From Trentodoc Ferrari bubbles to Etna Bianco Donnafugata, all the “wines of the King”

A toast in pure Italian style with the bubbles of Trendoc Ferrari Riserva Lunelli 2016, one of the most prestigious sparkling win companies in Italy; and, then, Etna Bianco “Sul Vulcano” Donnafugata, winery-symbol of Sicilian viticulture; to follow Biancolella d’Ischia “Vigna del Lume” Cantine Mazzella, which arises from a vineyard overlooking the sea, and, to conclude Moscato Rosa “Pasithea Rosa” by Cantina Girlan, dessert of jewel produced in Oltradige: these are the wines served to King Charles, and to Queen Camilla yesterday evening, in the occasion of the gala dinner at Quirinale hosted by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. “Seeing our bottles protagonists of an official entry, brought by the service personnel with the red uniform of great occasions, to then be poured in the wine glasses for a so important toast sealing the bonds and friendship between the two countries, filled us with emotions – explains to WineNews Camilla Lunelli, present at the event with her family – even if we are regulars at Quirinale since many years (our debut was with President Pertini), it was exciting to be here, and, mainly to have known King Charles, with whom we had a pleasant conversation: we renewed him our congratulations for his environmental commitment, and we invited him in Trentino. The King said he would appreciate a lot, and informed about the snow conditions of this year, joking about the fact that he doesn’t practice skiing anymore”. For the occasion, family Lunelli paid homage to King Charles with the bottle of Giulio Ferrari Collection 2004 number 2023 in honor of the year of his coronation to thank him for the attention which he has always paid to sustainable agricultural productions, and, particularly, to food and win heritage of our country.
King Charles (who, before the dinner, was welcomed together with Queen Camilla by Pope Francis for a short private papal audience) wanted to raise wine glasses for the inauguration toast not only to his wedding anniversary No. 20 (celebrated exactly on 2005, April, 9th), thanking, with his usual sense of humor, President Mattarella to have organized for him “a romantic candle-lit dinner for two people”, but also to ten years of mandate of Sergio Mattarella as President of the Republic: “the most enduring in Italy for the respect and affect of which he enjoys”, he said, to then continue, always in Italian, talking about the bond between Italy, and the Uk: “in difficult moments, friends remain united. We celebrate not only our historical bonds, but mainly today bonds, and those that we are shaping for the future”.
The gala dinner, to which also the President of Council Giorgia Meloni was president, was curated by chefs of Quirinale Fabrizio Boca and Chiara Condoluci with a menu focused on simplicity and local raw materials: from the starting with a basis of vegetables cultivated in the vegetable gardens of the presidential residence in Castelporziano, about 25 km far from the center of Rome, including 750 hectares reserved to pasture and farming, followed by “bottoncini” filled with eggplant caponata, a homage to Sicilian origins of President Mattarella. The second dish was a simple salt-crusted sea bass accompanied by roast potatoes, artichokes and pumpkin flowers, to then close with the dessert, a milk ice cream and raspberry cake.
After all, about nutrition theme, Charles and Camilla have always followed a concept of simplicity, sustainability and local raw materials, which is very similar to the philosophy which has always been brought forward by Slow Food, so that Carlin Petrini boasts with the king a long relationship of friendship, and she will meet him in Ravenna, in the last stage of the trip of Royals in Italy.