On Saturday, November 7, Donato & Co. in Berkeley hosted the first-ever Italy, Uncorked. It was a full-house afternoon for people who love Italian wine, and a great start for a new Berkeley tradition.
Guests moved from table to table, asking questions, comparing their favorites and finding new ones. There were glasses raised, stories about the regions behind each label, and that happy noise you only hear when people come together around good wine. A big thank you to the Italian wine distributors who took part: Vinity Wine Company - Cherio Imports - Vinum Italia - Volio Wines - Vias Imports - Friuli Wines - Siena Imports - Southern Wine & Spirits - Breakthru Beverage
Of course, in Italy wine never comes without something good to eat, and Chef Gianluca Guglielmi and his team made sure nobody went hungry. There were his well-known salumi (bresaola, prosciutto cotto and coppa), duck rillettes, a selection of cheeses, lentils with cotechino, pasta filled with cavolo nero, casoncelli, Emilian erbazzone, crispy fried rockfish, grissini and every kind of pinsa romana. The star of the table was a wonderful Porchetta Trevigiana, carved by Chef Gianluca himself!
I was there with my camera, as always, trying to capture the curiosity, the conversations and the smiles that made this first edition so special. A heartfelt grazie to Donato and the whole team, to every distributor, and to all the guests who brought so much enthusiasm.
I hope these photos bring back a little of the spirit of the afternoon. Here’s to great Italian wines, good food and many more moments together.
