New record for highest price ever paid in Italy for a bottle of wine. A bottle of wine sold at auction for €100,000 has set a new record as the highest price ever paid in Italy, reports Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The bottle in question is a jeroboam, a double magnum, in other words 3 litres (four times the volume of a standard bottle), from the "particularly precious" 1990 vintage. The label is Romanée Conti Grand Cru, one of the most prestigious in the world, with a 25-hectare vineyard in Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy. Italy launches new pink Prosecco Rosé The record was set by the Pi ..read more

Italians are assured they will find yeast on the supermarket shelves, come hell or high water. There is absolutely no need to assault the supermarket shelves and stockpile yeast amid the prospect of lockdown, be it local or national, as Italy battles a second wave of covid-19. This is the message from the Yeast Group of the Assitol Italian association of olive oil producers, who assure consumers that they will find yeast no matter what happens. The great carbohydrate debate: Italy vs US The promise comes as Italy tightens restrictions, with certain regions already in "soft lockdown" mode,&nb ..read more

Italian police seize 4,200 bottles of counterfeit 'Super Tuscan' wine. Police in Florence have smashed an international ring involved in counterfeiting the 'Super Tuscan' wine, Bolgheri Sassicaia, one of Italy's most exclusive red wines. The probe, code-named Bad Tuscan, led to two members of the gang being placed under house arrest while a further 11 suspects are being investigated for offences ranging from counterfeiting of the trademark to receiving stolen goods. The potential turnover from the illicit operation was estimated at around €400,000 per month, reports Italian newspaper Il Fatto ..read more

Pecorino cheese makes Guinness Book of World Records in Sardinia. Italy has claimed the title of the world's 'Largest block of cheese - sheep's milk' for a giant Pecorino weighing 598.5 kilograms and measuring 165 cm wide and 60 cm high. The massive block of Pecorino was produced in Loculi, in the Nuoro province on the island of Sardinia, after 12 months of seasoning, reports Italian news agency ANSA. The giant cheese block smashed a 2010 record registered at Ascoli Piceno, in Le Marche region, for a 534.7 kg block of Pecorino. The new record-breaking block of Pecorino was made on 12 May 2019 ..read more

  Following the success of Florence and Rome, Mercato Centrale arrives at Milano Central train station. For those that haven’t been to one of the Mercato Centrale’s locations, the mercato is a food hall that hosts some of Italy’s finest selection of cosmopolitan bars, caffes, and restaurants. Mercato Centrale unites culinary artists, foodies, and travelers. Whether dining or meeting for business at one of the bars, the Mercato’s modern approach of ambience attracts many when transiting through Milan. Including, Mercato Centrale’s very own radio station where the mercato’s playlist can be ..read more

Celebrity chef set to launch Nusr-Et restaurant in Milan. Salt Bae, the celebrity chef and restaurateur who owns the Nusr-Et chain of steak houses, has announced plans to open a steakhouse restaurant in Milan. The 38-year-old Turkish butcher, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, replied to a question on Instragam in which he was asked: "When will you open in Milan?" He answered: "Next year". The location of the restaurant is under wraps for now but in early 2020 - weeks before Italy was locked down due to the covid pandemic - it was reported that Salt Bae was seeking to la ..read more

American chain seeks major slice of Italy's pizza delivery market. Domino's Pizza could have 880 pizzerie across Italy within less than a decade as part of an ambitious expansion plan by the American giant, according to online financial newspaper Money.it. The company, which currently operates 28 pizzerie in Italy, is seeking entrepreneurs to invest in its franchising plan, which would see each restaurant hire 14 employees, six of whom would be delivery riders.  Domino's will reportedly concentrate its expansion mainly in the north and centre of the country - as far as ..read more

After the Nutella Biscuit craze comes Ferrero ice-cream. Ferrero, the Italian confectionery giant known the world over for Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, is making its debut in Italy's ice-cream market this summer. Following on from the runaway success of its Nutella Biscuits, which sold 47 million packets in its first year, Ferrero is now entering the ice-cream market which is worth around €2 billion a year in Italy alone. Italy can't get enough of Ferrero's Nutella Biscuits The company is launching Ferrero Rocher, Ferrero Rocher Dark and Raffaello ice cream sticks and Estathé Ice lo ..read more

Italian espresso coffee is candidate for UNESCO Heritage.Italy has launched a formal bid for its espresso coffee to be awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO, arguing that the drink is an integral part of the country’s cultural heritage. The candidature, promoted by the Consortium for the Safeguarding of Traditional Italian Espresso Coffee, was presented formally at the Italian parliament in Rome. The initiative seeks recognition for Italian espresso “whose originality and peculiarity must be preserved” as well as recognising its social aspect, "a ritual that has now also crossed nationa ..read more

Italy ready to do "everything possible" to protect authenticity of Modena's balsamic vinegar. Italy has moved to defend the authenticity of Modena's balsamic vinegar over attempts by Slovenia to 'standardise' its production in a market worth about €1 billion. The Italian agriculture ministry has written to the European Commission contesting the move by Slovenia whose draft regulations on the classification of vinegar quality has caused alarm in Italy. EU recognises Turin as true home of Vermouth Slovenia is seeking to label any vinegar mixture with concentrated fruit juice or must as balsami ..read more