The very concept of Naturalness is now the primary concern for many major names in Gastronomy and Wine. Alain Ducasse sings its praises in his latest video released for the reopening of his restaurant Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée. For the past 20 years, Vito Catania, owner of the Gulfi vineyard in Sicily, has talked about “Naturalita” in Italian to define not only the natural ecosystem created in his vineyards but also the cuisine in his restaurant, where locally grown is a conscious choice. Lastly, for the past year, Champagne de Venoge has been travelling the world to introduce exceptional products that become even more sublime and unforgettable when carefully paired with certain champagnes (see the video with Massimo Bottura, 3 Michelin star chef, as well as the video that highlights wild flat Cancale oysters).
But what is Naturalness exactly? Naturalness, in terms of the environment refers to the wild state of a zone or natural area. The Collins English dictionary says that it is something “unspoilt and unchanged”. With the rise of urban ecology, naturalness seems to be of interest to a growing number of urban planners, either as an element of design, a way to reduce the impacts of a city and traffic (noise pollution for example) or more generally as a source of ecosystem services. To better understand Naturalness and its role in the world of Gastronomy and Wine, have a look at these videos and read about Vito Catania’s vision of “Naturalita”. As Alain Ducasse likes to remind us, “no matter where a product comes from, there are people, men and women behind it.”
(Write to VitaBella info@vitabella.fr)
