On Monday, October 26th, during the VinItaly.USA 2026 exhibition in NYC, the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna hosted an elaborate tasting experience exploring “Italy’s Food Valley.”
The event, at Eataly Downtown, in collaboration with Casa Artusi Foundation (the official community of Italian Cuisine as UNESCO World Heritage), showcased what makes Emilia-Romagna a global icon of food and wine excellence.
Hosted by Appetito’s Editor-in-Chief Andrew Cotto, the evening featured an aperitivo/dinner with an array of tasting stations offering traditional dishes from the region. Wines from the region were served as well as signature cocktails using Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI.
Comments from regional dignitaries on hand were offered at intervals throughout the evening, including Manuela Rontini, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Region; the Honorary Stefano Bonaccini, Member of the European Parliament (and former, long-standing President of the Region), and Matteo Daffadà, President of the Council of Emilia-Romagnoli Worldwide.
Mattia Fiandaca, Project Manager at Casa Artusi, spoke of the International Observatory on Italian Cuisine and Gastronomy, established following the recent UNESCO recognition of Italian cuisine as “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”
To further celebrate a region world-renowned for its food culture, six of Emilia-Romagna’s 46 protected products (PDO / PGI) were featured throughout the evening:
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia PDO
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Brisighella PDO
Among the culinary highlights was a ceremonial opening of a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO: a symbolic gesture representing one of the most iconic rituals of Emilia-Romagna tradition. The opening was overseen by Eugenio Perrier, North America Country Manager of the Consorzio Parmigiano-Reggiano.
At the evening’s close, Matteo Milandri, Chef at Casa Artusi, explained the specifics of the menu presented and welcomed the “Nonna” on hand, making fresh tortellini, the region’s most iconic pasta.
The evening’s intentions were explained to Appetito by Undersecretary Rontini. “America is still our region’s #1 export country,” she said. “And while we are in a complicated geopolitical situation, we want to be sure to strengthen the narrative about the quality of our products.”
Mission accomplished.
