Gambero Rosso

Gambero Rosso
source
Name	Gambero Rosso
Type	Cultural media; publishing; television; education
Founded	1986
Founder	Carlo Petrini; three editors (later editorial evolution)
Location	Rome; Milan; Naples
Industry	Publishing; television; gastronomy; wine

Gambero Rosso

Gambero Rosso is an Italian culinary media brand and cultural institution founded in the 1980s that publishes guides, produces television programming, organizes festivals and runs professional training; it has influenced Italian gastronomy, wine criticism and food media through editorial projects and live events. The organization has engaged with notable Italian and international figures, institutions and culinary movements, shaping discourse alongside institutions such as Slow Food, Accademia Italiana della Cucina, Federazione Italiana Sommelier and cultural venues like Expo 2015 and Fiera Milano. Its activities intersect with personalities, publications and broadcasters including Carlo Petrini, Giorgio Locatelli, Massimo Bottura, Antonino Cannavacciuolo, La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera and RAI.

History

Founded in the mid-1980s, the organization emerged amid the revival of Italian culinary identity associated with figures like Carlo Petrini and movements such as Slow Food and the broader "new Italian cuisine" wave advanced by chefs like Gualtiero Marchesi and Paolo Lopriore. Early editorial collaborators included journalists and gastronomes connected to outlets like La Stampa, Il Sole 24 Ore and Il Giornale. During the 1990s and 2000s its trajectory intersected with publishing houses and media groups including Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso, RCS MediaGroup and television producers linked to Endemol and Sky Italia. Institutional collaborations and controversies brought it into contact with municipal administrations such as Comune di Roma and regional bodies like Regione Campania and Regione Lazio. Its editorial evolution parallels shifts in Italian food culture tracked by historians like Alberto Capatti and critics such as Giorgio Mocerino.

Publications and Guides

The brand's flagship printed and digital products include annual restaurant and wine guides that sit alongside competitor publications such as Michelin Guide, Guida Espresso and Slow Wine. Its restaurant guide highlights top Italian venues and metropolitan scenes in cities like Rome, Milan, Naples, Bologna and Florence, and profiles chefs including Massimo Bottura, Giorgio Locatelli, Carlo Cracco, Enrico Bartolini and Niko Romito. Wine guides survey appellations like Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Prosecco and Amarone della Valpolicella and discuss producers such as Gaja, Antinori, Sandro Boscaini and Angelo Gaja. Editorial formats have included encyclopedic volumes, monthly magazines competing with Slow Food Editore and curated lists comparable to those in Wine Spectator, Decanter and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Gambero Rosso Awards and Ratings

The organization issues ratings and awards that have influence similar to recognitions from Michelin Guide, World's 50 Best Restaurants and James Beard Foundation. Award categories have celebrated chefs, sommeliers and producers comparable to recipients honored by Veuve Clicquot and Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri-style distinctions, and have been referenced alongside prizes like the Chef of the Year selections and honors bestowed at events such as Identità Golose and FICO Eataly World. High-scoring restaurants and wineries publicize accolades alongside mentions in Gambero Rosso lists and in trade outlets like Wine Enthusiast and Decanter. The impact of ratings influences tourism patterns in regions including Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily and Veneto.

Television and Media Productions

Their audiovisual output expanded with collaborations with broadcasters and producers including RAI, Discovery Italia, Sky Italia and independent production companies that create formats akin to series on Netflix and BBC. Programming has featured personalities from Italian culinary television such as Luca Montersino, Gualtiero Marchesi (archival), Antonino Cannavacciuolo and Carlo Cracco, and produced documentaries and competitive formats comparable to MasterChef Italia and magazine shows aired on LA7 and TG5. Multimedia projects have interfaced with international festivals and fairs, partnering with institutions like Expo 2015, Terra Madre and Vinitaly.

Wine and Food Festivals

The entity organizes and curates live events that bring together producers, restaurateurs and audiences in locales including Rome, Milan, Bologna and Naples and at international fairs such as Vinitaly and SIAL Paris. Festivals and tastings have showcased appellations from Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Barbaresco, Chianti Classico and Prosecco with participation from houses like Antinori, Gaja, Bertani and Masi. Events often guest-curate panels with figures from institutions like Accademia Italiana della Cucina, Federazione Italiana Sommelier Albergatori Ristoratori and culinary schools such as ALMA and Istituto Europeo di Design.

Educational and Training Activities

Educational initiatives include professional courses, sommelier certification programs and culinary training in collaboration with schools and institutions like ALMA, Università degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche di Pollenzo and regional training bodies in Emilia-Romagna and Campania. Programs have attracted instructors and examiners from organizations such as Federazione Italiana Sommelier and guest chefs from establishments led by Massimo Bottura, Niko Romito and Enrico Bartolini. Partnerships extend to vocational networks, trade associations like Confcommercio and cultural projects affiliated with Fondazione Slow Food and municipal cultural departments of Comune di Milano.

Category:Italian cuisine Category:Food and drink media