VENETIAN AMUSE BOUCHE

Venetian Radicchio Risotto topped with grilled scallops paired with ZENATO SOAVE & PINOT GRIGIO

Presented by Alberto Zenato

SICILIAN STARTERS

Citrus Tuna Carpaccio with mint, and olive oil AND Mozzarella and white anchovy stuffed Zucchini Flowerr paired with DONNAFUGATA LIGHEA (ZIBIBBO) & SEDARA (NERO d’AVOLA)

Presented by Giulia Lazzarini

SARDINIAN PASTA ENTREE

Lamb and Rosemary filled Panzerotti topped with Parmesan shavings paired with SARDUS PATER VERMENTINO & CANNONAU

Presented by Marco Pinna

TUSCAN MAIN COURSE

Fire Grilled Beef Sirloin with Porcini Mushrooms and roasted potato chips paired with BADIA A COLTIBUONO CHIANTI CLASSICO/SANGIOVETO

Presented by Giandomenico Zedde

PIEMONTESE DESSERT

Grape & Sweet wine Pannacotta paired with BRAIDA MOSCATO d’ASTO AND Biscotti with GRAPPA BERTA

Presented by Giovanni Bocchino

Visiting Italian wine producers from Donnafugata (Sicily), Sardus Pater (Sardinia), Badia a Coltibuono (Tuscany), Zenato (Veneto) and Distillerie Berta (Piedmont) will present their wines.  Only a few seats @ R350 a head remain for this special dinner, so book now. Visitors unable to make the dinner will be able to meet the Italian winemakers both days at the event.

Call 021-852 3590 for directions and more info about the event or the dinner. Look out for the signboards from the N2 and from Sir Lowry’s Pass Village.

Tickets prices for the festival range from R50-R175 and are available online through www.webtickets.co.za

A full day of activities and related events is planned at Italia in Campagna, or Italy in the Countryside, when Idiom Wines host their annual Italian-themed harvest festival on Saturday 25^th and Sunday 26^th February at Da Capo Vineyards in the hills of Somerset West.  Booking (www.webtickets.co.za) is essential to secure a place, especially on the Sunday when the Italian community will be out in force, but it will be possible to buy tickets at the entrance to the farm for the Saturday.

Start with grape picking in the morning from 09h30, grab a Lavazza caffe’ and a cornetto while browsing La Gazzetta dello Sport or one of the many Italian newspapers that will be printed for the event, buy a salamino, coppa, bresaola or formaggio to savour on site or take home from the food market, learn all there is to know about Mozzarella cheese from Davide and Fabio from PugliaCheese and watch or participate in the parade of Vespas (there is a Saturday morning club ride from Cape Town to the event), play a game of boules on the bocce court, or just relax, take in the view and the fresh air and listen to the Mike Rossi jazz band perform live followed by Italian guitar player Carlo Moretti. For lovers of ‘Made in Italy’, the latest models of Alfa Romeo and Fiat cars, Ducati motorbikes and Bianchi bicycles and other displays of designer goods from Afritaly, Italtile, as well as clothing from MaxMara will be on display.

Then from 11h30 until 15h30 indulge in the various Italian dishes being prepared by the many participating restaurants including Mastrantonio Il Leone, Wijnhuis/La Perla, Limoncello, Il Cappero and Fratelli Palmieri. Friulian salsiccia and polenta, Sardinian ‘porchetta’, home-made pasta, lasagna, porcini mushrooms, Neapolitan and Sicilian specialities including rabbit, arancine and cannoli, and are just some of the mouth-watering tastes that will be on offer both days.

Kids will be entertained with pizza- and pasta making activities and various games being arranged by La Dante Italian Cooking School. There will be pony and tractor rides, a petting zoo, water slides and a mini football pitch, not to mention la cuccagna grease pole, making this a true family day in the country.

The event is also aimed at wine lovers. An air-conditioned wine-tent will feature the top local examples of Italian-South African wines, including Italian varietals and other offerings from Idiom, Casa Mori, Monterosso, Ayama and Dalla Cia.  These can be compared to a selection of 35 different wines from Italy, ranging from Barolo to Brunello, which will be available for tasting and to purchase by the glass in the same area. Bottega prosecco, grappa and limoncello will also be on offer from Profumi d’Italia..

A highlight will be the regional food and wine pairing dinner held at the venue on Saturday 25^th February 6pm, when visiting Italian wine producers Donnafugata (Sicily), Sardus Pater (Sardinia), Badia a Coltibuono (Tuscany), Zenato (Veneto) and Distillerie Berta (Piedmont) will present their wines.  Only a few seats @ R350 a head remain for this special dinner, so book now. Visitors unable to make the dinner will be able to meet the Italian winemakers both days at the event.

Call 021-852 3590 for directions and more info about the event or the dinner. Look out for the signboards from the N2 and from Sir Lowry’s Pass Village.

Tickets prices range from R50-R175 and are available online through www.webtickets.co.za

For the young-at-heart, activities will include grape picking & stomping, 5-a-side calcetto (soccer), a bocce tournament , pony & tractor rides, a petting zoo, scarecrow making and waterslides, whilst the earnest can visit the many Italian stalls and indulge in a variety of gastronomic temptations and wine workshops. For the more energetic, guided mountain walks to take in the fynbos and the spectacular views will be possible.

This event is set to truly be a memorable day out for the family as all are welcome.

A limited number of tickets are available and can be purchased, in advance, telephonically on 021-852 3590 or online, through www.webtickets.co.za

In 2011, 550 guests, largely members of the Cape Italian community, along with mostly Italian producers and brands gathered at Da Capo Vineyards to celebrate and partake in Italian fare, vino and coffee. 2012 will again be a celebration of Italian foods, wines and lifestyle.

The festival will encompass activities for the whole family including wine picking & stomping, bocce, 5-a-side colcetto, an Italian food market, Italian wine workshops and a host of gastronomic temptations for all to sample. A highlight will be the regional food and wine pairing dinner on Saturday 25th February from 6pm, with visiting Italian wine producers from Sicily, Sardinia, Tuscany, the Veneto and Piedmont, sharing their philosophies about their wines and terroir. Seating is limited so book early.

The event will be open to the public for the first time in 2012. For more information, call 021-852 3590 or to purchase tickets online, go to www.webtickets.co.za.

Aptly named Italia in Campagna, or Italy in the Countryside, the event will host sixteen Italian food stalls, five top Italian restaurants and local and international producers of Italian wines. Organised in collaboration with the Italian Consulate, La Dante Italian School and the Friuli Society, the event is developed to support the Italian community and last year hosted over 550 guests. This year will see the celebration expanded to a two-day event, as its gates are opened to the public for the first time. The venue, which will become the site of the new Idiom Wines tasting area late in 2012, provides a wonderful mountain and vineyard setting, offering guests a spectacular views of the Cape Peninsula and Helderberg basin.

The Bottega family will have their award winning and limited edition Idiom single Italian varietal wines available for tasting or purchase by the glass or bottle. Vinotria, the import component of Bottega Family Wines, will also have a selection of their authentic Italian wines available from a host of renowned Italian producers, including Vietti, Braida, Zenato, Badia a Coltibuono, Fattoria dei Barbi and Donnafugata. This newly available range of wines from Vinotria include many of the Italian wineries most famous wines as well as their best value products, to ensure that there is a selection of wines available for all pockets.

The intention is to celebrate the Bottega family’s Italian provenance and the Italian wines that fall pat of the Idiom and Vinotria wine portfolio’s. Tastings of finely sliced Prosciutto di San Daniele, Tortellini with prosciutto, Italian Salsiccia and Lamb Chops Scottaditto are just some of the mouthwatering dishes that will be served by the restaurants. Headlining the festival will be the renowned restaurants Mastrantonio, Limoncello, Il Cappero and the Wijnhuis group.

The hugely popular Italian fresh produce market will operate both days from early morning until the middle of the afternoon. Here, a wide selection of locally made and imported salumi, formaggi (cheeses), olive oils, coffees, biscotti and other delicacies can be sampled and purchased to be washed down with a choice of prosecco, vino and grappa.

Since the festival is taking place in summer, a special mention has to be made of the delicious selection of real gelato ice creams that will be on offer for those who have returned from their excursion into the vineyards.

A selection of five Italian wine producers will also fly out for the event, in order to add extra authenticity to the event. The producers will be not only be exhibiting their wines at the show but will also be giving a series of informative and interactive lectures within the dedicated wine tent, as well as hosting a food and wine paired dinner on Saturday the 25^th. Seating is limited to the event and booking is essential.

For more information, call 021-852 3590 or purchase your tickets online at www.webtickets.co.za

The guests, made up predominantly of Club Idiom members, select clients of Idiom Wines and members of the public, were able to pair the different cuts of steak on offer with a selection of the, as yet unreleased,  2007 Idiom blends.

Roberto Bottega, one of Idiom Wines’ proprietors, summed up the comcept behind the evening well, stating that “five meat cuts were paired with three of our wines, resulting in fifteen potentially different and unique taste sensations”

A springbok Carpaccio was served as a starter and paired well with the Idiom Sangiovese as the ‘wild’ factor in both components complimented each other. For mains, four cuts, namely sirloin, fillet, rib eye and ostrich fillet were served along with the three Idiom Blends (Rhone, Cape and Bordeaux). General consensus was that the Cape Blend worked soundly across the board, the Rhone paired up superbly with the ostrich whilst the Bordeaux flattered the fillet and sirloin. One table was even bold enough to try the meats with a dash of the Idiom Viognier and found that, surprisingly enough and contrary to popular belief, the wine went well with the cuts, in particular the rib eye.

Followers and fans of Idiom Wines can look forward to similar events in the future with Lawrence Hollander, sales and marketing executive at Idiom Wines, asserting that “the evening was such a roaring success that we at Idiom Wines feel it would be worth looking into the possibility of hosting similar evenings on a regular basis”.

Thanks must go out to Barry Niewoudt and his crew at the City Grill Steakhouse for all the hard work they put in to ensure that the guests were given a night to remember. Many a laugh was shared and friendship made throughout the course of the evening as all left with smiles on their faces.

ITALIA IN CAMPAGNA…A TASTE OF ITALY IN THE CAPE WINELANDS

La Vendemmia 2012 will form part of a bigger festival called ‘Italia in Campagna ‘(Italy in the Countryside) and will be a two-day celebration of Italian food, wine and lifestyle. The date for the festival is the last weekend of February (Sat 25^th/Sun26 Feb 2012) and a range of activities for adults and children is planned for both days. Grape picking and stomping, live music featuring jazz and Italian music, 5-a-side calcetto, bocce, climbing the cuccagna grease pole, tractor and pony rides, farm animals, scarecrow making and water slides are just some of the activities and entertainment provided on both days, while the more serious can visit the many Italian stalls and indulge in the variety of gastronomic temptations and wine workshops that will be on offer. For the more energetic, guided mountain walks to take in the fynbos and the spectacular views are also possible. A full timetable of events will be released on www.idiom.co.za closer to the event.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME

This year, the event will be open to the public for the first time and a limited number of tickets for the two-day festival will be sold on www.webtickets.co.za.  Paid up members of the Fogolar Furlan and La Dante will still be able to get guaranteed tickets directly at preferential prices from their respective societies but these bookings will close one week in advance (Fri 17^th Feb 2012). Club Idiom members will also be able to book directly with the farm on 021-852 3590 until this date. Thereafter all ticket sales will be handled online through the Webtickets platform.

INSPIRED BY ITALIA IN PIAZZA AT MONTECASINO

The festival has drawn some of its inspiration from the Italia in Piazza festival held at the outdoor piazza at Montecasino in June 2011.  Organised by the Italian Consulate in Johannesburg, the event was themed Italia 150, a celebration of 150 years of Italian unification. Many of the same ingredients have been incorporated to make this a true celebration of all things Italian, including elements from the typical medieval village and mountain festivals that take place in Italy such as long tables out in the vineyards.

EXHIBITORS OF MADE IN ITALY PRODUCTS

The event will also provide producers and distributors of goods ‘Made in Italy’ to showcase these items to a receptive target market.  Top brands of Italian motor vehicles, bikes, scooters, bicycles, toys, outdoor furniture, appliances, mineral water, foodstuffs, coffee machines, clothing, shoes and sporting apparel amongst others will be on display in the marquee village on the newly-prepared outdoor campo. The tents will be laid out in a u-shape to create a piazza feel. Exhibitors who would like to participate can contact Roberto Bottega on wine@idiom.co.za or 083 678 2094 by Tuesday 31^st January 2011. More information is available on a separate exhibitor document.

ITALIAN COUNTRY FOOD AND FRESH PRODUCE MARKET

This year several Italian restaurants have been invited to Da Capo to cater for the 1000 people a day or more expected to visit the festival. The intention is to keep as much of the food as authentically Italian as possible.   Tastings of finely sliced Prosciutto di San Daniele, Tortellini with prosciutto, Italian Salsiccia and Lamb Chops Scottaditto are just some of the mouthwatering dishes that will be served.  The venue, which will become the site of the new Idiom Wines tasting area later in 2012 or early 2013, provides a wonderful mountain and vineyard setting offering spectacular views of the Cape Peninsula across nearby False Bay.  The hugely popular Italian fresh produce market introduced at the 2011 La Vendemmia festival will now operate both days from early morning until the middle of the afternoon. Here a wide selection of locally made and imported salumi, formaggi (cheeses), olive oils, coffees, biscotti and other delicacies can be sampled and purchased to be washed down with a choice of prosecco, vino and grappa. Of course the festival is taking place in summer, so a special mention has to be made of the delicious selection of real gelato ice creams that will be on offer for those who have returned from the excursion into the vineyards.

ITALIAN VARIETAL WINES – TRY THE CAPE IDIOM…

The Bottega Family will have their award winning and limited edition Idiom Italian varietal wines (made from Sangiovese, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Primitivo grapes) as well as their new Rosso and Super Rosso di Stellenbosch wines available for tasting, and purchasing by the glass or by the bottle. All these Italian grapes are grown on Da Capo Vineyards where the first plantings took place in 1999. Visitors will also get a chance to visit the vineyards and help out with the harvest. As usual, repeat visitors will be able to purchase a case of La Vendemmia wine made from the grapes they picked and stomped the previous year. This year, other local producers of Italian wines have also been invited to the festival to add variety to the event.

…OR THE DOC ITALIAN VERSIONS IMPORTED BY VINOTRIA

Without a doubt, the highlight of the 2012 event will be the presence of visiting top Italian wine producers who will be on hand to guide visitors to explain what makes Italian wines so special and unique. Their presence is due to the fact that Bottega Family Wines (producer of Idiom) have started a new project called VINOTRIA, which is a collaboration with fellow their Italian importer and fellow Italian producer Belbon Hills. Currently Vinotria imports and distributes a selection of top wines from leading producers in Italy.  Many form part of the prestigious Wine Spectator Top 100 list. Producers in the portfolio include Donnafugata (Sicily), Feudi di San Gregorio (Campania), Masciarelli (Abruzzo), Chianti Classico producer Badia a Coltibuono and Brunello producer Fattoria dei Barbi (Tuscany), Sardus Pater (Sardinia),  Bellenda (prosecco), Ripassa and Amarone producer Zenato (Veneto) , Castello di Cigognola (Lombardy), top Barbera producers ‘Braida’ di Giacomo Bologna and Coppo, Barolo producer Vietti and top grappa producer Berta (all from Piedmont). After this year’s edition of Vinitaly, new producers will be added from Friuli and other regions. This newly available range of wines from Vinotria include many of the Italian wineries’ most famous wines as well as their best value products to ensure that there is a selection of wines available for all pockets.

SPECIAL EVENING EVENT: SAT 25^th FEB 18h00 – REGIONAL FOOD AND WINE JOURNEY THROUGH ITALY

A special Italian food and wine pairing evening featuring a serving of typical regional dishes accompanied by a talk and tasting of wines hosted by the visiting Italian producers from that  region, is being offered for lovers of Italian fare on Saturday evening 25^th Feb from 18h00, when it will be a bit cooler and the ambience will be perfect to gain some insight into the world of Italian wines. A separate booking will be required for this event which will cover the cost of the meal and wines served at the event. The special wine tasting ticket will also act as a weekend pass for those who want to arrive early to enjoy the festivities during the day on Saturday or who want to return on Sunday.  The menu will be published closer to the event and the cost for the dinner will be R350 per person.

BOOKLETS OF ‘OLD LIRE’ FOOD AND WINE COUPONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

In order to enjoy samplings of the different offerings at the festival, visitors will be required to purchase R50 or R100 booklets containing food and wine tickets denominated in Old Lire (Vecchie Lire). The tickets can be redeemed for tasting portions at the various food and wine stands making up the restaurant area and the country food market. The currency for the festival, which has not necessarily been reintroduced as a result of the current crisis facing the Euro, but rather to facilitate transactions on the day, will be available for purchase either from ticket vendors at the festival or alternatively can be bought prior to the event through the Webtickets.co.za portal at a discount of 5%. Left over vouchers, which are only valid for the two days of the festival cannot be redeemed for cash, however they can be used to purchase bottles of wine to take away.

Visitors are encouraged to purchase the combination day entry and lire ticket online which will allow them admission and a booklet of lire to use at the festival which be given to them at the door.

ENQUIRIES
Bottega Family Wines 021 852 3590

TICKET PRICES

PLEASE BOOK WELL IN ADVANCE AS NUMBERS ARE LIMITED AND THE EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME! UNFORTUNATELY IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO RESERVE A PARTICULAR TABLE OR AREA DUE TO THE NUMBERS.

ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF ENTRY TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE GATE IF TICKETS ARE NOT SOLD OUT. PLEASE CHECK WEB www.idiom.co.za or www.webtickets.co.za for UPDATES

ONLINE PREBOOKING  www.webtickets.co.za

(Discount applies on pre-booking for combination entry/lire vouchers  until Wed 22 Feb 2012 – therafter full admission price applies)

ADMISSION ONLY

Sat 25^th : Adults R100; Children 4-12 R50; Kids under 4 Free

Sun 26^h : Adults R100; Children 4-12 R50; Kids under 4 Free

COMBINATION ADMISSION + LIRE FOOD/WINE VOUCHERS

Sat 25^th: Adults R175 (includes R100 lire); Children 4-12 R75 (includes R50 lire); Kids under 4 free

Sun 26^th: Adults R175 (includes R100 lire); Children 4-12 R75 (includes R50 lire); Kids under 4 free

DINNER EVENT (LIMITED NUMBERS OF TICKETS)

Sat 25^th: from 18h00 including sundowner – Special Evening Event.

Regional Tasting Dinner hosted by visiting producers from Italy – R350 per person including Food and Wine

This ticket for the dinner also allows entry to the festival on Sunday.

MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT!

The organisers recommend making a weekend of the festival by attending the dinner on Saturday evening and then staying over in one of the many guesthouses, bed and breakfasts or country hotels in nearby Somerset West or Stellenbosch for the Saturday night. A shuttle service (available at extra cost) will also be on hand to take guests to their guesthouses on Saturday night after the dinner allowing them to leave their cars at the festival parking should they not want to drive.

SEE YOU ALL AT DA CAPO VINEYARDS – HOME OF IDIOM WINES – ON THE 25^th AND 26^th FEBRUARY 2012!