After a first success in 2012, the “Route régionale des Saveurs” will be back in Namur on may 25th and 26th in a beautiful site, the medieval citadelle, a fortress, of Namur (50km south of Brussels).
La “Route Regionale des Saveurs” wants to show the food&cook know-how of the Walloon regio. The fait will unfold in a pedagogic, tastfull and entertaining journey in which visitors will discover the typical products of the region. They’ll meet more than 50 local producers and will taste the dishes made by talented chefs.
There will be this year a host country: Switzerland and its beautiful dishes. A swiss village will be installed in the heart of the citadelle to discover the richness of this country.
Olivier Bauche et Philippe Garcia, two well known chef will revisit some traditional
The spectacular location of the citadelle de Namur, a XVIIth century fortress
recipes. The belgian sommelier and wine connoisseur Eric Boschman will take part to the event and will explain the origin of the used products, the career of the chefs and how their recipes are so special.
Practical information
Free tickets for children under 12 years.
Ticket is 5€ in presale and 7€ onsite. This pass allows free entrance to the market of local products and participates in tasting the products offered from 10h to 18h.
With “Culinary Passport” at the price of 24€ visitors can enjoy 5 Walloon recipes and Swiss recipe.
“Volcanic Wines of Italy” will kick off on May 7th at the Chandos House in London. This event will be dedicated to whites wine of volcanic origin and organized from Consorzio of Soave and the Association of Volcanic doc.
The event, which is the London event of Vulcania, international forum of white wines from the volcanic soil, requires the presence of more than fifty Italian wineries.
Initially reserved for the press and industry operators, Volcanic Wines of Italy will also opens the door for consumers and wine enthusiasts who will be able to taste Soave wine and other with the purpose of tasting and researching the different organoleptic characteristics of each of them.
The choice of London for this new event is not a hazard: the English market is the second most important market for Soave wine. In fact 24% of production goes to UK. 30% are bought from Germany, which remains in first place. Moreover, in recent times, mainly due to the Decanter magazine and its italian correspondent Monty Waldin, the british press has become increasingly interested in the wines of the volcans.
“The London meeting is a very important day. For some of the producers, it is an opportunity for a pleasant return, for many others it is only a first step to create curiosity for the Soave wines”. – Stated Arturo Stocchetti, president of the Consortium of Soave. He stated further:
“Once again, volcans wines is a winning topic: the waiting list ois long for our seminar and also for tasting. This drives us to do even better and to believe we have the right project. “
Poggio Bonelli wine estate is present on the market with two products: the Chianti Classico – 65,000 bottles, made from 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlotand Colorino.
Anotherflagship wine of Poggio Bonelli is the Tramonto d’Oca. 33,000 botlles are produced andwe have the following grapes varieties: 85% sangiovese and 15% merlot. The wine has a deep ruby red color, with hints of vanilla, blackberry, blackcurrant. The mouth is bold and well balanced, with soft tannins. This is a particular wine, different from the other three. It is more velvety, delicate, almost aristocratic, should better suit to the womans ‘ palates.
Poggio Bonelli, in addition to being an excellent wine cellar is also a farm, a “masseria” with beautiful rooms immersed in Tuscan countryside. Don’t forget the restaurant, where the wise Mrs. Edda cook prepares excellent tuscan dishes in combination with the wines mentioned above.
The sun illuminates the green meadows, a slight breeze brings dance wheat, hills resort by creating a framework of Fattori, we are in Tuscany,Chianti region. Here is a company in the process of expansion, we are talking about company Chigi Saracini.
Company founded in the XII century by the noble family Marescotti, and then a succession of marriages has expanded more and moreproperty, until the last noble owner, Count Guido Chigi Saracini. Extravagant and eccentric person, passionate about classical music to the point of setting up a special Academy in Siena around the thirties, where agricultural properties would be used to maintain it. The Count did not care much about the various properties, so at his death in the mid-sixties, the Academy was about to close.
In Siena, the only bank that could actually do something, and it is the economic heart of Siena, is the Montedei Paschi also acquired all the estates.In 1985 it created a company that manages this heritage called Real Estate Administrations, and the company Chigi became property of the bank. The breakthrough came when they called ione of the most prominent winemakers in the Italy: Carlo Ferrini .In 2000 he implemented big changes in the company, he planted twenty-five hectares with Sangiovese, Carbernet and Merlot.
In 2001, Chigi Saracini bought PoggioBonelli, a company owned by an Helvetian notary .This acquisition was strategic for the Tuscan company, both as a matter of image and for territorial issues as Poggio Bonelli is part of Chianti Classico territotory. Today, in the panorama of Italian wines,Poggio Bonelli and Chigi, are a well-structured reality, with quality products, recognized by the best wine guides. The company Chigi Saracini introduces two line of wines: Villa Chigi: 110.000 bottles a year, composed of 95% Sangiovese and 5% other red grapes (Cannaiolo, Colorino). It has a ruby red color, is lively on the palate, is soft and persistent, with hints of violets, and spices.The vinification is made in stainless steel vats for ten days at a controlled temperature (30C °).
The flagship wine is the Poggiassai, wine produced in 47.000 bottles, composed of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. For the production of this wine the best grapes are chosen manually. This is a wine with great personality, ruby red color with purple hues, with hints of violet, vanilla, warm taste, harmonious and persistent. The vinification takes place in stainless steel vats with maceration on the skins for twenty days, and the refinement of eighteen months in barriques and six months in bottle. In my opinion it is a wine to buy and keep in the cellar for some time after drinking it. I think it will be at its best level after a few years, developing new scents with aging.
European spirits’ exports reached €10.2 billion in 2012, a positive growth of 20%from the €8.5 billion in the previous year. As a result, spirits are and remain the EU’s biggest agri-food exports and generated a positive balance of trade close to €9 billion last year.
These are great results, and show the competitiveness of the sector in some very difficult markets around the world. At a time when many domestic European markets are struggling, we underline the importance of these thriving export markets to this sector. These exports generate jobs and investment in Europe at a time when both are badly needed. And, they generate close to €9 billion net for the European economy, as imports of spirits to the EU remain steady.
Looking closely at key exports markets:
A solid growth in the USA (over €3 billion with a 22% increase) and Canada (with a 31% increase compared to 2011). These two markets continue to be attractive for our European products.
Growth for premium branded European spirits remained strong in emerging markets, driven by China (+19%) despite the economic slowdown, and South East Asia (+25%). FTAs with ASEAN countries are necessary to continue to target the huge potential in South East Asia that remains untapped.
Growth in Eastern Europe is driven by Russia (+37%, the second largest export market overall) despite a challenging market environment.
While India is a growing market, EU imported spirit drinks only represent a tiny fraction of the total market which should grow substantially with the conclusion of an FTA, currently being negotiated.
Growth is driven by the whiskies category (44% of spirits exports) followed by cognac (26% of total exports).
Vinitalyclosed the doors with attendance of 148,000 visitors as +6% (53,000 international). Vinitaly 2013 strengthened its position as the leading international wine business exhibition. Top quality operators during the four-day event in Verona were able to contact more than 4,200 exhibitors from over 20 countries.
The upward trend was evident right from the first day – and final facts and figures clearly confirm this impression.
“We achieved attendance of 148 thousand people, including 53 thousand international from XX countries: this is an important result for one of the major ‘Made in Italy’ sectors – one that still drives the country’s balance of trade as well as providing employment and income in local areas as well as holding high the image of Italy world-wide. A 6% increase in the total visitors rewards more than 4,200 exhibitors from more than 20 countries investing in Vinitaly, thereby clearly acknowledging the international centrality of the exhibition,” said the President of Veronafiere, Ettore Riello.
“This increase of 10% in international involvement over 2012,” added Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & Director General of Veronafiere, “was equally accompanied by the high quality of visitors. Visitors increasingly include specialised international operators and buyers not only from traditional markets but also from emerging countries, where there is growing interest in Italian wine, such as China and Russia.”
Even more journalists attended the event: 2,643 from 47 countries compared to 2,494 from 42 nations in 2012.
The international market
A fundamental contribution to such success was the incoming promotional activity implemented Veronafiere through Vinitaly International and its representatives in 60 countries, which made it possible to welcome trade delegations from all continents to Verona, as well as the agreement with ICE – the Italian Agency for International Promotion and Internationalisation of Italian Companies. OperaWine is one of these events: while dedicated to foreign buyers, it also has a strongly focus on the US market thanks to collaboration Wine Spectator. Moreover, three focus events were dedicated to China this year alongside attendance at the show by an official delegation from the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
Already a showcase for wine all over the world, with OperaWineExpo Vinitaly in Verona will also become the most important wine event in the calendar of scheduled events in Italy for the Milan Expo in 2015, thanks to understanding defined with Giuseppe Sala, CEO of Expo 2015.
During the event, Sace ( the organisation for the development, competitiveness and internationalisation of Italian companies ) presented the latest export report and the guide to high-potential markets 2013-2016 for the wine sector, with a focus on the Veneto. Simest and its CEO Massimo D’Aiuto, on the other hand, outlined a project for promoting Italian “Moscato” wine on foreign markets.
Vinitaly was also the location chosen by Unicredit, Coldiretti, Cia and Confagricoltura to sign the agreement ensuring the support for the wine sector and the presentation of “UniCredit International for Wine” – a project that provides wine-sector SMEs a dedicated series of services to support exports.
The 2014 edition is already firmly in mind (scheduled 6-9 April): it will welcome the debut of VinitalyBio, a new section of the exhibition dedicated to certified organic wines organised in partnership with FederBio.
The experiment consists of track-side semifixed implant for the distribution of plant protection products. Among the objectives is also to offer an alternative to the use of the helicopter.
track-side semifixed implant
It is a prototype designed and built in the hills of Farra di Soligo that has involved the science department of the University of Padua, with the technical support of a consulting firm from Trentino region. It is an important experiment that confirms the continuing work of the consortium to promote a more sustainable viticulture that respects the environment and the health of the inhabitants.
The implant is part of a more detailed search focused largely on the reduction of drift by spraying with plant protection products.
The minimum distance between the source that sprays water and the leaf canopy contributes to a number of potential benefits. For example, the containment of the cloud of chemical mixture only in the boundaries of the vineyards. On one hand, the heroic viticulture on extreme grounds will be preserved. There, the slopes are also remarkable for mthe huge manual work required of wine growers, often elderly people. On the other hand, the system may offer in the future alternatives to the use of the helicopter.
“ The research aims clearly also to achieve effective health care in operation by virtue of the ability to validate the system and maybe even extend to other wine areas of the DOCG which are extremely difficult in terms of manual effort and risk exposure.” explains Filippo Taglietti technical expert of the Consortium of Conegliano Valdobbiadene.
Described as “a wine of character,” theRuchéof winemakerMontalberaof Castagnole Monferrato (AT) is one of the pleasantest surprises encountered in “Gusto in Scena”, the food and wine festival held last March 17 to 19 at the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice.
Produced in a territory that includes seven municipalities of Monferrato, Piemont territory famous for the quality of its wines, the Ruché – DOC and DOCG is a wine of exceptional softness, with a particular aroma of rose and violet and a fruity taste reminiscent of the flavor of apricot. All unusual features in a red Piedmont, which led him to be loved especially by women.
The origin is obscure, the best hypothesis is that it comes from old vines by the Alta Savoia while the name thought come from “San Rocco”. A community of monks devoted to this saint, in fact, would probably have introduced the cultivation in the area. But the link with the religious of this variety does not stop there: forgotten for a number of years and at risk of extinction, has been rediscovered in the ’70s by the pastor of Castagnole Monferrato, Don Giacomo Cauda, which he found ten rows between the properties of the parish and decided to enhance it. “She has a perfect body – as he described it – and a balance of aromas, flavors and scents. Tasted with moderation frees the spirit and opens the mind …”
The Ruché is a red grape, with medium-small leaf, three-lobed (rarely lobed), pale green and hairless. The
Ruchè LACCENTO
cluster has cylindrical shape – pyramidal, elongated and compact. The ripening period coincides with the end of September – beginning of October, greatly anticipating the ripening compared with other varieties typical of the area. Despite remarkable characteristics of adaptability, it prefers calcareous and argillaceous land, giving a bouquet of particular intensity and characterization.
The designation of origin includes the towns of Castagnole Monferrato, Grana, Montemagno,
Portacomaro Refrancore, Scurzolengo and Viarigi, all in the province of Asti. The regulations impose a 90% Ruché grapes, while the remaining 10% may also include Brachetto or Barbera grapes.
There are three interpretations of Ruché: La Tradizione, Laccento e Limpronta each with specific characteristics, result of a long trial. Just one of them, Laccento was recently winner of the Prize for the Best Italian Red Wine at eighth edition of the event SensofWine, held in Rome last January 2013.
Great success for the fifth edition of Gusto in Scena, an event conceived and edited by the journalist Marcello Coronini, which has shown to have no limits.
The success was due to the high number of visitors, around 3.400, 70% professionals, which have reached the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice from 17 to 19 March. Waiting for “I Magnifici Vini”, a great tasting table with a selection of 71 Italian and international wines and two rooms devoted to the wines from vulcanic soil origin. In the Hall of Columns “Seduzioni di Gola” a selection of 30 manufacturers of culinary whims with rare and valuable products.
At Chef in Concerto, the Congress of haute cuisine, protagonists the big pastry like Gino Fabbri, Ernst Knam, Iginio Massari and chefs such as Andrea Aprea, Fabio Baldassarre, Gian Nicola Colucci with the Indian Chef Santosh Jori, Riccardo De Pra, Herbert Hintner , Nicola Portinari.
Next to them were up on stage nutritionist Evelina Flachi, known television personality and Shigemi Hikino Japanese colleague who further increased the level of interventions.
Over the past three years Gusto in Scena brought world-class chefs to offer, through studies of new dishes, tasty food and nice but health conscious, replacing through research and creative ingredients that generally abused in the kitchen. For 2013, Marcello Coronini has chosen the theme “Cooking dishes” salty “… Cooking with dessert without … Sugar “thus taking a further step in the study of a new kitchen.
Confectioners and chefs have felt very involved and have submitted reports of considerable thickness confronting each other after the speeches and launching an interesting comparison.
It was an incredible opportunity to see world-class chefs to test to make dessert without sugar. This has attracted many professionals and gourmets everywhere.
“These three themes have focused on the need for a new Italian cuisine that reconciles the pleasure of eating with health. We gave the course, for a large project with a cuisine based on natural, on the quality, freshness of ingredients, – explains Marcello Coronini –essential elements for the natural taste of the raw materials by reducing the need to enhance the flavors with added useless.”
To the chefs were asked to replace sugar with natural alternative ingredients, equally tasty in quantities less than 50%. And the great names of Italian cooking that took part in the festival responded with originality and creativity in proposing alternatives rice syrup, agave juice, chopped dates, honey, dried pineapple and smoothie, coconut oil, isomalt, fructose , stelvia, fruit concentrates, and much more.
“ The objective of Gusto in Scena has been to build a new concept of dessert in function of conscious diet at the time when the dessert is eaten. – continues Mr Coronini – At breakfast, a cake with sugar can be positive because your body needs fuel immediately and quickly. On the contrary, the same dessert taken at the end of a dinner, gives considerable problems especially to digest it because the contents are added to the rest of the meal. Let us, therefore, make a distinction between the morning cake and the sweet dessert after a meal. “
The goal of Gusto in Scena was very ambitious: make Venice, for the days of the event, the world capital of gastronomy and it was really succesfull.
BRUSSELS-ProChile, the commercial organisation of the Embassy of Chile organised a great wine tasting at the Thon Hotel Stephanie to promote the wines from Chile.
PROCHILE gathered recently lots of winemerchants to produce a great event displaying lots of chilan wines. ue to the distance between Belgium and Chile, more winemerchants than producers were there and grape sorts like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, syrah and carmenere enjoyed lots of visitors: professional visitors from the belgian wine sector and also Chili lovers. Previous to the tasting a funny cocktail presented the best aspects of the chilean culture and dancers from the Andes mountains played music and danced. A lovely evening too…
La “Route Regionale des Saveurs” wants to show the food&cook know-how of the Walloon regio. The fait will unfold in a pedagogic, tastfull and entertaining journey in which visitors will discover the typical products of the region. They’ll meet more than 50 local producers and will taste the dishes made by talented chefs.
Vineyards Magazine 