La Scolca takes centre stage in London
Newly appointed Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour Chiara Soldati sees her iconic wines starring in two exclusive events in the British capital
The standing of Italian wines in England knows no setbacks. This is the most important lesson that La Scolca, protagonist of two important events in the recent weeks, brings home from its trip to London.
The wines of the historic Gavi winery, strong of its over 100 years of history, were the protagonists of the special dinner offered last May 16 by the London delegation of Accademia Italiana della Cucina at FIUME restaurant on the Thames. More than 80 people, including the President, Vice-President and Treasurer of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, members of the Chamber's Board of Directors, the Director of the ICE/ITA Office in London, members of the Italian Academy of Cuisine, leading professionals from the Italian community and the Italian Ambassador in London were able to enjoy the menu created for the occasion by Chef Francesco Mazzei, a true standard bearer of Italian dining across the Channel.
"It is always a great pleasure to return to the UK, our historic export partner, and it is even more so to do so after such a long time," says Chiara, Soldati CEO of La Scolca. "One can count on the fingers of one hand the number of cities that can compete with London for the variety and sparkle of its food and wine scene: with pleasure I was able to note the birth of many new establishments, led by young and trained chefs who bring an ever new and mundane twist to our cuisine, giving it a luster of which we are as proud as ever."
Accompanying chef Mazzei's delicacies were La Scolca’s Spumante Pas Dosé, Gavi dei Gavi® Black Label 2021 and 2017, D'Antan® and Spumante D'Antan®.
Aimed at professionals was the event organized by the UK Sommelier Association on May 30th at Leonardo Royal London St Paul's, that saw Chiara Soldati sitting among the jurors for the Best UK Sommelier Award. The competition saw Christopher Parker (Inn The Park, Winchester) as the winner.
The first stage of the competition took place in the morning, where 15 semi-finalists from across the country were given written test questions and performed a blind tasting - which had La Scolca’s Gavi dei Gavi® Black Label 2017 among the sampled wines - in front of a panel from the UK and Italian Sommelier Associations, until they were whittled down to three. Contestants were also tasked with decanting, offering wine pairings to restaurant customers, and were tested on their knowledge of wines from different regions. Jury members judged each sommelier on elegance and delivery of service, interaction with customers, depth of knowledge, sensory analysis abilities, and wine and food pairing skills.
"It was really refreshing to observe first-hand how much awareness of how crucial service is in providing an absolutely unforgettable experience for guests, continually investing in the training of waiting staff, has grown", argues Soldati. " This can only bode well for the restaurant industry to come."
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