The country’s top chefs and restaurateurs were in attendance at Sense of Wine, a two-day event where acclaimed wine taster and connoisseur Luca Maroni presented his unique tasting method, applicable to wine and olive oil as well, and his latest work – The Guide of the Top 500 Italian wines.
Joining him were some of the producers of these wines; their products were available to taste along with delicious authentic Italian food. On hand for the event was a couple that is simply loved by all foodies in the country - Nina and Tim Zagat.
Indeed, on the first day of the event, Zagat Survey was delighted to present the 2008 Guide to America’s 1,000 Top Italian Restaurants and recognize the dedicated work of many Italian chefs in the United States. Among the celebrity chefs who were awarded was a favorite of many and a staple of authentic Italian cuisine in New York City, Lidia Bastianich.
“It’s fitting that we focus on Italian restaurants because,” the Zagats declared, “as our surveys have consistently shown, Americans have had a long-standing love affair with the cuisine of Italy. In fact, Americans say that they prefer Italian food to any other type of food – even American food – in survey after survey. The American public deserves to know when it’s eating authentic Italian cuisine and products. The restaurateurs in this guide know them. As such, they are the best ambassadors for Italy and its culinary culture. Who else can better answer your questions about the food they’re serving?”
The completion of the guide was possible thanks to a collaboration with Buonitalia S.p.a, a government agency that was established in 2003 by the Italian Ministry for agriculture, food, and forestry to promote Italian food and wine around the world. In a statement, they declared that, “We strive to become a leading company that plans and implements projects aimed to internationalize the Italian agro-food sector. Only in this way will it be recognized as a hub of concrete, with relevant and efficient initiatives in favor of the Italian agro-food system.”
There definitely are unique qualities to Italian food and wines. Let’s not forget that the team of Buonitalia has declared: “Thanks to the efforts and passion that are embedded in the products of Italy’s territories, the European Union has acknowledged that we have the highest number of certified food products, including 164 PDO and PGI products, while with 352 DOC and DOCG wines and 118 TGI wines, the Italian wine industry, together with that of France, dominates the world’s market.”
“The key to enjoying the best Italian food is using the best ingredients,” the Zagats declared in the new guide. “Knowing more about the ingredients will improve your experience when you’re dining in restaurants and when you prepare your own Italian cooking at home.”
This complies with Alta Cucina’s mission: bringing authenticity to our tables. This mission becomes more and more tangible every day thanks to events such as these.
By Natasha Lardera
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