Exotical ingredients and native grapes. An excellent match combining Cantina Rauscedo's Verduzzo with the exquisite recipe that Chef Paul Wong created especially for it. You can try it at home thanks to the 2020 edition of “Zhong Can Yi Jiu”, the culinary guide from the project “Chinese Cuisines meet Italian Wines” that pairs Chinese chefs' extraordinary dishes with likewise Italian wines. And this one, will give you a taste of Asia while sipping a fresh, typical Friulian white wine. Have a try!

The recipe: salmon, mango and Verduzzo
Mango and edamame (green soy beans) put together two different cultures, both with outstanding cuisine's tradition: India and Japan. They're the main ingredients in Paul Wong's recipe for Cantina Rauscedo's Verduzzo “Seared salmon with mango fantasy” (click here for full recipe), with almost raw salmon cut in sashimi technique and combined with mango's sweetness and edamame. Verduzzo Venezia Giulia IGT is the perfect match, with its freshness and its both citric and sweet flavour enriched by honey and apricot notes. Usually it's paired with desserts and, in this case, it suites incredibly well the dish's sugariness also balancing it with a little bit of sour aftertaste.

Resolution and dedication: Paul Wong, a life in the kitchen
A graduate from the Chinese Cuisine Master Chef programme of The Chinese Culinary Institute (CCI), Paul Wong has been desiring to make cooking his profession since a very tender age. Born to a family of professional cooks, he always looked up to his father – who ran an eatery at their hometown – as an example. By the age of 12, he knew that cooking was to be his future. Since then he tried his best, using even his spare time as a student, to increase his skills and cook whenever he had the chance, for whoever it might be.
Following his father's advice, after the family moved to Hong Kong he attended CCI's full program until he graduated at the master chef level. After winning many prizes, rising through the ranks by working at a five starred hotel, and also appearing at the TV show Apprentice Chef Series, he finally got to fulfill his dream: he set up his own restaurant, Cloudland Chinese Cuisine in Hong Kong, where he's Executive Chef and Managing Director. Having learnt to cook almost every traditional cuisine from all around China during his training, he developed a unique style by mixing typical ingredients and international cooking techniques.

About the 2020 “Zhong Can Yi Jiu” guide
It's the second edition of the guide, first published last year, which is part of a very interesting, wider project called “Chinese Cuisines meet Italian Wines”. Promoted by the Italian Wine Bank and produced by The I Factor (organizers of the Italian Cuisine and Wines World Summits and of the Italian Wine List Awards), the program involves 24 talented Chinese chefs from Beijing and Shanghai and is implemented thanks to a collaboration with the Italian Sommelier Association's Club China and the Hong Kong Chinese Culinary Institute.

Photos taken from Zhong Can Yi Jiu website

It will be a busy weekend for wine lovers. This year's Cantine Aperte (open wine cellars) on November 7th and 8th coincides with the World Wine Tourism Day 2020 on November 8th organized by RECEVIN, the European Wine Cities network.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this time Cantine Aperte in Friuli Venezia Giulia – organized by Movimento Turismo del Vino FVG – will be limited but still widely enjoyable. Many winemakers will open their winemaking locations and cellars to the public for wine tastings, with some also offering local dishes and products along with their delicious nectars.
Of course, social distancing and safety rules will be thoroughly respected, and wearing masks will be mandatory at all the events.

Celebrating wine in Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal
Events all around Europe will celebrate wine on November 8th. National Wine Associations from 11 European countries join the RECEVIN network, thus representing more than 800 cities devoted to winemaking.

World Wine Tourism Day 2020's events in Italy will take place in many regions, from the north to the south of the country thanks to the Città del Vino network: Lombardia, Piemonte, Emilia Romagna, Abruzzo, Marche, Campania.
In Friuli Venezia Giulia the main event will be at winemaker Zidarich's premises in Prepotto, a district of Duino-Aurisina (Trieste): Duino-Aurisina's municipality organized an online panel discussion about Vitovska, a native grape typical of the Karst area, which results in an extremely aromatic white wine. Among the speakers there will be Matej Skerlj, president of the Karst Winemakers' Association and some representatives of the local winemaking firms like Kante's Edy Kante, Skerk's Sandy Skerk, Lupinc's Matej Lupinc and, of course, the host Benjamin Zidarich.

Wine tastings in cantinas: check the list!
Cantine Aperte has become a tradition, especially during Saint Martin's days also known in Italy as “S. Martin's summer”, warm days that put autumn's cold on a temporary break. Some of the producers' locations are incredibly beautiful places like castles or historical country mansions, with their outward looks enhanced by the stunning seasonal foliage.
Here are all the winemakers adhering to the Cantine Aperte 2020 on November 7th and 8th in Friuli Venezia Giulia. All the wine firms are followed by their own towns' names and listed under the province of origin.
All events must be reserved in advance! Please check directly at the cantine's mail or phone number for availability. Click here for full details about every single event. More infos at: info@mtvfriulivg.it.

PORDENONE:
Principi di Porcia at the castle in Porcìa and at the farm in Azzano Decimo
Vistorta in Sacile
Cantina I Magredi in S. Giorgio della Richinvelda

UDINE:
Vigneti Pittaro in Codroipo
Elio Vini in Cividale del Friuli
Dario Coos in Nimis
Ronc dai Luchis in Faedis
Le Due Torri in Corno di Rosazzo
Spolert Winery, Grillo Iole, Stanig in Prepotto
Tarlao Vignis, Vini Brojli, Barone Ritter de Záhony, Cantina Puntin in Aquileia
Vigne del Malina in Remanzacco
De Claricini in Bottenicco
Pontoni Flavio in Buttrio
Massimo Bassani's Isola Augusta in Palazzolo dello Stella
Rocca Bernarda in Premariacco
Ferrin Paolo in Camino al Tagliamento

GORIZIA:
Borgo Conventi in Farra d'Isonzo
Vidussi Vini in Capriva del Friuli
Tenuta di Blasig in Ronchi dei Legionari
Castelvecchio in Sagrado
Graunar in S. Floriano del Collio
Sergio Collarig's Crastin, Pascolo in Ruttars

TRIESTE:
Parovel Vigneti&Oliveti 1898 in S. Dorligo della Valle

Autumn usually is the ideal period for the year's assessment, and for all the food&wine guides to come out! Gambero Rosso just published two of its most-awaited issues: the 2021 “Tre Bicchieri” listing all top Italian wines, and the 2021 “Bar d'Italia” listing all the best bars and coffee shops in Italy.
When it comes to Gambero Rosso, one immediately reckons it's about quality. The first food&wine editorial network in Italy since 1986, Gambero Rosso's “the best” guides are widely respected for their accuracy and their passion-driven professionality. Alongside the publishing activity, Gambero Rosso also flaunts its own TV (with food&wine related programs) and its own academy.

FVG best wines, according to Gambero Rosso
The wine guide's title, “Tre Bicchieri”, refers to the top vote a wine can get: three glasses (literally “tre bicchieri”). A three glasses-rating means a wine belongs to the best wines' list, and in Friuli Venezia Giulia 26 wines were awarded such honour in the “Tre Bicchieri 2021”.
Surprisingly, all top FVG wines happen to be white ones, thus confirming – so Gambero Rosso believes – the territory's natural, long-standing penchant for them. Five three-glasses ratings were credited to wines made with Friulano, a native grape: among them, those by Tenuta Stella and by Schiopetto whose “M Schiopetto 2018” was also acknowledged by James Suckling, famed US wine critic and Wine Spectator's ex editor in chief, as second best Italian white wine in his 2020 Summer chart.
Sauvignon also had its share, with six labels in the top list, like Borgo Conventi's, Russiz Superiore's and Vie di Romans'. Polje's Pinot Grigio is the only one in the chart, while several Pinot Bianco also appear in the list, like Vigneti Le Monde's and Doro Princic's. Two Ribolla Gialla also got three glasses: Damijan Podversic's and Draga-Miklus'.
From an overall observation of the FVG results, we can say that the Collio's area once again confirmed itself as the land of wine, with 13 out of 26 (half of them!) wines rewarded with the top rating. Quite a performance, indeed!

FVG best bars? Go to Palmanova and Trieste
As to the best bars and coffee shops, Gambero Rosso's top rating is “tre tazzine &tre chicchi” (literally, “three coffee cups and three coffee beans”). The guide, sponsored by Trieste-based coffee producer Illy Caffè, was presented online a few days ago by Laura Mantovano, Gambero Rosso's editor in chief, with almost all the awarded owners' attendance and a message from Massimiliano Pogliani, Illy Caffè's CEO. Only two bars in Friuli Venezia Giulia are among the best ones in the “Bar d'Italia 2021” guide: as they say in Italy, “pochi ma buoni”, or “few but good”!

One of them is Caffetteria Torinese in Palmanova (Udine), which has been a regular in Gambero Rosso's lists for quite a long time. It also gained the “Best Italian Bar” title in 2011, and is now among the chart's “Stelle” (stars), a very exclusive entourage of bars featuring a ten year (or more) presence in the best ones' top list. Founded back in 1938 and facing the stunning Piazza Grande, it's been run with deep commitment and dedication by Nereo Ballestriero and Marina Macor since 1995. «This bar has been with us for quite a long time – said Mantovano when presenting it – but it would be somehow diminishing to refer to it only as a simple bar. It's a terrific place and full of ideas, where breakfasts, lunch breaks and aperitivos are really special».
The other one is Caffè Vatta in Opicina, Trieste. Supplying carefully selected local products, a 350 wines' list and home-made delicacies and ice creams, it appeals to customers for its fresh and creative breakfasts, lunches and dinners too.
So if you look for a simple break, combined with quality too, now you know where to head to when in Friuli Venezia Giulia!

Inner photos taken from Caffetteria Torinese's and Caffè Vatta's Facebook pages

 There are special places in Friuli Venezia Giulia, where one can just enjoy nature at its best. Arta Terme sure is one of them! Located in Carnia, in the Bût Valley, its thermal waters generating from the Pudia spring were well known since the Romans stepped on this land. There you can simply relax, or get engaged into thermal cures of every kind, from thermal muds to physiotherapy and other Spa-related activities, including meditation. And relishing Arta's hot waters it's sure a good way to spend one's time, both in autumn and in the upcoming freezing season!

The town's small (just around 2,000 inhabitants) and located just by the Bût's shores, a creek which crosses one of Carnia's eight valleys, starting from Timau and then ending into the Tagliamento river just near Tolmezzo.
The surrounding landscape is astounding, with mountains all around it and all of the open-air activities that Carnia can offer: from trekking to biking routes, outdoor sports, museums and hiking to its nearby lakes and parks. A biking tour, suitable for everyone, will bring you from Tolmezzo directly to Arta Terme through the beauties of nature. And Bût's waters are also perfect for fishing!

What to see in Arta Terme
Arta Terme is divided into ten districts and each of them has some trick up their sleeves. There are a few ancient churches worth visiting: St. Martin's, San Nicolò degli Alzeri's, St. Spirit's all dating around the 12th to the 14th century.
A stunning paleontologic collection is the star of the local Fossils' Permanent Exhibition, thanks to a donation by Enrico Campibelli: ammonites, gastropods, trilobites and many more are on display at Piano Arta Terme.
Of course, enjoying one's stay in Friuli always includes ...treats: in Arta and in its neighbouring towns, typical dishes delight visitors and local wines and products are available sometimes directly at the producers' facilities. Like the distillery Casato dei Capitani, which was founded back in the 17th century and is still running, making multi-flavoured grappa, spirits and “elisir” (liqueurs). And near Arta there's also the charming city of Sutrio, renowned for its woodcrafting tradition and the many festivals held there throughout the year.

In autumn, what's better than sipping a glass of good wine in a cozy, warm spot? Well... doing it, while listening to some wonderful jazz music! That's exactly the spirit of Jazz&Wine of Peace 2020. The 23rd edition of the festival will take place from October 21st to 25th in Cormons, on the Collio hills between Gorizia and Slovenia, and in the nearby wineries and historical buildings.
Last year it hosted almost 8,000 people from all over Europe (Germany, Austria and many others) and this year it's back with its unique formula: matching live music with wine tastings to overcome boundaries, in a border-crossing territory deeply committed to winemaking since the Romans' times.
International jazz stars will be performing alongside emerging newcomers, and food&wine tastings will take centre stage all around Cormons in a number of astounding villas, palaces and cantine. Famed Italian trumpet player Enrico Rava, Israeli pianist Yaron Herman, U.S. guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, Slovenian bassist Robert Jukič and Norwegian trumpet player Nils Petter Molvaer are among the musicians featured in the festival's programme.
All events will be respectful of safety regulations, in order to enable the audience to fully enjoy the shows with no fear for their health.

Locations and tastings
Jazz&Wine of Peace, created by Circolo Controtempo, will feature 30 concerts scattered around the renowned Collio area (click here for the full programme). The main shows will be in Cormons' Teatro Comunale, while the Museo Civico del Territorio will host “Jazz & Taste”: 12 events organized by musician Eduardo Contizanetti, in which bands will pair each song with a specific wine and will play it during the tasting, with a lot of improvisation going on. The programme includes Carlo Maver (bandoneon) and Valeria Sturba (violin), Emmanuele Sartoris (piano) and Marco Bellafiore (double bass).
This year's new feature will be “Un vitigno al giorno”, that is “one vine variety each day”: every single day of the festival will be devoted to one native vine variety and people will be able to taste it in Cormons' eating&drinking facilities. Ribolla Gialla will open the celebrations on October 21st, then it will be Friulano's turn on the 22nd, Malvasia on the 23rd, Refosco on the 24th and Collio's white wines will close the event on October 25th. Concerts will also delight visitors at aperitivo's time and also during the night with the "Round Midnight" events: up to midnight, music and local dishes at restaurants and pubs will make people's evenings really special.
Very picturesque locations will also be the set for live acts: like the beautiful Abbazia di Rosazzo, Villa Attems, Villa Vipolže in Slovenia, and wineries' headquarters like Castello di Spessa or Borgo Conventi.

About Jazz&Wine of Peace
It all started when Cantina Produttori di Cormons made the “Peace Wine” during the ex-Yugoslavian conflict in the 90's, as Circolo Controtempo's president Paola Martini told us last year. Since its first edition in 1998, the festival gradually transformed into both an instrument for a message of openness, and a key element of promotion for local activities through the magic of live music.
Cormons is an outstanding, special spot because, though being a small town, it counts almost 60 wine producers in its area. Also the Consorzio Collio, Consorzio Colli Orientali and Enoteca di Cormons are among Jazz & Wine of Peace's many partners. And Jazz&Wine of Peace has grown into an international festival, attracting in the past years world famous musicians like Dave Brubeck, the late McCoy Tyner, Jan Garbarek and Richard Galliano.

Info: ticket@controtempo.org / + 39.351 6112644
Presales: vivaticket.it

More info about tourism in Cormons here: https://www.cormons.info/
How to get there: https://www.turismofvg.it/Info-utili/Come-arrivare

Cover photo: the stunning view on the surrounding vineyards from Abbazia di Rosazzo

A red wine... gone gold! The Gran Cuvée “Monte D'Oro” by our business partner Sancin EVO Oil&Wine was awarded a gold medal at the Berliner Wein Trophy 2020. Curious, as its name actually means "Golden Mountain"!
The summer tastings took place in September and the results were released just a few days ago. 6,073 wines from all over the world were submitted to be judged in the 24th Summer Edition of the German competition, and an international panel of more than 150 jurors blind-tasted them for 11 days. Quite an amount of wines, which brings to a mind-blowing overall of more than 13,600 wines submitted this year (including the Winter Edition too). An incredibly good outcome, considering the arduous times all the wine sector had, due to Covid-19. The largest wine competition in Germany is held under the patronage of OIV – International Organisation for Vine and Wine, UIOE – International Union of Oenologists and VinoFed – the world federation of major international wine and spirits competitions.

OIV's rules allow only 30% of the tasted wines to be prized, so finally 1,834 medals were awarded: 30 “Grand Gold” category, 1,636 “Gold” and 168 “Silver” category. Italy dominated the most-awarded countries' chart, equalled only by German, Spanish and French wines: 465 Italian wines out of 1,268 received a medal (36% of all submitted Italian wines). Australia, New Zealand and Chile also showed their excellence, affirming themselves as international competitors on the world market. The new trends also saw organic wines, orange wines and lower-alcohol wines increasingly catch on.

Of course, the event's guidelines were strict as to health and safety, in order to avoid any possible risk of contagion. «Everyone’s behaviour has been exemplary, both the members of the jury and the staff – commented Henk Gibramczik, Operations Director of Deutsche Wein Marketing – These are uncertain times for the industry and it affects our lives. We want to continue supporting our participants, they place their trust in us and we cannot let them down. We will keep on valuing and recognizing the hard work of the winemakers so that consumers can confidently choose wines awarded with our medals».

A winning blend of native grapes
A vintage 2018, the Gran Cuvée “Monte D'Oro” by Sancin is a rich blend of native grapes and grapes that have a long tradition in Friuli Venezia Giulia: Merlot, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Cabernet Sauvignon. The vinification is entirely made in oak barriques and at the end of the process, the final nectar is a fruity, still red wine which is a perfect match with meat, especially red meat.
For example, Refosco goes along very well with typical dishes like pork meat-based ones: sausages, porcina, and maybe even a good stew with polenta – as we're entering winter, that could be a nice pairing! Sancin's team is very proud of this such deserved gold medal, but it didn't go to their head as they keep focused on the job: they're currently in Trieste showcasing their products (wines and EVO oils too) during the Barcolana race, and they'll also be in Muggia (near Trieste) on Saturday 17th October for “Malvasia in Porto”, a tasting event in the town's picturesque old port.

Berliner Wein Trophy's photos taken from the official website