As-good-as-it-gets Tuscany
September 23, 2024
As-good-as-it-gets Tuscany
Dinner for 1,200 and 100 wines under the cypresses. Can anything else compare?
The Bolgheri DiVino dinner. Photo @ Linda Vukaj / Aicod
Late summer in Italy can resemble a special circle of Dante’s Inferno: too many tourists in tar-melting heat as Italians jam highways to crowd coastal beaches.
But then even in summer, Italians can pull magic out of a hat and create only-in-Italy elegance and spectacle.
Take for example the Bolgheri Appellation’s 30th anniversary “Dinner for a Thousand,” (Actually there were 1,200 guests) staged September 4 along the iconic, cypress-lined road that passes under Bolgheri’s Tuscan medieval castle.
One kilometer of table was tastefully dressed with tablecloths, Ginori tableware and candles. Dishes like perfectly al dente paccheri pasta with wild boar ragù were served with military precision by 140 waitstaff. And 160 sommeliers poured from a list of about 100 wines dating back to 1995 Sassicaia.
So tell me: Is there any better wine dinner in the world ?
Oh, and it all happened outdoors without so much as a tent — and no plan B in case it rained. The storms that threatened the area held off until the next morning’s deluge.
For more read my latest Robert Camuto Meets… at winespectator.com.
