Tony Gemignani, the Bay Area’s master pizzaiolo, has notched a 13th world pizza title.
He captured the Port Wine category title in the inaugural Antonio Mezzero All-Stars Pizza Championship, in Porto, Portugal, which pitted 10 of the world’s top pizzaioli against each other.
Port wine?! And you thought pineapple on pizza was still kind of crazy?
Because this event was held in Portugal and not Italy, Gemignani partnered with Croft Port for his winning entry. He created a pizza topped with local ingredients — Portuguese chorizo, smoked Portuguese fleur de sel, Topo São Jorge Cheese and a port wine reduction using Croft’s 20-year-old Tawny Port — as well the spreadable salumi called ‘Nduja, mozzarella and micro greens.
He won three rounds and then the title round with that pie. A Bulgarian pizzaiolo, Radostin Kiryazov, took the Douro Wine category.
Sound intriguing? Bay Area diners will get a chance to try Gemignani’s pizza in in early 2019 when he will host a specialty pizza-and-port pairing event at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco — and then will add the winning pizza to the regular menu.
Fremont native Gemignani, who mastered his pizza-tossing skills at Pyzano’s in Castro Valley, now owns 21 pizzerias in San Francisco, Walnut Creek. Las Vegas and elsewhere and operates the International School of Pizza in S.F.
He holds numerous titles, including the prestigious 2007 World Champion Pizza Maker from the World Pizza Cup in Naples, Italy. He was the first non-Neapolitan winner.
Stay tuned for the date of the port pizza’s arrival. Details: www.tonygemignani.com