Ticinum Gourmet

Nine evenings at the Broletto featuring cuisine, winemakers, and tastings. Kicking off with Classese and three wineries awarded the Tre Bicchieri. Saturday features special guest Walter Massa, the discoverer of Timorasso.

Ticinum Gourmet returns again this year, the daily event of the Ticinum Festival dedicated to the flavors and wines of the Oltrepò Pavese.

Every evening in the courtyard of the Broletto (starting around 7:45 PM), a different culinary dish will be offered, paired with wines from local wineries. In the year of its debut—including at the Ticinum Festival—the Classese, the Pinot Noir-based Metodo Classico (Traditional Method) sparkling wine of the Oltrepò Pavese, will naturally take center stage on opening night, Friday, September 4th.

It will be introduced at 7:15 PM, and immediately following, Ticinum Gourmet will feature chefs Pietro Bolognesi and Marco Tagliacarne from the Confraternita del Ridotto in the kitchen, serving Risotto alla Pavese, also known as the 500-Year Risotto. In the glass, attendees will find wines from three premier producers: Scuropasso, Calatroni, and Monsupello, all awarded the Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses) in 2026 by Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia guide.

Here is a look at the offerings, evening by evening:

Saturday, September 5th: The spotlight shifts to lasagna prepared by the Balancin cooperative of Pavia, a social enterprise that will use the occasion to share its story. A special guest on the wine front will be Walter Massa, the discoverer of Timorasso and a driving force behind the rebirth of this grape variety. Coming from the province of Alessandria, he will bring his 2020 Montecitorio to the Ticinum Festival. He will be joined by Andrea Picchioni, a great master of Oltrepò reds, and producer Emanuela Centinaio, appearing at the Festival for the first time with two Metodo Classico sparkling wines—a white and a rosé—under the Bosco del Sasso label.
Sunday, September 6th: An authentic local specialty takes the stage: the "De.Co. Risotto of Carbonara al Ticino," prepared by chef Laura Chierico. It will be paired with wines from the Calvi Davide and Valter, and Maria Cristina Risi wineries.
Monday, September 7th: It will be the turn of globetrotting chef Riccardo Carnevali, a great "master" of numerous cooking courses, who will serve his risotto with goose and figs. The dish will be paired with wines from producers of the Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers (FIVI). This will also be an opportunity to discuss the FIVI project and the philosophy of winemakers who personally oversee the entire production process within their own estates, from the vineyard to the bottle.
Tuesday, September 8th: The Osteria del Giuse from Stradella arrives at the Broletto, presenting traditional Oltrepò ravioli. Accompanying the dish will be three solid Oltrepò wine estates: Isimbarda, Sabaghina, and Travaglino, with the latter making its debut at Ticinum Gourmet.
Wednesday, September 9th: Andreia Saito from Acquamatta in Semiana will take over the kitchen. The chef, who works in Lomellina but is originally from Brazil, will serve a "Panissada"—a dish that blends two worlds and traditions: the panissa of the Vercelli countryside and the Brazilian feijoada. Tastings will be hosted by producers from La Mossa Perfetta, united by their production of semi-sparkling Bonarda, though they will also pour other wines from their respective cellars for the occasion.
Thursday, September 10th: A welcome return to Ticinum Gourmet: chef Valerio Bergamini. His food will be paired with wines from Bisi and Fiamberti.
Friday, September 11th: Featuring the Casa del SorRiso – Risotteria of Redavalle, serving a bell pepper risotto—a quintessential late-summer ingredient of the Oltrepò. The wine tasting will be dedicated to the area's viticultural biodiversity and some of its lesser-known grape varieties: Moradella, Uva della Cascina, Vespolina, Uva Rara, and Riesling Italico. Showcasing them will be the Piccolo Bacco dei Quaroni, Montelio, Vercesi del Castellazzo, and Pietro Torti wineries.
Saturday, September 12th (Grand Finale): The event wraps up with vegetarian lasagna from Cà del Saggia of Redavalle, joined by producers from the Club del Buttafuoco Storico. Naturally, the tasting will feature Buttafuoco Storico—one of the flagship wines of the Oltrepò—alongside other wines from the Club's member wineries.