The Antica Larderia Mafalda di Colonnata Awarded Platinum for Excellence in Colonnata PGI Lard

Merano WineFestival 2024: The Antica Larderia Mafalda di Colonnata Awarded Platinum for Excellence in Colonnata Lardo PGI

The prestigious guide to Italian food and wine excellence, curated by the tireless "hunter" and patron of the Merano WineFestival, Helmuth Köcher, recognized 2,500 wine labels and over 400 food products this year. Among these, Antica Larderia Mafalda di Colonnata received the highest award, Platinum, for its Lardo di Colonnata PGI.

Expertise and experience guide Helmuth Köcher, president and founder of the Merano WineFestival, in his quest for the best wine and food. This search, conducted in conjunction with specialized tasting panels, is reflected in the growing number of products offered for tasting, selecting only the finest producers for this exclusive South Tyrolean event.

The winners of the prestigious Platinum 2024 award were announced yesterday at the Merano Wine Festival. Accepting the prize was Carlo Danesi, Production Director of Antica Larderia Mafalda, which has followed four generations of traditional lard-making methods. The pursuit of quality raw materials, the exclusive and personal ancient recipe for the perfect blend of spices and aromas, the meticulous processing with constant monitoring, and the appropriate aging times (often exceeding the standard six months) are all factors that give its lard its unique character.

The result of meticulous research and selection by 14 tasting panels coordinated by Köcher, The WineHunter Award guide recognizes excellence in wine, food, spirits, and beer, assigning scores corresponding to The WineHunter Award Red and Gold titles, and nominating the best for The WineHunter Award Platinum. The winners of the latter, the guide's most coveted award, will be celebrated on November 8th during the 33rd edition of the Merano WineFestival, one of the most glamorous food and wine events.

In the Culinary section, divided into three categories, 600 products were tasted. Of these, 400 were in the Food category: 147 received the WH Food Award Red, awarded to products with scores between 90 and 92.99; 221 received the WH Food Award Gold, with scores between 93 and 94.99; and 29 products received the WH Food Award Platinum, which honors products with scores of 95 out of 100 or more, including Antica Larderia Mafalda.