Ireland and Italy of rugby toast to the bond between wine and Unesco-nominated Italian cuisine

Don’t touch beer to an Irish, today, in “St. Patrick’s Day”, Patron saint’s festival of Ireland, St. Patrick, the most important in the country, which is celebrated every year on March, 17th. But, in the last days, in Rome, Ireland of rugby, headed by Simon Easterby, and led by Caelan Doris, during a sort of special “third half”, after the traditional post-match meeting among players and fans of the two teams celebrating the conviviality also at the table, above all else, including the rivalry between two different Nationalities in the last match of “Guinness Sei Nazioni” 2025, won by France, toasted to the victory on an Italy, which has been great anyway - 17-22, the result at the Olympic Stadium in one of the most beautiful and participated matches by Irish men, which colored the Capital green, and Italians of any age – with Italian wine, and in its perfect bond with our food. The occasion was the gala dinner organized by Rugby Italian Federation in the framework of Monumental Complex of Santo Spirito in Sassia, which, at the presence of the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida celebrated Italian cuisine nominated for Unesco with Irish and Italian team of Italrugby headed by Gonzalo Quesada, and led by Nacho Brex, the dishes by starred chef Enrico Derflingher, and, in wine glasses Banfi wines (from Rosso di Montalcino to San Angelo Toscana Igt, from Pinot Grigio to Brut), next to rugby as official supplier.
“Be alongside a great event such as “Sei Nazioni” brings enormous visibility, and we are proud to represent Italian wine in the world in a so important occasion”, said, to WineNews, Rodolfo Maralli, president Banfi, leader winery of Brunello di Montalcino, and not only. And, with the lucky circumstance in which all the two teams, the Irish National Team, the strongest in the world, and the Italian National Team, tried together Italian wines, while the respective countries, as Minister Lollobrigida recalled at the gala dinner, find face to face on health warnings on the labels of alcoholic drinks introduced by Irish regulation, and, to which, Italy counterposes exactly the culture of our table seeing food as inseparable from wine and vice versa.
A sport, that of Rugby, which is increasingly more popular and appreciated, made up of sharing and teamwork, loyalty, and respect for the adversary, with the famous third half during which teams shake their hands and dine together, and which, as all sports, is synonym of health and healthy nutrition, mainly towards the new generations following it. And, from the spot seeing Italian National Team of Rugby as testimonial of the Ministry of Agriculture of Italian “shell fruit” which is “good, safe, and rich in wellness”, and decisive “ally” to conquer try, to its distribution in third half, where Banfi – which continues its path alongside Rugby Italian National Team, in a consolidated bond since 2019, and based on some common values – is protagonist, with its wines, of sharing moments at the table, and not only, also Italian good food and wine have been alongside the Italian National Team at “Sei Nazioni”, the most ancient rugby match in the world, and one of the most important and followed sport events.