, with its 200 kilometers of coastline and the beaches of the Dunes of Campana and the Dunes of Monte Cogoni - the Chia Laguna resort offers 4 different hotel accommodations. Activities and social relations are guaranteed at Piazza degli Ulivi: the beating heart of a village immersed in wild nature. An ideal place for a relaxing vacation or with family: Natural Spa, Tennis Club, Diving Centre and Nautical Club, in addition to the highly popular Kids Club, guarantee activities, entertainment and fun.  Chia Laguna

Domus De Maria (CA) v.le Belvedere 07092391

 IHC – Italan Hospitality Collection

head office – Milano – via Messina, 38 – 0284240143 – italianhospitalitycollection.com

GAMBERO ROSSO

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3

chialagunaresort.com

Majestic elegance at the foot of Mont Blanc Le Massif, in the heart of Courmayeur, is the latest jewel to become part of the Collection also affiliated with the prestigious brand The Leading Hotels of the World. The 5-star hotel is connected to the La Loge du Massif chalet located at 1,700 metre elevation positioned in the middle of the ski slopes, in the suggestive scenery of Plan Checrouit. Contemporary alpine design (80 rooms, suites and junior suites with spa, baby sitting, kids club) at the hotel; warm mountain chalet environment for La Loge, where you can eat in different restaurants during the day and enjoy a romantic dinner overlooking the snow of the Gigante. In winter and in summer.

A TRULY ITALIAN WINE & FOOD JOURNEY IN THE CORE OF WESTMINSTER The Gambero Rosso world tour landed in London for an extensive tasting with a Lombardy twist

EVENTS

T

re Bicchieri event in London gathered more than 50 awarded wineries and 800 people among the wine and food trade. The tasting event took place on March 26 at the Royal Horticultural Halls. The two seminars held by Marco Sabellico and Lorenzo Ruggeri were among the highlights. The first masterclass pointed out the food and wine specialty of Lombardy, while the second one focused on the Special Awarded Wines in Vini d’Italia 2019 guide. In between, Gambero Rosso announced the best Italian restaurants in town selected in the digital guide Top Italian Restaurants. London hosts a rising number of great Italian restaurants. Each has its own character, and many are very original. Here are the winners. 50 Kalò London di Ciro Salvo has been awarded with the Three Slices, the highest rated pizzeria in town and among the top 10 around the world.

The London branch of Ciro Salvo is running at full speed. Passione Vino in Shoreditch received Two Bottles. Luca and Isabel run this stylish wine shop

and bar focused on personally selected small artisan wine makers from Italy.

Same rating for Li Veli wine bar & bristot in Covent Garden. The Falvo family brought a fresh breath of Puglia in London. The traditional/bristot section is the core of the selection. Londoners love simple and straightforward Italian food.

Cacio & Pepe in Pimlico scored One Shrimp. Here the homemade tagliolini cacio&pepe are served in a crispy parmesan basket: creamy, melting on the palate, tasty. Fiume, the last opening of Chef Francesco Mazzei, scored Two Shrimps. The menu focuses on southern

ROVAGNATI MEETS THE BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANTS ABROAD

During the event, Gambero Rosso has announced the collaboration with Rovagnati Group as main sponsor of the Top Italian Restaurants guide. Rovagnati is the Italian market leader in the charcuterie sector: Rovagnati counts over 1000 employees, 2500 daily orders and 25000 customers all over Europe. Paolo Rovagnati was the founder, creator and driving force of the business. Under his name Rovagnati group ha salso created a non-profit organization that has the unique objective of social welfare and operates in scientific research, social services, health services and charity.

GAMBERO ROSSO

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regional recipes served with a simple and elegant outfit. Popolo Shoreditch also gots Two Shrimps. This easygoing boutique restaurant in a quite alley of Shoreditich offers an hearty cucina italiana with a Spanish twist. Chef Jon Lawson has a knach for spices and is very skilled on fresh pastas. A. Lastly, Macellaio RC South Kensington scored Three Shrimps. The format that host Roberto Costa has developed appeals to instinct and belly, with a menu that makes you hungry just reading it.

The fine dining section displays three restaurants. Margot in Covent Garden

WORLDTOUR

An essential book for all who love Italian wine.

More than 60for experts spent doing blind tastings An essential book all who love months Italian wine.

An essential book for all who love OF LOMBARDY An essential forof allItaly. who love Italian wine.

More thanTASTE 60 experts spent doing blind tastings inmonths everybook region Italian wine Can you imagine to drink a proper fizzy and joyful Bonarda from inmonths every region of Italy.

An essential book all who love Italian wine.

More than 60for experts spent doing blind tastings

More thanregion 60all experts spent months doing blind tastings in every of Italy.

An essential book for who love Italian wine.

More than 70 experts spent 2360 producers in every region of tastings Italy. months More than 60 experts spent months doing blind doing blind tastings in every 20000 wines 2360 producers in every region of Italy. region of Italy 20000 415 winesTre Bicchieri 2360 producers Tre Bicchieri verdi Tre83 Bicchieri 20000 415 wines 2360 producers Tre Bicchieri verdi 4152360 Tre83Bicchieri producers 20000 wines EDITIONS 83 Tre Bicchieri 415 Tre Bicchieri 20000verdi wines 83 TreEDITIONS BicchieriItalian verdi 415 Tre Bicchieri

Oltrepò Pavese withouth a thick slice of Salame di Varzi produced in the same area? We don’t. Lorenzo Ruggeri and Marco Sabellico hosted the Taste of Lombardy masterclass. The top IGP and DOP typical food specialties of the region were paired with Lugana, Oltrepò Pavese and San Capriano del Colle wines. On the spotlights the vibrants Classical Method Pinot Noirs produced in the province of Pavia, the crispy Lugana on the south shores of the Garda like, the surprising red from the smallest doc of the region (San Capriano del Colle: 32 hectar of vines only) and he Buttafuoco Storico wine, produced with barbera, croatinaand uva rara grapes cultivated in a narrow area of Oltrepò Pavese. The quality is surging, you’ll will hear about this wine in the future.

Italian EDITIONS 83 Tre Bicchieri verdi Italian

English

English

German EDITIONS

English EDITIONS Chinese German Italian ItalianChineseEnglish German Japanese English Chinese JapaneseGerman German Japanese achieed One Fork. The venue displays stilish vintage tones and impeccable service, a classic modern cuisine made with quality ingredients and a particularly ample wine list. Beck at Brown’s in Mayfair scored Two Forks and the Surgiva Taste & Design Award. The restaurant, redesigned by Olga Polizzi, is both researched and colorful, with a warm home feeling atmosphere. The menu follows the seasons, with some AutGuideFreePress.indd 6

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Heinz super classic recipes with high care for details and scenic presentations.

Finally, the only Three Forks restaurant in London is Locanda Locatelli. Once you taste the food, you’ll understand the popularity of Locatelli which showcases a solid path, punctuated by perfect service temperatures, proper cooking that enhance juiciness and freshness, and a stellar service. Solidity and constancy over time complete the picture. 

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Chinese

Japanese Chinese www.gamberorosso.it

Japanese www.gamberorosso.it 2530 PRODUCERS www.gamberorosso.it 22100 WINES www.gamberorosso.it 447 TRE BICCHIERI 102 TRE BICCHIERI VERDI www.gamberorosso.it

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EVENTS

LONDON - PHOTOGALLERY

GAMBERO ROSSO

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WORLDTOUR

GAMBERO ROSSO

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CLUB SANDWICH THEORY AND PRACTICE (AND WHY CHEFS CAN’T STOP MAKING THEM) In Italy comfort food par excellence that’s fast and democratic is pizza, yet among chefs there are innumerable fans of the Club Sandwich.

Functional and delicious at the same time, perfect spokesman for fast food despite its slow preparation: a syncretic dish that in the world of cooks brings everyone together. Or almost.

Words by Annalisa Zordan – photos by Alberto Blasetti

STORIES

W

hat is a chef’s favourite dish? The obvious answer is the work of their star studded colleagues, to be enjoyed and studied with the eyes, the nose and the palate. But no. The favourite dish, believe it or not, is a sandwich. Talk opf this was in the air, in freewheeling talks at the end of the service, but we wanted to touch down on the phenomenon. So we asked 50 chefs, all Italian and busy working both at home and abroad, what they preferred biting on in the night-time relaxation of post-dinner service, once they had closed their kitchens.The verdict was that 80% of them confirmed the feeling we had, certainly with some distinctions and reservations. Specifically, the club sandwich, despite the fact that during the working hours this toasted bread construction is not totally well seen by the protagonists of our investigation.

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STORIES

THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE CLUB SANDWICH The best club sandwich I’ve ever eaten? Absolutely at the Hullett House Hotel, five-star hotel in Hong Kong. It was stuffed with Beluga caviar, Wagyu beef, Balik salmon, slices of black pork belly, Iberian ham, Belgian figs, Italian tomato, lettuce, mixed salad, cucumber, French chicken, Italian organic eggs, mayonnaise and green asparagus. It appears to be the most expensive club sandwich in the world, it costs just under fifty euros; was it worth it? I would say yes, especially for the balance of flavours, a detail that’s not at all obvious in a club sandwich: the most difficult goal to achieve.

– Floriano Pellegrino, ex head chef now owners of Bros’ in Lecce

DAMNED CLUB SANDWICH We’ve all been there. It’s ten pm, you’re in a big hotel, tomorrow you have an important meeting in the early morning and you don’t really want to wander through a city you don’t know, jet lagged and hungry; at this point all you have to do is order a nice club sandwich, maybe even have it delivered directly to your room. Associating club sandwich and hotel is immediate, but why?

What is behind the scenes of this multi-layered delicious toast? «For me this trend is a nuisance – says Martino Ruggeri, deputy head chef since 2014 at renowned master of contemporary French catering, Yannick Allenò, at Pavillon Ledoyen, and just back from the Bocuse world final d’Or in Lyon – because the customer usually eats it either at night or in the afternoon, when the guard is on duty (the guard cook who supervises the kitchen in moments when the kitchen brigade is resting and is in charge of long preparations and room service, ed.), which means that if the guard receives many club sandwich orders, he couldn’t deal with mise en place. Instead, in case the sandwich is ordered

during meal times, the preparation is up to the garde-manger, who follows all the cold preparations and will certainly not be happy to see an order for a club sandwich!». «In hotel kitchens – confesses Eugenio Boer (Restaurant Bu:r in Milan) – making club sandwiches is a kind of punishment: if you misbehave youìre stuck making them, and you commit yourself a lot because it represents an opportunity for redemption».

The election of a fetish dish, however, has a thousand motivations, some hidden and unthinkable like this: apparently chefs continually order it because it reminds them of the times of their apprenticeship, of when they were scolded for a delay or an error and were put to keep watch in the kitchen... thus punished into making club sandwiches with the commitment to make them as good as possible to ‘expiate’ the guilt. In the minds of the cooks, therefore, the message is clear: those who prepare the club sandwich will certainly do their best to do it. It doesn’t matter if the suggestion matches reality: the allure is there and remains. 

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4 CONTRADICTIONS OF CLUB SANDWICH

1 It’s the emblem of fast food but the preparation is slow

2 It’s the symbol of globalization but perceived as chic

3 It’s hated by chefs (who prepare it), yet loved by chefs (who eat it)

4 It’s perceived (especially in America) as lean, yet it’s highly caloric

STORIES

CLUB SANDWICH IN ITS VARIOUS STAGES

1890 – The club sandwich is born in the last decade of the 19th century. The initial origin and composition is unclear, as is the name of the person who created it, it most propbably made its first appearance at the Saratoga Club House in Saratoga Springs (NY)

1901 – In the recipe book “How to cook for the sick and convalescent” by Helena V. Sachse two versions of the club sandwich are published, both using chicken, beef tongue, lettuce and mayonnaise, between two slices of dark buttered bread

1894 – The recipe for “Mutton club sandwich” appears in the publication “Sandwiches” by Sarah Tyson Heston Rorer, and is composed of cold lamb, tomato and paprika, stuffed between two discs of dark bread 1899 – The first literary quote of the sandwich appears in “The Dremers: a Club” by John Kendrick Bangs

1890

1903 – The classic club sandwich composition takes shape in the US magazine “Good Housekeeping” with chicken or turckey, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise between two slices of buttered white bread 1904 – The club sandwich is included among the various specialties presented at the International Exposition in Saint Louis

1900

GLOBAL ICON, YET CHIC «It’s a dish that guests can always order – confirms Francesco Apreda, chef of Idylio restaurant at The Pantheon / Iconic Rome Hotel in Rome – from late morning to late night, and it’s a business card capable of affecting the reputation of the hotel restaurant, so you can’t entrust the preparation to anyone in the kitchen. On the other hand it represents the ABC in the kitchen, like the omelette or Caesar salad, in short, like many global dishes».

Speaking of global dishes, we can say that the club sandwich was an icon of globalized eating even before the Big Mac took hold: if you think about it, the standard Club sandwich recipe has hardly ever undergone variations, there is no noteworthy Italian, French or Japanese version; the only reinterpretations (see timeline) are globalized anyhow. And yet, despite the globalized/globalization concepts having a mainly popular value, our protagonist continues to preserve an aristocratic aura: functional and comfortable, yet it tran-

1908 – The triple decker appears for the first time, including that is three slices of bread instead of two

1910

It’s a dish you can order at any time of day and that can really affect the reputation of a hotel restaurant: it encapsulates the ABC of cooking sports you with your mind directly to a five-star hotel with an allure of Grand Budapest Hotel... Certainly its origins (see box), appearing for the first time at the end of the 19th century at the famous Saratoga Club House in New York, an exclusive gambling house for men only with the need to quench their hunger by eating a quick and substantial meal without getting up from the gaming tables. Hence the invention of the three-layer sandwich that will soon become part of the luxury hotel menus, and that in turn will contribute to its reputation as a chic sandwich. 

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1909 – The club sandwich composition is by now widely accepted and variations start to arise. The publication “ The up to date sandwich” by Eva Greene Fuller presents twn different versions 1915 – It appears on the German cookbook “Amerikanische gerichte” by Alfred Fries, as perhaps the first European version of the club sandwich

– by Luca Cesari In the photographs of this feature, shot by Alberto Blasetti, chef Francesco Apreda goes through the steps to create three different Club sandwiches: a more classic one with bacon, one with salmon and one dedicated instead to those who do not eat meat or fish

STORIES

THE BIRTH IN A GAMBLING HOUSE We don’t know exactly whom we should thank for the invention of the club sandwich that made its appearance in the U.S. at the end of the 19th century. But tradition has it that it was prepared for the first time at the Saratoga Club House in Saratoga Springs (New York) a men’s-only gambling house and from there it spread to the rest of the United States. Initially several preparations were identified with the name “club sandwich”. The first was the “Mutton club sandwich” dated 1894, with a filling of cold lamb meat, tomato and paprika between two discs of dark bread. The recipe was repeated later as a variation on the classic club sandwich with the name “Boston club sandwich”.

A few years later, in 1901, the “How to cook for the sick and convalescent” recipe book uses cold chicken instead, beef tongue, lettuce and mayonnaise between two slices of buttered dark bread. The recipes therefore seem to arise from the need to make leftover meats of the day before palatable. The formulation of the club sandwich as we know it today is published in 1903 within the “Good housekeeping” recipe book and includes cold chicken or turkey accompanied by crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise between two slices of buttered white bread. Since then it didn’t undergo significant evolutions, a sign of the universal appreciation of this preparation. In fact, only a few alternatives existed between chicken and turkey meat or between bacon and ham (also seared to a crisp), or the variant without tomato. Instead, for a long time two schools of thought that demanded it enclosed between two (double-decker, as in the original version) or three slices of bread (triple-decker); this last version appeared for the first time in 1908 in “The Standard Domestic Science Cook Books” by William H. Lee. – Luca Cesari

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STORIES

The club sandwich has an advantage over other hand food preparations: it’s very satisfying and it’s what comes closest to a gourmet experience NOT SO LEAN To this date the structure of this toasted sandwich has remained unchanged, as confirmed by Eugenio Roncoroni (Al Mercato, Milan), who is half American: “It’s a sandwich that still satisfies the palates of the rich gentlemen who tend to be overweight!

Let’s say it reflects a lot the way of conceiving food in America, especially in California, where appearance is everything: you have a grilled chicken sandwich and it makes you feel better, because it gives you the idea of a healthy and light meal, but it’s far from light».

It takes an excellent white bread that must necessarily be buttered and toasted - «all three slices and only externally», explains Gaetano Trovato (Arnolfo, Colle di Val d’Elsa) - then we alternate chicken, lettuce and bacon (for some the term “Club” is in fact be the acronym of ‘chicken & lettuce under bacon’), and more tomato and eggs. A riot of ingredients, and calories, harmonized thanks to the sauces. Sauces that are very undervalued in Italy. “Un- 

MAP OF THE CHEF’S FAVOURITE CLUB SANDWICHES

IL SERENO HOTEL PARK HYATT MANDARIN ORIENTAL CRACCO FOUR SEASONS

BIASETTO

REVOLUTION BISTROT

Tomo Milano Padova

Torino

FARMACIA DEL CAMBIO

Conegliano Venezia

THE GRITTI PALACE GRANCAFFÈ QUADRI

Firenze

FOUR SEASONS Roma

HOTEL HASSLER ROSCIOLI CAFFÈ ARTISAN COROMANDEL

The are theche places In green verdenames le insegne hanno totalizzato un maggior numero that received the highest number di segnalazioni of accolades

CHEF AND MAÎTRE INVOLVED Niko Romito – Reale (Castel di Sangro, AQ), Raffaele Alajmo – Le Calandre (Rubano, PD), Heinz Beck – La Pergola dell’Hotel Rome Cavalieri (Rome), Alfonso Iaccarino – Don Alfonso 1890 (Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, NA), Gennaro Esposito – Torre del Saracino (Vico Equense, NA) , Mauro Uliassi – Uliassi (Senigallia, AN), Annie Féolde – Enoteca Pinchiorri (Florence), Carlo Cracco – Cracco (Milan) , Fabrizia Meroi – Laite (Sappada, UD), Moreno Cedroni – Madonnina del Pescatore (Senigallia, AN), Antonio Guida – Seta del Mandarin Oriental (Milan), Matteo Metullio, Norbert Niederkofler – St. Hubertus dell’Hotel Rosa Alpina (San Cassiano, BZ), Sandro and Maurizio Serva – La Trota (Rivodutri, RI) , Enrico and Roberto Cerea – Da Vittorio (Brusaporto, BG), Enrico Bartolini – Enrico Bartolini Mudec (Milan), Andrea Berton – Berton (Milan) , Davide Oldani – D’O (Cornaredo, MI) , Ciccio Sultano – Duomo (Ragusa), Ilario Vinciguerra – Ilario Vinciguerra Restaurant (Gallarate, VA) , Valeria Piccini – Da Caino (Montemerano, GR) , Salvatore Tassa – Colline Ciociare (Acuto, FR) , Francesco Apreda – Idylio at The

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STORIES

Las Vegas Las Vegas

RESTAURANT GUY SAVOY RESTAURANT GUY SAVOY

ALTA MARE BY ANDRONIS ALTA MARE BY ANDRONIS New Delhi New Delhi

Vienna Vienna

PASTAMARA BAR CON CUCINA DEL RITZ-CARLTON PASTAMARA BAR CON CUCINA DEL RITZ-CARLTON New York New York

THE MARK HOTEL THE MARK HOTEL NOMAD NOMAD

Hong Kong Hong Kong

Santorini Santorini

THE METROPOLITAN HOTEL THE METROPOLITAN HOTEL

Londra Londra

GRAND HYATT GRAND HYATT OZONE DEL RITZ-CARLTON OZONE DEL RITZ-CARLTON HULLETT HOUSE HULLETT HOUSE LA SCALA DEL ROYAL PLAZA HOTEL LA SCALA DEL ROYAL PLAZA HOTEL JW MARRIOTT HOTEL JW MARRIOTT HOTEL MANDARIN ORIENTAL MANDARIN ORIENTAL BangkoK BangkoK

CLARIDGE'S CLARIDGE'S THE CONNAUGHT THE CONNAUGHT

MANDARIN ORIENTAL MANDARIN ORIENTAL

Saint-Tropez Saint-Tropez

LA RÉSIDENCE DE LA PINÈDE LA RÉSIDENCE DE LA PINÈDE Parigi Parigi

New Orelans New Orelans

FOUR SEASONS FOUR SEASONS

LE MEURICE LE MEURICE HOTEL LE BRISTOL HOTEL LE BRISTOL JEAN-FRANÇOIS PIÈGE JEAN-FRANÇOIS PIÈGE CARETTE CARETTE LE FUMOIR LE FUMOIR ABRI ABRI

Fiji

Fiji

HILTON FIJI BEACH RESORT AND SPA HILTON FIJI BEACH RESORT AND SPA Singapore Singapore

MANDARIN ORIENTAL MANDARIN ORIENTAL

Santa Barbara Santa Barbara

HILTON SANTA BARBARA BEACHFRONT RESORT HILTON SANTA BARBARA BEACHFRONT RESORT

Pantheon / Iconic Rome Hotel (Rome) , Riccardo Camanini – Lido 84 (Gardone Riviera, BS), Philippe Léveillé – Miramonti l’Altro (Concesio, BS) , Anthony Genovese – Il Pagliaccio (Rome) , Gianfranco Pascucci – Pascucci al Porticciolo (Fiumicino, RM), Francesca Barreca and Marco Baccanelli, Diego Rossi and Pietro Caroli – Trippa (Milan), Luca Catalfamo – Casaramen (Milan), Alessandro Miocchi e Giuseppe Lo Iudice- Retrobottega (Rome) , Eugenio Roncoroni – Al Mercato (Milan) , Marcello Trentini – Magorabin (Turin) , Floriano Pellegrino and Isabella Potì – Bros’ (Lecce) , Gaetano Trovato – Arnolfo (Colle di Val d’Elsa, SI) , Giuseppe Iannotti – Kresios (Telese Terme, BN), Eugenio Boer - Bu:r Milan), Simone Tondo – Rancines (Paris), Giovanni Passerini – Restaurant Passerini (Paris) , Michele Farnesi – Dilia (Paris) , Matteo Lorenzini – Cucina Mutualité (Paris) , Martino Ruggieri – Le Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris), Paolo Casagrande – Lasarte (Barcelona), Gonzalo Luzarraga – Rigo’ (Londra), Matteo Aloe – Berberè (Italy and London)

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STORIES

fortunately in Italy I have never found a club sandwich that satisfies me because usually here we focus on quality ingredients, but we underestimate the fundamental role of the sauces, which act as a binder,” says Roncoroni who not by chance aspires to distribute his sauces in large retailers. But sauces are not only what is less convincing: among chefs (as in everyday life around us) there are those who follow a healthy diet that seems incompatible with the club sandwich - think for example of Riccardo Camanini or Diego Rossi, who even at work tend to never eat offhandedly, taking time for lunch and dinner. Just as there are those who often would like, but cannot: an anthropological example are the Serva brothers, who, once off duty at La Trota, in the “outskirts” of Rivodutri, have never found anything open where they can relax, perhaps biting into delicious comfort food.

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STORIES

RECIPE

Club Sandwich INGREDIENTS FOR 4 800 g white bread 180 g mayonnaise (best if homemade) 50 g butter, softened 4 eggs, had-boiled 600 g chicken breast 200 g pancett (or guanciale) 320 g baby romaine lettuce 380 g heirloom tomatoes

Clean the chicken breasts, season with salt, pepper and slices of bacon. Vacuum seal and cook at 68° C for 30 minutes. Allow to cool in iced water.

When making the club sandwich, roast the chicken breasts in a pan until a crisp crust forms on both sides and cut into slices about half a centimeter thick.

At the same time, toast the bread on both sides, three slices of bread for each club sandwich.

On the first layer, spread mayonnaise and layer the lettuce leaves lightly seasoned with olive oil and salt, the chicken slices and slices of hardboiled egg.

For the second layer, butter the slice on both sides and add: lettuce, sliced tomato lightly seasoned with oil and salt and pancetta (or guanciale) baked crisped in the oven until very crisp (preferably a temperature of 150° C for about 12 minutes).

Spread the mayonnaise on one side of the third slice of toasted bread and place it on the side of the mayonnaise. Finally heat the entire club sandwich inside a toaster press to bring it to the right temperature, compacting it in its layers. Remove the edges with a serrated knife, cut it into four diagonal sections and serve with fries, pickled vegetable and hot sauce.

THE PERFECT PAIRING? WITH G&T, OBVIOUSLY The Mandarin club sandwich is traditional, but made with super-selected ingredients, such as hard-boiled eggs from mountain hens, low-temperature organic chicken, mayonnaise made with aromatic herbs. I start right from the mayo to twork out a pairing. The ideal pairing is with a Gin & Tonic, perhaps with less ice than recipe calls for: even if technically it’s not correct, so to avoid temperature shock that numbs the palate. If I were to recommend a gin I would go for a distillate with fresh scents, I think of a Tanqueray Ten or a Gin Mare that has herbaceous and savoury notes that pair well with the club sandwich. Or Kapriol Dry Gin with hints of pine and resin that go hand in hand with the vegetable part of the sandwich. If, on the other hand, one loves contrasts, I recommend Star of Bombay which, with the addition of bergamot, degreases and prepares the palate for a next bite. As for tonic water, I tend to use products that are not too dry, but I lean towards fresh products, which always match the plant part of the preparation. Martinians like me, should choose dry gin.

– Matteo Rizzolo, head mixologist of Mandarin Bar in Milan

– Francesco Apreda, Ex chef of Imàgo at the Hotel Hassler in Rome now chef of Idylio - The Pantheon / Iconic Rome Hotel

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STORIES

IS IT TRULY A CHEF’S FAVOURITE? «In general, everything that can be eaten standing or at a bar counter, with your hands and preferably at absurd times, can be considered a chef’s favourite snack! - exclaims Marcello Trentini of Magorabin in Turin - For obvious reasons of time and life lived. Of course, the club sandwich has a plus: among the various preparations of hand food it is the one that comes closest to a gourmet experience». Which among other things is connected to the pleasant feeling of pause. «It’s a snack that has always attracted us cooks - adds Gaetano Trovato - because it’s available at all hours, connected to a respite from work and is comfort food». Giuseppe Iannotti agrees (Kresios, Telese Terme) who elects it to comfort food par excellence, «almost a post-service ritual», so much so that he introduced it in his menu, with the whim that distinguishes him: his is made with sauteed frogs, parsley pesto, garlic, walnuts and bitter almonds, boiled egg, anchovies and lemon mayonnaise. In short, a fine dining plate in the form of a triangle. But it is also a delicious toast that you often find at relatively reasonable prices (unless you are at the Hullett House Hotel in Hong Kong! see

box), underlines Simone Tondo (Racines, Paris): «The best club sandwich? I tasted it at Le Fumoir in Paris: consider that chef Henrik Andersson worked for Petter Nilsson, one of my fave chefs.

He toasts the bread, makes homemade mayonnaise, puts the chicken in strips accompanied by crispy bacon, salad, tomato and onion, and serves it all with homemade carrot and cucumber pickles.

This club sandwich can be requested all day and costs 12 euros». Happiness in a triangle, within wallet reach and compatible with chef working hours. Here is the secret of the club sandwich, so hated by those who prepare it as it is loved by those who eat it. «You know how long it takes to prepare it, yet you order it. It is the law of retaliation», says Boer.

In the end we probably return to the roots of taste, to the primordial gluttony that attracts everyone, to the call of the forbidden (either because it’s too caloric, or because it’s too global), the pleasure of transgression, on the one hand, and the recognizable, on the other. All, just like in a club sandwich, enclosed in a single and now very traditional toast. A game, in short, that combines playful pleasure with relaxation. That’s something, alright!

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In a club sandwich there are basic ingredients like there are in omelettes or Caesar salada: these are preparations that can accompany both a continental breakfast in the morning, or a quick lunch, a snack or an evening aperitif.

It’s a very versatile, eclectic preparation susceptible to innovations and interpretations, even if the classic version is the one that obviously is the most popular The preparation and building of the club sandwich, in the photo above, was carried out by food scholar Paola Sabino of Roscioli Caffé in Rome

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APRIL JANUARY 07 VERONA - Italy 21 MUNICH - Germany 15 DUBAI - UAE 23 BERLIN - Germany

28 STOCKHOLM - Sweden MAY 30 COPENHAGEN - Denmark 06 SINGAPORE - Singapore 08 BEIJING - China

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NOVEMBER MAY 04 SHANGHAI 03 BEIJING - China- China 06 SINGAPORE - Singapore 06 HONG KONG - China

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trebicchieri "en Vini primeur" d'Italia- VINEXPO Special 27 ST. PETERSBURG 15 BORDEAUX - France - Russia

30 TORONTO - Canada

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01 NEW YORK - Usa JUNE 05 SAN FRANCISCO - Usa 03 WASHINGTON DC - USA 07 LOS ANGELES - Usa 05 BOSTON - USA 11 MEXICO CITY - Mexico 10 ATLANTA - USA 16 DUSSELDORF - Germany SAN DIEGO 26 12 LONDON - U.K. - USA OCTOBER APRIL ROMA --Italy 0727VERONA Italy

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Vini d'Italia "en primeur"

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Top Italian Wines Roadshow WASHINGTON DC - USA JANUARY Top Italian Wines Roadshow BOSTON - USA trebicchieri Vinexpo Special 13-14 PARIS - France Vini d’Italia "en primeur" 10 ATLANTA - USA 19-26 WINE&SEA - II EDITION Vini d’Italia "en primeur" 12 SAN DIEGO - USA trebicchieri MUNICH Germany 27

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OCTOBER FEBRUARY TOKYO - Japan 03 STOCKHOLM - Sweden

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MONTEFALCO AND THE PEOPLES OF SAGRANTINO. A CARESSE IN A PUNCH Wine that in the name refers to sacredness, dark, rich in tannins, closed, impenetrable. And yet warm, caressing in the more modern versions or in the sweet, old-fashioned interpretations.

A wine that also reflects the character of the people who produce it, peoples who are linked to it, and who speak of the territory where it is born.

A wine that can still give a lot. Much more

Words by Emiliano Gucci

STORIES

A

ustere, powerful, dark, almost obscure, in some ways in contrast with the luminous hills that cradle and make it known around the world, yet like these capable of unsuspected sweetness and intoxicating scents.

Powerful, tough, impenetrable, apparently in conflict with the frank smile of those who make it. But we're talking about stubborn people, and, apparently, every wine resembles those who make it, and vice versa. A well-landed punch and the warmest of embraces, the softest of caresses: Sagrantino has all this, and its interpreters take it to different scenarios. Many think that its potential is still to be investigated. We are in Bevagna, Castel Ritaldi, Giano, Gualdo Cattaneo or more probably in Montefalco, the Ringhiera dell'Umbria that seems to appear on the whole region, on Mount Subasio and on Spoleto, Foligno, Spello, Assisi interspersed with undulating fields and forests, silver olive trees fractioning the gold of the sun. It's a city enclosed by 14th-century walls, with ancient vines spilling out of the gardens and gems of art that recall old churches, such as the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli that alone are worth the trip. Identifying when Sagrantino first sinks its roots here is not easy, certainly it's mentioned in a document dated 1549. Rich in polyphenols and sugars, it's a super grape from which monks derived a passito for their church rituals, and peasants bottled some for big celebrations. The name Sagrantino therefore has to do with holiness, "sacred".

Of the dry version, for meal pairings, few traces are handed down, then for decades the variety began to disappear even from vineyards. Up to a new, explosive youth, which can came with the DOC of 1979 and the DOCG of 1992, or in the full boom of muscular and concentrated wines, where the Sagrantino tannins play their cards to the full as they take center stage as protagonists.

1

IL SAGRANTINO ACCORDING TO CAPRAI It's immediately clear that Marco Caprai has an innate talent. He posesses the gift of seeing beyond, of setting goals and imagining the way to reach them. An idea is born in his head and you immediately hear the troops marching forward to achieve it. As a leader he needs trust, cohesion, responsiveness: better the fast, silent and clean engines of the future than the armies on horseback, because he believes in technology and modernity.

In 1988 he took the reins of Arnaldo Caprai started in 1971 by his father, a successful textile entrepreneur, and headed straight for Sagrantino in the dry version and revolutionized everything.

Vineyards, wine cellar, working methods and sales. He lanuches collaborations with research institutes, develops experiments and a new concept of communication. «And they tell me that I don't even talk much in the family – he jokesi – think of the effort that cost me». It can also be said that

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he does have a temper: «but sometimes it's necessary to unhinge the system». By forcing the times Marco not only grew his company, but the whole territory, where vineyards and cellars began to multiply, production and quality grew in step.

«Montefalco had a wine shop in the square and there was already the Consortium, the Confraternity of Sagrantino. However, the wine lacked a tangible definition, which for us has become the international one, dedicated to excellence and linked to tourism».

His winery is a cultural company, («There are more college graduates here than in any other business»), but at the same time concrete and demanding: «The market is complex and the imperative is to program, always, which is why politics must support the company and not vice versa». How would it have worked out in a neighboring region? «Maybe we would have struggled less, but who knows if the results would have been the same.» 136 hectares of vineyards spread out from Torre, at an average altitude of 350 metres; 

MONTEFALCO AND THE PEOPLES OF SAGRANTINO

FROM THE FRANCISCANS TO THE NEW DISCIPLINARY

1350 – The municipal 1540 – The Municipality of Montefalco statutes provided rules for set the dates for the beginning of the the protection of vineyards harvest: a custom perpetuated today by the Confraternity of Sagrantino 1549 – The name Sagrantino first appears in the archives of the Assisi city hall: it derives from the Franciscans who grew it for the monks of the convent

1800 – Historian Serafino Calindri mentions the Montefalco area for fine wines in his "Geographical, historical, statistical essay of the Papal area"

1622 – The Legato di Perugia, cardinal Boncompagni, established penalties for those who cut grape plants in Montefalco

1979 – Sagrantino acquires Doc appellation 1981 – The protection consortium is established 1992 – Il Sagrantino di Montefalco obtains Docg appellation

1960 – After a century of neglect due to various domestic and world wars, a handful of winemakers bring back Sagrantino

2000 – Initiatives launch to market Sagrantino to the general public: starting with the Settimana Enologica (Wine Week) which then gives way to today's Enologica Montefalco 2016 – Changes to the regulations that pave the way for the future of the territory

1300

1500

1600

1800

GREAT GROWTH IN QUALITY AND ELEGANCE AND A VOCATION FOR WHITE EMERGES This year is the 40th anniversary of the Montefalco appellation.

In these decades our territory has grown a lot, not only and not so much in terms of area planted (from 100 to 1,500 hectares) and number of cellars (from 10 to over 70), but also and above all in terms of knowledge, trade, wine and wine culture. If in the first half of the 90s, when the spotlights were lit on Sagrantino, the wines were tough, clumsy and of fluctuating quality, now our production is of a completely different level and pleasantness. This is thanks to the greater age of the vineyards and the better knowledge of the cultivation and vinification of Sagrantino grapes. The tannins are much smoother, mature and integrated; the fruit is always more fresh and present.

Furthermore, Montefalco is increasingly establishing itself as a white wine terroir and this is thanks above all to the rediscovery of the Trebbiano Spoletino, a native grape with the greatest potential that the Consortium is about to protect and promote alongside Sagrantino; with both varieties sharing an extraordinary longevity.

Much remains to be done, especially in terms of understanding the different expressions of our territory, but it's increasingly perceived that the path taken by our denomination is leading to a growing recognition of the quality of our wines.

– Filippo Antonelli, President of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco

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1900

2000

800,000 bottles a year, continuous study and promotion initiatives, patents filed and currently being perfected: an engine that does not stop «and that keeps man in the centre, always. Wine allows you to challenge your limits». The new winemaker is the famous Michel Rolland, the flagship Sagrantino is the 25 Anni, complex and persuasive, launched for the corporate birthday of '93 and repeatedly awarded with Tre Bicchieri recognition. Spinning Beauty is instead an assist to the proverbial varietal longevity: produced with grapes selected from the Monte della Torre vineyard and aged eight years in barrique, it's inspired by the great world classics and is eager to join them, as in the nature of its creator.

That in so fierce resourcefulness betrays his shyness, which makes him even more special. «The beauty of it is that each bottle moves independently and can reach any table on the planet. Carrying on the label a name, a surname, and above all an unmistakable territorial identity».

STORIES

Montefalco is a town surrounded by woods and fields, nestled among the vineyards.

It's worthwhile to come here "even just" for the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli

SAGRANTINO ACCORDING TO ANTONELLI The historic company that contributed to the success of Sagrantino is the Antonelli San Marco, based on the magnificent estate that from the 13th to the 19th century belonged to the Spoleto Bishop. 175 hectares of which 50 are vineyards, organic certification since 2012 for «a better and healthier wine: lowering defenses requires raising the quality of the grapes». With a cooking school and an accommodation facility to fully immerse oneself in the climate of the territory, ter interpret this variety. But much still «which has strengthened around the Saneeds to be done with the study and the grantino». Filippo Antonelli draws fragmentation of the slopes, to underhis life and his idea of wine with stand what the soil can offer us where commendable calmness, but the deabove all the hand of man has counted termination is revealed by the results thus far». In this sense, we think of a obtained. Great-grandfather Francethird Sagrantino, a very fine cru from sco, Spoleto lawyer, bought the proMolino dell'Attone, to complement perty in 1881, and for decades passithe classic and more powerful Chiuse to bottles were rare and Montefalco Rosso violated the common practice 2 of selling in bulk. Only with the arrival of the DOC did the vineyards increase and invest in quality.Filippo, BA agronomy in Perugia, jumped on the saddle in 1986 and broke the history of generations of lawyers.

«According to a saying circulating in the family, there are three ways of depleting the heritage: with women, with gambling and with agriculture. The first is the most fun, the second the quickest, the third is the safest. And my father believed the same.» Yet he persisted. Sagrantino was already in the race, riding the wave and showing its muscles, with a label that would eventually prove counterproductive. «We have always pursued balanced, elegant wines, the result of delicate extractions and moderate use of large oak barrels», even if research doesn't stop and the last generation amphorae and cement tanks are peeking in the cellar.

«The maturation of the young vineyards, daughters of those years, helps us to bet-

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CALL OUT SAGRANTINO AND SPOLETINO ANSWERS. THE REBIRTH OF THE TREBBIANO WITH AN UMBRIA ACCENT Look for the heart of Sagrantino, the veins of Montefalco, investigate the relevance of Grechetto and the resistance of the passito and find yourself witnessing the rebirth of Trebbiano Spoletino. Actually, it's the grape that finds you. Here is what can happen when you tour wineries, wine bars, restaurants, without a widespread map of local wine trends: a chat chases other, a cue, a tasting remnant, and the most beautiful surprises end up coming from this ancient white but rediscovered for a decade or so.

Nothing to do with the namesake Tuscan nor with the Abruzzese Treb-

MONTEFALCO AND THE PEOPLES OF SAGRANTINO

more powerful city of Spoleto, at the time of the Duchy.

Shining among the wineries mentioned there is Arnèto di Tenuta Bellafonte, a few days of cold maceration and 7 months on Slavonian oak yeasts before being clarified by decantation, and the shiny Spoletino of the Fratelli Pardi with the best grapes, soft pressing and fermentation of about 20 days in stainless steel. Just awarded with Tre Bicchieri, Antonelli's Vigna Tonda Preview, macerated on the skins for 8 months in terracotta and ceramic amphorae (awaiting grapes from a curious roundish vineyard, replanted a few years ago), and Adarmando by Giampaolo Tabarrini, «trait d'union between past and future» which becomes a tribute to his maternal grandfather Armando, «kind, generous and stubborn as this wine with a unique character».

MONTEFALCO IN NUMBERS

PRODUCTION 2017

430 ha

2.971.056

VINEYARDS SYSTEM

MONTEFALCO DOC

750 ha

986.944

DOC

1.984.112

MONTEFALCO SAGRANTINO DOCG

DOCG

PRUNED SPUR CORDON-TRAINED

10,4% + 6,3%

16,7%

GERMANY CHINA SWITZERLAND UNITED KINGDOM JAPAN CANADA NETHERLANDS BELGIUM DENMARKA

1.203.738

DOC

GUYOT OTHER

SALES 2017 3.550.585

EXPORT 60%

DOCG

26% 10% 8% 4% 5% 4.5% 4% 4% 4% 2%

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28.5%

of the wine production in Umbria

2.346.847

di Pannone. Without giving up the historic, splendid, passito version. «The territory offers us various versions of the variety, and this is not an easy thing to convey», and here the thoughts of the President of the Consorzio di Tutela come into play, a position that Filippo has returned to cover after more than twenty years.

In the cellar he uses the advice of Paolo Salvi, jokingly called «Tuscan yet respectable», to support the home wine maker Massimiliano Caburazzi, while every step he takes is followed closely by the loyal Nina, a mutt rescued from the Roman beaches. It's just outside Rome that Filippo, perhaps to exorcise his father's foresight, doubles the stakes with a second family winery, Castello di Torre in Pietra. «While with Vittorio Zoppi I founded Antica Torino», so as not to forget that from his maternal side the roots are Piedmontese: «the first product is a Red Vermouth that reflects the style of that big city». 

roads that are more than interesting for the future». As the producers say in describing this wine. What you notice, in fact, is a continuous and varied search for interpretations, beautiful to explore and difficult to tell. Long macerations on one side and fresh vinifications on the other, wines sharp like swords and elsewhere tending to opulence, steel and only steel or wood over wood: the versions are so different yet often identically, frankly, thanks to the DNA of this special variety. Cultivated in the area between Spoleto, Foligno and Montefalco, the bunch is moderately tight, the skins rather thick for late ripening with good resistance to diseases. It's considered a true native: the name is due to the Latin name of the city of Trevi, hence Trebia from which Trebbiano, and the adjective suggested by the neighboring and

U.S.A.

biano, which in fact slow down its pace. And indeed there it was, sad, next to his noble Umbrian red-berry brothers, alternated and "married" to the trees on which it enveloped the branches, offering grapes that were not well considered and resigned to a probable extinction. Then something happened to animate the thoughts and the challenges of the winemakers: you meet them and you see their eyes sparkle with excitement, lips open up in a smile when they start talking about this variety. «Fresh, fragrant, strong acidity and in lucky cases a beneficial minerality». Or: «Hints of citrus fruits, aromatic herbs, delicate and savoury.

In some ways it's unpredictable, waiting to be discovered». But also: «Trebbiano Spoletino has character and personality. And a mysterious talent. And it is versatile, it allows us to imagine

YEALDS/HA DOC DOCG

11t 8/5 t

STORIES

5 DISHES FOR BEST ENJOYMENT OF MONTEFALCO WINES Emanuele Mazzella, one of the most talented chefs that Umbria has had in recent years, delivers in 5 dishes the ingredients that best play with the wines of Montefalco.

1 Crispy egg, Pietralunga potatoes, black truffle and red fruit powder The texture of the egg and the minerality of the potato match the Trebbiano Spoleto; the truffle would like a little aging.

2

3

SAGRANTINO ACCORDING TO PARDI Returning to Sagrantino, the family sagas intersect with pioneering adventures, biodynamics crosses the avant-garde among the vaunted scents of ripe cherries and berries, spices, china, star anise. We could identify several companies for a synthesis of the multiplicity cited by Antonelli, think of realities such as Adanti, Perticaia, Tabarrini, Paolo Bea. The territory has many voices, and some emerge as new even if linked to tradition.

The Pardi Brothers, today Gianluca and Alberto, were born in Venezuela where their father arrived for a visit to his uncle and ended up staying there, specializing in the import of Italian tiles. But grandfather Rio infused him with his passion for wine, when they return for summer holidays they find themselves playing amid barrels and rows of vines. The family's historic company deals with fabrics, which to this day are beguling from the window displays in Montefalco, but it was Rio

that kept up the production of wine, even in small quantities of a single dry version, in the years when business turned elsewhere. «When I returned to Italy I studied agriculture in Conegliano – says Alberto Pardi – while textiles moved away and left these premises empty: I already saw them as a cellar. In 1998 we replanted the first vines, in 2003 I graduated and then returned to Montefalco. So together with my brother Gianluca and his cousin Francesco we started the business founded by the great-grandparents in 1919». At that time the wvineyards supplied the entire Umbrian territory as well as filling Vatican goblets. The ideas tracing the new course are clear, Sagrantino in the center with pushed maturation and short fermentation, use of only large barrels, soft wines that can be enjoyed from an early age: «The opposite of what the market demanded at the time, but my Venetian schooling and the tastes of friend and wine producer Giovanni Dubini, our wine cellar adviser, projected us in this direction. 

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Carnaroli rice with sour applesand gray cheese Strong wine for an intense dish: Montefalco Rosso, young and delicate, a winning choice.

3 Breast and leg of Umbrian squab, endive and Campari In order to not overpower the squab and in order to not contrast the bitter notes, a Montefalco Riserva is required, mature and balanced

4 Veal cut, potatoes and root sauce Enter Sagrantino: properly aged bottles, fine aromatic complexity and smooth tannins.

5 Cheeses Aged blues and pecorino cheeses: excellent with Montefalco Sagrantino Passito – Emanuele Mazzella, chef at Nun Assisi Relais

MONTEFALCO AND THE PEOPLES OF SAGRANTINO

WHERE TO EAT (AND DRINK) ACCORDING TO THE WINE PRODUCERS 1 L’Alchimista Montefalco (PG) – p.zza del Comune, 14 0742378558 - 3387891073 ristorantealchimista.it

THE CHAMPIONS OF THE TERRITORY

the alchemy of humble ingredients transformed into golden dishes. magnificent. in the summer months tables are set in the town square.».

Perugia

2 Antiche Sere Bevagna (PG) – p.zza G. Garibaldi, 10 0742361938 «aka dinner at luciano's: convivial and very characteristic ambiance, select ingredients that are well-cooked, enclosed in walls that tell a thousand tales».

BRIZIARELLI CANTINEBRIZIARELLI.IT Assisi

DI FILIPPO VINIDIFILIPPO.COM

ARNALDO CAPRAI ARNALDOCAPRAI.IT

GORETTI VINIGORETTI.COM

ROMANELLI ROMANELLI.SE TENUTA BELLAFONTE TENUTABELLAFONTE.IT

Foligno Bevagna

FATTORIA COLLEALLODOLE FATTORIACOLLEALLODOLE.COM Montefalco

11

TUDERNUM TUDERNUM.IT

Montemartano

PERTICAIA PERTICAIA.IT

BENEDETTI & GRIGI BENEDETTIEGRIGI.IT Spoleto

Acquasparta

MONTEFALCO

BEVAGNA Via

8 Viale Matteotti

F.LLI PARDI CANTINAPARDI.IT

CHIESA DI SANT’AGOSTINO

7 3

ro p

erz

io

COMUNE

6 4

le P

2

10

COMUNE

5 1

CHIESA DI SANTA LUCIA

9

Via Ugo Fosc olo

Chiasco

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4 Foresteria Alzatura Montefalco (PG) – p.zza Mustafà, 2 0742455494 – famigliacecchi.it laforesteriaalzatura.wordpress.com «historic building with an external patio. plus attention to details and original cuisine, and wines –– also internationals».

5 Locanda del Teatro Montefalco (PG) – p.zza del Comune, 19 347788 2235 – locandamontefalco.it «lovely location with piazza views, impeccable quality and service, aperitifs and excellent regional menu».

Bastardo San Terenziano

Todi

3 Coccorone Montefalco (PG) – l.go Tempestivi 0742379535 – coccorone.com « rustic yet refined, vaulted brick ceilings and open air courtyard: homemade pastas, excellent cured meats and steaks».

Tim

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6 Mordecai Montefalco (PG) – via Ringhiera Umbra 349 7931383 «small, simple place where the owners and local dishes are beguiling».

7 Olevm Montefalco (PG) - Corso Goffredo Mameli, 55 – 0742379057 – olevm.it «local olive oil in the zero km menu, fine focaccias, ribollita and pasta dishes. local products are also for sale».

8 Re Tartù Montefalco (PG) – via Ringhiera Umbra, 49 0742378263 - @retartumontefalco «the name says it all: carefully selected local ingredients with a good eye for truffles, fine wines, with attention towards natural productions».

9 Scottadito Osteria Tagliavento Bevagna (PG) – c.so G. Amendola, 28 0742360897 «a deli and butcher that is appreciated by the locals, attentive and ingredient-driven cuisine to be enjoyed at the table».

10 La Trattoria Di Oscar... E Quant'altro Bevagna (PG) – p.zza del Cirone, 2 0742361107 – latrattoriadioscar.it «filippo artioli is a romagnolo transplanted in umbria, which goes as guarantee of high-quality cuisine in the heart of the delightful town of bevagna».

11 La Vecchia Cucina Marcellano – Gualdo Cattaneo (PG) via delle Scuole, 6 – 074297237 «typical restaurant specialized in meats with one of the best fiorentina steaks in the whole of umbria».

STORIES

And we were certain that time would have proved us right». Their top seller is called Sacrantino with C, as in certain ancient writings, and for the third consecutive year it garners the Tre Bicchieri award, an excellent result for a family business.

«The vines are growing into adults and we with them, so they improve the conscience and the knowledge of the work. But there's always the will to respect nature for what it offers us, without manipulation or forcing.

We want every single bottle to convey the baggage of our values».

ACCORDING TO GIORGIONE: MY COOKING WITH AND FOR SAGRANTINO I like coming here, free from commitments related to filming or book presentations, to enjoy this land made of hills covered in vines and olive trees, green pastures and large cultivated fields where vegetables of wild flavours and herbs grow. Montefalco is the only place in the world where grapes are grown giving life to Sagrantino di Montefalco: a unique wine, very tannic, of great body and difficult to tame, it needs long refinements in the bottle. I use it a lot in the kitchen, for gnocchi or for stew. But it's also splendid as a companion to succulent roasts or blue cheeses that in the area, thanks to increasingly evolved breeders and farmers, are beginning to appear, and are of excellent quality. Think the cheese of Fattoria Calcabrina (fattoriacalcabrina.it). From Cannara to Foligno and up to Trevi, below Montefalco, we find products like Cannara onion, and Trevi black celery which has a very peculiar aftertaste compared to the other types of celery. And then there are the orchards, many and growing many different varieties of fruit: apples called "cul di somaro" (for the donkey shape), limoncelle apples, as well as ciucca which is ox snout... Also "de li porchi" apples: wild and sour apples, that were once fed to pigs and that today are used in the kitchen again, in different ways. Ditto for pears, figs, cherries... Not to mention extra virgin olive oil which is expressed in 4 Dop and which, like Sagrantino, is one of the symbols of this part of Umbria.

– Giorgio Barchiesi (Giorgione), cook, owner and Gambero Rosso Channel talent

SAGRANTINO ACCORDING TO BELLAFONTE Peter Heilbron had instead studied as an agronomist but found himself employed as manager for powerful companies such as Nestlé, Heineken and Martini & Rossi, which also has hands in wine. Native of Milan, he moved to Umbria, in PeTHE PROTAGONISTS

4

5

6

7

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1. The vineyards of the Arnaldo Caprai winery 2. Filippo Antonelli, winemaker and president of the Consortium, with the ceramic amphorae he uses for his wines 3. A 1968 bottle from the winery founded in 1919 by brothers Alfredo, Francesco and Alberto Pardi 4. Filippo Antonelli tapping wine from a wooden barrel 5. Marco Caprai 6. The Pardi family (Alberto in the middle with his children: they are the ones who carry on the legacy of their greatgrandparents) 7. Peter Heilbron, owner of Bellafonte winery: the name plays on a local toponym and the meaning of the surname of German origin ( fount of health) In the opening image, a cluster of Sagrantino grapes

MONTEFALCO AND THE PEOPLES OF SAGRANTINO

From Sagrantino, the absolute king grape of the area, other interesting varieties take shape as well, such as white Trebbiano Spoletino, which already has in its ranks growers and enthusiasts rugina in the mid-90s, and that was how he met Sagrantino. «I returned home with the feeling I had left something unfinished: great personalities and potential but results that didn't satisfy me, whether it was for my northern Italian taste or for my less than perfect Italian grammar.» In 2008 came the turning point, with the decision to drop

everything and start again elsewhere.

An elsewhere that already existed, «in the idea of this beautiful land where I could produce a different wine: this is the challenge that really intrigued me».

Near the village of Torre del Colle, in Bevagna, among enchanted hills of forests and olive groves, he took over vineyard and farmhouse, which was immediately demolished to make room for the new cellar. Very low environmental impact for a steel structure with caged stones that breathe from the walls, solar panels and a biomass boiler. This is how Tenuta Bellafonte was born, from the translation of its German surname to the current eleven hectares, where each plant is tended to with extreme care.

«You must listen to the voice of the grape and help it to overcome its problems. The initial romantic idea will always remain and the wine you carry in the glass, in the

middle there are the small every day chores that make the difference». No certification because «even organic farming is permissive, in the cellar it grants too much and often I don't want to do anything», whole berries for vinification with controlled temperature, indigenous yeasts, no filtration, postponed yield of at least one year compared to the specification: voilà Sagrantino Collenottolo, also a prizewinner, a witness of grace and elegance in a landscape in which «it felt like we were competing as who made the toughest wine». In this stubborn land that however did not oppose at all. «Quite the contrary, I immediately found myself well and would be glad to contribute to its growth.

After all, in the wine environment we all seem to be in competition but we are never fully involved. And I am convinced we can grow again if we row together in the same direction». 

AN EVOLVING TERROIR. WORK IN PROGRESS IN 9 WINES An evolving terroir that looks not only to Sagrantino, but also to other reds and in particular to white from Trebbiano Spoletino.

With three wines for each type, here are the colours and scents of an ancient and simultaneously young wine territory.

I Montefalco Sagrantino:

1 Arnaldo Caprai Montefalco Sagrantino 25 Anni 2014 The wine that practically made Montefalco known around the world, with a unique style that is difficult to imitate. Timeless legend.

2 Tenuta Bellafonte Montefalco Sagrantino Collenottolo 2014 Among the Sagrantino that mostly innovated the scene in recent years. Elegance and finesse without distorting grape and terroir.

3 F.lli Pardi Montefalco Sagrantino Sacrantino 2014 Successful bridge between past and present, in family history as in wine. Refined, intense and delicious.

I Montefalco Rosso:

I Trebbiano Spoletino:

4 Tenute Lunelli

7 Antonelli

Montefalco Rosso Ziggurat 2016 The wine that raised the quotations of the denomination. The feeling is that the best is yet to come…

5 Bocale Montefalco Rosso 2016 Smoothness, fragrance and taste. It's always the right time for a Montefalco Rosso like this one.

6 Moretti Omero Montefalco Rosso 2015 When everything goes the right way, the wines of the Moretti family are a guarantee of authenticity and taste. This is the case.

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Spoleto Anteprima Vigna Tonda 2016 Young, but already among the lot of the best. Spontaneous fermentation, maceration on the skins and aging in amphorae.

8 Tabarrini Adarmando 2016 Among the first wines to have fostered the rediscovery of the variety and its potential. Similar uniquely to itself, of explosive expressiveness.

9 Paolo Bea Arboreus 2012 A "natural" wine of unparalleled charm.

Amber, kaleidoscopic in the aromatic spectrum and three-dimensional taste.

Reference in and of its kind.

– Antonio Boco

A guide to the leAding 1200 compAnies producing foodstuffs in itAly

An indispensable tool for foodies but even more so for industry insiders promoting the best of Made-in-Italy worldwide

www.gamberorosso.it

PORTRAIT OF A CHEF IN TRHREE DISHES

MAURO ULIASSI TALENT AND ECLECTICISM ON THE ADRIATIC

The restaurant of Mauro (and Catia) Uliassi was and is a gourmand destination where world class chef and cuisine experiences intersect. The "seafood cuisine" gives its best when intertwined with those products of the soil (game, mainly) that are a peculiar component of the Marche region's gastronomic traditions and the chef's gastronomic roots.

Mauro has always beena champion in imagining the union of different flavours and traditions, as well as in the management of fires and hi-tech instruments.

WHERE Uliassi via Banchina di Levante, 6 Senigallia (AN) 07165463 - uliassi.it GUIDE POINTS 2019 Cuisine 57 Wine cellar 17 Service 18 Bonus 2 Total 94 YEAR OF OPENING 1990

by Stefano Polacchi - portrait photo by Lorenzo Cicconi Massi IN THE NEXT ISSUE, RECIPES BY: NADIA SANTINI

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RECIPES

“

SALAD WATER, SNAILS AND FROGS, GRASS, BREAD AND FAVA BEAN GELATO This is a dish that evokes the typical landscape of the Marche region of days past: marshes, ditches, life in the countryside until the postwar period. This is what goes in the plate, even if now with a more evolved and conscious supply chain concept. Elements and gestures of rural life and popular cuisine are sewn together. And it becomes a game of different textures and temperatures. It's the flavour that remains in the salad bowls left to "steep" for a while at the table, it's the snails cooked from the cold so they stay upright. In the end, a chilled soup that is almost a summer drink, without fat. And to have this pure water you don't need hi-tech: pressure and maceration are "all it takes". Ancient gestures

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PORTRAIT OF A CHEF IN TRHREE DISHES

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RECIPES

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PORTRAIT OF A CHEF IN TRHREE DISHES

“

THE SEA INSIDE A sea that returns something that was lost, that was there but of which we had lost more knowledge. The sea hides in its depths teeming life and many treasures: we interpret them in a new way, both in taste and appearance. Forgotten foods and stories re-emerge: it's the exciting side (and the meaning) of my work, telling the life of men. The art of a cook is also in the use of ingredients that are sometimes apparently invisible, transforming them into sensory emotions. My ingredients are monkfish tripe, turbot hearts and lume, cod entrails and liver, and baby cuttlefish too. The fifth quarter of the sea. A very simple but surprising dish, strong and elegant.

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RECIPES

“

NECK AND HEAD OF TURBOT IN POTACCHIO «What I wouldn't do to steal the soul from the taste of the daily catch! The head of the turbot fish is generally used for broths or for seasoning.

We it to perform a bigger task: we break it down and transform it, we make it become "something else", we separate it from its meaning according to tradition. The turbot neck in potacchio is cooked and presented as a rabbit shoulder and causes a slight surprise in the semantic twist between taste and representation. What you see is something other than what you taste. So the head appears real on the plate, grilled and breaded as tradition demands. And the meaning of the whole is revealed».

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PORTRAIT OF A CHEF IN TRHREE DISHES

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GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it SENIOR EDITOR Lorenzo Ruggeri PHOTO EDITOR Rossella Fantina LAYOUT Maria Victoria Santiago CONTRIBUTORS Stefania Annese, Gianluca Atzeni, Emiliano Gucci, Livia Montagnoli, Stefano Polacchi, William Pregentelli, Loredana Sottile, Annalisa Zordan

PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS Alberto Blasetti, Lorenzo Cicconi Massi GR USA CORP PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Paolo Cuccia Advertising Class PubblicitĂ SpA Milano, Via Marco Burigozzo, 8 - tel. 02 58219522 For commercial enquiries: mprestileo@class.it Advertising director Paola Persi email: ufficio.pubblicita@gamberorosso.it Gambero Rosso and are registered trademarks belonging to Gambero Rosso S.p.A. GAMBERO ROSSO is a Registered Trademark used under license by GR USA CORP Copyright by GAMBERO ROSSO S.P.A. 2019.

All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher.

GR USA CORP is not responsible for loss, damage, or any other injury as to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork or any other unsolicited materials.

April 2019

a www.gamberorosso.it/en & international@gamberorosso.it f GamberoRossoInternational 66 | TRAVEL