On Tuesday, Alex and I attended a promotional dinner sponsored by the Italian Government Tourist Board to promote Regione Piemonte . The event took place in Barbette,  the oldest New York restaurant to still be owned by its founding family. Regione Piemonte offers an array of fabulous wines and vineyards. To honor the tradition, the event offered a special tasting of twelve different wines (as I’ve never seen it done in New York!).  Throughout the entire five-course meal, guests were able to get up at any time and taste one of the twelve wines. From my experiences at these types of events, guests remain seated at the table while the servers fill bottomless glasses of wine.  This special tasting format allowed guest to mingle, talk about the different wines and sample many different wines without overindulging in one giant glass. The owner of Barbetta, Laura Maioglio, gave a proud, intelligent speech regarding her collection of 18th-century Piemontese antiques.  With an art history degree from Bryn Mawr, Laura has created an elegant and historical dining room.  The most memorable antique was the beautiful chandelier from the Savoy royal Italian family.  After two years of negotiating, the chandelier now hangs in the center of Barbetta’s main dining room. Everything about this historical restaurant takes you back in time. –Courtney Centeno, account executive Global Traveler has joined the world of social marketing. For breaking news, special offers and much more, fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @Gtmag!