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maltatoday WEDNESDAY 13 DECEMBER 2017 17 Events Renowned winemaker Franco Conterno visits Malta WINEMAKER Franco Conter- no from the illustrious Poderi Aldo Conterno recently visited our islands to conduct a mas- terclass at Farsonsdirect and a Winemaker's Dinner at Casa Ellul's highly anticipated new opening – Risette Restaurant. Situated in Monforte d'Alba in the prized Bussia Soprano vine- yard in the heart of the Barolo region of Serralunga, the Con- terno family has been producing and aging the great Piemontese wines for more than five genera- tions. Over the past decade, the wines of Aldo Conterno have grown more traditional in style, and they have captivated the passion of Italian wine lovers. Known as the "King of Baro- lo" in Italy, Aldo Conterno passed away in 2012, and the wine world lost not only a pio- neer and a visionary but also a man of great dignity and grace. Fortunately, Aldo trained his three sons to follow in his foot- steps so that his eponymous estate will not merely per- petuate but flourish, as befits Aldo's legacy. Franco kicked off the mas- terclass, held at Farsons- direct's The Wine Shop in Mriehel, with the family's 'Conca Tre Pile', a Barbera d'Alba and then moved on to their Langhe Rosso and the fantastic Nebbiolo 'Il Favot'. The highlights of the master- class were definitely the Baro- los 'Cicala' and 'Colonello', both from the 2006 vintage sent specifically for the mas- terclass from the Conterno cellars. The Winemaker's Dinner was a special occasion as it marked the opening of Casa Ellul's Risette Restaurant in Valletta. Chef Andrew Borg, previously chef-patron at The Black Pig, expertly paired each of Conterno's wines to his cre- ations. Poderi Aldo Conterno wines are imported, marketed and distributed by Farsons Bever- age Imports Company (FBIC), a member of the Farsons Group. They are available in selected restaurants, wine boutiques and Farsonsdirect's The Wine Shop in Mriehel and on (www.farsonsdirect.com). Franco Conterno from the illustrious Poderi Aldo Conterno, at the opening of Casa Ellul's Risette Restaurant in Valletta HSBC dedicates itself to good causes in October and November HSBC Malta employees raised funds for the Pink October and November campaigns in these two months. In addition to the bank's commitment to supporting cancer research, the Pink October and Novem- ber events were run by staff members on their own – often to overwhelming support. The monies for Pink Octo- ber were raised via sale of pink ties and scarfs as well as ice- cream whilst that for Novem- ber was collected through the sale of pins. Funds will go to Europa Donna Malta and Ac- tion for Breast Cancer Foun- dation. On 29 November, a special talk was held for staff mem- bers, featuring two doctors and two cancer survivors. Earlier in September, the HS- BC Malta Foundation donated more than €84,000 to the Uni- versity of Malta for continuing research in the areas of breast, ovarian, and neuroblastoma cancers. HSBC employees descended on the 'pink' ice-cream van in droves Tarragon wins Best Overall Restaurant recognition THE Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants Awards Cer- emony sponsored by HSBC and Global Payments held at The Xara Lodge on Monday 4th December celebrated the out- standing achievement of Malta & Gozo's top survey rated res- taurants as voted by diners out who participated in the Malta & Gozo Restaurant Survey on- line at www.restaurantsmalta. com Based on popular vote, on- ly 150 restaurants made it to be included in the latest 2018 edi- tion of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo and its official portal www.restaurantsmalta.com. The results were revealed by Lisa Grech, Managing Direc- tor of the Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co and presented by Clint Camilleri, Parliamentary Secretary For Agriculture, Fish- eries & Animal Rights, Gregory Inglott from HSBC, Ray Zam- mit from Global Payments and Alfred Cuschieri of Continental Purchasing on behalf of Villeroy & Boch who supplied the beau- tiful commemorative award plates for the occasion. This year's Malta & Gozo Restaurant Survey conducted in September 2017 returned an incredibly high number of responses, with 2,368 partici- pants who dined out on average twice a week, equivalent to a total of 246,272 dining experi- ences in a year! This year sees 33 new restaurants in the The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo and its portal www.restau- rantsmalta.com which was also launched on the evening. Award-winning restaurants were chosen from the highest rated restaurants, both overall, and in the various price catego- ries for Malta and Gozo, taking into account not only the Over- all rating but also individual Food, Service and Ambience ratings, the number of people rating, value for money, com- ments and other data from the survey. Awards were given to: • Best Food (sponsored by Unika Beef represented by Alf Mizzi & Sons) – Patrick's • Best Service (sponsored by C& H Bartoli) – Tarragon • Best Ambience (sponsored by Design Hub) - Tarragon • Best Maltese Food (spon- sored by The Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co) - Gululu • Restaurant Most Dedicated to Supporting Local (sponsored by The Parliamentary Secre- tariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights) – Country Terrace • The Best Chef Award (spon- sored by The Catering Centre) – Jonathan Vassallo • Best Business Entertain- ment (sponsored by Rummo) – Capo Crudo • Best Value for Money (spon- sored by Meats & Eats) – iPlace • Best Restaurant offering Vegetarian options (sponsored by Good Earth Ltd) – Naar • Most Children-Friendly (sponsored by the Malta Baby & Kids Directory) – iPlace The results of the Restaurant Survey can be found in the 2018 edition of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo and is now available to purchase online for 8 Euros at www.restaurants- malta.com which will also enti- tle you to the Guide online and a free hard copy in the post. The hard copy edition is also available at leading station- ers and bookshops in Malta & Gozo. Ray Zammit, Lisa Grech, Gregory Inglott, Donald Agius, Marvin Gauci, Michael Sultana and Clint Camilleri