CONVIVIUM
Table Talk with Food, Wine & Spirits Professionals
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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ CategoryAfter months of preparation and work in detail to guarantee the best setting, we finally made it to the Winter Fancy Food Show with our new client UPEMI (Union of Producers and Employers of Meat Industry). And the show taking place in San Francisco on January 15-17 was definitely a great success! Food industry professionals in both the trade and media stood in line throughout the three-day exhibit in order to taste the high-quality European cuisine, main object of the promotional campaign. Expert European chefs prepared special meat dishes using the best quality European meat, attracting lines of curious visitors. Collateral events like a press conference and VIP banquet for trade made sure to spread the campaign message throughout the audience of professionals in the industry. Representatives from the European meat industry are continuing to promote their international campaign: “Tradition, quality and European taste.” The goal of the campaign is simple—to expand consumers’ knowledge about the qualities of European meat and to announce their entrance into the US market. The campaign is mainly addressed to distributors, wholesalers, importers, local manufacturers, meat processers and industry associations. Throughout the duration of the project, widespread information and promotional campaigns will be conducted which will introduce the properties of European beef, pork and products on their base. Europe is a well-known traditional producer of excellent beef and pork. Strict rules regulate every stage of production, processing and distribution, while experienced breeders care about getting a unique flavor and juiciness. European producers exports more than 40 million tons of pork and approximately 120,000 tonnes of beef to the United States. “America has a wonderful and diverse culinary tradition. What binds Europe and USA is a multitude of meat dishes and ways of preparing,” says Wieslaw Rozanski, President of the Union of Producers and Employers of Meat Industry (UPEMI), the organization implementing the project. “America is the fifth consumer market of meat in the world. European producers appreciate those facts and are aiming to satisfy the most demanding needs of American consumers.” For additional information about the campaign, and/or to learn more about the European production standards, log on to www.europeanmeat.eu. Next stop will be the Summer Fancy Food Show inWashington,DCon June 17-19. We look forward to see you at the UPEMI booth!
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Posted in: Uncategorized | Comments Off The holidays sure have brought an onslaught of distracting delights, both office-based, in the form of daily cookies and cakes, and Web-based, in the form of the gift guides we pitch and assiduously scour for our own gift ideas. Added to those is the profusion of deal sites showcasing gifts tasty and trendy, outlandish and last-minute. Gilt Groupe deals take on a new luster when I sense they might satisfy one of my trickier gift recipients. Our own client, Kusmi Tea’s, website – I have to admit – has fulfilled much of my own last-minute gift list-checking. Kusmi gets my vote for the pretty presents award, at least under my Christmas tree. My favorite in the ‘outlandish’ category is probably A Small World’s ‘Favourite Experiential Gifts’ guide, which highlights such generous goodies as a Zero Gravity Flight on the Boeing 727-400 G Force One starting at $3,675 and the Momentum Adventure: trekking through mountain passes in Mongolia, crossing the deserts of Jordan, or canoeing through the Yukon… these are for the faint neither of heart nor of wallet. And so it’s a period of plenty… of receipts, daily distractions, calories and inspiration. From everyone at Colangelo & Partners, we wish for you all that it is also a period of plenty of warm moments with family and friends and of good food and drink, and the beginning of a joyful, prosperous New Year.  No related posts. Tags: gifts, holidays Slow Food Editore, the publishing arm of Slow Food, will publish its first-ever Slow Wine guide in the English language in January 2012. In lieu of the numerical ratings system common to many contemporary wine guides, the Slow Wine guide employs a comprehensive approach of visiting each and every winery at length, spending time with the owners and winemakers, and appraising the winery in is entirety, with a holistic view toward wine quality and value, sustainability, and the values of the Slow Food movement. To celebrate the arrival of this dynamic and distinctive new guide to US shores, Colangelo & Partners will host a series of events in late January and early February in NYC and Chicago for trade, press and consumers. Registration for an industry event in NYC is now open. An afternoon press briefing and walk-around tasting for press and trade will take place Monday, January 30 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. Registration is available at http://slowwinenyctrade.eventbrite.com/ For information about the industry event in Chicago and events for consumers in NYC and Chicago, watch this space. About Slow Food International Related posts:
Tags: Food, Slow Food, sustainability, Wine The functional food and beverages market in the US ( food and drink fortified with health benefits and supplements to you and me) is set to grow to $8.618 billion by 2015. Forget about finding necessary vitamins and minerals in your regular diet – that’s so two minutes ago! In the last few months, we have seen quite a trend emerging in the Colangelo office. Our once happy and sybaritic existence of indulging in artisan cheeses and meats from Italy washed down with premium tequilas and royal wines has been replaced by 6 day antioxidant regimes and gluten free, guilt free indulging. Are we bucking a trend that seems to be taking over the food industry and turning CPR into an altogether holistic agency? Just last week, pizza was classified as a vegetable and will take it’s place in school cafeterias alongside the much maligned spinach. Enter one of our newest clients, BOLD Organics gluten free, frozen pizza. Feeling a little sluggish after the holidays? I’ve got just the thing for you, take the Six-Pack Challenge courtesy of our free radical fighting client, Reboot. And while we are treating our bodies as temples we are definitely not forgetting about the physical temples we reside in. Bio-Green Crystals, our non-toxic, all natural eco-friendly household cleaners has us cleaning house and feeling nearly 1oo% puritanical. All we need now is a client to cleanse and purify our minds and make us completely wholesome. I wonder if Deepak Chopra needs some PR?
 No related posts. Posted in: Uncategorized | Comments Off Last night I had the thoroughly gratifying experience of seeing the short comedy show, “Pig: A Restaurant,” at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Chelsea. The show is a one-woman spoof of modern restaurant culture that mocks to delectable excess such current trends as nose-to-tail dining, locavorism, celebrity chefs, food blogs, Twitter, pig-infused everything and Brooklyn. Actress Lauren Adams morphs from one hilarious foodie stereotype to the next without missing a beat. I think I lost count after her sixth or seventh (spot on) impersonation. For anyone who follows the NY food scene, this show is the best $5 you could spend on entertainment this month. You’ll think it was written with you in mind. “Pig: A Restaurant” will show again on November 17th at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on West 26th St near 8th Ave. http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/shows/view/2850 The “invitation”… No related posts. Tags: Food, restaurants, theater. locavore ‘Vinitaly In The World’ completed its 2011 United States tour with a full day of events at New York City’s Metropolitan pavilion on October 19. Over 500 members of the US wine trade and press attended the day’s events. The 2011 US tour also included a day of seminars and tastings on Monday, October 17 at the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC. This is the 14th international tour of Vinitaly. The 2011 tour includes Russia, the United States, China and Korea with representatives making a stop in Japan as well. Vinitaly in the World is dedicated to opening up the exciting world of new Italian wines, new vintages and other developments to US wine press and trade including importers, distributors, retailers, restaurateurs and sommeliers and conversely to educating Italian wine producers about the US market. This year’s tour featured more specialized seminars, including one entitled “How has social media added to the conversation about wines? Is there a place for standardization and what makes someone an authority?” Another seminar spoke to the difference that communications technologies have made in the wine business and how online sales are affecting the wine trade. Additionally, for the first time ever, the Worldwide Sommelier Association offered a master class was for sommeliers, featuring Italian indigenous varieties. Related posts:
Tags: Italian wine, Vinitaly, Wine Last week I had the pleasure of tasting a gorgeous array of wines from throughout the Rhone Valley at an early evening event at Capitale on the Lower East Side. Many of the wines I tasted were fairly young, nearly all quite pleasant, and one really stood out: a 2005 Gambert de Loche Hermitage Cave de Tain. Apart from the wine, what stands out in my memory is the sheer cleverness of the event set-up itself. “Flights and Flights” was the theme, which meant the entire event played upon the experiences of flight. The registration desk was fitted out with a airport-style check-in desk and even a fake illuminated board of flight departures. The entrance was a long, red carpet promenade lined with vintage suitcases. The welcome speech was given airline-style with clever admonitions, such as “do not fasten your seatbelts.” Entertainment integrated “flight,” as well, with aerialists and juggling balls, wine bottles, baguettes… I’ve seen this level of creativity at industry events before but rarely for the sort of wine region or trade organization from which I’d expect a standard early afternoon, walk-around tasting. I think the latter is an excellent vehicle for straightforward evaluation of wines to assist purchasing decisions or writing reviews. But I would love to see more “serious” wine trade presentations take a creative spin like this from Rhone Valley Wines. Erol Senel describes the event in more poetic detail (and with photos!) on his blog, Senel Wine at http://senelwine.com/2011/09/28/the-sensuality-of-the-rhone/ No related posts. Tags: red wine, Rhone wine, wine tasting Near the historic city of Agrigento on the Southwestern coast of Sicily lays the beautiful, eco-friendly d’Alessandro winery. Founded in 2006 by Giacomo d’Alessandro, the winery marries both indigenous grape varietals and Sicilian tradition with innovative oenological practices. The d’Alessandro wines honor the traditions of the land and experiment with the contemporary. Created on land owned by the d’Alessandro family since 1820, the winery contains large solar panels to provide most of the energy for production. Similarly, the d’Alessandro logo pays homage to Sicily’s abundant natural resources, consisting of four colors representing earth, fire, wind, and water. The perforated back label on each of the bottles is also thoughtful, providing an easy solution to remembering wine information. Created by a young wine-making team led by oenologist Tonino Guzzo, d’Alessandro wines consist of native Sicilian and international varietals well suited to the terroir. The d’Alessandro Nero d’Avola/Syrah is a well-structured wine consisting of 65% Nero d’Avola and 35% Syrah. This powerful blend is best paired with salumi and hearty main courses. Nero d’Avola 2008 is a deep ruby-red and complex wine, representing the best of traditional Sicily. Suggested food pairings include grilled meats sand hearty fish such as swordfish with cherry tomatoes and capers. The d’Alessandro white wine is 100% Inzolia. Inzolia is a lively and easy to drink, and pairs well with cooked fish, sashimi (or ‘crudo’) and white meats. For more information visit: dalessandrowine.com Salute! No related posts. Tags: d'alessandro wine, Italy, Sicily, Wine This October, Italian wine lovers, producers, and writers will gather with their trade partners-in-wine to celebrate the US arrival of the Vinitaly in the World Tour. The US Tour will begin in Washington DC with a day of exclusive trade and press tastings and business seminars on Monday, October 17th at the Italian Embassy. The tour will move to New York City on October 18th with a fundraiser, open to the public and held in cooperation with the American Cancer Society. Events will conclude with a final day of tastings and business seminars for the wine trade and press at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. This year the seminar themes will be: ‘Technology and Innovation in the Wine Industry’, geared toward importers and distributors and ‘Scoring and the Media’s Influence on Consumer Purchase Habits’, geared toward restaurateurs and retailers. There will also be a seminar educating Italian producers on the workings of the United States market, dedicated tastings featuring the wines of Sicily and Morellino di Scansano, and a special Master Class with the Italian Sommelier Society (AIS) for sommeliers and wine educators. Vinitaly is the largest wine fair in the world with over 4,500 producers and 150,000+ visitors annually. The event is held every year in April in Verona, Italy (46th edition: Verona March 25-28, 2012).This year marks the 14th international tour for Vinitaly. The tour will be stopping in Russia, China and Korea with representatives making a stop in Japan as well. Press and trade registration for the Washington DC and New York City events is now available at the following links: For more information about the Vinitaly in the World Tour, please visit http://www.vinitalytour.com/ Related posts:
Tags: Italy, sommelier, Vinitaly, Wine For those who are not immersed in the spirits world– that is alcohol not ghosts–Tales of the Cocktail is taking place in New Orleans this week. From July 20 to 24, the Big Easy is home to thousands who are in the business of alcohol. While to most this seems like the world’s biggest party, and while that may be the case, Tales of the Cocktail is a time to network and learn more about products, drinks, the history of cocktails and everything surrounding liquor. Attendees learn a lot, but you can rest assured they will have a good time attending the seminars. With more than 46 seminars taking place in five days how do you decide what sessions to attend? The names alone of the panel discussions make it a hard decision. You can choose from “Making Love to His Tonic and Gin,” ” Sodatender or Barjerk,” “The Bad Bad Boys of Saloons,” ” What Would Aristotle Drink?” and ” Who’s Your Daddy? A Mai Tai Paternity Test.” These seminars provide the knowledge and expertise to help everyone involved in libations, including the customer. This is a time for mixologists to learn about different brands, modern drinks and the history and allure of classic cocktails. Master Mixologist and Partida Tequila Brand Ambassador, Jacques Bezuidenhout is a panelist in the “The Negroni: an Iconic Cocktail” seminar with Livio Lauro, President of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, and moderator Paul Clarke, Contributing Editor of Imbibe. The panel will discuss the history of the Negroni, how the mix of gin, Campari and vermouth still influences Italian culture, and how the drink became elevated to a cult classic among bartenders and spirit enthusiasts. Two clients, Partida Tequila and I Spirit Vodka, are attending Tales of the Cocktail. Be on the lookout for these two premium brands in New Orleans. If you are not attending, follow Tales of the Cocktail on Twitter at @totc, and/or have friends over and create your own event in which you and guests can try different spirits. Cheers. Related posts: Posted in: Uncategorized | Comments Off |
