If Italian haute cuisine & wines are among the protagonists at the Olympics

Among Michelin-starred chefs, regional products, gala events and prestigious wine labels, there is Italian cuisine - recognized as Unesco Heritage - together with the wine excellences of Italy - among the protagonists of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: at Casa Italia, located at the Triennale di Milano, the Food & Sport Ambassador is Michelin-starred chef Davide Oldani, who prepared his reinterpretation of risotto alla milanese for the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella - guest in recent days at the first official lunch, together with his daughter Laura and other distinguished guests, from Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi to the chief of the Milano Cortina Foundation Giovanni Malagò, as well as champions Alberto Tomba, Deborah Compagnoni and Manuela Di Centa (the dish also appeared during the opening ceremony, as part of the showcase of beauty and culinary excellence from the territories hosting the Games., ed); meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani chose to gift U.S. vicepresident JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio a few precious bottles of Barolo Cannubi “1752” by Damilano, one of Piedmont great labels (the name pays homage to the year of the oldest known bottle from the Langhe). Carlo Cracco, another hugely popular figure of Italian cuisine, carried the Olympic torch as a torchbearer (as Oldani did), along with other well-known names from Italy food and wine world: TV host Benedetta Parodi, three-star chef Chicco Cerea, Trentino pasta producer Riccardo Felicetti, and Nico Acampora, founder of the social-impact restaurant PizzAut.
This is not the first time the Michelin-starred chef of D’O in Cornaredo has cooked for President Mattarella: Davide Oldani has in fact been the Food & Sport Ambassador of Casa Italia since the Rio 2016 Olympics. He had also cooked for Mattarella during an official dinner with German Federal President Steinmeier in Milan, and again at the Paris 2024 Olympics. “It’s always moving - explains the chef in an interview to “Corriere della Sera” - for this occasion, we aimed to combine great Italian products with the craftsmanship of the chef, proposing a menu that creates culture because it narrates our national territory and its excellences in a contemporary way”. For the gala lunch for 24 guests at the Triennale, Oldani included his reinterpretation of risotto alla milanese, called Zafferano e riso; followed by Rustin negàa veal with Italian-style sauce; spoon-served Milan-Cortina panettone with almond pastry and blueberry compote; pan Tramvai; and bread made with Tumminia wheat. Among the attendees, there were Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi, Milano Cortina Foundation chief Giovanni Malagò and Italian skiing legends Alberto Tomba, Deborah Compagnoni and Manuela Di Centa.
Casa Italia has now opened its doors to the public as well: Oldani has created a menu which is delicious yet balanced, inspired by the regions hosting the competitions, i.e. Lombardy, Veneto and South Tyrol, while ideally embracing all of Italy. The menu includes Zafferano e riso (the same dish served to Mattarella), a lighter version of Valtellina pizzoccheri, Venetian-style liver, pumpkin with Tuscan kale and Jerusalem artichoke, broccoli with olives and smoked ricotta scented with orange peel, Grana Padano Riserva, Alpine Fontina, Taleggio, burrata and mozzarella. Desserts include apple strudel, castagnaccio, spoon-served panettone, tiramisù, sbrisolona and bonet. There will be two restaurants, one on the terrace and one in the garden, with hundreds of covers expected each day.
Italy great wines are also among the protagonists of the major sporting event: while the gala dinner at the inauguration showcased renowned labels from North to South - Vie di Romans, Ca’ del Bosco and Donnafugata - it was Barolo Damilano which was chosen for an important diplomatic gift. Antonio Tajani, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, gifted Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. vicepresident JD Vance, visiting Milan for the Olympics, several bottles of Barolo Cannubi 1752 by Damilano, a prestigious Piedmontese label. The gift may have been inspired by Vance statements expressing his love for the Langhe, especially Alba truffles and wines, while Rubio revealed that his great-grandparents originated from Casale Monferrato. This connection to Italy emerged during the lunch with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Deputy Prime Minister Tajani, during their bilateral meeting in Milan, on the sidelines of the Olympic inauguration. Barolo DOCG Riserva Cannubi “1752” was first produced with the 2008 harvest: its name pays homage to the year of the oldest known bottle from the Langhe, now preserved in the city of Bra, bearing the name Cannubi on its label.