Luca is a Bartender from Cuneo, a town in the North-West. He will represent Italy in the worldwide Tea Masters Cup International with its “Top” Tea Cocktail in Europe.
Luca Roatta is the winner of the third edition of Tea Masters Cup Italy in the category of Tea Mixology. The competition took place on Monday 18 June in the Dames Anglaises room at Skyway Monte Blanc — Courmayeur (AO) in a truly unique and evocative environment. While the award ceremony took place on the terrace of Punta Helbronner at 3500 m with a panoramic 360° view of Mont Blanc, top mountain in Europe.
Second position for Nodira Narimova, store manager of a famous tea shop in Milan, and bronze medal was for Marco Fabbri, a very young bartender from Turin.
Luca Roatta managed to convince the jury with “MediTE’tion all day fizz”, a tea cocktail never prepared so “high” in the history of Mixology. It is based on Chinese Pu’Er Tea, Mezcal and Italian Brandy, garnished with a traditional Italian chocolate called “gianduiotto” with Venezuela Cocoa’s origin (limited edition) and gelée with Cocchi vermouth (both from Venchi Chocolate maker, since 1878). Three sacred elements, such as wine, in its distilled and non- distilled form; the agave, hand-crafted and the Venezuelan chocolate excellence from Piedmont, combined in a mixture and topping to support a typical tea superstar: the traditional Gong Ting Pu’Er from Yunnan, for a sensory experience across 3 continents.
Luca will represent Italy at the Tea Masters Cup World Final in fall. When he will challenge the Tea Tender representatives of other countries in the preparation of Tea Cocktail.
Will he become the first Tea Mixologist in the world?
Luca Roatta
Barista from Cuneo, 27 years old, at CioccoGelateria bistrot CUBA, in the center of Cuneo, where he is involved daily with the chocolate-drinks combination. A restaurant, in piazza Europa 14, which declines the VENCHI chocolate in all its forms at all hours of the day, giving a precious touch to cocktails in order to reinvent the typical dishes of the area.
The Jury
The Tea Masters Cup Italia jury included both representatives from the tea world and mixology. The judges were: Ramaz Chanturiya, CEO of the Russian Tea and Coffee Association and creator of the Tea Masters Cup International; Nalin Modha, Indian tea planter with over 35 years of experience in the famous Tea Estate of Darjeeling, Sikkim, Nilgiri; Nicoletta Tul, Tea Expert professional in the tea world; Bernardo Ferro, ABI Professional Valle d’Aosta coordinator and National Board Member; Alessio Barchiesi, trainer and national director of MIXOLOGY Academy (professional academy for bartenders).
The president of the jury was Gabriella Lombardi, Tea Sommelier and president of the Protea association, official coordinator for Italy of the Tea Masters Cup.
Protea
Protea — Tea Association Italy — is a non-profit organization affiliated with Italian Association of Culture and Sport (AICS). The association focus on tea culture promotion, education, travels in the tea production countries, events with competitions in the art of serving tea and Cultural exchange. Protea is Full Member of International Tea Committe.
Regarding Education, Protea with its Protea Academy is dedicated to increasing awareness and correct information for good tea to Italian consumers, in addition to provide, in partnership with Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, the recognized TAC TEA SOMMELIER® Certification Program in Italian for both tea professionals and consumers. For information: info@proteaacademy.org
Skyway Mont Blanc
Considered as the Eighth Wonder of the World, Skyway Mont Blanc is the main sponsor of the 3rd edition of the Italian Tea Masters Cup.
Located in Courmayeur, in the heart of the Alps of Aosta Valley, the new cable car of Mont Blanc — opened in June 2015 — is the most exciting way of reaching the closest point to the summit of Mont Blanc, Punta Helbronner at 3466 m, and its majestic glaciers.
The panoramic cabins, with clean-lines and semi-spherical in shape, gently rotate a full 360 degrees for the duration of the ascent, and afford breathtaking views over the Giant of Europe and surrounding peaks. Skyway Mont Blanc offers everyone a unique experience, combining to perfection the wonders of nature with the wonders of technology, and elevating the senses — right from the start — of all those who live it.
Courmayeur — Aosta Valley
Located at the foot of Mont Blanc, it is one of the most famous Alpine locations in the Aosta Valley, chosen as an international tourist spot.
The popularity of Courmayeur was initially linked to spa tourism in the seventeenth century. In the nineteenth century it became one of the destinations elected by the Royals where they lived there regularly and, since the beginning of the twentieth century, following the construction of ski facilities, has become one of the most important ski resorts in the Alps.
