At the Paris Olympics, looking for medals to toast to, with all the wines of “Casa Italia”

The link between wine, food and major sporting events is now a great classic in Italian communication and promotion. And, from classic to classic, there is no event more important and more linked to classicism, at least in its roots, than the Olympics. Under the banner of many great classics of Italian wine, staying on the theme, is also the “wine list”, selected by LT Wine & Food Advisory by Lorenzo Tersi, with the coordination of Luciano Ferraro (wine signature and deputy editor of the newspaper “Corriere della Sera”, with which he also edits his guide “The best 100 wines and winemakers of Italy”, together with critic James Suckling, ed.) and Valentina Fanti, for “Casa Italia”, the hospitality house set up in the Olympic village by chef Davide Oldani, curator of the food restaurant part, and headquarters of the Italian National Olympic Committee-CONI expedition that will go to the Games in Paris, July 26 to August 11, 2024, with flag-bearers Gianmarco Tamberi and Marianna Errigo, high jump and fencing champions, speed star Marcel Jacobs, the No. 1 in the world in tennis, Jannik Sinner, and all the other champions from different disciplines looking for medals. To which to toast, perhaps, with one of the 32 labels (from 29 wineries) selected (16 red wines, 10 white wines and 6 rosé wines and, an absolute curiosity, not a single bubbly, a toast to victories par excellence, ed.): from Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Doc “Tralcetto” 2023 by Ciccio Zaccagnini to Merlot Rosato “Calalenta” 2023 by Fantini Group, from Abruzzo, to Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Docg “Serpara” 2017 by Re Manfredi (of Giv - Gruppo Italiano Vini) from Basilicata, to Cirò Rosato Doc “Segno” 2023 by Librandi, from Calabria, to Greco di tufo Docg 2023 by Feudi di San Gregorio, from Campania, or with the Romagna Doc Sangiovese Superiore “Prugneto” 2023 by Poderi dal Nespoli or the Reggiano Lambrusco Spumante Dop “Rubino del Cerro” 2022 by Venturini Baldini, from Emilia Romagna, or with the Friuli Colli Orientali Doc Friulano 2023 by Torre Rosazza (from Tenute del Leone Alato of the Genagricola Group) from Friuli Venezia Giulia. Or with the Colli di Luni Doc Vermentino “Etichetta Nera” 2022 by Lunae Bosoni, from Liguria, or with the Sforzato di Valtellina Docg “Sfursat Carlo Negri” 2019 by Nino Negri (again from the GIV), with the Aglianico del Molise Doc Riserva “Sassius” 2017 by Di Majo Norante, from Molise, or with the Barolo Docg “Lecinquevigne” 2020 by Damilano, from Piedmont. Or perhaps with an Apulian wine, such as the “Edizione 5 Autoctoni 22” S.A., again from Fantini Group, the Primitivo del Salento Igt “Torcicoda” 2022 and the Rosato Igt Salento “Calafuria” 2023 from Tormaresca, Antinori’s Apulian winery. Not forgetting the islands, such as Sardinia, with Vermentino di Sardegna Doc “Cala Reale” 2023 and Alghero Rosato Doc “Anemone” 2023 by Sella&Mosca (of the Terra Moretti group), and Etna Doc Bianco 2023 by Cottanera. Veneto cannot be missed, represented by the Valpolicella Ripasso Doc Superiore “Black Label” 2021 by Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine, and the Breganze Doc “Icon” 2017 by Diesel Farm of Renzo Rosso, as well as Umbria, represented by the Montefalco Sagrantino Docg 2019 by Caprai. Tuscany’s standard bearers, meanwhile, are Ambrogio & Giovanni Folonari Tenute’s 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva Docg “La Forra”, Marchesi Frescobaldi’s 2023 Toscana Igt Rosè “Aliè”, as well as Tenuta Luce’s 2021 Toscano Rosso Igt “Lucente” and Ruffino’s 2023 Chianti Docg “1877”, while Trentino Alto Adige’s flag bearer will be Mezzacorona’s Teroldego Rotaliano Riserva Trentino Doc “Castel Firmian” 2019, and Villa Margon’s (of the Lunelli Group) Trentino Chardonnay Doc 2020. But also among the labels will be Casale del Giglio’s Bellone Lazio Bianco Igr “Anthium” 2023, from Lazio, Sartarelli’s Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Doc Classico Superiore “Tralivio” 2022, from Marche, Les Cretes’ Valle d’Aosta Dop Chardonnay 2023, from Valle d’Aosta, Cantina di Bolzano’s Alto Adige Doc Gewurztraminer “Ceslar” 2023 and Tenuta Le Potazzine’s Brunello di Montalcino 2018.
“A great selection of our country’s wines for a double historical celebration”, explains Giovanni Malagò, president of Coni. “First of all, Casa Italia is the hospitality house par excellence of the Olympic world because it is the first one ever created and this year in Paris we will celebrate 40 years since its birth. And then Casa Italia will be set up in Le Prè Catelan, where on the evening of June 23, 1894, Baron Pierre de Coubertin raised his glass to toast the birth of the Olympic Games in the modern era. So, double cheers, under the banner of history and tradition”. Luciano Ferraro, who supported the LT Wine & Food Advisory team in the selection, speaks about the 32 labels on the list: “wineries from great producers and small artisans, from historic appellations or more recently successful ones: the selection shows how deep-rooted in Italy the quality of wine is and the passion of those who put it in the bottle, making it known to the whole world. The French one will be the stage to showcase once again the uniqueness of Vigneto Italia”. On the choice of wines, these are the considerations of sommelier Manuele Pirovano, first sommelier at Davide Oldani’s D’O’: “aware of the absolute and distinctive value that Italian wineries are able to demonstrate at the international level, wines were selected that would give recognition and visibility to all 20 Italian regions, each with its own appellations and uniqueness”.
Hoping for many toasts to many Olympic medals won by Italian athletes who, with sweat, toil and sacrifice, have earned a pass to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.