March 8th 2024: let’s celebrate women in the Italian food & wine scene

March 8th: International Women’s Day 2024. The number of women in the Italian food & wine scene is growing. Let’s celebrate together their strength and hard work.

Girl power!

March 8th, the International Women’s Day, is mistakenly linked to the tragedy that occurred in 1908 in New York, when a textile factory caught fire and many female workers lost their lives. However, there is no historical evidence relating to this tragic event. Therefore it is not correct to link Women’s Day to the commemoration of the victims of the alleged fire. Rather, it is more correct to say that March 8th is the result of a whole series of events. Which, since the beginning of the twentieth century, have led to the struggle for the claims of women’s rights. It is a day dedicated to remembering and reflecting on all those political, social and economic achievements of the female gender, throughout history. So, let’s celebrate women in the Italian food and wine scene. Even if there is a lot of work to do for equal opportunities.

Women’s Day in Italy:

In Italy, International Women’s Day has only been celebrated since 1922. Yet it is from 1945 that it takes on its real flavor, when the Italian Women’s Union began to celebrate this day in the areas liberated from fascism. The symbol of Women’s Day in Italy is the mimosa flower. This flower blooms in March and may appear fragile but actually grows even on the most difficult terrain. The typical dessert of this special day is the Mimosa cake. A soft vanilla sponge cake filled with a light Chantilly cream and semi-candied strawberries. It has the same name as the flower because of the small cubes of sponge cake crumbled and arranged on top as decoration.

Italian Women of food:

Let’s celebrate women in the italian food and wine scene, showing how the female presence is growing more and more. Women are in the world of gastronomy since forever, but their role and contribution has only recently been recognized. The world of fine dining has been predominantly for men, so it hasn’t been easy for many women to break down the high wall of prejudice. The sectors in which women are strengthening their presence are various. Among the food influencers, Benedetta Rossi and Benedetta Parodi are certainly popular, having found the right communication key. Instead, among the starred chefs the most prominent are Antonia Klugman, Rosanna Marziale and Cristina Bowerman. For pastry making, Debora Massari, daughter of the famous Iginio Massari, is at the top. Among the female entrepreneurs we find Maria Franca Ferrero and Francesca Lavazza, two prevalent figures.

Italian women of wine:

In the wine sector, around 30% of sommeliers today are women. Unfortunately, only a small number reach the top of their careers. The reasons are always the same, and concern prejudices and women’s difficulty in managing their private lives and work. Maida Mercuri, the youngest female sommelier in Italy, knows something about it. She was only 24 years old when she obtained her certification. In 2006 she opened her first restaurant, the Pont de Ferr in Milan, and won a Michelin star. However, in the production of wine, Italy can count on true stars of the wine firmament. True heroines in a difficult, competitive and male-dominated sector globally.

Let’s name some:

Just to name few of the main Italian wineries’ women: Elena Walch in Alto Adige, Marisa Cuomo or Manuela Piancastelli in Campania, Arianna Occhipinti in Sicily, Chiara Boschis in Piedmont, Angela Velenosi in Abruzzo, Miriam Lee Masciarelli in the Marche, Elena Fucci in Basilicata, Donatella Cinelli Colombini in Tuscany, Chiara Lungarotti in Umbria, Marianna Cardone in Puglia, Elisabetta Pala in Sardinia, Giulia Fusco, Noemia d’Amico and Silvia Brannetti in Lazio and Marilisa Allegrini in Veneto. Among the wine influencers, Arianna Vianelli, known as Arianna Franciacorta, stands out. Her profile on her social networks is one of the most appreciated. Among the most followed critics: Stefania Vinciguerra, Monica Coluccia, Chiara Giannotta.

In Rome:

Women in food and wine are making the difference in Rome. In the Trastevere district we find a Michelin star restaurant since 2009, Hostaria Glass, led by chef Bowerman and her pink hair. Another restaurant always in the Trastevere area, also led by a woman, Barbara Agosti, is Eggs. Inspired by the artisanal cuisine made at home by the masterful hands of the women of her family, chef Agosti is the creator of Strapazzo, the walking Carbonara. Then there are also the girls from Pianostrada, innovators of Roman cuisine. Paola Colucci was also entrusted with the management of ANIMA. Sarah Cicolini is the owner and chef of Santo Palato. Superb Jiang Yan, Roman by adoption, is the chef at Green T, an excellent Chinese restaurant.

And on our tours:

During our food tours we have the pleasure of collaborating daily with fantastic women. The unforgettable Italia Tagliacozzo of La  Taverna del Ghetto restaurant, in the Jewish Ghetto of Rome. A woman of great strength who, having escaped the Nazi occupation, became one of the first female entrepreneur in post-fascist Italy. She managed almost one hundred employees in her companies, including the first restaurant to reopen in the Ghetto after the war. Walking through the famous Campo de’ Fiori market, you cannot miss a greeting to Franca, for almost a century she’s a star of fresh food in the city.

Here at Gourmetaly we are proud to be a Female company since 2013!

Not only delicate, but also tenacious and combative. Women must be loved and respected every day, but on this day we have to try to do it even more, so that equal rights finally become a reality!