Conferenze e Fiere

🌿 Taste 2025, held from February 8-10 in Florence, highlights Italy's finest gastronomic production. Chef Antonio Chiodi Latini's Emporio Vegetale, a Turin-based company, returns for the second year, promoting a plant-based revolution in flavor. Emporio caters to a wide consumer base seeking quick, healthy meal solutions and businesses looking for quality ingredients. This year, they introduce a fully plant-based refrigerator option with a versatile range, including meatballs and burgers, and debut a new product format combining two distinct items for the B2B market.

🍷 Demeter Italia will attend the Slow Wine Fair and SANA at BolognaFiere from February 23-25, 2025. The Slow Wine Fair features 15 Italian wineries such as Montenigo and Podere Le Ripi, plus 18 foreign ones from countries like France and Germany. A conference on forgotten grape varieties is scheduled for February 23 at 16:00 at the Demeter Arena - Pavilion 20, followed by a masterclass at 17:00 discussing biodynamics in wine. SANA 2025 marks its 36th edition, showcasing organic and sustainable products. Giovanni Buccheri, Director of Demeter Italia, emphasizes the importance of these events for promoting biodynamic agriculture. Over 1,000 national companies apply Rudolf Steiner's biodynamic farming method from 1924.

🍷 The Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino joined Wine Paris for the first time with 45 represented companies, introducing 110 wine labels including Brunello 2020, Riserva 2019, Rosso di Montalcino 2023, and Moscadello. Wine Paris, from February 10 to 12, expects 50,000 professionals from 140 countries and 4,600 exhibitors. The Consorzio, uniting 219 members (98.2% of production), oversees 4,400 hectares of vineyards. Upcoming events include Prowein (March 16-18), Vinitaly (April 6-9), Red Montalcino (June 20), and the 34th Benvenuto Brunello (November 20-24).

🍴 The Nite Kong in Rome, a spin-off of Drink Kong, launched the "MidNite Chef" series on February 6, featuring international chefs and bartenders collaborating for food&cocktail pairing across five events. Andrea Antonini started the series, followed by Koji Nakai on March 6, and Fabio Verrelli D'Amico on April 3. Future events will feature Francesco Apreda in May and Anthony Genovese in June. Each chef offers a menu at 90€ per person, with live jazz or DJ sets. Nite Kong, established in 2023 by Patrick Pistolesi, aims for a synesthetic experience with 28 seats, a rich drink list, and premium Champagne and spirits. Reservations, except for the inaugural event, can be made on the Superb platform.

🍸 On February 9, from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM, Santa Cocktails Club in Florence will host "MixOILogy," an event by Frantoio Franci and Santa Cocktails Club, showcasing the fusion of mixology and extra virgin olive oil. Bartender Simone Covan will present an innovative EVO Gimlet, featuring Delicate Maurino oil, highlighting the versatility of EVO oil as a key cocktail ingredient. The trend of using oil in mixology is growing, with bartenders exploring unique combinations that enhance taste and texture.

🍾 Moët & Chandon signs a decade-long partnership with LVMH to become the official Champagne of Formula 1. The brand has over 280 years of history and was present at motorsport celebrations since 1950, associated with legends like Sir Jackie Stewart, Ayrton Senna, and Michael Schumacher. Moët & Chandon will also be the Title Partner of the FORMULA 1 MOËT & CHANDON BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 2025. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit, part of the first F1 World Championship in 1950, is closest to the Champagne region, symbolic of Moët & Chandon's heritage. The tradition of spraying champagne, initiated by Dan Gurney in 1967, is a testament to their longstanding connection with F1. CEO Sibylle Scherer and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali celebrate the renewed partnership, honoring a shared history of collective triumphs and excellence.

📚 APCI and Manpower Italia continue their collaboration into 2025, focusing on the education and professional growth of new generations in the Horeca sector. Their project involves an itinerant tour across Italian hospitality institutes, engaging industry experts to inspire and guide students. The initiative bridges schools and businesses, promoting dialogue and career opportunities. The tour started in Rome on February 5, with further stops planned throughout Italy. Updates can be found on www.apci.it.

🍰 The 2nd Pastry Bit Competition's semifinals will take place from February 8-10, 2025, in Alta Valle Camonica at the Grand Hotel Paradiso di Pontedilegno - Tonale (BS), featuring 27 semifinalists selected from 108 candidates and 9 regional stages held between May and November 2024. Participants will create a "Bignè dinamico da condividere," judged by a prestigious jury including Leonardo Di Carlo and representatives from Gambero Rosso, Italia a Tavola, and Dissapore. Finals are set for June and September 2025, with the winner becoming the Dallagiovanna Pastry Ambassador 2026. Partners include Zanolli Forni and RDS 100% Grandi Successi, with cross-media coverage of the event.

🍷 Global wine tourism is expected to grow by 13.2% CAGR over the next ten years, reaching $332.52 million by 2034, as reported by Future Market Insights. Wine regions are enhancing their appeal by investing in infrastructure and emphasizing online communication for discovery and booking. Sustainable practices are increasingly important to tourists. Direct bookings via winery websites account for 38.7% of revenue. Emerging destinations include Moldova's underground cellars and Croatia's combination of wine, gastronomy, and agritourism, particularly in Istria.