Major New Toscana Slow Regionwide Event

The Slow Food convivia (local chapters) of Tuscany were amongst the first in Italy and today the region has more Slow Food members per capita than anywhere else in the world. In the fourteen years since the Slow Food movement began, Slow Food Arcigola Toscana has worked to protect and to promote the region’s agricultural, environmental, gastronomic and cultural heritage – working with local communities and authorities, schools, homes for the elderly and not least of all, its artisan producers. For four days this Autumn, Slow Food Arcigola Toscana invites you to join them in Tuscany for a celebration of the region’s heritage and achievements.

From Thursday 29 November until Sunday 2 December, the great cities and provinces of Tuscany will host an original series of markets, exhibitions, taste workshops, dinners, tours and conferences. The extraordinary programme will include the following:

In Florence: tastings in the Uffizi gallery; a market of traditional street food sellers and a wine cellar in the Piazza della Repubblica, ‘A dish for every Province’ – a series of lunches and dinners hosted by the regions chefs and restaurateurs, including presentations of products from the Tuscan Ark & Presidi (Maremma and Chianina beef, La Cinta Senese pig, the Lambs of Zeri, mallegato (traditional Tuscan black pudding), Zolfino beans, Pecorino della montagna pistoiese, Biroldo della Garfagnana (cured meat), Bottarga of Orbetello (grey mullet roe) and Toscana extravecchio cigars);

In Siena: Toscana di Vino – during which over 200 of the best Tuscan wine producers will present their wines in the beautiful, frescoed rooms of the Santa Maria della Scala; Vini dei Nobili – during which eight ‘wines for Kings’, that is traditional wines from historical Italian families, will be tasted.

In Prato: Taste at School – a conference on taste education for teachers, to be held in the Museo Pecci; A Garden of Sweetness – an event in which the master pastry chefs of the region – and their students – will make and offer their creations to the public (prato is Italian for garden)

In Pisa: The Tuscan Sweet Train – a journey across the region stopping in Lucca, Pistoia and Prato for chocolate and cigar making demonstrations. During the trip, Tuscan cigars and grappas will be available for smoking in special carriages while in others, traditional farm products from the provinces of these three towns will be available for tasting!

In Lucca: The Mountain Gems – an exhibition and market of chestnuts, mushrooms, honey, preserves and wonderful native, mountain breads of meat to be held in the splendid arcades of the Palazzo Ducale; Taste Laboratory of Chestnuts and traditional chestnut dishes, accompanied by young red wines; Taste Laboratory of Raw Milk Percorino cheese;

In Arezzo: Quality of Land, Quality of Life – A conference around the theme of safeguarding the environment and agricultural quality as the key to improving the quality of life; Tuscan Oil – visits to and tastings with the best producers of the region including tastings of Tuscan breads from Arezzo and traditional cured meats;

In Barcalonga: A unique event in which the slow pace of the sea will be celebrated with the enjoyment of typical coastal dishes. The event will include tastings in the harbour, a boat trip to Elba – with more tastings on shore and onboard!

In Grosseto: Market of a thousand flavours – a market of over 1,000 great Tuscan products including all from the Tuscan Slow Food Presidia; Cooking the Presidia – a grand lunch of dishes featuring the Presidia products.

This is just a sample of the events contained within the Toscana Slow programme that also includes events for children and the elderly. Press conferences will be taking place in London, Zurich and New York during which representative from Toscana Slow will be presenting the programme, together with typical and rare Tuscan products for tasting.

The London press conference will take place at 3.00pm on Tuesday July 17 at Caldesi Tuscan Restaurant, Marylebone. If you would like to attend please reply to Wendy Fogarty (see below). Copies of the English programme will be available soon – please also note that Toscana Slow will be happy to prepare personalised itineraries for the world’s media.

We would like to thank Giancarlo Caldesi and Katie Beresford, proprietors of Caldesi, for their generous hospitality. Caldesi: 15-17 Marylebone Lane, London W1.
Tel: 020 7935 9226.

CONTACTS:

Personalised itineraries for journalists:
Maddalena Mazzeschi
Tel: ++ 39 0578 758 465/ 335 124
0064
Fax: ++ 39 0578 757672
E-Mail: [email protected]

Press contact – Toscana Slow:
Patrizia Cantini
Tel: ++39 348 7757371
Fax: ++ 39 055 284231
E-mail: [email protected]

Press contact – Slow Food International:
Alessandra Abbona
Tel: ++39 0172 419 611
Fax:++39 0172 421 293
E-mail: [email protected]

For the London press conference & programmes:
Wendy Fogarty
Tel: 01844 339 362
email: [email protected].

Please note that both Maddalena Mazzechi and Alessandra Abbona will be in London for the press conference. Dr Carlo Macchi will host the Taste Workshop which will include Tuscan oils, honey, cured meats, cheese and from the Ark of Taste & Presidi – lardo di Colonnata, salumi di Cinta Senese, Mortadella di Prato and Sigaro Toscano (Tuscan cigars).