2026 Maculan Prize: Federico Pettenuzzo President of the Jury

Created by Fausto Maculan and his daughters Angela and Maria Vittoria , owners of the historic Breganze (Vicenza) winery, the competition is open to both professional chefs and food enthusiasts. The winner will be the one who submits the best original recipe paired with one of the winery's sweet wines, chosen from Torcolato (a passito made from Vespaiola grapes), Acininobili (a Vespaiola affected by noble rot), Dindarello (a yellow Moscato), or Madoro (a passito made from Marzemino and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes).
A graduate in Economics, Pettenuzzo entered the world of catering in his thirties. He trained at the Alajmo brothers' Master of Italian Cuisine and in some of the most interesting establishments in Italian fine dining: first at Il Povero Diavolo during the time of Piergiorgio Parini , then at Giuliano Baldessari 's Aqua Crua up to Piazza Duomo Alba , 3 Stars by Enrico Crippa . Returning to Malo, he brings to La Favellina a cuisine he defines as "modern simplicity at the service of taste," with express preparations featuring ample use of aromatic, wild, and local herbs . Pettenuzzo is also a member of JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs , an international association that brings together talented young chefs.
"It was natural to accept Fausto's invitation, whose work, winemaking, and profound winemaking culture I have always admired," says Federico Pettenuzzo . "Furthermore, it's also based on a personal memory: in 2019 , I myself competed in the Maculan Prize, proposing a spiced marinated roe deer paired with Torcolato . Returning as a judge is an honor and a stimulating change of perspective. Pairing sweet wines with savory dishes requires restraint and boldness, which reveal much of a chef's talent. I'm truly curious to discover the most creative proposals."
Alongside Pettenuzzo in judging the finalists will be Fausto , Angela , and Maria Vittoria Maculan , along with a panel of food and wine experts including Alberto Tonello, Angelo Peretti, Ario Gervasutti, Clementina Palese, Liliana Savioli, Nicola Grolla , and Patrizia Loiola. The press panel will be chaired by journalist and writer Andrea Gori , who will present his latest book on sweet wines and their pairings with savory dishes.
The final evening will be held at the Maculan headquarters on Monday, March 23, 2026. The four finalists—selected by a technical committee based on the proposals received—will compete in preparing their dishes in front of a panel of judges. Each recipe will be evaluated according to four parameters: creativity of the proposal, difficulty of preparation, presentation of the dish, and quality of the pairing with Maculan sweet wine. The winner will receive the Maculan Prize, a borosilicate glass artwork created especially for the occasion by Massimo Lunardon , an internationally renowned glass artist and designer, along with a selection of Maculan wines .
You can submit your application until Sunday, March 1st by filling out the form at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv1Or_4l​MCmlg​UmD-J​QLMnW​NtwCm​XoFeK​6LdOJ​-xQG-​LqbZw​/view​form
For more information, visit: www.maculan.net
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