Sommelier, two Milanese Davide Dargenio and Paolo Saccone on the podium in first and second place

Yesterday evening, at the Grand Visconti Palace in viale Isonzo and at the end of a marathon of classic and surprise tests, food / wine / drinks combinations and blind tastings of 3 wines with description in a foreign language, the judgment of the jury of experts chosen by Aspi (association of Professional Sommellerie) was lapidary:
Davide Dargenio is the “Best Sommelier of Italy 2018”, 28 year old of Apulian origin but raised in Milan and who studied and trained in Milan, exactly at the Carlo Porta Institute, before gaining experience and working in numerous starred restaurants in England (Bray and Oxford), France (in two prestigious places in Provence) and Switzerland (in Verbier and Montreaux) and then landed in Lausanne where he is currently employed as sommelier chef and trainer at Le Berceau des Sens, restaurant of the prestigious hotel school EHL from Lausanne.
And the victory was touched by another Milanese, Paolo Saccone, 33, who came in second place, who was born in the Lombard capital and where he also studied, he too   at the “Carlo Porta”, with considerable experience gained between Paris and London, and currently serving as a Group Sommelier for the Dedes Group in Sydney, Australia.
While third place went to Salvatore Castano, chief sommelier at the Mash restaurant in London, also in the shortlist of the “best of” out of the selection that on Saturday had seen twelve candidates, all Italian, but for the most part with rewarding roles in restaurants and hotels abroad.

Yesterday as well, the title of “best tasterby Onav” was awarded, Onav is the national organization of wine tasters: the award went to Marco Passarelli.

Another notable award went to the Tuscan Francesco Cosci: the “Fondazione Birra Moretti Award” was a showcase  of the drink that is very popular  among consumers and that has a strong performances in pairing with food.