Discovering the territory from an… excellent perspective.
The EXCELLENCE LOUNGE, an international business networking event held in Lugano, Rome, Milan, London, Monte Carlo, Florence, and Venice for over 10 years, has chosen one of Lugano’s most iconic locations. An exclusive event that, for this edition, showcases some of the region’s finest food and wine excellence for an unusual and indulgent journey to discover the most authentic Ticino.
VITTI Lugano is an elegant restaurant and cocktail bar located in the heart of the city, where Veronica and Angelo Vitti, continuing the family tradition since 1898, welcome guests to live a unique experience. On March 13th, this exclusive location will become the ideal stage for an event that will offer the opportunity to embark on an unforgettable journey through the territory guided by a single theme: excellence combined with the originality of some of its food and wine realities that are truly worth knowing, small “gems” that shine thanks to those who daily strive to keep ancient traditions alive.
The starting point coincides with the fascinating world of Giacomo Cavargna, a passionate producer who has turned his garden in Malvaglia into a veritable paradise of berries and small fruits, a triumph of biodiversity, expertly transformed into an extraordinary collection of jellies and juices, following natural principles and rules preserving the authenticity of flavors and, from a health perspective, keeping vitamins and active ingredients intact. The search for the most suitable varieties for the climate and cultivation techniques follows the rhythms dictated by nature and allows for fruit production that, albeit limited in quantity, enhances absolute quality in its uniqueness. Harvesting is daily and respects the ripening times: this is why each fruit embodies an authentic taste and represents a unique and fulfilling sensory experience.
Thanks to the uniqueness of the flavors, intense and pronounced, and the acidity, Giacomo’s jellies are particularly versatile and lend themselves to multiple pairings: the most classic in pastry, where they enhance colors and flavors in numerous combinations – from ice creams to creams – also allowing tasty and colorful garnishes. They astonish, and are truly unmissable, paired with boiled meats, red meats, and game, delighting even the most curious palates, while the texture of the jellies and the freshness of the juices add a refined touch to the tasting of pâtés and terrines, transforming each bite into a memorable gastronomic experience. Sublime is the pairing with cheeses: the balanced sweetness and acidity of the jellies harmonize both with the creaminess of fresh cheeses and with the strength of aged ones, offering a symphony of flavors with every bite.
And it is thanks to the magical world of Giacomo’s jellies that we meet another protagonist of the event: we stay in Malvaglia and get to know the family-run Blotti charcuterie – now in its third generation – which since the 1930s has been producing authentic delicacies made from the best Swiss meats, processed according to traditional methods jealously guarded and passed down from father to son.
The specialties of the house are salami and raw ham, but it is also impossible to resist the exquisitesalametti, bologna, and, in autumn, the famous goat violins, not to mention the classic Christmas zampone. A curiosity: the aging of cured meats takes place in the cellar of the Blotti deli, located in the former chocolate factory “Cima Norma” in Torre, which, besides being a unique place steeped in the history and culture of the area, allows for optimal aging thanks to an ideal mix of temperature and humidity percentage.
At the southernmost tip of Canton Ticino, at the foot of Penz hill, another unusual reality captivates us: a young dairy, opened in early 2020 thanks to Rita Laudato, who with initiative, imagination, and innovation decided to pursue her passion for dairy farming, born from love and respect for animals and nature, and a sort of gratitude for their existence. Various types of cheese are produced, the result not only of careful research but also of a marked creativity and the wise use of molds that act with different aging times.In addition to cheeses, the dairy offers authentic delicacies: Sieretto, a sorbet made with whey and available in different flavors (chocolate, pistachio, stracciatella, coffee), and Corsetto, made with scotta – the whey that remains in the cauldron when cheese or ricotta is made – and with tasty fruit flavors. Rita pays particular attention to ecological issues and is committed to a conscious use of all components of milk processing, including those minor products that are usually discarded.
At the end of this journey, here is the indispensable element of every respectable table, wine, which in Canton Ticino is identified with Cantina Moncucchetto. The winery, not far from the center of Lugano, on a hillside, initially consisted only of an old 17 quintals wooden vat, two barrels, two small presses, and a destemmer, tools still preserved in a room used as a small museum; today it represents the heart of a company rich in history but projected into the future, to transform the fruits of nature with the utmost respect into the nectar of the gods. Not to be missed is the precious journey through fermentations in steel barrels, visible on the ground floor, aging in barriques in the basement in the splendid barrel room characterized by exposed rock, representing the connection with the earth, to the room used for classic method sparkling wine production.
The company is owned by the Lucchini family and produces prestigious wines partly made from grapes over 40 years old, and it is a reality where nature, culture, environment, and high-quality products coexist. To best highlight the terroir between Moncucchetto, Agra, Sorengo, Bioggio, Boscherina, and Morchino, is the oenologist Cristina Monico, a deep connoisseur of Ticino viticulture, driven by competence, dedication, and great passion for her work; her desire is to obtain the best possible wine considering the quality of the raw material within a specific territory, respecting a tradition that evolves and changes.
On March 13th, orchestrating the event by creating unusual “encounters” between the ingredients of the participating companies, will be Mauro Ranieri, the chef of VITTI Lugano, who will lead guests along a true sensory journey consisting of refined mixes of the evening’s superstar products, paired with selected Moncucchetto labels.
Not to be missed!
