A dinner was recently held at Ristorante San Giuliano to honour the longstanding friendship between the Guerrieri Rizzardi family, owners of the historic wine house in Veneto, and the Peter & Biljana (Billie) Darmanin, long-established restaurateurs and owners of restaurants San Giuliano, San Raffael and Girasole.  The event was originally planned to be held on the terrace of Ristorante Girasole overlooking the picturesque Spinola Bay in St Julian’s but windy conditions forced it to be moved indoors to Ristorante San Giuliano.

Guerrieri Rizzardi is a result of the union between two ancient Veronese wine producers of substance: the Counts Guerrieri, owners of a centuries-old estate with vineyards and cellars in Bardolino, and the Counts Rizzardi, who acquired their vineyards in Negrar back in 1649, building the historic cellar of Pojega shortly thereafter. In 1913 the two families came together through marriage and Guerrieri Rizzardi was formed launching their first label in 1914.

Guests kicked off the evening with Guerrieri Rizzardi’s Prosecco Extra Dry at the bar. They enjoyed some of Girasole’s most-popular dishes - Ceviche di Pesce Bianco, Polpetti di Neonati  and Prosciutto di San Daniele con rucola e Parmiggiano, followed by Ravioli con Asparagi e Ricotta, Risotto con Zucca, Bufala & Zafferano and Penne con Gamberi e crema di rucola. Seconds were either Pesce Fresco alla Griglia or the very much sought-after Saltimbocca alla Romana. Guerrieri Rizzardi’s Pinot Grigio and ‘Pojega’ Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso were chosen to match these dishes. Ferrarelle, Italy’s #1 sparkling water, and Natia natural mineral water accompanied the dishes and wines.

Giuseppe Rizzardi, son of the Countess Maria Cristina Rizzardi and Guerrieri Rizzardi’s winemaker, originally planned a visit to the island to coincide with this dinner but was caught up in the vineyards during harvest. He is now planning a visit in November and will conduct a masterclass focusing on their award-winning Amarones and a winemaker’s dinner.

Farsons Beverage Imports Company (FBIC) Limited proudly imports and distributes Guerrieri Rizzardi wines locally, available in selected restaurants, wine boutiques and Farsonsdirect in Mriehel (www.farsonsdirect.com). FBIC is a member of the Farsons Group.