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Golden bread and Trentodoc: the food and wine of the G7
Last week’s G7 Summit in Puglia did not just involve high stakes diplomacy between world leaders, but also plenty of fine Italian wines.
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The summit, held at luxury resort Borgo Egnazia, saw the leaders of host nation Italy, alongside other members France, Germany, the UK, US, Canada, Japan and the EU, as well as representatives from other nations (including Pope Francis), gather to discuss Ukraine, Gaza, and the general state of the world.
While hugely important matters were on the diplomatic table, on the dining table was a celebration of Italian produce and creativity.
Among the wines served at the occasion were those of Lunelli Group-owned Ferrari Trento, with the visiting heads of state gifted a bottle of Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore 2012 – a traditional method sparkling made from Chardonnay that spent close to a decade on the lees which, according to Ferrari Trento, has notes of yellow grapefruit, flowers, almonds and brioche.
It should be noted that at least two of the leaders of the core members, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden, do not drink alcohol. French President Emmanuel Macron on the other hand is famously a fan of wine.
According to Wine News, a number of other legendary Italian wines were on offer at the various lunches and dinners, including famed Tuscans, such as Marchesi Antinori Tignanello 2021 and Brunello di Montalcino Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova from the acclaimed (and recently-released) 2019 vintage – a case of six of the latter retails in the UK for around the £500 mark.
Amarone della Valpolicella from Masi was also served, and the 2022 vintage of Donnafugata’s famed Passito di Pantelleria, Ben Ryé, also made an appearance (though it is a sweet wine that very much merits maturation).
A selection of wines from Puglia were also offered to the guests, including Gianfranco Fino’s Salento Primitivo Es 2019, which clocks in at a potent 16.5% ABV.
Culinary diplomacy
In keeping with the luxurious nature of the summit, the guests were treated to the cooking of Massimo Bottura, the mind behind Osteria Francescana in Modena, a restaurant widely-considered to be the best in the world.
In an interview with La Repubblica, Bottura revealed that his intention for the menu was to “take the greats of the world on a journey through the flavours of Italy”.
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Among the dishes served was Bottura’s ‘Bread is Gold’, which consists of toasted bread that is then soaked in tomato water (panzanella style), and then covered in edible gold.
Apparently Bottura’s decision to serve cod for one of the courses, rather than a more exciting fish, had caused some concern, but Macron reportedly praised the dish, telling the acclaimed chef that it was “très bon”.
Dessert was Bottura’s signature ‘Oops, I dropped the lemon tart’, a dish which he has previously claimed “pokes fun at our daily striving for perfection and pristine beauty”.
According to Bottura, the most difficult guest to cater for was Biden, who isn’t particularly keen on fish), so a menu of vegetables and Pugliese lamb was prepared instead.
Related reading:
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Meloni looks to tighten Anglo-Italian ties with food and wine