Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food - June 2016 by Gambero Rosso

www.gamberorosso.it YEAR 21 N. 97 - JUNE 2016

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

OSTERIA FRANCESCANA THE WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT

• LIVON VERTICAL TASTING • TRAVEL GARDA • ANTINORI WOMAN POWER

a tavola june 2016

COVER STORY 24 | World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016. New York triumph for Massimo Bottura. Crippa moves up, Scabin returns Massimo Bottura had to cross the ocean to reach the peak of the most prestigious world restaurant list.

WINE 30 | Antinori: Woman Power Twenty million bottles coming from Chianti Classico, Piedmont and even Puglia: Antinori is not a winery, but many wineries together. This is the philosophy that moves Albiera, the woman who today crafts the image of this historic estate. “The future is rosy,” says this manager, who works alongside her sisters, Allegra and Alessia. 34 | Braide Alte. The native blend with global appeal If there’s one wine that totally represents its territory, it’s Braide Alte. A blend from white blend country and composed of indigenous varieties, it nevertheless has an international spirit. The Livon winery, celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a specially designed label from the 2014 vintage, is one of those that has written the story of modern Italian wine. It’s no accident that it sells half of its top bottles abroad. 2 JUNE 2016

«Drink wine. This is life eternal. This is all that youth will give you. It is the season for wine, roses and drunken friends. Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.» Omar Khayyam 54

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (1120) 36

TRAVEL

NEWS & MORE

40 | Garda coast to coast. Great chefs on the lake shore Now is the time to dip your toes into Italy’s largest lake, before tourists pour in, searching relief from the heat. It’s the perfect moment to discover the culinary delights that the Garda shore offers. Leave your car parked, and move by water, from one bank of the lake to the other.

FOOD 50 | Recipes from Great Chefs: Stefano Baiocco. The Lake and all its colors. International experiences with top-ranking chefs and a broad-ranging knowledge of techniques and trends empower Stefano Baiocco in his splendid Villa Feltrinelli. He uses them to convey the emotions and sensations, tactile and visual, that he finds in his daily contact with the lake environment. His dishes are intimate and light, speaking to the heart, coming from the heart.

3 JUNE 2016

EDITORIAL

LONGING FOR ITALY’S PROVINCES The recognition of Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana in Modena as the best restaurant in the world on the list of the 50 Best is only the most recent sign of a widespread longing for Italy on a global level. It’s not a question of mere interest in tasting a particular dish, or even curiosity about a pignoletto aged in amphora. It is rather the desire to experience, explore, lose oneself in a wealth of inexhaustible products, best if on a winding country road with no signage. People yearn to get lost and then found in Italy. It’s no accident that one of Bottura’s menus is called “Come to Italy with me”. The name became the title of his first book, Vieni con me in Italia, appearing in English as Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef. Every dish, Massimo explained, compressed into a recipe, is life, history, art, music, meetings, tastings, study. He encapsulates in his food the beauty of his province, the best of Emilia, of its artisans. Above all, he has been able to open his province to the world with enthusiasm and elegance, without the usual nostalgic rhetoric. A dining experience with Bottura, who in our guide, Ristoranti d’Italia 2016 was rated number one along with Heinz Beck,

often brings us back to flavors we already know, transports us back through time and through Italy, but expresses it all in absolutely personal versions, brilliant, playful, and at times startling. The writer Jorge Luis Borges once said that in the West, there is nothing left to invent. Everything has been done and been written. All that remains is rediscovery. The team at Osteria Francescana has built a perfect machine, capable of giving Bottura’s cucina a new narrative dimension, capable of delivering a total experience. The rediscovery and longing for Italy is also expressed in wine, an authentic adhesive that opens the way to the distribution of other national products around the globe. Wherever a paper-thin slice of culatello is served in the world, there will be a glass of Italian wine to accompany it. Italian restaurants and wine travel together. We leave you with a statistic that just came out. In the first trimester of 2016, Italian wine exports increased 11% in value and 7% in volume for wines from protected denominations. People long for Italy, for Italy’s provinces. Lorenzo Ruggeri

4 JUNE 2016

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WINE AND ECONOMY

A WORD ABOUT “GENERATION TREATERS”. How the UK market is changing. One category of United Kingdom consumers stands out for its changing approach to wine. Young people born after 1980, with higher than average salaries, little expertise but great curiosity, form a segment of the market that increased its share of total wine spending in the United Kingdom from 24% to 31% between 2013 and 2016. At the same time, its share in terms of number of habitual consumers stayed steady at 11%. The so-called Generation Treaters is one of the profiles identified by Wine Intelligence. This age group considers wine a beverage for social drinking, and have begun to associate the cost of the product with its quality. “Generation Treat-

ers are becoming an increasingly important segment in terms of the way they buy wine, and their purchasing habits are less predictable than their older peers,” said Wine Intelligence COO Richard Halstead. “Many of them are being drawn away from the traditional supermarket channel in favor of discounters and independent retailers,” he added, “a sign of an overall change in the country’s society.” Among the other emerging trends underlined by Wine Intelligence is the fall in supermarket purchases in favor of on-line channels. Also noteworthy: the generation’s thirst for Prosecco is growing.

A SOUTH AFRICAN WINE ESTATE BRINGS 1000 DUCKS INTO ITS VINEYARD. Goodbye, pesticides. What is an army of a thousand ducks doing in the middle of a vineyard? They aren’t running away. Instead, they are trying to save the next harvest from the looming menace of snails. In South Africa in the Vergenoegd Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, twice a day a thousand of these appealing bipeds – Indian Runner Ducks – are left free to wander around 140 acres of vineyard. Besides eating the snails and their eggs, they are an excellent source of fertilizer, a perfect example of sustainable agriculture. The winery created the Runner Duck line in honor of its feathered assistants. 6 JUNE 2016

JAPANESE EXPERIMENTERS. Consumer curiosity grew over two years.

LESS ALCOHOL AMONG EUROPEAN TEENAGERS. The age of getting drunk for the 1st time increases.

The attitudes of Japanese consumers towards wine are changing, tending to make them more willing to try new types. Over two years, according to the most recent report from Wine Intelligence, the number of habitual consumers (those who drink wine at least once a month) who claim to have a strong interest in wine has increased from 40% in 2014 to 51% in 2016. Above all, the percentage of those who declare they want to try new and different types of wine increased from 21% to 27% since 2014. The Japanese market is often neglected in favor of the Chinese, but per capita consumption is decidedly higher, reaching 8.7 liters annually. Moreover, Japan’s interest continues to grow and consumers are expanding their wine horizons, diversifying their purchases. Japan is in 16th position in the world in terms of wine consumption, with 40 million 9-liter cases sold in 2014 and a total of 36.1 million regular consumers. The 2016 report from Wine Intelligence puts Japan in third place among the most attractive wine markets in the world. a number constantly falling, when compared to the 185 million of 2010), Great Britain leads as the principal market, buying 34.1 million bottles (+4.5% over 2014), followed by the United States with 20.5 million bottles, up 7.1%.

Teenagers are postponing the first time they drink. In Italy and Europe, the consumption of alcohol among the youngest (11-13 years) fell 30%. They drink, on the average, once a week. This is the finding of a study from Herbert Dorfmann (SVP –PPE), President of the Intergroup “Wine, Spirits and Quality Foodstuffs” in the European Parliament. “Educational programs and prevention do their job,” Dorfmann said. “We need to continue along this road.” The change is evident in almost all countries in the EU, except for northern ones, like Lithuania and Estonia. In general, though, between 2002 and 2014, a drop in the weekly consumption of alcoholic beverages is evident: -51% among 11-yearolds, -49% among 13-year-olds and -38% for 15-year-olds. What do 15-year-olds drink? The survey showed that these teens liked beer, followed by spirits and alcopops (lemonade and soda with alcohol added) and occasionally wine. 7 JUNE 2016

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

OYSTERS AND FRIED CHICKEN – VEGAN. With Just Mayo, cruelty-free food in the United States rides a boom.

CITÉ DU VIN OPENS IN BORDEAUX. The Guggenheim of Wine France opened La Cité du Vin, a futuristic construction locally nicknamed the “Guggenheim of Wine”, in Bordeaux on May 31, 2016. At a cost of 81 million euros (80% public funds, 20% from private investment, including producers’ consortiums) the museum celebrates the multi-faceted world of wine. Not only French wine is on show, but 80 important winemaking territories around the planet, including Italy. Conegliano Valdobbiadene is among the 22 wine landscapes presented. “A world of cultures” summarizes the mission of the initiative. This showplace on the shore of the Garonne River expects to receive 450,000 visitors annually (20 euros per ticket, including a

complementary glass of wine at the end), taking in 38 million euros. The building features permanent and temporary exhibits, illustrated wine roads, tastings, a wine bar with 800 labels available, a theater, music, a library, cartoon show, boutique and restaurant (Le 7 on the seventh floor, run by the Nicola Lascombes group). Covered in etched glass and iridescent aluminum, the museum is both an emotional experience and a sustainable one (70% of its energy is self-produced). After an examination of over 110 projects, the architect XTU was selected and the internal décor entrusted to Casson Mann, a London-based company that specializes in museum design. www.laciteduvin.com/fr 10 JUNE 2016

Vegan preparations inspired by milk- and meat-based products – is a niche that has influenced serious study around the United States, with a proliferation of laboratories for the production of alternative foods. According to Bloomberg, Hampton Creek, producer of eggless Just Mayo, is trying to raise about $200 million to increase the number of cruelty-free products that the business can launch on the market. Presently, Hampton Creek manufactures 64 vegan products, but the objective is to increase the catalogue to 600 different foods that don’t used any animal derivatives. Part of the investment would go to a workplace in San Francisco to find new vegetable-derived proteins, enlisting a team of scientist to explore all the possibilities for a varied and appetizing vegan diet. After the success of vegan Just Mayo, Hampton Creek versions of breaded chicken, oysters and Blue Cheese are the goal. Meanwhile, Whole Foods has begun to sell vegan The Beyond Burger right next to real chopped meat. The first day, it sold out within an hour.

PIANO 35. Italy’s highest restaurant opens in Torino On May 25, in Torino, Piano 35, the highest restaurant in Italy, debuted on the 35th floor of the Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano. (The Italian word piano also means floor or story, so the name is a pun on its location and its designer.) Through its glass walls, the restaurant offers extraordinary views over the city and its mountains, softened by the exotic and Mediterranean plants growing in its adjacent greenhouse. Position, view and food combine to make this an exceptional Torino destination. On the ground floor is Chiccotosto, a coffee bar, on the 35th floor a lounge bar with a terrace over the greenhouse and the elegant Piano 35. Chef Ivan Milani, with a staff of 34, will serve lunch and dinner. Milani is Piedmontese and self-taught, although he considers Davide Scabin his maestro. Top territorial ingredients, excellent fish, and especially many wild foods such as herbs, roots, mosses, lichens, algae and such from the Alpine and Sardinian ecosystems: 9000 such products were selected with the help of Valeria Mosca of Wood*ing, a wild food lab. As Milani said, “The idea is to taste in the dish what you see from the terrace – products from the mountains and valleys around Torino.” The wine cellar can provide 300 labels. The view, the terrace and the play of light in the evening are indescribable.

AMORIM PRESENTS NDTECH, the electronic nose that recognizes the smell of corked wine After five years of research and experimentation, fueled by ten million euros of investment, Amorim, world leader on the natural cork market, with 4.2 billion pieces sold in 2015, has done it. They have perfected a cork guaranteed TCA-free, that is, with no detectable cork taint. The Portuguese company, which worked with the research institutes of Geisenheim University and the Australian Wine Research Institute, can now carry out high-precision screening of individual cork pieces and, before they enter the production line, eliminate any with defects destined to ruin the contents of a bottle. The technology used, NDtech (trademarked), calls on a fast chromatography machine that can detect the TCA molecule.

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The high-precision screening technology can discern any cork with more than 0.5 nanograms of TCA per liter (parts per trillion), which will then be automatically removed from the supply chain. As a result, all corks processed via NDtech are non-detectable- TCA guaranteed. The level of precision necessary to meet this standard on an industrial scale for the individual corks examined is astounding, especially given that the detection threshold of 0.5 nanograms/liter can be the equivalent of one drop of water in 800 Olympic-size swimming pools. With this level of precision, Amorim claims it has “a definitive solution to wine packaging.” Technically, the individual pieces of natural cork are analyzed in a few seconds, much more quickly than before, when a chromatography exam lasted 14 minutes, making it impossible to use in a production line.

GAMBERO ROSSO ON THE ROAD

by Lorenzo Ruggeri

GAMBERO ROSSO THE VIEW FROM ASIA ItalianMANILA wine is sailing with the wind at its back. Bangkok and Manila completed the tour of the ninth edition of the Gambero Rosso Top Italian Wines Roadshow. Over sixty wineries have brought their stories around the world, telling about Italy’s best winegrowing areas, indigenous varieties, coastline vineyards, mountain terraces, cult wines and small denominations. They offered tastings along with lessons of geography, history and style in a constant exchange with operators and local media. Marco Sabellico and this writer held three seminars per event. The launching pad was Seoul last November. Then came Seattle in February and São Paulo in April. Here we are to report on our impressions of the last three stops on the road. Forty per cent of wine in Asia is consumed outside China, in countries where only a handful of producers exist. Visiting these nations is essential to understanding their sensibilities and tastes, to creating contacts and positioning one’s product on the market with a wide-ranging plan. Let’s begin with the last stop on the 2015/2016 tour, Manila. The average age in the Philippines is 22 years old. That is not a typo – Manila alone has 12 million inhabitants, or 18 million if you count the entire metropolitan zone. Although the difference between social classes is enormous, economic growth in recent years has been very strong, with GDP growing at 6%. English is spoken everywhere, and Italian cook12 JUNE 2016

ing is well-loved. “Here in the Philippines, there are more Italian than local restaurants. Italian cucina has replaced French cuisine, becoming an everyday food style because it is easier to duplicate with smaller investments,” Alexander T. Lichaytoo, president of Bacchus International, told us. His company is the largest importer of wines and Italian specialties in the Philippines. “The tax on wine is not excessive. It is 7% plus 12% added value tax. Tuscan wines sell well, and sangiovese is the variety we sell most of, but whites are on the way up, especially Pinot Grigio and Verdicchio. Interest in spumanti is minimal. They are seen only as wines for special occasions, for weddings and birthdays,” he went on. The Filipino middle class is still weak, but consumption is growing. Mid-priced wines lag the most. Two bulk wines dominate, Novellino and Carlo Rossi. The only thing Italian about them is their name. On the first one, we read, “with grapes selected from around the world.” But there are also collectors with monumental and deep selections, and a well-todo class with great spending capacities. “Italian producers must understand that coming here is the only way to position themselves in a market like ours. The potential is enormous, in the long run,” Adriano Stefanutto told us. He is an ex-diplomat who has opened a delightful Italian wine bar, I Trulli, the first in the city. It offers a fine, large selection of Italian wines and high-quality food products, along with artisanal Italian-made fashion items. Luciano Paolo Nesi, who moved from Maremma to Manila in 1994, agreed. Today his Opera Group has 26 restaurants in Asia, 22 of them in the Philippines alone. “When I arrived, everyone drank cognac at dinner. Today the market is open and very receptive. We have to concentrate on educating the public, so that it’s not only the French and the Americans who are doing so.” Before Manila, the tour made a stop in Bangkok. A tasting with 300 wines had never before been organized in that city. The traffic and humidity are intense, but the wine market has its own history and peculiarities. This was the second Gambero Rosso event in the city, and the response was again extremely positive, confirming that this market has to be approached and handled with constancy. Wine legislation is very severe. The lobby for the internal spirits industry is powerful, and import taxes on wine range from 54% to 60%. Besides that, other internal taxes can increase the total fiscal burden to 400%. But these numbers, among the highest in the world, do not put a brake on the desire for and interest in wine, and many wine bars have opened in recent years. According to the data furnished by ICE, the Italian Trade Commission, Italy is in fifth place on the market, with 6% of the total, be-

GAMBERO ROSSO ON THE ROAD

hind France, Australia (which has the advantage of special agreements), the United States and Chile. Wine in restaurants is costly, but 14 million tourists and younger locals increase the demand. Our seminars, all three of which sold out, were held alongside Pairach Intaput, president of the Thai Sommelier Association: we saw enthusiasm, interest and a swarm of young traders, mostly women. “I’m here in Thailand to educate the new wine fans. Despite the climate, our soft and structured reds are very successful. Even if the temperature outdoors is over 35°C or 95°F, indoors, air-conditioning is keeping it chilly,” commented Liepa Olsauskaite, Brand Ambassador for Pernod Ricard Thailand. Hotels even provide feather comforters on their beds. Another step backwards brings us to the Singapore event. The setting was unusual and fascinating: the deconsecrated church of Chijmes. Turnout in terms of both quantity and quality of operators for this event, the fifth Gambero Rosso had held in the city, was extraordinary. Singapore is a hub and home to a great number of independent traders, small and large chain stores with branches all over Asia. Wine culture is wellrooted, although the reference points are all French, but in recent years, many importers have managed to find their way successfully with Italian brands, for example Sandro Giorgi’s Italian Wine Club. The culinary scene is one of the most stimulating in Asia, and wine courses has become a flourishing sector. “In the early months of 2017, we will launch the Italian Wine Scholar program for the trade in Singapore. There’s great demand. We will focus on pairings with local cuisine,” explained Lim Hwee-Peng, who helped us in the seminars where we were showered with questions. Italy is the third wine power in terms of imports here, after France and Australia, according to ICE. The data from 2015 are in line with those of 2014. The message from the Roadshow system is clear. When Italian wine presents itself as a compact force, with all its richness and with a well-defined framework, it can find its place in the most complicated and distant markets. We were met with enthusiasm that is hard to convey when we return home. Meanwhile, the itinerary for the next edition of the Roadshow, the tenth, will include a series of vertical tastings and special evenings. The tour will land in South Africa for the first time, in Johannesburg, then go on to Vietnam, Hanoi, another interesting market. Then, Sydney, Singapore, Osaka and Taipei will follow, in the footsteps of the happy experiences of recent years. In all, four stops out of six will be in Asia. The challenge for Italian wine lies there. 14 JUNE 2016

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

THAT FERNET BRANCA FEELING In 1845, Berardino Branca, with the help of Swedish doctor Fernet, invented the bitter drink that quickly garnered enormous success around the world. Fernet-Branca contains twenty-seven ingredients including herbs, spices and roots gathered on four continents: aloe from South Africa, rhubarb from China, gentian from France, galanga from India or Sri Lanka, chamomile from Italy and Argentina are some of these. The original recipe, which has never been changed, has been carefully guarded for five generations. Today the only custodian of the secret of FernetBranca is NiccolĂ˛ Branca, President of Fratelli Branca Distillerie. He is personally responsible for overseeing the dosage of the ingredients during production. In 1895, artist Leopoldo Metlicovitz designed an extraordinary poster with an eagle dominating the globe, holding the bottle between its claws. The image became the symbol of the company and was officially registered with the relevant Ministry. The importance of this strong and consolidated Italian firm was showcased with the in-

auguration in 2009 of a company museum in the heart of frenetic Milano, a few kilometers from the Centrale railroad station. Its 1,000 square meters are dedicated to the famous product, with rooms devoted to spices and an area that holds the largest barrel in the world, the one in which Brandy Stravecchio is aged. Besides Fernet-Branca, the firm turns out many other products. Stravecchio was released in 1888, and in 1965, a mint variation of Fernet, Brancamenta. Over the years, Fratelli Branca purchased Carpano, Distilleria Candolini and CaffĂ¨ Borghetti, a liqueur from espresso coffee made from an antique recipe dating back to 1860. In 2012, the house created a new vodka, completely Italian, Sernova, and a limited edition Magnamater, a distilled spirit from a selection of seven premium wine acquavites, stored in oak barrels after a long period of aging.

THE TASTING

Intense and almost impenetrable color, complex aromatic bouquet with bitter notes of aloe and gentian. On the finish, spices such as myrrh and zedoaria. Good body; rich in the mouth, with a finish in crescendo. Drink it after dinner, straight or on the rocks. .

ITALIAN CHEFS ABROAD

Michela Becchi contributed

Francesco Maggi and Angelica Tinazzi CASABASE: AN ITALIAN SHOP IN MADRID Casabase, a shop in Madrid, offers the best of Made in Italy plus artisanal Spanish bread. He’s a designer from Monza, she’s a teacher from Brescia, both cities in the Lombardy region. They have been living in Madrid for three years and recently launched a shop specializing in artisan foods. The couple, Francesco Maggi and Angelica Tinazzi, opened the doors to Casabase on December 4, 2015 and already are enjoying the results

of their work. Careful selection of resources, farms and production methods have made their shop a gastronome’s temple in the Spanish capital. Why did you choose this business? We both have always had a passion for cooking and everything that involves food. We like traditional products, those closely connected to their territories, the flavors of long ago. We saw that Madrid didn’t have a shop that sold bread and the ingredients to make panini, the kind that’s part of the oldest Italian tradition. So we’re trying it. Why Madrid? Angelica and I moved here three and a half years ago for my ex-em16 JUNE 2016

ployer. We fell in love with the city, so we stayed. Madrid has a lot to offer and it’s a good place for our kind of business. Let’s talk about your products. Where do you buy bread? From a small local bakery, one of the last two with wood-burning ovens left in Madrid. It’s naturally leavened bread that arrives fresh every morning. We have different kinds: white flour, rye, multigrain, whole wheat, and some with raisins, nuts, or poppy seeds. We make focaccia, but our breads are all Spanish shapes and flours. What other products do you sell? We have many kinds of salumi, cured meats, that we import from a farm near Bergamo, Podere Montizzolo, for example prosciutto, ham, pancetta, speck, cotechino. Our cheese is almost all Italian and ranges from buffalo mozzarella to Parmigiano Reggiano di vacca bruna, from special brown cows. We have a couple of Spanish rawmilk goat cheeses, too. Our craft beers come from a master brewer in Monza, Birra del Carrobiolo, and we have a whole selection of spicy specialties from Peperita, a biodynamic firm in Livorno. We get Bottled conserves and oil-preserved items from Contadini – pickles, sauces, pesto – and pasta from Gragnano. We also have Spanish extra-virgin olive oil from Finca La Pontezuela, and Illy coffee. Do you have a selection of sweets? Yes, we work with an organic bakery in the mountains just outside Madrid. From them we get cakes and cookies, while breakfast pastries come from a French pastry shop in the city. For the holidays, we buy panettoni and columbe from a Veronese baker, Infermentum.

You make sandwiches, too. Which is the most popular? We make panini with chapata, a typical Spanish bread that is very crisp and has little crumb, so it shows off the ingredients in the filling. The most popular one is the simplest, the Real, with prosciutto from Parma, mozzarella di bufala and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Another bestseller is Pan-ky, with salami, sheep’s milk ricotta, lemon-scented olive oil and cherry tomato confit. Who are your biggest competitors? I don’t know the entire city, so I can only refer to my neighborhood and the center, where I have lived for a while. Here, there are no real competitors because almost none of the shops that sell Italian products stock top quality goods. My wife and I believe that our country should be represented abroad by its very best foods. We are our own most exigent clients. If a product doesn’t satisfy us fully, we don’t sell it. CASABASE | Madrid | Calle del Dr. Castelo, 8 | tel. +34 689 746604 | www.casabase.es/

17 JUNE 2016

WINE OF THE MONTH

Valle d’Aosta Syrah ’13 Rosset Terroir 3,700 bottles ex-cellar price: 15.60 euros

SINCERELY SYRAH

Rosset Terroir is a recently established small winery that has made its name in a very few vintage years for the authenticity of its product. Its defining nature is its tie to its territory and devoted attention to safeguarding the environment, carefully observing the protocols of sustainability. In 2001, the Rosset family decided to plant vineyards on its property in Senin di Saint-Christophe, in the Valle d’Aosta region. They first chose chardonnay grapes for their three hectares of land, then added syrah and the indigenous cornalin variety, but the range is increasing. We noticed especially the Syrah produced by the passionate work of the Rosset family and by Matteo Moretto, the house agronomist and enologist. The 2013 has typical notes of white pepper, then opens clearly on berry aromas. On the palate it is harmonious and balanced, with extraordinary equilibrium and length. It shows up wonderfully well when paired with red meat, aged cheeses, mushrooms, caponata and cured meats in general. 18 JUNE 2016

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Over the past 20 years, the number of growers in Gironde (Bdx) has fallen by half, down from about 13,960 in 1994 to 7, 190 in 2014.

19 JUNE 2016

DESIGN

Stefania Annese contributed

TONCELLI’S COLONNA VINO

raftsmanship and luxury are two words that describe the Progetto50 collection. Toncelli, a renowned interior décor company from the province of Pisa, celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with walnut cabinets: three thematic colonne, or columns, designed to honor cocktails, cigars and wine. First designed in 2010, for the 2016 Eurocucina exhibit in Milano Toncelli presented a new version of one of these columns, this version dedicated to the world of wine. Behind its two narrow inlaid doors, the cabinet encloses a miniature enoteca or wine bar, complete with temperature-controlled wine

cellar, space for bottle storage, sommelier’s tools, and a comfortable removable counter for serving fine vintages. This union of innovative and traditional design is a tribute to Tuscan Renaissance skills, with its passionate attention to detail, choice of premium materials and homage to the history of the zone where Toncelli operates. The contribution of master Tuscan craftsmen was crucial. The doors of the new Colonna Vino are enhanced with thousands of pieces of painstakingly inlaid wood. They reproduce the plan of one of Milano’s neighborhoods, the fashion district that is home to the Toncelli showroom. An interplay of sections of ebony, wengé, elm, maple, poplar burl, myrtle and walnut intri-

20 JUNE 2016

cately fit together by master craftsmen represent the urban structure. The design introduces the theme of journey that will characterize the new limited editions dedicated to major cities in the world. The inside of the cabinet reveals hidden mechanisms, secret compartments, drawers and containers. The fridge can hold 36 bottles at temperature ideal for many types of wine. The shelving holds 48 more. The glasses are arranged on six shelves with two extra compartments for glasses. The same care is shown in the Cigar Column and the Wine Column. The first contains humidifiers that guarantee the right environment, maintaining the constant balance between temperature and humidity needed for conserving cigars. The inside of the cabinet is in Spanish cedar, wood chosen for its pungent fragrance that favors the conservation of the cigars and protects the tobacco from parasites. In the lower section of the chest are extractable trays to hold chocolate, playing cards or dice. This elegant space also has room for a bottle holder and a section for tasting spirits. The doors of the Cocktail Tower, made from inlaid wood suggesting Manhattanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skyscrapers, refer to the classic whisky cocktail as well. Inside are leather-lined shelves, bottle holders, sections for utensils. These three columns, or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;towersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are works of art that marry beauty and function, recapturing the 15th century Tuscan Renaissance tradition of mathematical perspective inlay dating back to Florentine architect, Filippo Brunelleschi.

PAIRING

drawings by Chiara Buosi SCHIAVA

DO AS VENE

FIANO

FSOAVE

frappato

Granseola alla veneziana

Spider crab alla veneziana

CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE PROSECCO SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

frappato

morellino

verdicchio

BaccalÃ mantecato su crostini di polenta

Salt cod mousse on polenta crostini

COLLI EUGANEI PINOT BIANCO SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

Sarde in saor

Sweet and sour sardines

22 JUNE 2016

CUSTOZA

frappato

THE TI DO

SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

Risotto con radicchio trevigiano Risotto with radicchio trevigiano

SOAVE CLASSICO SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

frappato

morellino

verdicchio

Seppie al nero con polenta

Seppie al nero with polenta

BARDOLINO CHIARETTO

SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

frappato

morellino

verdicchio

Tiramisu 23 JUNE 2016

RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA

ITALIAN CHEFS

Livia Montagnoli collaborated

Massimo Bottura and his Osteria Francescana staff

World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016.

NEW YORK TRIUMPH FOR MASSIMO BOTTURA. CRIPPA MOVES UP, SCABIN RETURNS

The podium that speaks Italian. Osteria Francescana at number one

e finally did it. Massimo Bottura had to cross the ocean to reach the peak of the most prestigious world restaurant list. Massimo’s first words were for his wife, Lara, his children and his team: “They’re watching us in Franceschetta.” He took a few minutes to talk about culture, hard work, dedication and solidarity, the qualities that he will bring to the favelas of Rio for the Olympic games. Before he could dissolve in tears, Lara joined him on the stage. Here’s the winning list for 2016: gold medal for

Osteria Francescana, followed by El Celler de Can Roca. The third position is held by Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm and Will Guidara’s eatery, a favorite for many. Not on the podium were René Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen, in fifth place, behind Central in Lima, chef Virginio Martinez, which came in fourth. Among the new entries in the top ten was a very happy Mauro Colagreco (his Mirazur in Menton, France, was sixth), Steirereck in Vienna (9) and Asador Extebarri, in Axpe, Spain, in the heart of the Basque region (10). 24 JANUARY 2016

Massimo Bottura

Italy in

the T op 50 The greats of the international restaurant-rating world met for the first time at Cipriani Wall Street in New York to participate in the award ceremony for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, a competition held since 2002 by the English magazine, Restaurant. (Next year, the ceremony will be held in Melbourne, in Australia.) In New York it was eight in the evening. In Italy, the first images of the best chefs in the world walking down the red carpet were seen by fans in the middle of the night. Only a few hours before, the victory of the Italian soccer team at the European competition had stoked the nation’s pride. Many who see in the cultural value of Italian food and wine an engine for the country’s economy were paying close attention to this prestigious event. They were satisfied to see four ambassadors of Italian alta cucina among the international best. Movement up, but also down, in the lower rankings had been revealed the week before. Niko Romito entered the list of the second fifty. Along with Bottura in the top fifty are Massimiliano Alajmo, Enrico Crippa and Davide Scabin, who in 2015 had to be satisfied with a 65th place, far out of the Top 50. But this year, the chef of Combal.Zero deserved a spot on Olympus once again. He reentered at 46 and grinned proudly at the photographers. Enrico Crippa didn’t hide his satisfaction, with his cucina at Piazza Duomo in the top 20, at 17th place (27 in 2015). Raffaele and Massimiliano Alajmo were a little disappointed, their Le Calandre slipping from 34th in 2015 to 39th in 2016.

Who’s up and who’s down. The United States and Mexico do well. Blumenthal

disappointed The showing of Christian Puglisi, Italo-Danish of Copenhagen, also warmed Italophile hearts. He rose a few steps and is now in 40 th place. His restaurant is seen as the most ecologically sustainable on the international panorama. American places showed up well, with two new entries Estela (44) and Saison (27), from New York and San Francisco respectively. Alinea took off: Grant Achatz led the recently renovated Chicago restaurant to number 15 from 26 in 2015. Mexico saw Biko, Pujol and Quintonil in the top 50, while Japanese cuisine in Maido, in Lima, zoomed from 44 to 13 this year, and was named the Highest Climber. The Clove Club in London entered the exclusive club directly in 26th place (Highest New Entry). Instead, Heston Blumenthal must have mourned: after problems with Fat Duck, Dinner, the English chef ’s London spot, slid to 45th. In 2015, it was at 7. Other slides occurred in Sweden for Magnus Nillson’s Faviken, moving from 25 to 41, in Peru for Astrid y Gaston (from 14 to 30), in Spain for Albert Adria’s Tickets (from 29 to 42) and Quique Dacosta (from 39 to 49), in Bangkok for Gaggan (from 10 to 23). In Copenhagen, Geranium re-entered in an excellent 28th place, while Tim Raue in Berlin appeared at number 34.

Enrico Crippa is at 17th place

Niko Romito entered the list

The next date is in September in Mexico City, for the ceremony for Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. We’ll see you in Melbourne in a year. The italo-danish chef Christian Puglisi

25 JANUARY 2016

An essential book for all who love Italian wine More than 60 experts spent months doing blind tastings in every region of Italy

2400 producers 22000 wines 421 Tre Bicchieri 80 Tre Bicchieri verdi

www.gamberorosso.it

THE STORY

William Pregentelli contributed

Ermenegildo Giusti made his fortune in Canada, in construction. But the memory of the hills of home, the Colli Asolani, and of Montello, was too powerful, so he came back and rebuilt what had been a family property, enlarging and modernizing it. Today it produces 200,000 bottles of wine. He sells 80% abroad, in Europe, the United States and Canada, as well as in Asia.

FROM NERVESA TO CANADA â&#x20AC;Ś.AND BACK

A VINEYARD DESIGNED FOR EXPORT 27 JUNE 2016

THE STORY

«I

used to ask my mother where Canada was, and she always answered me in the same way. ‘Canada? At the end of the vineyard, a little farther...’”. That’s how entrepreneur and builder Ermenegildo Giusti’s story begins. Today he heads Giusti Wine, which, purchase by purchase, now holds about 80 hectares in Nervesa della Battaglia, in the eastern Veneto, between Treviso, Venice and Asolo. Ermengildo’s is a success story that began in the Veneto, crossed the Atlantic, and returned to the same land, to enrich it. “My parents were simple farmers. Everybody today sees Treviso as it became thanks to the boom in the 1960s and 1970s. But they forget what it was like after the First and Second World War. Everything here was destroyed. In 1950, it was Italy’s poorest province. Whoever could, left to look for work elsewhere.” The impulse to leave became urgent for Ermenegildo when he reached seventeen. “I couldn’t see myself shut up in a factory. I heard my grandfather’s brother talk about Canada, where he had emigrated years before. In my boy’s mind, he was a strong man, not just a simple peasant, but someone who had made a fortune with his own hands.” For migrants, the beginning is not easy and at times the difficulties seemed insurmountable, but with a boundless supply of heart, brains and passion, Giusti found that things began to get better. “We wanted to build the most beautiful, sturdy houses, the kind where we ourselves would want to live. With this attitude, the problems we faced were just part of our success.” But his strong feelings for the Veneto brought Ermenegildo back to the hills of Montello. “Wine is part of my personal story. As soon as I returned, I began to rebuild the family property,” he explained. “One of the holdings that means the most to me is Tenuta Abbazia. For centu-

Enologist Mirco Pozzobon and Ermenegildo Giusti

ries it was the property of the Collalto noble family. It lies on the hills where Giovanni Della Casa wrote Il Galateo, an influential book of manners published in the 16th century. We restored an ancient hermitage dedicated to Saint Jerome. In June, 1918, the fulcrum of the Italian defense of the Piave River was here, a concentrate of history and legend.” The waters of the Piave flow near the vineyards, through a flood plain that is poor in nutrients, forcing the vines to work themselves deeper. Farther up the hill, the soils diversify, temperature excursions between night and day increase, and the woods preserve more biodiversity than the plains below. Ermengildo continued, “We grow 28 JUNE 2016

our indigenous varieties, such as glera and recantina, but we don’t forget the Bordeaux types that have been part of Treviso’s grape heritage for a century: cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. On the hillsides, we also grow pinot nero and chardonnay. In the Piave valley, we cultivate pinot grigio. Moreover, in Valpolicella, we manage two vineyards – in the Classic zone and in Val d’Illasi – where we produce an Amarone and a Ripasso.” Quality viticulture, sensitive to the environment and to sustainability reflect Giusti’s love for this land. But since his return to Montello, Giusti also launched a project to rescue and restore the historic and artistic treasures of the landscape. “I consider it

THE WINES

a privilege and a duty to commit myself to the community. It is a way to share success, to give more value to work.” He therefore is devoting himself to the restoration of the Abbey of Saint Eustace. “The ruins of the abbey date back to 900 A.D. We decided to donate about two million euros to the local community to protect it. The Abbey has been in ruins for about a century. Even the hermitage of the patron saint, Jerome, was abandoned. We stepped in, securing the ruins and restoring the hermitage. Now, with another initiative, we will make what’s left of the Abbey accessible.” What is the future of Giusti Wine? “By the end of 2017, we will have about 100 hectares of vineyard in production. On our Tenuta Sienna property, we’ll build a new winemaking facility, digging eight meters under the surface, beneath the vineyards. The marvelous landscape of Montello will not be spoiled by new construction, and visually, this will just be a new vineyard. It’s a beautiful and ambitious project, and will be perhaps the most extraordinary in the Veneto.”

UMBERTO I '09

“I love all my wines, bur the one I’m proudest of is Umberto I. It originates in Tenuta Abbazia,” Ermenegildo told us, “a classic Bordeaux blend from fully mature vines. It is a true cru, and the wine that I dedicated to my grandfather.” Umberto I is the firm’s premium wine, made from a careful selection of merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes. Long aging in the cellar gives depth to aromas that range from ripe red fruit to spices, then make room for fresher vegetal notes to emerge. On the palate, richness is held in check by tannin that is both silky and assertive at the same time.

ASOLO PROSECCO SUP. EXTRA DRY

This Asolo Extra Dry has a completely different profile. It is a Prosecco Spumante that is striking for the elegance of its aromas. To the taste, it shows excellent harmony between sweetness, acidity and sparkle.

Export “Our present production is over 200,000 bottles, 80% of which is destined for international markets,” explained Sebastiano Bonomo, young export manager for Giusti Wine. “Our markets are those which are well-consolidated for Italian wine, above all in North America, where we have received recognition in international competitions. We have an important position in the Canadian provinces, which for us is an important test, since there we are up against all the great international wine names. We’re growing rapidly in Europe, in Great Britain and the up-coming Eastern European countries. We’re present in Hong Kong and China where we’re seeing significant growth. We’re trying to move along two tracks, cultivating traditional markets and at the same time sounding out emerging, young ones where the appeal of Italian products is often overlooked by the big players because the markets are seen as …too small.” Among the best-selling labels abroad is obviously Prosecco and the great Veronese reds. “Yes, those are the labels that open the way for our iconic wine, Umberto I, and for our Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.” Giusti Wine | Nervesa della Battaglia (TV) | via del Volante, 4 | tel. 0422 720 198 | www.giustiwine.com

29 JUNE 2016

LONGHERI '14

Too often in the Veneto, pinot grigio is a variety interpreted without verve. Instead, Giusti showcases it at its best. The grapes come from Tenuta Rolando, at the foot of Montello. On the nose, a clean fruity expression of pear and apple envelops the palate with richness and elegance. Entirely aged in stainless steel, Longheri displays impressive sapidity and tautness in the mouth.

Professionals, IN EVERY sense. PASSION for: FOOD & BEVERAGE VINE & SpIRItS tEchNOlOGIES BAkERY pAStRY IcE cREAm cOFFEE chOcOlAtE mAchINERY EquIpmENt FuRNItuRE tABlEwARE INNOVAtION DESIGN SERVIcES pROFESSIONAl tRAINIG JOB OppORtuNItIES E-cOmmERcE wEB mARkEtING

13-15 November 2016

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WINE NEW GENERATION

by Eleonora Guerini

Twenty million bottles, coming from Chianti Classico, Piedmont and even Puglia, along with various businesses abroad: Antinori is not a winery, but many wineries together. This is the philosophy that moves Albiera, the woman who today crafts the image of this historic Tuscan estate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The future is rosy,â&#x20AC;? says this manager, who works alongside her sisters, Allegra and Alessia

ALBIERA ANTINORI

WOMAN POWER 31 JUNE 2016

WINE NEW GENERATION

look at the history of the Antinori family shows that through the centuries – even before 1385, when Giovanni di Pietro Antinori registered with the Arte dei Vinattieri, a winemaker’s guild, in Florence – they had entrepreneurial know-how, political sense, and steely intelligence. Those abilities ran through the generations, and we see them today. The mother of two children just out of their teens, Albiera is a woman who measures her words, but says what she thinks. The low profile she has chosen to maintain veils determination, skill, and great will power. “As soon as I finished high school, I began to work in the winery. That August I was already at Castello della Sala for the harvest, in February I traveled to Canada with my father, the next spring I followed the new vineyards in Casa Sole, and then came the harvest again. I’m still there. Over the years I have worked in all sectors of our business so I could learn, understand, have a picture of the whole thing and choose what I liked. That was marketing, image and communication. I began there, and came back to that, but with a slew of experience with what goes into a wine estate. Rather – an estate made up of many estates, like Antinori. I wouldn’t want to do anything else. I also follow the real estate part, restoration and building, including the houses that are on the various properties and the winemaking facilities. In the end, even real estate is communication.” Last year she celebrated 25 years of work in the company that bears the family name. Albiera is vice-president, and together with Allegra and Alessia, she is part of the generation that will succeed their father Piero. He took the reins of the winery in the 1960s in a time of grave crisis in the wine world, and he transformed Antinori into the majestic jewel it is today. “We are three women. That’s how it went,

and that’s good from many points of view. In Italy, at times it requires some dramatic situation to force entry into the modern world. There can be quotas for women – I would be ideologically against that but it could be necessary in a country that would never otherwise give space to women. Or there can be all-women heirs, as in our case. Who knows what would have happened if there had been even one son. We can’t think about that. What we do know is that this circumstance allows my sisters and me to show that in the right place, women can do a great deal. Differently from the men, but not less.” Today, the Antinori group turns out 20 million bottles every year. Most come from Santa Cristina, in Chianti Classico, followed by Guado Al Tasso in Bolgheri, Castello della Sala in Antinori Winery

32 JUNE 2016

Florence. Palazzo Antinori

Umbria, Prunotto in Piedmont, and Tormaresca in Puglia. The big numbers could make you think of an industrial enterprise. Antinori, instead, manages to convey an image of links to the earth, of farming. “Antinori is made up of many farms put together. There’s a reason each one has its own name, its own staff, its own agronomic and enological choices, its own varieties. Numbers become important if added up, but in our intentions, and in the facts themselves, each property remains distinct. That requires great care and great effort. If you want each territory’s soul to fully express itself, you have to make specific choices, often different for each. The vines are different, the climates, and also the people and their goals. It’s like a closet with many drawers. The closet is large, and contains many drawers. But each one is a world unto itself, and must be treated that way.”

Tignanello wineries

From left, Allegra, Alessia, Piero and Albiera Antinori

33 JUNE 2016

GREAT VERTICAL TASTING

by Lorenzo Ruggeri

If there’s one wine that totally represents its territory, it’s Braide Alte. A blend from white blend country and composed of indigenous varieties, it nevertheless has an international spirit. The Livon winery, celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a specially designed label from the 2014 vintage, is one of those that has written the story of modern Italian wine. It’s no accident that it sells half of its top bottles abroad.

The native blend with global appeal

Braide Alte

35 JUNE 2016

GREAT VERTICAL TASTING

he Braide Alte vineyard overlooks Slovenia. This is the village of Dolegnano, 600 inhabitants, in the last slice of Italian land before the border. From the attic of Casa Livon, at the top of the Ruttars hill, you can still see the two custom houses of the frontier. The European Union managed to get rid of those after many years, although today, some brilliant politicians want them back. The Livon familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wine-growing project took off in the 1960s, thanks to work undertaken by Dorino and carried on by Tonino and Valneo. Today, the next generation, Matteo and Francesca, have clear ideas and constant commitment to their estate. This entrepreneurial adventure grew slowly, and today the family has 5 brands. Besides Livon,

RoncAlto and Villa Chiopris in Friuli, there is Borgo Salcetino in Chianti Classico and Fattoria ColSanto near the medieval town of Bevagna in Umbria. Eight of the 15 Tre Bicchieri awards won by the company come from the Braide Alte hillside. Plant intensity is extremely dense, with 8,000 vines per hectare. The soil is rich in marl and clay. Chardonnay, sauvignon, picolit and moscato giallo are all part of a blend that has become a classic, the archetype Friulano blend known internationally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The origin of the name? Braide in Friuli means the land near a farm house, which in our case is the acetaia, where we make vinegar. Alte, or high, because it is our vineyard with the greatest altitude. The first vintage

36 JUNE 2016

BRAIDE ALTE 2013

1996

A fragrant profile, with floral notes to the fore, then citron and wood tones still integrating. Juicy on the palate, still a little contracted, it shows its ripe, sweet character, but without heaviness. On the finish, a refreshing note of anise. The product of a good summer and a perfect harvesting season.

The first vintage year, only 5,000 bottles. After 20 years, it presents a particularly seductive aromatic profile, with iodine tones that accompany notes of pastry, myrtle, alcohol-preserved apricots, candied citrus peel. A subtle but incisive smoky note pervades the mouth, which has a delicate, harmonious development, creamy and long. The empty glass has aromas of mountain herbs and white pepper.

2011

Alessio Turazza participated in the tasting

A warm summer accelerated ripening. The wine thus shows greater structure and a particularly intense olfactory profile directed towards aromatic tones ranging from roses to wisteria, from papaya to lychee nuts. It is substantial and mouth-filling on the palate, soft, rich in flavor and variety. It has great weight, but also rhythm. The finish is very long.

2010

A cooler and rainier harvest shows up in a more delicate olfactory profile. Timid nose in the first minutes, then more marked herbaceous tones of sage, elderberry, and white-fleshed fruit. The palate is pulpier, with creamy tones of brioche, but at the same time agile. It seems to ask for time to fully roll out its aromatic components.

2008

The particularly golden color is the prelude to a wine that plays with tertiary tones of honey, candied fruit and Asian spices. The mouth is especially rich and opulent, with concentration that makes it almost chewy. The finish is very warm and moves towards medicinal herbs. It had a more rapid evolution.

the new label

1964-2014. 50 vintage years

2007

The label that celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Dorino Livon in 1964 has been on the market for only a short time. It is a blend of friulano and ribolla gialla from the vineyards in Ruttars, fermented and aged in Hungarian barriques for eight months. On tasting, it shows the character of the vintage year, with a slow but suffused aromatic profile, tones of toasted almond and peach. On the palate it is juicy and subtle with a smoky trace in the background. The finish is fragrant and fades out on sensations of bitter orange. It is a perfect pairing for a ragout of veal, chicken or pork. 3,000 bottles have been produced.

Brilliant highlights and compact color, much lighter than the previous one. Wonderful nose, with tones of rosemary, sage, juicy yellow peach. A background of flowers and citrus fruit with a well-integrated trace of smokiness. The mouth is deep, flavorful and suave, well contrasted by acidic support and savory depth that lengthen the wine up to an elegant finish. It is from one of Friuliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earliest ever harvests. It won a Tre Bicchieri easily in the 2010 Vini dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia guide.

2004

The color has amber highlights, among the most intense of the tasting. It presents hydrocarbon/kerosene tones, notes of bay leaf and honey with a delicately sulfurous background. The mouth is rich and agile, with tones of toasted almonds, hints of citrus fruit and a mouth-filling, warm and satisfying finish.

2001

The year of regularity and balance. A great vintage all over Italy. The color is particularly golden, the prelude to a nose of dried fruit, raisins but also a lively acidity. The palate is peppery and the structure imposing, soft, but not static. The finish, almost peppery, again calls up aromatic herbs, a constant in the entire tasting.

2000

A cool, rainy July followed by a hot, dry August. The wine is in excellent shape, in a moment of maximum aromatic openness. It displays fragrances of tropical fruit, of tropical fruit, of jasmine and roses. The nose is changeable and complex. The palate is juicy and warm, with notes of candied citrus fruit, hazelnut and also a fresh tone of green tea that enlivens the finish. A seductive hint of orangey honey at the very end.

Braide Alte | Livon | San Giovanni al Natisone (UD) | www.livon.it

37 JUNE 2016

GREAT VERTICAL TASTING

A gastronome’s

break Where to eat. Campiello on the Trieste-Udine road A must-visit place on the TriesteUdine road, Campiello is a restaurant to treasure, with a tastefully decorated dining room and a pleasant outdoor space. The cucina is solid and elegant, balanced and light. The chef knows how to interpret in the best manner the traditional flavors of the territory, with typical recipes that use farm ingredients but also seafood. Excellent raw dishes, homemade ravioli, delicious steak tartare with salted butter and pickled vegetables. The prosciutto from Cormòns is wonderful. Outstanding wine list, put together with love and passion, the result of meticulous research into the territory. The emphasis is on regional products, but the choice of Champagne, Tuscan and Piedmontese reds is impressive. Some treasures can be found in this cellar. Prices are more than honest. Go down into the wine cellar and choose your bottle. Campiello | San Giovanni al Natisone (UD) | via Nazionale, 40 | tel. 0432 757910 |

year was 1996. It took us five or six years of experimenting to find the right balance,” Matteo Livon explained. “The varieties are vinified separately in barrels and then assembled in steel tanks. They age in their bottles for at least a year and a half before release.” Overall, Braide Alte turns out about 15,000 bottles annually, and almost half are shipped abroad. Rinaldo Stocco has been the family enologist for almost 30 years. “It is more difficult to sell a blend today, as opposed to a monovarietal wine, whether native or international. But after years of constant quality, we have managed to construct a premium, reliable brand. In recent years, 38 JUNE 2016

we have increased our indigenous varieties: ribolla, malvasia, friulano and picolit.” If there’s a place in Italy with a deeply rooted tradition of white blends, it is the Collio. Braide Alte is an interpretation of the classic grape blend, but in an international key. It has a clearly recognizable style, year after year, with a soft, aromatic touch and a multifaceted spicy profile. It expresses itself best in warmer, sunnier years, as we saw in our tasting. It goes well with dishes that have sharp flavor edges, for example salty ones such as baccalà or marinated sardines in saor. It pairs well with flavors with intense aromatic aspects, such as grilled shrimp, or hot and peppery dishes, and it holds its own with juicy white meats.

WWW.FERRARITRENTO.IT

THE ITALIAN ART OF LIVING

Venezia, Piazza San Marco ore 4:54

TRAVEL

Now is the time to dip your toes into Italy’s largest lake, before tourists pour in, searching relief from the heat. It’s the perfect moment to discover the culinary delights that the Garda shore offers. Leave your car parked, and move by water, from one bank of the lake to the other.

by Maurizio Bertera

Lido 84

COAST TO COAST

GREAT CHEFS ON THE LAKE SHORE 41 JUNE 2016

TRAVEL

here are a thousand ways to enjoy Garda. It’s no wonder it’s the top tourist destination for visitors to Italy. Make a great day trip by leaving your car and moving around by boat. You can get off in the heart of the towns on the coast, visit unhurriedly, go shopping, and take a break in a lakeside restaurant, often right next to the water. Let’s start from the Trentino side, a paradise for windsurfing, kitesurfing and mountain bike. In Torbole, sit down at the Terrazza, a covered structure a few meters from Lake Garda. It’s the reign of chef-patron Ivo Miorelli, who carries on his tradition of re-visited lake fish dishes. Another choice is the more modern Aqua Restaurant & Lounge Café, on the lakefront, where Fabio De Filpo has a uniquely complete vision of his profession. Riva del Garda doesn’t have top eating places with a view of Garda, so wander among the little streets that lead from the commercial port to the historic center. Here you’ll find Al Volt, an elegant and creative dining place with a dazzling wine list. Other worthy stops are the foodshop in Frantoia di Riva and the olive oil centers, Olio Cru and Madonne delle Vittorie, both in Arco. Moving on from the Trentino side to the Veneto, we come to Malcesine, 100 years ago the border between Austria and Italy. For gastronomes, it’s worth visiting the best fish restaurant on the eastern side of Garda. Leandro Luppi, an excellent chef with a volcanic personality – he founded Fish&Chef, an event featuring freshwater fish - cooks at Vecchia Malcesine. A five-minute walk away from the ferry stop is his jewel box of a restaurant with a beautiful view. Luppi’s specialities include gn-

Lido 84

42 JUNE 2016

boats Inside Garda The other face of the lake The Garda of the water tells a different story than the Garda of the shore, beautiful as it is. To explore the lake from the lake itself, there are three possibilities: own a boat, have friends who invite you on theirs, or travel with Navigazione Laghi. The Garda fleet has 23 boats, covering a variety of routes. Cars and motorcycles can travel on three routes (Desenzano-Riva-Desenzano, Maderno-Torri-Maderno, Limone-Malcesine-Limone) or else, drivers can leave their vehicle near one of the three docks used by the boats or by rapid catamarans. Departures and arrivals are almost always in strategic locations in the towns, near the communal port, so they are ideal for finding great places to eat nearby. Navigazione Laghi offers day-trip tickets and day-long cruises on carefully restored vintage boats such as the Italia or the Zanardelli.

La Terrazza in Torbole

43 JUNE 2016

occhi, sardines, and lake fish enhanced with lemon and smoke or salmerino – a marinade of garlic, oil and chili pepper - although he is equally talented with vegetables. In Brenzone, food fans argue about the merits of the historic Osteria al Pescatore, in the port, and the spectacular Locanda alla Fassa di Castelletto, which lies practically in the lake. They are both excellent. Moving south, there aren’t many restaurants worth noting, with the exception of Regio Patio, a beautiful loggia belonging to the Hotel Regina Adelaide. Andrea Costantini, who was Bruno Barbieri’s student for a decade, is doing great work spotlighting the territory’s top food products. The Brescia shore of the lake is the most interesting in terms of food

TRAVEL

Locanda alla Fassa di Castelletto

and lake views. The fortunate elite can make their way to the fascinating Villa Feltrinelli and Stefano Baioccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culinary poetry (recipes on page 53). In the heart of Gargnano, find a seat at the Tortuga belonging to the Filippini family to sample delicious fish, from both lake and sea. Gardone Riviera has been spiffed up. The old Villa Fiordaliso, with an incredible location and a landing directly on the lake, has been joined by Lido 84. Its Riccardo Camanini is one of the new stars of Italian cucina. The menu is surprising, and Camaniniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spaghettoni with butter and yeast found a fan in renowned chef Alain Ducasse. A meal at

The Great Parks From Gardaland to Canecaworld and alsoâ&#x20AC;Ś the safari

Millions of Italians and foreigner visitors come to Garda each year to enjoy the unmatchable beauty of the environment and to see its unusual parks. The most famous is Gardaland in Castelnuovo del Garda (gardaland.it). It covers over half a million square meters and is at the top of every world classification of this sector. In 2015, it celebrated its fortieth anniversary, and continues updating old attractions and creating new ones. On June 1, Gardaland opened a second hotel, Adventura Hotel, four stars and 100 theme-based rooms that further the park experience for visitors both large and small. A little farther north is Caneva Resort (canevaworld. it) with four independent areas: Aquapark (famous for spectacular water attractions), Movieland Park (inspired by Hollywood films), Rock Star Restaurant and Medieval Times Restaurant & Show, where you watch themed performances and eat at the same time. A third worthwhile trip is to Natura Viva (parconaturaviva. it) in Pastrengo, a town between Garda and Verona. A nature park, it also devotes itself to environmental projects and houses many animals in its Safari Park and along walking paths. A visit here is like a combined trip to five continents to see ostriches and giraffes, reptiles and lemurs, flamingoes and caymans.

44 JUNE 2016

Sport Sailing, golf

and two wheels Water sports naturally dominate Italy’s largest lake. Garda is considered one of the world’s most iconic sailing sites. It is perfect for competitions and is often the location for important regattas. It is popular for training, too. Almost all the clubs on three sides offer quick courses, but also the option of independent sailing for a few hours. In the Trentino zone, where the windsurf boom was born in the 1980s, motor boats are prohibited, so that kite surfers or small sailing vessels can better enjoy the water. The Alto Garda, with its mountains, is a haven for free climbing. The Rock Master Festival in Arco at the end of August is a must for fans of this sport. Mountain bike riders will find excellent trails for their vehicles. Golf is developing rapidly, and there are numerous courses near the lake: Golf Club Bogliaco, Golf Club Colombaro, Golf Club Arzaga, Borgo Machetto Desenzano Country Club, Golf Club Paradiso del Garda, Golf Cà degli Ulivi. a dish at

grilled eel with cream at

45 JUNE 2016

Lido 84

Locanda del Benaco

one of these lakeside tables, also reachable by boat, is a memorable experience. A little further south is Fagiano, in the Grand Hotel Fasano, where Matteo Felter proposes a cucina d’autore, a truly original menu. The next stop is in Salò, which many consider the capital of the area. Here you have to venture into the narrow streets to taste good osteria-style dishes at the Orologio or Mezzo, or try out the new management of Antica Trattoria alle Rose. It’s not easy, though, to find serious rivals to the Locanda del Benaco mit Café, with its tables on the lake, its fine bistrot-style food, and the Briariava family’s experience and cordiality.

TRAVEL

Vittoriale A monument to himself, by Gabriele D’Annunzio il

Gabriele d’Annunzio, one of Italy’s most famous and controversial literary and political figures, came to Garda in February, 1921, to finish the writing of Notturno, published in English as Nocturne and Five Tales of Love and Death. He moved into an old villa on Gardone Riviera belonging to German art critic, Henry Thode. He intended to stay only a few weeks, but instead, it was his home until his death, 17 years later. Here he built Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, a verdant estate that consists of his residence, Prioria (priory), an amphitheater, the protected cruiser Puglia set into a hillside, a boathouse containing the MAS vessel used by D’Annunzio in 1918 and a circular mausoleum. Its grounds are now part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani. Designed by local architect and friend, Giancarlo Maroni, Il Vittoriale is a monument to the poet-soldier and to Italian exploits in World War One. Concerts and plays are often held in the amphitheater, which has a spectacular view over the lake. www.vittoriale.it Locanda del Benaco

Moniga has the magnificent veranda of the Trattoria al Porto, although its menu is not dominated any longer by lake fish. Maerba has many good eating places, but you need a car to reach them. Aquariva, in Padenghe, houses the West Garda Yacht Club, with a fabulous terrace, a perfect mix of pleasant setting and good food. Desenzano finds perfection with the Esplanade, a villa on the lake with one table for two on its deck and a wonderful kitchen. Rose & Sapori on the lake, and Alla Stella, a trattoria a few meters from the port, are both excellent

Aquariva

46 JUNE 2016

choices. And finally, in Sirmione, everyone likes Speranzina, a trattoria with both lake fish (too little!) and sea fish (too much!), and a beautiful terrace. If you like measured creativity and experience, a little away from the lake is La Rucola, and chef Gionata Bignotti. Sirmione also offers visitors a spa establishment and the Castello Scaligero. The town once hosted Maria Callas and has dedicated a palazzo in the central Piazza Carducci to the memory of the great opera singer.

Terme di Sirmione Acquaria, the spa the ancient Romans loved

Documents from the 1st century B.C. indicate that the ancient Romans knew and appreciated the qualities of the water of Sirmione, but it was only in 1900 that the town became a spa resort, after bringing to the surface the sulphurous water from the Boiola source 20 meters deep. The project, launched in 1889 by a Venetian deep-sea diver, was big news all over Italy. Later two other sources were found and two bathing establishments built, Catullo and Virgilio. Both have been revamped many times. The great new spa, Acquaria, in a 6,500 square meter park, is now the jewel in the crown. Four hotel structures, the fivestar Grand Hotel Terme (with its Orangerie restaurant and its own spa), the four-star Hotel Acquaviva del Garda, Hotel Sirmione, and Promessi Sposi, and the three-star Hotel Fonte Boiola are all connected to the same reservation-booking system. info tel . 030 990 4922 | termedisirmione . com | booking @ termedisirmione . com il

Fagiano del Grand Hotel Fasano

47 JUNE 2016

TRAVEL

the restaurants La Terrazza | Torbole (TN) | via Benaco, 24 | tel. 0464 506083 | allaterrazza.com A sure thing on Lake Garda, thanks to chef-patron Ivo Miorelli. Great fish-based dishes from the territory. Elegant setting, modern paintings, veranda with a view of the lake. Aqua | Torbole (TN) |

Regio Patio dell’Hotel Regina Adelaide | Garda (VR) | via San Francesco d’Assisi, 23 | tel. 045 7255977 | regina-adelaide.it A chef to remember, Andrea Costantini. Inspired dishes in a beautifully curated restaurant inside one of Garda’s great hotels. Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli | Gargnano (BS) |

via Lungolago Conca d’Oro |

via Rimembranza 38/40 |

tel. 0464 505142 |

tel. 0365 798000 | villafeltrinelli.com

aquaristorante.com

The name describes the unique position – it is practically in the lake. Good Italian cucina including carefully made pizza. The chef is from nearby Lake Orta - Fabio De Filpo. Al Volt | Riva del Garda (TN) | via Fiume, 73 | tel. 0464 552570 | ristorantealvolt.com In the historic center, one of the most elegant restaurants on Garda. The cuisine is suited to the setting, with meat and fish tasting menus. Don’t miss the appealing outdoor space. Vecchia Malcesine | Malcesine (VR) | via Pisort, 6 | tel. 045 7400469 | vecchiamalcesine.com Leandro Luppi is one of the best interpreters of freshwater fish. But in his jewel box of a restaurant with its splendid view of the lake, next to the castle, he provides 360° of emotion. Osteria al Pescatore | Castelletto di Brenzone (VR) |

via Imbarcadero, 1| tel. 045 7430702 | osteriaalpescatore.it

There is no menu here. The catch of the day is cooked, simply and well. The space is small and romantic, complete with candles and a vaulted ceiling. Faces the little port. Alla Fassa | Castelletto di Brenzone (VR) | via Nascimbeni, 11| tel. 045 7430319 | ristoranteallafassa.com Anyone who loves lake fish, eaten on the spot, shouldn’t miss this classic restaurant. The cooking is careful, the veranda beautiful. Also, five bedrooms upstairs.

48 JUNE 2016

Stefano Baiocco’s dishes are of an extraordinary elegance, above all when vegetarian. The restaurant is in one of the Italian hotels that politicians and magnates love best. (see recipes on page 53) Tortuga | Gargnano (BS) |

via XXIV Maggio | tel. 0365 71251 | ristorantelatortuga.it

More than a pirate cove, this is a romantic jewel box in the Gargnano port. It attracts both Italians and foreigners (many) with the delightful bravura of its fresh pasta dishes. Lido 84 | Gardone Riviera (BS) | corso Zanardelli, 196 |

tel. 0365 20019 | ristorantelido84.com

Riccardo Camanini’s talent and his infinite longing for perfection, plus cordial service and an enchanting location have made this restaurant famous in two seasons. And it will get even better. Villa Fiordaliso | Gardone Riviera (BS) | corso Zanardelli, 196 | tel. 0365 20158| villafiordaliso.it Legendary elegance and quiet. The kitchen observes some of Garda’s best traditions. The menu is laden with both classics and new dishes, including lake fish.

Il Fagiano del Grand Hotel Fasano | Gardone Riviera (BS) | corso Zanardelli 190 | tel. 0365 290220 | ghf.it This fine restaurant in one of the best hotels on the Brescia side of the lake is improving visibly. The modern approach of chef Matteo Felter perfectly suits the enviable setting.

Aquariva | Padenghe (BS) |

viale Guglielmo Marconi, 57 | tel. 030 9908899 | aquariva.it

A trendy atmosphere, a large terrace and the excellent cooking of Paolo Favalli. Fish, both from the lake and the sea. The wine cellar specializes in Champagne, with Ivan, Paolo’s brother, in charge.

Locanda del Benaco mit Caffè | Salò (BS) | lungolago Zanardelli, 44 | tel. 0365 20308 benacohotel.com A recently refurbished boutique hotel in a snazzy position on the lake. On the ground floor, with a pretty outdoor space for warm weather, is Gianni Briarava’s restaurant.

via Lario, 3 | tel. 030 9143361 | ristorantee-splanade.net

Antica Trattoria alle Rose | Salò (BS) | via Gasparo da Salò, 33 | tel. 0365 43220 | trattoriallerose.it Under new management, the most famous restaurant in town has also changed its approach. Fewer territory-based dishes and more modern ones, but still a fine wine cellar and top products.

lungolago Cesare Battisti, 89 |

Esplanade | Desenzano (BS) |

Charm, outdoor space and large dining rooms in Emanuele Signorini and Massimo Fezzardi’s restaurant, Wide-ranging, skilled and intense cuisine, with a great deal of seafood and a vegetarian menu as well. Premium wines. Rose & Sapori dell’Hotel Villarosa |Desenzano (BS) |

tel. 030 9144585 | ristoranteroseesapori.com

In this modern four-star hotel, there’s room for a restaurant with a broad-ranging menu and a view of the lake. Attentive to vegetarian and vegan requirements, too.

Osteria dell’ Orologio | Salò (BS) | via Mattia Butturini | tel. 0365 290158 | osteriadellorologiosalò.it For those who love traditional osterias, this is the perfect place: a spacious counter, a blackboard with the wines of the day, a competent owner. From the kitchen come mostly local, simple, abundant, well-prepared dishes.

Alla Stella | Desenzano (BS) | vicolo Molini, 6 | tel. 030 9911187 An old mill near the port has been transformed into this topquality restaurant. Well-made dishes and a memorable selection of cured meats and cheeses.

Osteria di Mezzo | Salò (BS) | via di Mezzo, 10 | tel. 0365 290966 | osteriadimezzo.it A simple, family-owned place in a little street in the center of town, with excellent ingredients, both local and not. Excellent wines and spirits.

La Speranzina | Sirmione (BS) | via Dante, 16 | tel. 030 9906292 | lasperanzina.it A French Provence-style dining room and a fabulous terrace are delightful features of this luxury trattoria. A great deal of seafood and pleasantly creative dishes.

Al Porto | Moniga (BS) |

via del Porto, 29 | tel. 0365 502069

Here, on a terrace practically in the lake, for years the style was modern, based on lake fish elegantly prepared. Now the approach is less creative, but still tasty.

La Rucola | Sirmione (BS) | passaggio Strentelle, 7 |

tel. 030 916326 | ristorantelarucola.it

Gionata Bignotti’s restaurant constantly surprises his clients with deft and original dishes. The chef ’s love of Asian cuisine infuses his top quality Italian ingredients.

49 JUNE 2016

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International experiences with topranking chefs and a broad-ranging knowledge of techniques and trends empower Stefano Baiocco in his splendid Villa Feltrinelli. He uses them to convey the emotions and sensations, tactile and visual, that he finds in his daily contact with the lake environment. His dishes are intimate and light, speaking to the heart, coming from the heart.

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

by Francesco Seccagno

Stefano Baiocco.

THE LAKE AND ALL ITS COLORS 51 JUNE 2016

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

Emotion and sentiment, Garda’s colors Stefano Baiocco, 43, has a solid CV behind him, including the Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, Alain Ducasse of Monaco, Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, and the Rossellinis of Palazzo Sasso in Ravello. In between there have been many experiences around the world: Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons of Raymond Blanc in Oxford, in Paris, Pascal Barbot’s Astrance, in Japan, Ryugin of Seiji Yamamoto and Kikunoi of Yoshihiro Murata (3 Michelin stars). He worked in Spain at Celler dei Roca, at Mugaritz with Andoni Luis Aduriz, with Quique Dacosta and at Ferran Adrià’s Bulli. The range of chefs, styles, trends, culture, techniques and traditions he has observed seems complete. All come into play at Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda. His idea of food and cucina is simple. “Cucina makes sense only if we have someone with whom to share our emotions.” This is a double perspective – you can look at it from the stove or from the table, but it always involves sharing and emotions. Baiocco goes on, “I love a clean feeling on the palate and in the dish. I don’t use too many elements, and I try to keep them well-defined. In each of my recipes there must be something that can stimulate reflection on the part of the person who’s eating, encouraging them to think.” And then, there’s the pleasure of the ingredient. He is dedicated to herbs, which he studies and collects personally, working with other foods to transform them into an original and well-defined whole. He takes particular care with the chromatic element in each dish, so that each plate resembles a painting. His dishes demand attention, like art in a gallery. They require comprehension, assimilation, pondering, not so much as an intellectual exercise as to inspire empathetic, emotional, sensitive participation. Stefano Baiocco’s cucina is both immediate and constructed, light and deep. His is a stress-free table. If he’s asked to mention a painter he admires, he has no doubts. Botticelli. “They often ask me what I want from my cooking,” Baiocco says. “I realized I have an almost carnal, physical rapport with my dishes. I think that depends on the limited number of guests we serve. It’s a little like inviting friends home. Up to a certain number of dishes, I manage to truly feel what’s inside, as if each one had my voice. I lose this emotional feeling, and the plate becomes a product, even if it’s perfect, if I exceed that amount. Cooking is a means of expression for me. I’m interested in the sensations of those who eat here, with me. I like to understand what they desire, what fascinates them. I would like to affect their thoughts because I think that gastronomy is more in the head than in the belly.” Villa Feltrinelli | Via Rimembranza, 38 | Gargnano (BS) | tel. 0365 798000 | www.villafeltrinelli.com 52 JUNE 2016

Avocado Cannellone Ingredients for 4 servings A ripe avocado

Tomato gazpacho 800 g datterino tomatoes

Avocado oil

80 g red bell peppers

Peel the avocado. Using a potato peeler, slice only the outer layers of the fruit and arrange them on oven-proof paper, brushing them delicately with avocado oil.

60 g celery sticks

Macadamia nuts Toast nuts and grate with a microplane grater.

60 g red onions

Coriander oil 250 g sunflower seed oil

60 g cucumbers

70 g fresh coriander leaves

1 bunch basil Goat cheese cream 1 round of Valle Belbo goat cheese (about 250 g)

30 g parsley leaves

100 g ice

10 g toasted coriander seeds.

16 g ginger root

50 g goat milk

15 g extra-virgin olive oil monocultivar Casaliva

Blanch herbs in boiling water for 5 seconds and then plunge into ice. Blend in a thermomix the oil, herbs, and seeds for 10 minutes at 50Â°C/122Â°F. Filter and cool.

Strain the cheese and beat it lightly with a whisk to incorporate air. If necessary, add goat milk. Spoon the cream into a pastry bag.

1.5 g xantana 18 g Maldon salt 6 g ground white pepper

Herbs

Cut all ingredients (except xantana) into small cubes and marinate for 12 hours. Pass through a food mill and then through a fine chinois strainer or cheesecloth. Add xantana and delicately beat into soup with a whisk without incorporating air or leaving lumps.

Lobelia erinus flowers, French

53 JUNE 2016

marigolds

With the help of the oven paper, roll the avocado strips around the goat cheese, forming a cannellone. Place in refrigerator. Spoon gazpacho into a soup plate, place cannellone on top, finish dish with coriander oil, flowers and Macadamia nuts.

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

Rice Ingredients for 4 servings 240 g Carnaroli rice

Black olive pebbles 50 g of black olive oil

20 g shallot confit

17 g maltodextrin

80 g dry white wine

Blend oil and maltodextrin slowly with a whisk until it forms little pebbles. Roast in a non-stick pan.

1 kg tomato water Toast the rice in a base of shallot confit, add dry white wine and heat with tomato water. Cook for 14-16 minutes. Stir in tomato popcorn and lemon zest. Allow to rest for 1 minute before serving. Shallot confit 500 g shallots 120 g extra-virgin olive oil 1 sprig lemon thyme Julienne shallots and cook slowly in 120°C/250°F oven with olive oil and thyme in a covered casserole. Stir from time to time. Put aside. Tomato water 4 kg datterini tomatoes 16 g salt 4 g pepper 8 sprigs of Genoese basil Blend the tomatoes and season with rest of ingredients. Leave in fridge overnight to decant through cheesecloth. It produces about 1.3 kg of transparent tomato water. Tomato popcorn 250 g tomato water

Black olive oil 200 g dried pitted black olives 200 g extra-virgin olive oil Place ingredients in a Pacojet and micro-puree. Filter the oil obtained through a chinois or cheesecloth strainer. Confit tomatoes 1 kg of Cencara tomatoes 5 g coarse salt 8 cloves unpeeled garlic 2 sprigs thyme Peel and seed tomatoes. Cut each into four sections. Season and bake in 90°/200°F oven for 3 hours. Slice the sections with a disk 2 cm in diameter. Ponzu sauce 100 g mirin (sweet cooking sake) 100 g lemon juice 100 g soy sauce 4 g agar agar Dissolve agar agar in mirin and bring to a boil Add soy sauce and cool. Add lemon juice. Stir the gelatin that forms.

250 g olive oil 1 gelatin leaf (3.5 g) 1 g salt Dissolve the gelatin and salt in tomato water. Emulsify with olive oil and place in a syphon with three charges. Syphon the contents into a stainless steel bowl containing liquid nitrogen. Preserve in freezer. Use this popcorn to blend into risotto as a substitute for the classic butter and Parmigiano Reggiano. (If you don’t have nitrogen, chill the syphon very well and syphon into rice.)

Red shrimp 4 Sicilian red shrimp Shell the shrimp, slice in three, and season with extra-virgin olive oil, Maldon salt, white pepper and lemon zest. Hot yuzu sauce Yuzu kosho (obtainable in shops selling Japanese food products) Place a dab of this cream under each shrimp. Herb Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) Place risotto in the center of a plate, dot with spicy yuzu sauce and arrange dressed shrimp on top. Complete with tomatoes, ponzu sauce, black olive pebbles and southernwood.

55 JUNE 2016

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

Yogurt semifreddo Yogurt semifreddo 450 g whole milk yogurt

Basil bonbon icing 200 g cocoa butter

Green oil 250 g sunflower seed oil

375 g Italian meringues

200 g white chocolate

50 g Genoese basil

450 g heavy cream (35% fat)

2 drops natural green food coloring

50 g mint

10 g gelatin leaves

gel

30 g parsley

Combine the yogurt and Italian meringues, mixing well. Soften the gelatin, dissolve it in a little cream and add to the yogurt mixture. Half-whip the cream and combine the two. Turn the mixture into 3 cm wide diameter steel tubes lined with acetate sheets. Flash freeze. Remove from tubes and slice into 4-cm long cylinders.

Melt the mixture, heating it to 40”C/105°F. Ice the basil bonbons well, covering them completely. Keep in freezer.

Celery and green apple gelatin 1 bunch celery

Melt cream and white chocolate. Heat to 50°C/122°F, add to yogurt, blend well, cool in fridge and transfer to a pastry bag.

5 Granny Smith apples 100 g sugar 6 g agar agar. Centrifuge celery and green apples to obtain 400 g liquid. Combine agar agar with sugar and bring to boil with 200 g of centrifuged liquid. Remove from heat and add the other half of the liquid. Cool in fridge. When solidified, mix and place in pastry bag. Basil gelato 470 g whole milk 40 g heavy cream (35% fat) 100 g sugar 13 g glucose

White chocolate and yogurt icing 200 g heavy cream (35% fat) 300 g white chocolate 200 g whole milk yogurt

Yogurt cookies 50 g butter

Blanch the herbs for a few instants in boiling water. Plunge into water and ice. Squeeze well, mix with oil and process in a Thermomix for 10 minutes at 50°C/122°F. Strain through a chinois or cheesecloth strainer inside an ice-cold container. Green apple 1 Granny Smith apple Using a Japanese mandolin, slice shavings of green apple. Herbs and flowers

50 g powdered sugar 50 g flour (200 W) 20 g powdered yogurt 1 g salt Blend all ingredients, work into cylinders and flash freeze. Grate the still-frozen dough onto a silpat sheet and bake at 140°C/285°F for about 6 minutes. Store in a dry place. Yogurt/yuzu 100 g low-fat yogurt

27 g powdered milk

5 g of grated yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit)

13 g butter

Mix and save in a pastry bag.

5 g stabilizer for gelato Bring milk, sugar, glucose, powdered milk and gelato stabilizer to 90°C/195°F. Cool to 50°C/122°F, then add cream and butter. Blanch basil, add to gelato and leave in refrigerator for 12 hours. Place mixture in a Pacojet container, freeze and pacotize. Transfer gelato into small bonbon-shaped molds.

56 JUNE 2016

Wood sorrel, (oxalis acetosella), Genoese basil, mint, shiso (perilla frutescens), celery leaves, mint flowers Prepare the dessert: create a chromatic array with the icing, the gel, and the yuzu yogurt, arranging spoonfuls of various sizes on the plate. Spoon semifreddo onto the icing and place the basil bonbon on a dab of celery and apple gel. Place a tablespoon of yogurt biscotto on a corner of the semifreddo, completing it with lemon zest. Finish the plate with harmoniously arranged drops of green oil, herbs and flowers.

photo

Matteo and Vincenzo Lonati

RECIPES FROM GREAT PAIRINGS CHEFS

Cinta Senese Pork Ingredients for 4 servings Pork

Beet vinaigrette 500 g apple vinegar

½ Cinta Senese pork belly (about 1 kg)

500 g red wine

Coarse salt equaling 10% weight

500 g grated beets

5 g black Sarawak pepper mignonette 100 g butter 60 g extra-virgin olive oil Leccino cultivar

1 aromatic bouquet (rosemary, sage, lemon thyme, bay leaf) Place pork in a deep dish, sprinkle with coarse salt and leave to marinate for 5 hours. Remove salt with running water, cut into portions and vacuum pack with the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 17 hours in water at controlled temperature of 70°C/160°F. Plunge into water and ice. Score the rind and brown meat with a little oil in a non-stick pan until the skin is crisp. Salt-roasted beets (per portion) 1 baby beet 200 g coarse salt 50 g butter 1 sprig rosemary Wrap beet, salt, butter and rosemary together in an aluminum foil package. Bake in a standard oven for 40 minutes at 200°C/390°F

50 g extra-virgin olive oil Leccino cultivar

Heat vinegar, wine and sugar until reduced by 2/3. Add beets and leave in infusion for 4 hours. Strain and beat with extra-virgin olive oil. Devil sauce 100 g sweet-hot Thai sauce 100 g soy sauce 40 g yakitori (soy and garlic sauce) 2 cloves garlic in thin slices 6 g sliced ginger root 6 chopped spring onion stalks 3 g red curry paste Mix all ingredients and leave to marinate for 12 hours. Strain and reduce to a syrupy consistency.

Use only the black fruit of Malabar spinach (basella alba) Herbs and flowers False shamrock (oxalis triangularis), wood sorrel (oxalis acetosella), chickweed (stellaria media), salad burnet (sanguisorba minor), costmary (tanacetum balsamita), red-veined dock (rumex sanguineus), nasturtium (tropaeolum majus ), Kenilworth ivy, (cymbalaria muralis), Malabar spinach (basella alba), borage, rosemary, pineapple sage (salvia rutilans/ elegans), lobelia (lobelia erinus), bush daisy (euryops pectinatus) Dress the herbs with the cooked pork fat, Maldon salt and kaffir (or combava) lime zest In the center of a flat plate, place a teaspoon of devil sauce. On it place the pork belly divided into 4 portions, the just-seasoned herbs and flowers. Dip the baby beets and the Malabar spinach fruit in the beet vinaigrette and arrange around the pork. Decorate with a line of beet powder.

Beet powder 1 beet Slice the beet with a mandolin and dry in a food dryer or an oven at low temperature, max 60°C/140°F.

Photo Matteo and Vincenzo Lonati

of pork

300 g sugar

Malabar Spinach

58 JUNE 2016

Avocado Cannellone Giulio Ferrari Ris. del Fondatore Collezione 1995 | Ferrari | Trento (TN) | www.ferraritrento.it

The Rice A.A. Bianco Beyond the Clouds 2014 | Elena Walch | Termeno/Tramin (BZ) | www.elenawalch.com

The best vintage year for Maso Pianizza: very few grapes but excellent ones, natural thinning of the bunches, pronounced temperature excursions – the first vintage of the Collezione began like that. Opulent and elegant, it echoes the fatness of the avocado and the cheese, then helps along the sweetness with notes of acacia honey. Its minerality cleanses the mouth elegantly. Great wine – very great.

Walch’s dream wine: it brings together the best bunches from the winery’s vineyards (mostly chardonnay). With its breadth and acidity, it pairs well with the sumptuousness of the shrimp and the sweet acidity of the tomato, as well as with the smaller players: olive oil, olives, aromatic herbs. A game of opposites destined for each other.

Cinta senese pork belly

Yogurt semifreddo

Chianti Cl. Ama 2011 | Castello di Ama | Gaiole in Chianti (SI) | www.castellodiama.com

Cristina V.T. 2008 | Roeno| Brentino Belluno (VR) | www.cantinaroeno.com

Once again, sumptuous spiciness in the pork, opulence and farm flavors, sapidity and hot-sour notes. A classic like this 2011 from Castello di Ama goes well here: a territorial and concrete, harmonious pairing. Balsamic, spicy, opulent, the flavors marry well and contrast at the same time, right up to the clean, elegant tannin on the finish that suavely cleans the palate.

«A late harvest wine with explosive aromas of citrus fruit that wrap the palate sweetly and harmoniously. Extraordinary acidic support gives the wine interminable progression». This was the reason why Cristina won the 2012 Special Award for Best Sweet Wine in Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia. It explains why this is such an incredible, fantastic pairing.

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