To each wine its Pecorino cheese for the perfect harmony between Orcia DOC and Cacio di Pienza

In collaboration with the Superintendency of Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo and within the initiatives for EXPO 2015, on Friday, September 4, the appointment for lovers of Pecorino cheese and wine takes place again in the town–masterpiece of Pienza, created in the mid–fifteenth century by the humanist Pope Pius II. An afternoon of tasting (3:00 to 6:30 pm) that will feature great Orcia DOC wines and the famous cheese within the splendid cloister of San Francesco. The tasting takes place in the framework of the Cheese Fair event that, every year, turns the spotlight on cheese, of which Pienza is a historic market, with a full program of competitions, concerts, conferences.

The absolute novelty of this year will be the game of perfect harmony with the Orcia wines. Thanks to a card supplied at the entrance, the participants in the tasting will be offered the opportunity to suggest the proper match between wine and Pecorino cheese, but only the best combinations, evaluated by Onaf tasters, will receive a nice surprise offered by the Orcia wines consortium. «This is a unique and at the same time fun experience to taste and learn about the wines of our young designation. Orcia producers, the artisans of the best wine in the world, directly serve the wines, while the Onaf tasters propose tastings of Pecorino types of different ages and give advice to visitors about pairings» Donatella Cinelli Colombini explains, Chairman of the Orcia Consortium. The wineries that will be present: Bagnaia, Capitoni Marco, Cretaiole, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, La Canonica, Olivi–Le Buche, Podere Albiano, Poggio Grande, Poggio al Vento, SassodiSole, Trequanda and Vegliena.

«Even this year on the occasion of the "Cheese Fair" the Municipality of Pienza has decided to collaborate with the Orcia wines consortium given the positive experience and the success of the previous edition» the Mayor of Pienza Fabrizio Fè comments. «This collaboration also includes the involvement of restaurants in Pienza» Gianpietro Colombini, Assessor of Tourism, added, explaining that, from August 31 to September 6, the caterers will offer "The dish of perfect harmony", four types of Pecorino cheese with a glass of Orcia Doc wine.

Let’s discover together the Onaf masters tasters, what are the secrets of the perfect harmony between cheese and wine in the tasting of Friday, September 4: succulence and greasiness of cheese are balanced with tannin and alcohol content of wines. The flavour and the acidity of what we find in the glass contrasts with the fat that is always present in cheese and especially in Pecorino cheese. To achieve balance in combining you should also consider flavour, aroma, spiciness and hotness of cheese by comparing them with the aromas and the softness of wine.

Hence the wine – cheese pairing becomes a fun and addictive game to make sure that the flavour of wine enhances the flavour of cheese.

EVENTS OF THE DAY September 4. The day, which takes place as part of the project of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers "Expo and territories" and is supported by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism – Superintendence for Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo, will see a series of events related to cultural and gastronomic tradition of Pienza and its territory; in addition to the already mentioned tasting and the identification in the plate of the "perfect harmony" will be held in the same day of the presentation of the book of prof. Fabio Pellegrini "IL PLATINA – The humanist gastronome of Pius II" and in the evening in Piazza Pio II the concert of Leggera Electric Folk Band that has reassessed in a modern key popular songs and traditions of the land.

THE ORCIA DOC WINE AND ITS CONSORTIUM The Orcia designation was born on February 14, 2000 and includes Orcia varieties obtained from red grapes with at least 60% Sangiovese and Orcia "Sangiovese" with at least 90% of this variety, both also in the "Reserve" type. The name Orcia includes the Bianco, Rosato and Vin Santo types.

The wines are born in forty wineries and show the commitment and passion of the producers that in the vast majority do everything directly: from the vineyard to the sale of the bottles. In an era of globalization, the Orcia wine is still a familiar product, made by those who live in the vineyards, in harmony with nature and with excellent skills in oenology and viticulture.

Orcia wine is produced in one of the world’s finest agricultural districts and part of the UNESCO Heritage Sites. 13 Municipalities: Buonconvento, Castiglione d’Orcia, Pienza, Radicofani, San Giovanni d’Asso, San Quirico d’Orcia, Trequanda and part of Abbadia San Salvatore, Chianciano Terme, Montalcino, San Casciano dei Bagni, Sarteano and Torrita di Siena.

THE CITY OF PIENZA The city masterpiece, commissioned by Pope Pius II Maecenas in his native village of Corsignano. The ideal Renaissance city, the one in which the utopia of the "civitas" as a system of life and government is expressed in the best way. It is the first to be built according to a "development plan" in only three years (1459–62) by the architect Bernardo Rosellino with beautiful and impressive buildings: the Cathedral, the restoration of the existing Public Palace, the Borgia Palace and the Piccolomini Palace with the roof garden and the porch where Zeffirelli set the house of Capulet in his movie "Romeo and Juliet". Pienza is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1996, a recognition that, since 2004, also extends to the entire Val d’Orcia considered the highest expression of the relation between man and nature.

In 2014 Pienza celebrates the centenary of the birth of the poet Mario Luzi, a honorary citizen who made of the city of Pius II his residence of choice.

For centuries Pienza has been a market for sheep cheese that, the first week of September had been put on sale at the fair of San Matteo, that became in 1974 "Cheese Fair" which recently has been enriched with the game of "melted cheese" and of an ONAF competition for the best Pecorino cheese (of dairies and farms) of southern Tuscany.

ONAF Cheese Tasters National Organization was founded in Cuneo in 1989 and is based in Grinzane Cavour. It is the first organization in Italy to promote sensory analysis as a tool to evaluate and improve the quality of dairy products. It counts 1,500 members including 300 Masters tasters. He organizes courses, participates in juries, conferences, events and everything that promotes the culture of quality cheese. The ONAF Taster is an experienced, knowledgeable, passionate person and rigorously testifies the passion that can be found in dairy products.

In the last few years we are trying to draw attention on the food culture, for this reason cheese is a food that can not be overlooked; ONAF allows anyone the access to this "unknown world" through specific courses of training and information. Courses are a journey between head, heart and sensory abilities, a "gym" to train all our five senses to take in and discover new sensations and emotions.

For more information:

Consorzio Vino Orcia