Tony Loeb

🍷 AIS Veneto offers new training courses for aspiring sommeliers, encompassing three distinct levels covering all professional aspects. Gianpaolo Breda, President of AIS Veneto, emphasizes the promotion of wine culture and responsible consumption. With 32 courses across over 20 locations between January and March, the curriculum has been updated, including an olive oil segment. Of the 32 courses, 17 are entry-level, reflecting the growing interest in wine culture. The first level focuses on viticulture, enology, and service basics. The second level delves into the relationship between wine and territory, and the third level centers on food-wine pairing. Participants can become AIS-certified sommeliers upon completion. Vinetia Tasting is scheduled for March 23, 2025, at Santa Lucia di Piave's international fairgrounds. Additional courses on extra virgin olive oil are also offered, covering technical, agronomic, and regional aspects in 15 lessons. For more information or to enroll, visit www.aisveneto.it/corsi.html.

🍦 The 46th edition of SIGEP World confirmed for March 24 as the stage for celebrating artisanal gelato and starting the countdown to the 13th European Artisanal Gelato Day. In 2025, Gelato Day festivities begin on March 23 with the "Hallelujah" flavor offered to pilgrims in Piazza Pio XII. The official flavor, created by Vincenzo Squatrito from Ritrovo Orchidea, will be featured in participating European gelaterias on March 24. SIGEP also hosted a competition with 30 gelato masters and a video contest won by La Yaya (Spain), with La Sorbettiera second, and Gelateria Baldini, Gelateria Garden, and Exequo third. Domenico Belmonte, president of Artglace, was named Communication Ambassador 2024. Gelato Day partners include ACOMAG, Associazione Italiana Gelatieri, and SIGEP WORLD. Updates are available at www.gelato-day.com.

🍻 At DoubleTree by Hilton Rome Monti, "Meat & Drink" event scheduled for January 24, 2025, at 20:00 features innovative pairings of meats and tailored cocktails. Sakura beef from Gruppo Galli and cocktails designed by Marco Favorito, Head Bartender of Mùn Rooftop Cocktail Bar, will be showcased. The event, priced at 60 euros per person, also marks new Executive Chef Giuseppe Fiorella's debut. Reservations at dtromemonti.com/it/events/meat-drink-january-24/ or info@enjoyromamonti.it.

📆 Tecnoinox Srl to participate in SIRHA, a leading hospitality and catering fair in Lyon, France, from January 23-27, 2025. The company, from Porcia (Pordenone), specializes in modular kitchens, combination ovens, and salamanders for HoReCa professionals. SIRHA 2025 marks Tecnoinox's first time at the event, collaborating with exclusive French distributor Groupe Furnotel. The DOMINO stainless steel worktop and NEXT family of digital combination ovens, featuring 7-inch Touch Screen displays and smart features like SmartHeat control, will be showcased. Corporate Chef Marco Pin to offer three cooking demos daily during the fair.

🌽 On January 20, 2025, in Spoleto, Italy, the 4th edition of the "Anteprima olio e.v.o. dop Umbria" took place, showcasing the new Umbria DOP olive oil. The event featured guided tours, oil tastings, and discussions on the 2024 olive harvest. The region boasts 7,439 hectares of olive groves, 1,413 producers in the DOP Umbria system, and over 9,400 tons of olives milled—double from last year—resulting in 1.29 million liters of oil, potentially double the DOP certification from the previous year. As of December 2024, 128 samples led to 354,000 liters certified, with the potential to match the 516,000 liters certified in the 2020 campaign.