We want to thank everyone who joined us, but special thanks to both Francesco Zonin and Francesco Rabellino for being designated chefs and preparing delicious meals on both Thursday night and Friday afternoon. The food was beyond delicious paired with our Zonin Prosecco and wines from Principi di Butera, Castello D’ Albola, Castello del Poggio, Rocca di Montemassi, and Masseria Altemura, and Tenuta CA’Bolani.

Friday morning we welcomed everyone back into the office with fresh fruits, local pastries, and American coffee. We had a morning meeting which started at 10 am, we then took a lunch break at around 1 pm where Mr. Francesco Zonin took charge of the kitchen and prepared a delicious asparagus risotto.

The rest of the day consisted of meetings and we ended the day enjoying our Zonin Prosecco. 

After a nationwide search among the best professional and amateur mixologists, the online community selected six semi-finalists for the third annual Star of the Bar competition. The signature cocktail creators headed to Chicago to demonstrate their skills in a live competition at the 2012 International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) on May 6.

Patti Frank from Roots Handmade Pizza in Chicago, Ill., is the winner of the National Restaurant Association’s third annual Star of the Bar competition, held in conjunction with the 2012 International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event’s (IWSB) Restaurants Rock event.

Her Drunken Flower was selected as the winning cocktail by judges Tony Abou-Ganim “The Master Mixologist,” Dale DeGroff “King Cocktail,” and Bravo TV’s Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani. As Star of the Bar winner, Frank was awarded $5,000 cash and the coveted title.

Star of the Bar competitors submitted videos of themselves perfecting a signature cocktail recipe that prominently featured at least one product from an IWSB exhibitor. Semi-finalists were selected by visitors to the IWSB website who voted on their favorites. Six semi-finalists then competed live at the 2012 International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event at Chicago’s McCormick Place, with event attendees selecting the three finalists who competed at Restaurants Rock.

Restaurants Rock is the official NRA Show and IWSB industry evening celebration. All proceeds from Restaurants Rock benefit the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s ProStart program.

(Via: National Restaurant Association)

Of course our subject for this challenge was our Zonin Prosecco. Below you can see the list for the challenge and the pictures we took. Unfortunately we missed some dates but it was a fun and creative game that allowed us to use our Zonin Prosecco to find inspiration and be creative. 

Hope you enjoy our photos as much as we did.

Cheers!

The 2-hour event was led by the executive chef of Toscana Divino; Julian Baker. This event featured the taste of the Tuscan region paired with Zonin wines from Castello D’ Albola and Rocca di Montemassi.

Casa Vinicola Zonin invited food and wine bloggers as well as media representatives to enjoy a delightful afternoon with a 5-course lunch. The guests were welcomed with an aperitivo of crostini with lardo & porcini accompanied by of course, a glass of Zonin Prosecco.

Soon after our guests were done with their aperitivo, they started to find a seat before it became a Full House event. Our Zonin representatives who later introduced the amazing chef Julian Baker welcomed our guests and discussed the menu and the wine that was about to be enjoyed.  The guests were charmed by the menu which continued with the appetizer: Pappa at Pomodoro made with fresh ripe tomatoes and Tuscan bread, organic poached eggs, salame finocchiona and diced eggplants. The first course was the Tortelli filled with ricotta cheese and spinach, brown butter and sage. The second course, definitely the audience’s favorite, was a delicious plate of Chianti braised veal cheeks, herb citrus and hazelnut “gremolata”, sautéed chard, toasted sesame seeds, and tomato ginger mostarda. Most people in our audience described the veal cheeks as one that “melts in your mouth” and “doesn’t need a knife to cut through it”.

To experience and enjoy a true Tuscan taste, the food was paired with wines from the region. The antipasto was paired with the Rocca di Montemassi le Focaie, 100% Sangiovese and known for balancing sweet cherry flavors with an herbal character. The tortelli was served with the Castello D’ Albola Le Ellere which is 100% Sangiovese with a fresh Morello cherry nose. This wine is flavorful, well-balanced and easy drinking. For the main dish (the loved veal cheeks), the wine served was the Castello d’ Albola Chianti Classico Riserva which won 91 points in Wine Spectator for 2006 Vintage.

To end this delightful experience, the chef offered dessert: Crespilli al Castagnaccio. These sweet ricotta cheese crepes were made with honey and chesnuts, vin santo, pine nuts and rosemary. To accompany dessert, Castello d’ Albola Vin Santo was served. Vin Santo del Chianti Classico is a fruity, cheerful wine that boasts a luminous golden color. It is lighter and more approachable than your typical Vin Santo.

We invited key bloggers and media representatives to experience Italy through cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and panel discussions led by world-class chefs and food & wine experts. 

The chef for this event, Angelo Masarin, from Salumeria 104 delighted our guests with a menu inspired by the Vento region and its produce that included Bruschetta’s with fresh creamy cheese, white asparagus over a cheese fondue with crispy Prosciutto, risotto with stinging nettle, poached egg and black truffle and as a main course Guinea hen in peverada sauce with polenta and paradise farm salad ending with Fregolotta for dessert.

The food was paired with Zonin Wines, also from the region, including Zonin Prosecco, Zonin Rosé Brut, Zonin BerengariodelleVenezie, Zonin ValpolicellaRipasso and Zonin AmaronedellaValpolicella.

Through the two-hour tasting and pairing the chefs and wine experts discussed the products used and wines answering questions about the food and wines along the way.