THE FIRST TO BE HELD OUTSIDE ITALY
The first-year students of the University of Gastronomic Sciences will
be on regional stages from July 11th to 22nd. The destinations: France,
Puglia, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Portugal.
Thirteen students will travel to France, which, along with
Portugal, is the University’s first non-Italian stage destination. Here
they will discover the finest products from the Rhône Valley.
During the first week of the stage the students will be staying with
wine producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a village with a centuries-old
winemaking history.
Michel Blanc, Slow Food convivium leader and director of the FÈdÈration
des Syndicats de Producteurs de Châteauneuf-du-Pape, has helped
organize the stage, which will take students from Châteauneuf to
Avignon, “the city of the popes”, from Provence to Luberon, from
MontÈlimar to Tain l’Hermitage. On the way they will learn about the
region’s traditional products: Banon cheese, Valrhona chocolate,
Arnaud Soubeyran’s nougat and above all the wines of
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Luberon and Baux de Provence. The trip will
include a visit to the famed wine producer Michel Chapoutier in
Hermitage.
The principal theme of the stage in Puglia will be the region’s
emerging native grape varietals such as Negroamaro, Primitivo and
Malvasia Nera. The group of students will analyze vineyard operations
and systems of cultivation, winemaking and aging techniques in order to
arrive at a comprehensive understanding of Puglian wines. Trips are
planned to the Antico Pastificio Cavalieri pasta factory (already one
of the University’s Learning Centers) and traditional bakeries. Olive
oil is also central to the program, as it plays a key role in the local
agricultural economy – Puglia produces almost half of the entire
Italian production of olive oil. Next the group will move on to fish
with a stop in Gallipoli to see its violetto crayfish auction and learn
about the town’s rich maritime history.
During their time in Puglia the students will also study the celebrated
Mediterranean diet, the use of vegetables and legumes and their
nutritional importance. They will finish with a day dedicated to
traditional sweets, from almond paste to quince jam, from
almond-stuffed figs to bocconotti leccesi. This stage has been made
possible thanks to the collaboration of the Province of Lecce.
Another group of students will travel to Portugal, where they
will be based in the city of Porto close by the Douro Valley, the
historical homeland of the fortified wine Port. This stage has been
made possible thanks to the collaboration of the IVDP, the Douro and
Porto Wine Institute, the agency that helps safeguard Portugal’s
invaluable wine heritage. The hills that rise steeply along the banks
of the Douro River have been terraced with vines for almost two
millennia, forming the perfect backdrop for students to learn about
every aspect of the land and its wines, from native grape varietals to
unique microclimates.
The full program includes a study of bacalhau (salt cod) and some
Portuguese Slow Food Ark of Taste products, including Aveiro salt and
cornbread. The bustling Bolhão market and the Cod Museum are also on
the itinerary. The students will have the chance to participate in a
series of seminars and tastings of local DOP and IGP products with
representatives of the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture.
In Friuli Venezia Giulia the students will be hosted by the
Regional Department of Agriculture and a number of producers in the
region. They will be able to sample some of local products on-site and
deepen their historical and gastronomic knowledge of this fascinating
land.
The stage begins in Aquileia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where
students will learn about the importance of the maritime culture in the
area. The fundamental role of wine and its heritage in Friuli Venezia
Giulia will be analyzed through a series of lessons on the cultivation
of vines and winemaking, with visits to renowned local wineries as well
as a class on grappa and other spirits.
The study of the region’s rich meat traditions will include a visit to
San Daniele del Friuli for prosciutto and Palmanova for goose salami
and foie gras. Next will come Montasio cheese and the local balsamic
vinegar. The stage will finish with a visit to the fish market near the
Marano lagoon.