Ciao Carlin: remembering the man who taught the Langhe the value of friendship and slowness

The article remembers Carlo “Carlin” Petrini as both an international figure and a member of the Langhe community. It traces his friendships with Azio Citi and Giovanni Ravinale, their work with Radio Bra Onde Rosse and their conviction that local folk culture deserved protection. Their mix of politics, culture, humour and conviviality helped sow the ideas later expressed through “Good, Clean and Fair” food.

It recalls the group’s connection with Club Tenco and their role in bringing the folk-singing twins Le Nete to the festival in 1980, where Francesco Guccini noticed them and recommended them to Renzo Arbore. Petrini’s legacy is presented less as a list of institutions than as a method founded on human relationships: treating world leaders and local farmers with equal warmth, overcoming rivalries among villages and building a supportive community around shared tables and authentic food.