Regional Stages in France, Austria, Friuli Venezia Giulia
and Valle d’Aosta
From June 26 to July 7 four groups of 15 students each from the
first year of the degree course of the University of Gastronomic
Sciences will be on stage in France, Austria, Friuli Venezia Giulia and
the Valle d’Aosta. For two groups these will be their first stages
outside of Italy; the other two will have their turn in September when
they will travel to Portugal and Ireland.
France’s food and wine are famous throughout the world, and the
country boasts many gastronomically rich regions. One of these is the
Rhône Valley, renowned for its excellent wines and other high-quality
typical products. The first stop on the itinerary for the students is
to see the production of Queyras blue cheese, followed by a day
dedicated to herbs and spices. Other products subject to study, visits
and tastings include the goat’s milk cheeses Banon and PÈlardon,
lime-blossom tea, spelt wheat, olive oil, Serhnac apricots and
artisanal chocolate, including a tour of the Valrhona factory. Wine is,
of course, fundamental, and the appellations studied include
Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Clairette di Die, The trip concludes with a
visit to the renowned Maison M. Chapoutier winery.
The stage in Austria will be based in the southeast region of
Styria, and will start in the medieval city of Graz. Here the students
will visit the farmers’ market and learn about direct marketing, as
well as touring the historic town center. During the next ten days
they’ll study a project to protect and promote local pig breeds such as
Mangalitza and Turopoljie, the production of deep-green Styrian
pumpkinseed oil, the excellent beef of Almochsen Alpine oxen, and the
Sulmtaler chicken breed. Also on the itinerary are a tasting of
Austrian raw-milk cheeses, a visit to an artisanal producer of schnapps
and single-variety apple and pear vinegars and a lesson on aquaculture
at a renowned trout farm.
In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the stage will focus on traditional
production that’s deeply rooted in the land. Beginning with an
introductory lesson on the historic traditions of Friulian gastronomy,
later classes will examine in detail the wines of the region, studying
the terroir and different production methods. Similarly detailed study
will be devoted to cured meats such as San Daniele and Sauris prosciutto and cured goose products such a mortadella and
foie gras. The entire chain of production will be covered, from the
raising of the animals, processing techniques, aging, nutritional and
sensory aspects, sales and marketing, and of course tasting. One day
will be dedicated to the grappas produced at the historic Nonino
distillery. Other topics for the stage include the Slow Food Presidium
Pitina, a very unusual preserved meat from Pordenone, and Montasio
cheese.
In the northern, Alpine Valle d’Aosta, the students will follow
different lessons on the history of the region, concentrating on
aspects of its agriculture including the characteristics of mountain
agriculture, the particularities of the landscape, and the history of
traditional valdostano cuisine. Typical products to be studied
include Fontina cheese, practically a symbol of the region. The
students will study what kinds of cows produce the milk, how they are
bred and raised, their diet, the milking and cheesemaking processes and
where and for how long the cheese is aged. One day will be dedicated to
a visit to a mountain cheesemaker to observe the milking and to better
understand the resources of the Alpine pastures. In addition to the
region’s dairy products the stage will also focus on the wines produced
in the mountains and typical cured meats such as Lardo di Arnard and
Jambon de Bosses.
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