BARBERA D'ASTI WINE FESTIVAL: A SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND OF TASTINGS, MEETINGS, AND SUSTAINABILITY

Piazza Alfieri, the beating heart of Asti, welcomed a remarkable crowd over the weekend for the Barbera d'Asti Wine Festival. Thousands of visitors, including enthusiasts, professionals, and locals, participated in the three days of tastings, meetings, and learning opportunities, confirming the event's resounding success.

" We are very pleased with the turnout this weekend ," emphasizes Vitaliano Maccario , president of the Barbera d'Asti and Monferrato Wines Consortium . " The enthusiasm and large turnout of the public confirm how Barbera d'Asti DOCG and our denominations are capable of expressing the region. The Festival represents an important opportunity to showcase not only the quality of our wines, but also the values that underpin them: the work of the winemakers, the protection of the landscape, and the constant pursuit of balance and sustainability. We are convinced that this Festival represents an act of love for the region and those who live there every day, uniting and strengthening our community, projecting Monferrato onto an increasingly international stage ."

The undisputed stars of the event were the appellations protected by the Consortium, showcased through packed tasting tables and technical masterclasses led by international experts such as Aldo Fiordelli , Veronika Crecelius , and Pietro Russo, who highlighted the diverse expressions of two iconic wines of the region: Barbera d'Asti DOCG and Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG. The guided tastings explored the diverse souls of these appellations, from the freshest and most fragrant versions to the more structured and long-lived ones, offering participants an opportunity to interact with producers, winemakers, and wine lovers.

Sustainability was a key theme throughout the Festival, a theme that inspired many of its events, including the sold-out cooking show by chef Gianluca Renzi , resident chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant " Le Cattedrali " in Asti. The event, a huge success with the audience, represented a journey through flavor and circular cuisine, where every ingredient finds new life through creativity and technique.

During the demonstration, the chef presented a dish that will also be included in his fall and winter menu, built around seasonality and the use of wholesome ingredients: a cardoncello mushroom cooked at a low temperature and flavored with garden herbs , served with horn of plenty mushrooms, toasted black sesame seeds, and seasoned with teriyaki sauce, espellette, codium seaweed, toasted shallots, hazelnuts, Voghiera black garlic cream, porcini mushroom hollandaise sauce, and mushroom powder obtained from leftovers from previous processing.

A dish that fully expresses Chef Renzi's philosophy: " I chose to offer this dish on the fall and winter menu to celebrate the seasonality of the produce and make full use of the raw materials we have available. Every element, even the seemingly discarded ones, becomes a resource and contributes to the flavor, structure, and meaning of the creation ."

From the transformation of shallot peels into aromatic powder, to the refined residues of Bra sausage oil reinterpreted with imperfect hazelnuts, to the egg yolks left over from the meringues used for the hollandaise sauce: every detail of the dish speaks to a concrete approach to sustainability in the kitchen, perfectly in tune with the values of the Festival.

The November 7th talk also drew strong participation, featuring Filippo Mobrici, Vice President of the Barbera d'Asti and Monferrato Wines Consortium; Stevie Kim, founder of the Italian Wine Podcast and a leading voice in Italian wine communications worldwide; and three-Michelin-starred chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo . In an open and passionate discussion, moderated by Federico Monga , Deputy Editor of the newspaper "La Stampa," and co-moderator Rocco Moliterni, a prominent journalist at the newspaper, with producers and the audience, the two guests addressed the topic of " Sustainability, Tradition , and Innovation: The Future of Italian Wine and Cuisine."

A sharing of visions and experiences highlighted the role of new generations in the continuity of family businesses and the importance of an increasingly responsible and informed supply chain. Cannavacciuolo shared his vision of ethical cuisine, based on respect for raw materials and waste reduction, while Stevie Kim emphasized the need to communicate Italian wine with new languages, capable of engaging an international audience and enhancing the connection between product and territory.

Over the weekend, the glittering venue in Piazza Alfieri came alive with young people and locals, enjoying two evenings of music, food, and conviviality. Numerous entertainment events were held, including a cocktail station that brought a contemporary atmosphere to the city center, showcasing the versatility of Monferrato wines, including in mixology. The intriguing gastronomic offerings of Monferrato On Stage also provided the backdrop for the weekend's events; a selection of traditional dishes, made with ingredients from eleven local municipalities, offered visitors a journey through the tastes and flavors of Piedmont.