Ciao
Amico means Hello Friend in Italian. Recently, many of us
experience the many unique sights, sounds
and flavors of authentic Italy right
hear in New York City!
Yes, the 27th edition of the GALA ITALIA proved
to be a huge great success! It was much fun, so well
attended, and there was …so much wine! The event took place
on Thursday, February 23rd at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in
Manhattan under the high patronage of the Italian
Ambassador to Washington, Claudio Bisogniero.
This
event was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all things
Italian. Great food, fine wines, lively music, and, of
course art! This celebration of Made in Italy, GALA ITALIA
was really more than just a celebration – it was an
extravaganza!
Importers,
producers and journalists from across the Atlantic Coast
crowded the Broadway Ballroom on the sixth floor of the
Marriott and were joined by some very distinguished VIP
guests: Consul General to New York, Minister Natalia
Quintavalle and the Deputy Vice Consul Dino Sorrentino, a
group of qualified consumers affiliated with the noted
restaurants SD26 of Tony May, and
Circo
of Sirio Maccioni.
The GALA ITALIA opened with wine and food tasting that
included some of the finest Italian wines from the major
wineries, including: Antinori, Arcanum, Baglio di Pianetto,
Bertani, Biondi Santi, Cantine di Dolianova, Casale Falchini,
Casale del Giglio, Castello d’Albola, Castello del Poggio,
Castello di Gabbiano, Castello di Querceto, Cavit, Col
d’Orcia, Domodimonti, Feudo Arancio, Feudo Principi di
Butera, Fonterutoli, Francoli, Marco Maci, Mezzacorona,
Moretti Omero, Nicola Campagnola, Pepe Stefania, Piera
Martellozzo, Planeta, Rocca dei Sanniti, Rocca delle Macie,
Rocca di Montemassi, Rotari, Ruffino, Santa Maria Valverde,
Sella & Mosca, Stemmari, Tenuta ca’ Bolani, Tenute Folonari,
Villa a Sesta, Villa Fiorita and Zonin. Quite a list!
Dr. Lucio Caputo, president of the Italian Wine and Food
Institute and the one who oversaw the organization of the
festivities in New York
had this to say:
The 27th
edition of the GALA ITALIA proved to be an event of the
highest level. The series of Galas are of notable prestige
as they contribute greatly to the Made in Italy in the USA,
reflecting their traditional and major commercial
significance.
If you
missed the GALA in New York, next up will be the Los Angeles
Wine Gala on February 27th to further promote Made in Italy
to the markets of California and the West Coast. The venue
will be the famous Valentino Restaurant of Piero Selvaggio.
Of course there will be by many A-List personalities in
attendance - like the Consul General, Minister Giuseppe
Perrone.
A side note: The GALA ITALIA distributed more than 2,000
copies of its colorful catalogue to guests, participants and
representatives. And, this year, registration of guests was
conducted entirely on-line, assuring a more manageable and
improved selection of attendance.
So, mark
your calendar right now: The next edition of the GALA ITALIA
in New York will take place on February 21, 2013 with a new
and more spectacular format that will continue to support
Made in Italy in the USA.
This year’s GALA ITALIA was jointly organized by the
Italian Wine & Food Institute under the high patronage of
the Italian Ambassador to Washington and received the
sponsorship of ITALY (the company for the promotion abroad)
and of the Ministry of
Economic Development.