Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading Italian wine and food media company, is back in Cape Town with the Top Italian Wines Roadshow bringing a selection of the best premium wines of Italy to the V&A Waterfront on Thursday, 26 January 2023.

One of 10 stops on the world tour this year, Cape Town joins major cities including Seoul, Sao Paulo, Miami, Mexico City and Sydney on this showcase of top tier Italian wines.

The interactive walk-around wine tasting, dedicated entirely to premium wines from across the boot of Italy, gives the South African wine industry and wine lovers the opportunity to taste 150 of the best Italian wines from almost 40 wineries all under one roof. It is an unmatchable occasion to discover Italy's diverse terroirs, appellations and the most important wine denominations.

Masterclasses led by wine expert and senior editor of Italy’s definitive wine guide, Vini d’Italia, Marco Sabellico, offer an in-depth experience for the more serious wine enthusiast on the day.

Another highlight of the show is the award ceremony when Gambero Rosso announces its latest restaurant list featuring the most authentic Italian trattorias, wine bars and pizzerias in Cape Town according to ratings by the digital guide, Top Italian Restaurants.

The interest in Italian wines among South African consumers has seen a significant upturn judging by the increase in imports. During the first three months of 2022, imports of Italian still and sparkling wines grew by almost 83,5% from a value of €477,552 in 2021 to €875,855 in 2022, bringing Italy's market share in South Africa based on the first quarter of 2022 to almost 8,9%. During the same period, France reduced its South African market share by just over 1,3%.

Wine enthusiasts interested in attending the Top Italian Wines Road Show can contact gudrun@gc-com.co.za for further information.

About Vini d'Italia 2023

Consistency, vitality, enthusiasm. This is the overall impression that emerges from the 36th edition of Vini d’Italia 2023. Italian wine today has the ability to surprise even the most experienced taster with its level of quality across all regions. The definitive Italian wine guide is the result of a year’s work by a committed team of expert tasters who travel the country visiting wineries and interviewing producers. The guide reviews 2,626 wineries and a total of 25,421 wines, awarding the classic Vini d’Italia ratings of one, two or three Glasses depending on the quality of the label. Of the 2,093 wines reaching the finals, 455 received the coveted Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses), the highest accolade awarded. Despite the challenges created by the pandemic crisis, Italian producers have demonstrated their prowess and good planning skills with numerous positive results including stepping up international expansion. Vini d’Italia is translated into German, English, Chinese and Japanese and is available on Apple and Amazon.

About Gambero Rosso

Gambero Rosso, the most important multimedia brand in the Italian food and wine world, celebrates its 36th anniversary this year. From taking its first steps in 1986 as an insert in a daily newspaper, Gambero Rosso’s first Guida dei Vini 1988 went to print the very next year. Since then, dozens of guides and books have been published under their brand. In 1999, Gambero Rosso Channel, Europe’s first thematic television channel, began broadcasting.

A constellation of Città del Gusto sites soon emerged throughout Italy, followed by Gambero Rosso Academy in the rest of the world. The academy offers cooking classes for professionals and amateurs, along with courses about wine, journalism master programs, and seminars on restaurant management. The most recent development was the listing of the company on the stock exchange. With the growing worldwide fascination with Italy and the demand for authentic Italian products, Gambero Rosso events have burgeoned around the globe. Since the first events in 1990, the international calendar has grown to over 40 events annually.

About Top Italian Restaurants

The golden age of Italian cucina has arrived on the international scene with its wide appeal, variety, proliferation of new restaurants and significant presence across the globe. Most major hotel groups prefer Italian cuisine for their flagship restaurants, while new openings showcasing Italian flavours have tripled around the word. The buzz around pizza is simply astounding. Even with surprising new, global trends such as the Roman-Style pinsa and new gourmet versions, the success of Neapolitan pizza continues to surge. The world desires Italy for its products with local flavours, native grape varieties and vibrancy. Diners who cross the threshold of a restaurant imagine themselves crossing the Italian border, embracing the Italian lifestyle of enjoyment around the table.

The Top Italian Restaurants guide, now in its fifth edition, plays a key role in promoting the authentic Italian taste experience abroad by reviewing and awarding ratings to deserving establishments. Their ratings follow the classic Gambero Rosso format of one, two or three Forks for restaurants, Shrimps for bistros and trattorias, Bottles for wine bars, and Slices for pizzerias. Approximately 800 food and wine establishments are selected for the guide. www.gamberorossointernational.com/restaurants.