Alta Badia Highlights Culinary And Wine Excellence
In recent years, Alta Badia has become a reference point for lovers of good food, offering a vast culinary offer, from traditional to gourmet and even Michelin starred cuisine. Indeed, there is no better stage than these places in the heart of the Dolomites a UNESCO World Heritage site for a gastronomic trip in close contact with nature. During the summer of 2024, there are many initiatives for all tastes that will tempt the guests of Alta Badia.
ROOTS OF EXCELLENCE
The event that brings together the best of contemporary food and wine returns to San Cassiano from 27 to 29 July for its summer edition. Organised by the historic Ciasa Salares, an icon of Alta Badia and of the local culinary tradition, Roots of Excellence celebrates the essence of authenticity and sustainability, seeking absolute quality without territorial limits. Roots of Excellence will be developed over three days, each with a specific theme, with tastings, talks and meetings with the artisans of taste, who will bring their idea of authentic food and wine to some of the most representative places in Alta Badia, surrounded by the panorama of the Dolomites. The first day will be dedicated to high altitude cuisine, with a meeting at the Ciasa Salares mountain huts with Italian producers of salami, cheese and meat. The second day is dedicated to barbecues in the equipped areas of the Sass Dlacia, at the gates of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Natural Park. Traditionally, the event ends on Monday at the Ciasa Salares, the "house" where it all began, where the tasting sessions with chefs, producers and wine growers will take place.
GOSTÉ DA PAUR: BREAKFAST AT THE FARM
Breakfast for many is the most important meal of the day and, in fact, nutritionists recommend having a hearty breakfast, based on wholesome products. Alta Badia also wants to follow this advice and offer its guests the possibility of having a rich breakfast, different from the usual. The five appointments planned during the summer include a morning visit to five different farms, where participants, accompanied by the farmer, can enter the cowshed to fetch eggs, help with the preparation of products such as ricotta cheese and experience close contact with animals and nature. Breakfast is then provided. There will be no shortage of farmer's products on the table: milk, butter, eggs, jam, fresh bread and other home-made specialities. These are the dates: 23 July (Lüch Larcenei farm), 6 August (Dolomites Farm), 3 September (Lüch Arslada farm), 10 September (Bio Lüch Ruances Farm), 17 September (Lüch Maierhof farm). Booking is compulsory and can be made online www.altabadia.org or at the tourist offices in Alta Badia. The cost is 30€ per person for adults, 20€ for children from 5 to 12 years old and 15€ for children under 5.
VINS ALALERIA: TASTING WINES IN SPECIAL LOCATIONS
They are called 'Vins alaleria - wines in the open air', the appointments with André Senoner, South Tyrolean sommelier expert and Italy's best sommelier 2022, who during the five appointments in June, July, August and September will provide participants with unforgettable outdoor experiences with the best wines from South Tyrol. These wines are distinguished by their excellent quality, thanks to a favourable climate, fertile soil and the love of the winegrowers. The tastings take place in locations with a very special character, carefully chosen to provide an all-round sensory experience. On 27 June, a tasting of cuvée wines from South Tyrol was held at the foot of the Pisciadú waterfalls, while South Tyrolean white and aromatic wines will be presented on 18 July at Lech dla Lé lake on the foot of the iconic Santa Croce. On 1 August, on the other hand, on the meadows of Sas Dlacia, at the entrance of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, a red wine tasting will be held. On 29 August, there will be a tasting of sparkling wines at the Larcenëi meadows with a spectacular view to the Cima Dieci, Cima Nove peaks. The location chosen for the last appointment, scheduled for 5 September, is the artists’ trail along the river from La Villa to San Cassiano. At the end of the walk participants can taste a sparkling-, a white -, a red - and a rosé wine.
To participate in the tastings, booking is compulsory online www.altabadia.org
NOS DALES BALES: AN EVENING DEDICATED TO DUMPLINGS
The different varieties of dumplings are undoubtedly among the dishes that most characterise South Tyrolean cuisine and it is precisely for this reason that Alta Badia is dedicating an entire evening to this dish. On Tuesday, 16 July, a dumpling tasting will take place in the centre of the village of Badia, ranging from sweet to salty and from more traditional to more innovative versions. The dumpling can, in fact, be prepared in innumerable variations, to satisfy the tastes of all event participants.
The event takes place along Badia's main street, closed to traffic for the occasion, starting at 7 pm. The majestic church of San Leonardo, candles and torches, as well as local music will frame the evening. Tickets can be pre-sold at the information offices. It will also be possible to purchase them directly at the event venue. Reservations are not necessary.
LADIN COOKERY COURSES: REPLICATING HOLIDAY TASTES AT HOME
For those who want to take a bit of Alta Badia home with them, to experience even after their holiday, Ladin cookery courses are on offer, during which you can learn some of the simplest recipes, which you can easily replicate at home. The initiative is called "Cujiné te ütia" (Cooking in the mountain hut) and involves an outdoor cooking course on the 2000m terraces of the mountain huts Ütia Bioch (June 26), Club Moritzino (July 31) and I Tablá (August 28) with a 360° Dolomite panorama. Each participant will have their own station and will be able to cook the various dishes together with the hut chef, who will explain in detail every step in the preparation of the typical dishes. Each event will start at 2.30 pm. Reservations are compulsory at the Alta Badia tourist offices or online at www.altabadia.org
DELICIOUS TASTINGS IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH NATURE
Na cascada de saus: On 23 July, the meadows below the Pisciadú waterfalls, a 15-minute walk from the centre of the village of Colfosco, will for one day become a richly laid table with delicacies of Ladin cuisine. The valley's restaurateurs will prepare a selection of sweet and salty dishes, some faithfully following grandmother's recipes, others giving free rein to their imagination. However, they are all united by their source of inspiration: the surrounding nature, the protagonist in their dishes, for which they choose genuine, regional ingredients.
Roda salvaria - from nature to the table: on 28 August, the local cuisine moves to the animal park in Colfosco, where local restaurants set up kiosks where Ladin specialities, reinterpreted in a street food key, can be enjoyed. Each dish has as its main ingredient an element of nature, from forest fruits to aromatic herbs, all to be tasted on the move, through a culinary journey through the wood.
To take part in the two events, no booking is necessary, just go directly to the venue, where you can buy the dishes you want.
SAUS DL ALTONN - THE FLAVOURS OF AUTUMN
There is no better time than autumn to enjoy nature in total relaxation in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites. From 15 September to 6 October, Alta Badia offers two weeks dedicated to local culinary excellence, highlighting local products and their producers. These will be the protagonists at the mountain huts Club Moritzino, I Tablá, Ütia Bioch, and Lé, where menus, created especially for the occasion, will be presented during four days in the three weeks at the end of September. The producers, who are present at the various events, will be on hand to illustrate the special features and properties of the various products, which can also be purchased on site. The mountain huts can be easily reached with the ski lifts, which are open until 6 October.
Furthermore, during this period, other activities are proposed, aimed at introducing the excellence of Alta Badia to those who have chosen this magical period to spend a few days of their holiday in the Dolomites.
