Confetti Sommelier

Not wine or olive oil this time, but confetti tastings. The credit—if you can call it that—goes to a pair of entrepreneurs: she’s from Nocera and a discerning food lover; he’s from Abruzzo, deeply rooted in the traditions of his homeland, which looks to Sulmona as the birthplace of Italy’s quintessential wedding sweet. Their idea? To create a specialist role dedicated to selecting the very best of Italy’s artisanal confetti production.

Let’s take a brief step back. What do we mean by “tasting”? More commonly used in the world of wine, the term refers to an objective examination of an ingredient’s positive and negative qualities. Put plainly, it’s the organoleptic evaluation of food—its sensory appreciation. Tasting considers appearance, scent, aroma, flavor and texture. To do this properly requires a codified method: configurable parameters and a set of rules that establish a reference scale.

Sometimes opportunity arrives by the most unorthodox routes. Faced with a series of setbacks, the couple sought a way to revive their business by blending passion and tradition into a single concept. It took five years: a thorough survey of more than fifty of the country’s leading confetti makers, assessing taste, ingredient quality and production techniques. The result? Eighty confetti varieties earned excellence seals, and the University of Flavors in Perugia officially recognized their work. Over time, this research gave rise not only to a company dedicated to preserving craftsmanship and quality but also to the creation of a new professional role capable of telling a centuries-old story with authority.

Although sugar-coated almonds trace back to around 400 B.C. in Roman times, the recipe has shifted over the centuries. Today, industrial processes have often compromised—and in some cases downgraded—the product by adding artificial flavors or colorings, using bitter almonds, and layering on excessive amounts of sugar.

As often happens, the idea came about almost by accident. During a tasting of Sagrantino, the famed Umbrian wine, the couple—far from passive guests—served an assortment of confetti alongside the sweet wine. The intention was to highlight the wine’s lingering finish and showcase the confetti’s appeal—a surprising pairing that delighted even seasoned tasters. According to the pair, each guest was carefully briefed on the tactile sensations to expect and encouraged to savor both wine and confection together.

The first rule is uncompromising raw materials, followed by sophisticated production methods that preserve each product’s unique character. This is a destination for connoisseurs who believe luxury should extend to the palate—a return to authentic flavors. That’s the goal of the husband-and-wife team from Nocera Umbra. All they need now are four wheels and an engine—to deliver delight or to launch themselves into this fascinating new profession.

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