Press Chefs, the event dedicated to Cuvette, the “gastronomic” Franciacorta of Villa Franciacorta, has combined good humor, cuisine, wine and journalism for the second year at Gustincanto (Fidenza, Parma).
“ Autumn Walk in the Villa ” is the name of the winning dish of the second edition of Press Chefs, a challenge to the last forkful that saw food and wine journalists , for once, put aside pens and notebooks, dedicating themselves to pots and rolling pins in the preparation of a “creative” potato tortello , under the direction of Luca Bagnoli, resident chef of Gustincanto . The professional chefs , usually the recipients of their reviews, evaluated them, objectively and without a spirit of revenge. Three teams, Green&Black, Emozione and Forever Green , got to work to prepare, respectively, three “signature” recipes: Autumn Walk in the Villa , Emozione Veronica and Non è autunno . The first was judged perfect when paired with Cuvette , the “gastronomic Franciacorta” of Villa Franciacorta. << Cuvette was a gift from my father, Alessandro Bianchi, for my wedding >>, said Roberta Bianchi , who runs the company together with her husband Paolo and sons Alessio and Matteo. << With Press Chefs we wanted to change perspective, asking journalists to think of a dish in relation to the wine and not vice versa. The result is a fun and exciting event. The challenge for the next edition could also include an anti-waste message, asking the authors to also create a recipe with leftovers >>, concluded Roberta, who hosted the evening with Alberto Schieppati .
The format of Villa Franciacorta , a historic company in Monticelli Brusati (BS) that produces exclusively Millesimati, was created to enhance a specific idea : Franciacorta is not just a wine for toasts or special occasions, but can successfully accompany an entire meal . The perfect demonstration is Cuvette , a brut vintage with golden reflections and a fine and persistent perlage, with a bouquet that recalls brioche bread and candied fruit, of excellent complexity and a wonderful flavor, which played a key role in the competition, enhancing the tortelli , the first course that was the object of the challenge and revealed to the competitors only at the beginning.
Press Chefs was not just a competition, but also an opportunity to underline the link between the two worlds , that of food and wine criticism and that of cooking, which, without cooperation, could not fully express themselves. The competitors, who during the challenge realized how much work there is behind a dish, were divided into teams of four: the winner Green&Black, with Alex Li Calzi, Camilla Guiggi, Elena Formigoni and Nadia Toppino; Emozione composed of Elio Ghisalberti, Francesco D’Agostino, Sandro Piovani and Veronica Fumarola and Forever Green made up of Alberto Lupini, Alfonso Mollo, Marco Lupi and Paolo Valente. The teams were judged by a jury of experts composed of chef Cristina Cerbi of Osteria di Fornio (PR), chef Carlo Bresciani of Antica Cascina San Zago (BS), president of the Italian Chefs Federation , and Luca Bagnoli, resident chef of Gustincanto . The pairing commission was composed of Chiara Marando, Lorenzo Caraffini , Riccardo Penzo and Stefano Incerti . Not an arrogant challenge nor a moment of conflict, but a game that wanted to unite with humor and irony two areas that are close and, in some respects, interconnected .
<< Once again, toasting with Villa Franciacorta means sealing unique moments and making them special >>, said Roberta Bianchi. << Villa Franciacorta, a wine to remember !>>