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The Wog With The Grog Nardini Cocktail Mixing Challenge
Italo-Australian, Sydney-based wine and spirits importer Robert Dessanti from The Wog With The Grog played host to the Nardini Cocktail Mixing Challenge finale at Porsche Sydney South, and Yours Truly was in the finals.
The event was the brainchild of Robert, and was rolled out in several stages; from preliminary meet ups with the bloggers for a cocktail mentoring session with him, This is where I designed my Negroni Style cocktail. Following that we had a meet and greet event at hatted restaurant Ormeggio at The Spit which was the perfect venue to share cocktails and taste the delicious canapes. Then finally there was an fabulous event at Porsche Sydney South.
The bloggers who created their signature cocktails were some of the most influential drinks, food, and lifestyle bloggers in Australia.
The bloggers involved in the event:
Sydney Chic
Simon Food FavouritesBreakfast With Audrey
see.taste.do
Rogue Homme
James Kerley
2 Hungry Guys
Sydney Bar Blogger
Travel With Raf
Sydney Food Crew
4FoodsSake
Two Girls One Fork
Hungry As Fork
xoxo.miss jamie
The judging criteria was based on creativity, taste, presentation, garnishes, even choice of glassware, and the judges at the finale were:
Corinne Mossati - founder of Gourmantic, and Cocktails & Bars
Erin Bouda - Producer at Channel Nine’s ‘Today’ show
Chloe Adamson - Events Manager at Porsche Sydney South
Grace Cuciniello - Grace Cuciniello Travel Counsellors
The prizes were: a return trip to Italy, with a guided visit to the oldest grappa distillery in the world: Nardini, in Bassano, Veneto. Second prize was a degustation dinner at La Pesa restaurant for 10 people with matching wines to the value $1200. Third prize was a Nardini pack valued at $500, and fourth prize was a $500 beauty pack from O Cosmedics. So the heat was on!
With food cooked by renowned chef Luca Ciano, oysters from Rockin’ Oysters shucked by Sydney Oyster Girls, salumi from De Palma Salumi, Italian desserts by Pasticceria Caruso, Yasa Caviar from Luxe Seafoods, sparkling wine from Majolini, and of course, cocktails made with all of the Grappa Nardini range, guests enjoyed a luxe night of food and wine, served by hostesses dressed in Roxcii fashion, in the prestigious Porsche showroom. Add to this the cocktail from Mark Beretta, from Channel 7‘s ‘Sunrise’, called the ‘Double Barrelled Beretta’ and served on arrival, as well as aged Negroni dubbed the ‘Nardroni', and the night was a huge success, with lots of buzz, press, and social media posts garnered on both nights, and post events.
The first prize winner was Vanessa Roberts from Breakfast With Audrey, and this event was the first of its kind, with great success.
Robert created the Nardini Cocktail Challenge to capture the imagination of the creative community of bloggers, who all write about the finer things in life, and whose photos and content are all about aesthetics, elegance, good taste, and lifestyle.
Congratulations to the Winners.
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More about Euro Concepts and The Wog With The Grog
The newly emerged brand under the Euro Concepts umbrella is The Wog With The Grog, a consumer focused company, selling direct to the public and corporate clients, and this also is destined to change how Australians enjoy their wine.
Robert Dessanti’s passion for good food and wine emerged from an early age. Australian born, Roberto is strongly influenced by his Italian born parents and their heritage (from the regions of Piemonte and Friuli), and has now made sharing this passion for fine wine with connoisseurs and novices his life’s work through the wholesale and distribution company he founded six years ago called Euro Concepts. From this, two years ago he founded the consumer-focused company he named ‘The Wog With The Grog’, coined from friendly jibes from fellow wine buffs who’d remark: “Here comes the wog with the grog!” As we now know, the word ‘wog’ has evolved into a term of endearment for Australians with an (usually European) overseas heritage. At each show he exhibits, the cheeky moniker has a favourable reaction, with crowds drawn to its humour and obvious element of fun.
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