November 2024 - a Castel story from the Dobitsch family
Dine & Wine Festival 2024: A look back at a special gourmet festival
Festival day 1
The 22nd Dine & Wine Festival was once again the culinary highlight of the season. This time, the festival was dedicated to Gerhard Wieser, who was celebrating his 30th anniversary as head chef at Castel.
For this reason, we were able to bring in two top chefs who are closely associated with him and have won multiple awards as guest chefs. Martin Dalsass from St. Moritz and Joachim Wissler from Germany accompanied the celebrant.
The dinners were accompanied by top wines from Weingut Schloss Englar and Kellerei Schreckbichl (both South Tyrol), as well as from Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Bolgheri - Tuscany).
In addition, to celebrate 30 years of Gerhard Wieser, we served an excellent sparkling wine from Ferrari Trento - the official sparkling wine of the Formula 1 World Championship - as an aperitif before each dinner.
Festival day 1
A mentor, friend and passionate chef came to the opening: culinary delights were guaranteed
The opening evening of the festival was in the hands of a South Tyrolean cooking legend. Martin Dalsass was a great mentor for Gerhard Wieser and many South Tyrolean chefs of this and later generations. There is hardly anyone who has not worked for at least one season with the chef of the year 2001 at the "Talvo" in St. Moritz or before that at the "Santabbondio" in Lugano.
After 39 years, star chef Dalsass had just handed over the spoon at Talvo to his long-serving sous chef. But he didn't want to stop completely, he still enjoys cooking too much. So he began his "retirement" with another guest appearance at the Castel.
Like the guest chef himself, the wines at the start of the festival also came from the Schloss Englar winery in South Tyrol, where the Khuen-Belasi family produces great wines.
Festival day 2
An unforgettable evening with the chef of chefs: a role model and absolute world class for Wieser
In his early days at Castel, Gerhard Wieser used the seasonal winter breaks to gather a lot of knowledge from the best international kitchens. Joachim Wissler became a regular point of contact for the then young chef Wieser.
The three-star chef was a true role model with his advantgardist style, clear product focus and great discipline. It was therefore with great pleasure that the "Best Chef Germany 2023" came to Castel for his anniversary.
The team led by Maitre Simon Oberhofer and Sommelière Ivana Capraro served fantastic wines from the famous Tenuta Guado al Tasso by Marchesi Antinori to accompany this world-class culinary event.
Festival day 3
A grand finale with the jubilarian: the last gala evening was a harmonious fusion of Alpine intensity and Mediterranean lightness
There is one thing Gerhard Wieser will not miss: The finale of the grand gala dinners was also in his hands for this edition. A great pleasure for our chef and also for our guests.
For the 2-star chef, the culinary truth lies on the plate. He combines the heartiness of the mountains and the wonderful lightness of the south in his Alpine-Mediterranean cuisine. Harmony in the mouth challenges the chef, not the guest.
The wines of the evening were just as local as the chef. Thanks to the Schreckbichl winery, not only was excellent quality served on the plate, but also in the glass!
Festival day 4
The best evenings take place in the kitchen: The festival finale was up close, casual and irresistible
The final evening in Gerhard Wieser's kitchen offered guests not only the fascination of live preparation, but also the diversity of our friendly suppliers who were visiting that evening.
As part of this "pleasure safari", there was also the popular and amusing quiz again, where guests were able to put their culinary knowledge to the test and win great prizes at the same time.
A variety of exquisite wines - selected by sommelier Ivana Capraro - accompanied the casually elegant dinner, harmonising with each delicacy. The shared experience created an unforgettable end to the four culinary days.
Culinary journey through time
Special guest 2024: Annette Sandner's "culinary timepieces" - a tribute to historical menus and cookery books
An exhibition by Annette Sandner provided exciting insights into the creative process. The friend of the house, photographer and food journalist presented her art project "culinary timepieces" at the festival. Historical menus and books served as a canvas for the staging of classic dishes. Annette was also personally available to answer questions about the project and offered personalised advice on framing and formats.
Annette also accompanied Dine & Wine 2024 photographically, and you can see some of her most beautiful photos on this page and on our Instagram.
© Image sources: Annette Sandner, Schreckbichl Winery
