Christmas may be already behind us, but being still in the festive period there's a tradition which will stay in Italian families' households up to the Epiphany day, on the 6th of January. Presepe, or presepio, is a typically Italian representation of the Nativity scene – with tiny statues resembling all the characters in different settings – that slowly won over Christians throughout the world and spread everywhere.
Features, settings and dimensions may vary drastically depending on the location, and in Friuli Venezia Giulia there are so many awesome examples that this year the regions' authorities, cultural and turistical organizations got together to promote an entire website devoted to FVG's presepes (click here for it). In it, you can find a detailed map of every Nativity scene worth visiting around Friuli and people can join in by sending photos of their home-made versions for “the best presepe” contest.

The official Facebook page also shows pictures of the many presepes around the region, giving a glimpse into a tradition turned into an outstanding artistic display of crafting skills. There are more than 1,500 presepes on the list, some of them including automated statues and other ones set underwater! For example in the small hamlet of Sutrio, renowned for its talented woodworkers, in Christmas time one can spot hand-made presepes almost in every street. The same can be said about Buttrio and many other cities and towns, like in Casarsa della Delizia, Venzone or Udine. Nativity scenes are set not only open-air, but also in churches, in villas, in museums... and there are also multiple versions of the so called “presepe vivente” (living Nativity scene), with real life people playing the characters out in the cold winter air. In this case, it's very likely to find volunteers standing by and giving away hot mulled wine to visitors to lift their spirits!
Traditionally, Jesus' resting basket in the middle of the scene will be empty up to Christmas Eve and Baby Jesus' statue will be put there only on Christmas Day. Then the presepe will stay in the household up to the Epiphany, when at last also the Three Kings' statues will be placed in it, bearing their gifts for the newborn.

Saint Francis and the origin of presepe
The idea of a representation of the Nativity first came to Saint Francis of Assisi's mind. He was so impressed by his recent visit to the Holy Land and Bethlehem in 1219, that in 1223 he asked permission to Pope Honorius III to bring to life his concept. So he chose the woods around Greccio, a small town near Rieti and now just on the border between two region, Umbria (where Francis lived) and Lazio, and on Christmas Eve's night he set up a trough in a cave, and brought there an ox and a donkey. Then people gathered around the cave and overnight he celebrated the Christmas Mass there. Hence the name presepe, from the Latin "praesaepe" meaning both trough or animals' enclosure.

Francis was deeply loved for its devotion and for having given his riches to the poors, thus his influence on people was huge at the time – he's been declared Patron Saint of Italy – and that's the main reason why many immediately began emulating his idea, and such Nativity representations started spreading in churches in Central Italy.
Only in the 15th century statues were introduced, drawing inspiration for the characters from the Gospels according to Luke and Matthew, the ones depicting Jesus' birth: Holy Mary, Saint Joseph, the Holy Child can't be missing of course, along with the ox and donkey, and then there are statues such as shepherds, sheeps and villagers absorbed into their own jobs (carpenters, bakers...).
Around the 17th century, the habit of setting up presepes passed on from the churches into people's houses too. By then, the custom had already catched on all over the country, from north to south and was ready to conquer the whole world. Actually, Greccio now hosts the International Museum of Presepio.

Photo of Saint Francis taken from the website www.sanfrancescopatronoditalia.it

Honouring research and communication in the vitivinicultural sector since 1930. On the 17th December the OIV – International Organisation of Vine and Wine held a virtual online ceremony for its 2020 OIV Awards, thus celebrating their 90th year running. The International OIV Jury, led by president Azélina Jaboulet-Vercherre along with the scientific secretary Richard Pfister, assigned 19 OIV Awards and 10 OIV Special Mentions to wines-related and vines-related publications, according to a list of 11 categories. Besides, four publishing houses received the Jury Recognition for their editorial work.
The winners were selected from a list of 30 nominated publications (27 books and three websites) submitted by authors all over the world: 25 countries from four continents were represented, just to name a few awards went to publications from USA, Chile, France, Spain, Switzerland, Slovakia, Sweden, South Africa.
As for Italy, there have been two awards and a special mention for Assoenologi, the Italian Oenologists Association, for its publication "Vinifera: Ripartiamo dalle radici" (Vinifera. Back to the roots) coordinated by Attilio Scienza: it's a collective work by twelve authors, dealing with the origins of the genus Vitis to post-Phylloxera reconstruction, and to the new rootstocks and the development of new techniques for propagation.

One of the 2020 OIV Awards went to Edagricole, the first Italian publishing house completely devoted to agriculture and founded in 1937. It issues several specific magazines and websites including "VVQ-Vini, Vigne e Qualità", a monthly publication (also featuring a website) which is entirely focused on wines and vineyards. Edagricole won under the Vitivinicultural Law Category for its book "La Nuova Normativa Vitivinicola - Tracciabilità, semplificazione, autocontrollo dopo il Testo Unico del vino" (The New Wine Regulations. Traceability, simplification, self-control after the Consolidated Wine Law) by Stefano Sequino, Luigi Bonifazi, Massimiliano Apollonio. The book approaches wine legislation in its every aspect, providing both a general and a detailed vision of the European wine-growing legal framework and is a handy manual for wine professionals.

The other 2020 OIV Award for Italy went to OICCE – Organizzazione Interprofessionale per la Comunicazione delle Conoscenze in Enologia (Interprofessional Organization for the Communication of Oenology-based Knowledge). Its book "Il grande libro del Vermouth di Torino" (The Grand Book of Vermouth di Torino) coordinated by Giusi Mainardi and Pierstefano Berta, won under the Monographs and Specialised Studies Category. Fourteen authors tell the story of the refined vermouth, one of Piedmont’s finest alcoholic products, through its history, methods of production, economy (branding and marketing) and also delving into its influence as to culture and lifestyle.

About OIV
The OIV was created in 1924 as a response to the international viticulture crisis. It's a technical and scientific intergovernmental organisation which operates under a renewed agreement, signed in 2001 and brings together the world of vine and wine to collaborate within the sector.
It started off with only six members but it now counts 47 member states across five continents: these countries are responsible for 85% of the global production and 80% of the consumption of wine in the world. Among them there are countries with a long standing wine-growing tradition like Italy, France, Greece and also the latest rising markets like Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, India and many other Mediterranean, South American, European and Middle-Eastern countries. Also some observers are admitted, currently there are 14 of them oncluding the European Union as a whole.
The OIV aims to inform, assist, harmonise, standardise and support the vitivinicultural sector. To achieve these goals, it works through a network of over 1,000 experts from around the world. International collaboration provided through the OIV has grown increasingly important, as more than two out of five wine bottles consumed in the world are imported.

Everyone's getting ready for Christmas' day, and bakeries and pastry shops are busy preparing the typical festive cakes. In Friuli Venezia Giulia there are several Christmas cakes around the region and one of them is the delicious gubana. Its origin is deeply rooted in the Natisone Valleys, a mountain area in the North-East of the region and circumscribed by the river Natisone and the border with Slovenia.

Historically the area has been a sort of autonomous outpost thanks to its strategic position up to the fall of the Venetian Republic, with people there granted a certain freedom as to administration, thus preserving a strong identity 'til nowadays. Gubana was born there and flaunts a long history: the very first records trace it back as far as 1409, when it was served along with a long list of other dishes at a banquet set for Pope Gregory XII, in Cividale del Friuli.
But it wasn't until the 1970s that it crossed the Natisone Valleys to conquer the world. In fact, this sweet had always been baked at home as a special treat for grand occasions, like weddings, due to the richness of its ingredients: the filling must be half the size of a gubana and includes raisins (often soaked in grappa), walnuts and pine nuts, and the dough is made with butter, eggs, sugar, milk, flour and... a tot of grappa too. Its distinguishing feature is the twisted shape, reminding of a snail's shell.
The valleys' women handed down the recipe from generation to generation, and it was just around the 1960s that a few bakeries started producing and selling it. A few producers' associations were soon born to guarantee and safeguard its origins, and are still battling to have gubana officially recognized as a typical, exclusively local product.

In the meantime, it has become a favourite treat all around Friuli especially at Christmas time, and we weren't joking when we mentioned its worldwide fame: also Forbes website last year mentioned it among the many Italian Christmas cakes that mark different regional traditions.
And talking about festivities, as they are meant to celebrate, sure some good wines will be needed to pair with such a special dessert as gubana: some sweet ones like a Malvasia or a Ribolla Gialla, and even sparkling white ones like a spumante brut or a Prosecco would be perfectly fit for the occasion. A fair selection is available at our business partners' websites and facilities: Cantina Rauscedo, Sancin EVO Oil&Wine and Do Ville can offer the perfect match for any Christmas cake.

Cover photo taken from Gorizia-based bakery L'Oca Golosa's Facebook page

It may be of Milanese origin, but panettone sure is now the national Christmas cake par excellence. And in Friuli Venezia Giulia, many bakers have specialized at such a high level that some of the best panettone in Italy and... in the world, are to be found here.
Nonna Pallina, an artisanal bakery and ice-cream shop in Palmanova (Udine), was among the 10 gold medals for the best “panettone tradizionale” (traditional panettone) at the last Panettone World Championship set up last October in Rome by the Federazione Italiana di Pasticceria, Gelateria e Cioccolateria (the Italian Federation of Bakers, Ice-Cream and Chocolate Makers). More than 300 bakers from Italy and all over the world (including Spain, Japan, France, USA, China and Morocco) competed for the second edition of the title and ran for the categories “classic”, “innovation” and “decoration”, and Nonna Pallina's owners Renato Talotti and Tiziana Merlini got the prestigious acknowledgement for their classical panettone.

And two other Friulian bakeries distinguished themselves at one of the most important Italian contests for panettone, called “Una Mole di Panettoni” and held in Turin last 28 November. The competition's 9th edition was dominated by Friulian bakers, with Forno Rizzo from Tarcento (Udine) winning first place for the “panettone tradizionale” (traditional panettone) category, a great victory for its Head Pastry Chef Alessandro Rizzo. Dolcevita, a pastry shop based in Codroipo (Udine) and led by Head Pastry Chef Simone Bortolus, came third in the “panettone salato” (savoury, non-sweet panettone) with its panettone filled with typical Friulian products: speck (smoked ham) from Sauris, red onion from Cavasso and Cosa Valley (near Pordenone) and cheese from Latteria Pradis di Sopra.

The bakery L'Oca Golosa in Gorizia took part in the event too, but got its Head Pastry Chef Valentina De Luca an award at another competition. Its pandoro (another typical Christmas cake originally from Veneto) was judged as one of the 10 best artisanal ones by Goloasi.it in its 4th national competition for best panettone (traditional and with chocolate) and best pandoro.

The origin of Panettone, from Milan to Friuli and... the rest of the world
According to the legend, the very first panettone was baked... in the 15th century! At that time, Ludovico Sforza (1452-1508), also known as “Il Moro” (the Moor) was in charge of the Duchy of Milan, as a regent from 1480 and as the Duke himself from 1494 to 1499. The story goes that one year, at Christmas' Eve, the cake for the lavish ducal banquet burnt in the oven and so there would be nothing to serve as a dessert the next day. To fix such a disaster, one of the bakers at Ludovico's kitchens, a guy named Toni, put together in a hurry all that was left: eggs, butter, sugar, flour, quite an amount of good yeast and, most of all, raisins and candied fruits. It resulted in such a soft, delicious cake melting under one's teeth, that it became a huge success and started off as “the” Christmas cake for every Milanese. That's where it gets its name from: “Pan de' Toni”, Toni's bread, which finally morphed into “panettone”.

From the North it slowly spread throughout the country, and nowadays all good bakeries and pastry shops around Italy are specialized in panettone, producing it in countless varieties: without candied fruits and raisins, with chocolate chips, with lemoncello cream, covered in white chocolate... the final choice is up to you!