From 4 to 6 June in L'Aquila, this unique event will focus on Europe's top rosés, including tastings and debates on major ‘drink pink’ themes.
CONCOURS MONDIAL DE BRUXELLES LAUNCHES FOOD & ROSÉ SELECTION: THE CHALLENGE OF FINDING THE PERFECT FOOD AND ROSÉ WINE PAIRING
The capital of Abruzzo is preparing to welcome 45 international experts who will be tasked with matching wines awarded Grand Gold and Gold Medals at Rosé Selection by CMB with dishes prepared by the Michelin-starred Magione Papale restaurant. Contestants will compete for one of the eight highly coveted Food & Rosé Selection Trophies.
A pink thread will connect Europe’s wine industry to the gourmet food excellence of Abruzzo in a competition designed to single out the top food and rosé pairing of the year. The event is Food & Rosé Selection by CMB, the first edition of the challenge organised by the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, in conjunction with the Abruzzo region, which will be held in L'Aquila from 4 to 6 June. It will be attended by personalities from the world of rosé wine and high-end gourmet food and will feature wines awarded Grand Gold and Gold Medals at the first Rosé Selection by CMB, which took place last March in Brussels. The wines will take centre stage at the three-day event in L'Aquila, along with the dishes created by the Michelin-starred restaurant Magione Papale, also in L'Aquila. In addition to the intense tasting sessions, a series of debates will offer in-depth analysis and discussion on major ‘drink pink’ issues.
The new competition was presented today in Rome, at the Terrazza Civita of the Palazzo Generali in Piazza Venezia, with attendance by Emanuele Imprudente, vice-chairman of the Abruzzo region; Baudouin Havaux, chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and of Food & Rosé Selection by CMB; Lido Legnini, vice-chairman of the Chieti Pescara Chamber of Commerce Development Agency; Valentino Di Campli, chairman of the Abruzzo wine consortium.
“The success of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, which for almost 30 years now has been guiding consumers in their choice of top quality wines worldwide," said Baudouin Havaux, chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and Food & Rosé Selection by CMB, “prompted us to organise a new competition this year. Not only does it focus on the global rosé wine phenomenon, it also aims to identify the best pairings of rosé with food, ushering in the advent of a new assessment criterion, compared with traditional techniques promoted by the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Whereas the CMB focuses exclusively on the wine and its aroma and flavour profile, this event will highlight various trends for pairing food and rosé wines.”
Abruzzo sets the stage for the event. It is one of Italy’s most suitable regions for producing rosé wines, spearheaded by Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC. The designation’s 6.2 million bottles a year account for 7% of Abruzzo PDO bottled wines, thereby making a decisive contribution to the success of this style of wine and positioning Italy among the world’s leading exporters. According to the latest available data from the World Rosé Observatory, Italy ranks second by value, with a 20% share, and third by volume with 13%.
“The food industry and, more specifically, winegrowing," added Emanuele Imprudente, vice- chairman of the Abruzzo regional council in charge of agriculture, "are two of the jewels in our region’s crown, and it is no accident that they make a major contribution both to the local economy and to the quality of Italian products enjoyed worldwide as part of the 'Italian lifestyle'. Being given the honour of organising the first Food & Rosé Selection by CMB is therefore a strategic opportunity to promote the excellence of Abruzzo, through regional products ranging from wine to oil, cheese to cured meats and seafood to typical products of excellence. It also provides renewed stimulus for the competitiveness of our regions that are steeped in history and art and home to beautiful landscapes, not to mention the many natural attractions set between the sea and the mountains”.
Over 120 wines from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia will be competing. Forty-five international experts – including sommeliers, critics, buyers, journalists and industry representatives – will take on the role of judges to define the most suitable food and wine pairing for each medal-winning wine and to award the Food & Rosé Selection Trophies.
The event kicks off on Saturday 5 June with the blind tasting sessions, during which the judges will be tasked with classifying the wines according to their typicity and their ability to pair with eight specific food categories: aperitif; raw fish; cooked fish; cured meats; cooked meats; spicy foods; cheeses; and desserts. Once the potential pairing for each medal-winning wine has been defined, the competition proper gets underway on Sunday 6 June with a ‘head-to-head’ confrontation where the best rosé wine for each food category will be singled out and subsequently awarded one of the eight Food & Rosé Selection Trophies in the event: Best rosé wine for the aperitif; Best rosé wine for raw fish; Best rosé wine for cooked fish; Best rosé wine for cold meats; Best rosé wine for cooked meats; Best rosé wine for spicy foods; Best rosé wine for cheese; Best rosé wine for dessert. In the final phase, judges will taste the wines previously assessed blind, but this time with the dish from the relevant category.
The programme of Food & Rosé Selection by CMB will be enhanced by four debates on topics that are highly significant to the rosé wine industry (also available via streaming), ranging from global trends to the main technical developments at production level, in packaging and marketing, including a focus on Italian rosés made from native grape varieties.
The four debates hosted by the Food & Rosé Selection by CMB can be viewed live and will be available on demand on Concours Mondial de Bruxelles’ YouTube account.
Friday 4 June, 5.30 p.m. - Palazzo della Regione
“CERASUOLO, CHIARETTO, ROSATO: ITALIAN ROSÉ FROM NATIVE GRAPE VARIETIES”
Curated by Davide Acerra, administrator and communications manager of the Abruzzo wine consortium (Italian, with simultaneous translation into English).
Friday 4 June, 6.30 pm - Palazzo della Regione
“THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ROSÉ WINE: THE MAIN TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON PRODUCTS”
Hosted by Gilles Masson & Nathalie Poulzagues, respectively director and project manager of the Centre for Research and Experimentation on Rosé Wine in Provence (French, with English translation).
Saturday 5 June, 8.45 am - Magione Papale
"GLOBAL WINE TRENDS: THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ROSÉ".
Presented by Pierpaolo Penco, wine and food marketing consultant at Affinamenti and country manager for Italy at Wine Intelligence (English).
Sunday 6 June, 8.45 a.m. - Magione Papale
"NEW FRONTIERS FOR PACKAGING AND MARKETING ROSÉ WINES".
Presented by Kateřina Slezáková and Gaia Gottardo, respectively marketing manager of Vinolok and Vinolok distributor at Amorim Cork Italia S.p.A. (English).
