On June 9th, 2020, in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mondiale members enjoyed a brief respite from coronavirus with a virtual wine event celebrating Forno Osteria. This highly successful Cincinnati restaurant has been the talk of the town since its opening in 2015 by Chef/Owner Cristian Pietoso. Mr Pietoso was born and raised in Florence, Italy and is a graduate of the world renowned Culinary Institute of Florence. After working in some of Europe’s top restaurants, Chef Pietoso moved to Cincinnati where he served as Executive Chef at the iconic Nicola’s Italian restaurant owned by his father. Since then, Chef Pietoso, with assistance from his father and wife Amanda, have opened three more successful Italian eateries in the greater Cincinnati area.

The idea behind this virtual dinner was the brainchild of Vice Echanson Provincial Mary Horn, Bailli George Elliott, and the Cincinnati Board. Members picked up a meticulously prepared four course meal from Forno’s in the late afternoon the day of the event and added the final recommended touches so that the meal could be enjoyed by all that evening. Since this was a Mondiale event, members were asked to choose a high-quality wine from their cellars to enjoy with Forno’s offerings.

At precisely 6PM, members connected with each other by Zoom and began a scrumptious dinner including Gazpacho with Truffle Aioli, Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi, Veal Involtini, and Raspberry Tart.

Vice Echanson Horn led a discussion where members shared their wines with the group along with a short critique. The event was exactly what members needed in the midst of the pandemic, where socialization was at an all-time low. Before ending the event, rounds of praise were heaped on the organizers of the event which served to bring back memories of life before the virus and give us hope of returning there soon.

Graig Smith, Vice Chargé de Presse