From sombreros to Mezcal and everything in between, the fifth of May is a day when Americans like to explore cuisine and culture from our neighbor to the South. But many are unaware of the true beauty and authenticity behind Tequila, the most recognized spirit of Mexico. With history dating the spirit back to the days of the Aztecs (when Tequila was called “pulque”), Tequila has a celebrated background that goes back as long as Mexico itself.

Here are five of the major points everyone should know about Tequila, courtesy of Tequila Partida, the world’s top-rated Tequila.

* What exactly is Tequila?

The word “Tequila” has a number of meanings. It is the name of a town in the state of Jalisco in central Mexico. Tequila is also the name of the region where the spirit is made. And of course, Tequila is an alcoholic beverage made from the blue agave plant, and is also considered the “national drink of Mexico.”

* What is Tequila made from?

Tequila is made from the agave plant. Agave is part of the lily family, and can grow up to 15 feet tall. Because of its prickly texture, many people assume that an agave plant is a cactus, but that’s not the case. And most importantly, the blue agave plant is the source of premium Tequila.

* What is the difference between Tequila and Mezcal?

Tequila is a type of Mezcal made in the Tequila region of Mexico with strict production designations specific to the region.

* What’s the story with the worm?

Some Tequila and Mezcal producers began inserting a worm into the bottle as a marketing gimmick. However, quality Tequilas have always been worm-free!

* What are the different types of Tequila?

There are multiple types of Tequila with different aging. These are typically referred to as “marques.” Different brands usually have a Blanco (sometimes called Plata or Silver) which means unaged, Reposado which is aged between 2 and 11 months, and Añejo, which is aged for at least one year. Some brands also have an Extra Añejo Tequila, which is aged at least three years. Aging generally takes place in wood barrels.

GD Cucine (www.gdcucine.com) a cutting edge design showroom in the trendy Chelsea district threw open its Seguso glass doors to the cities brightest young professionals with a desire to leave it all behind and seek out further education in beautiful Bologna. And what better way to whet their appetites for all things Italian than fraternizing with such luminaries as winemaker Marco Caprai and celebrated Umbrian chef Salvatore Denaro.

The stylish juxtaposition of elegant whimsical fashion by Tuscan designer Danilo Gabrielli and powerfully masculine Ducati motorcycles brought in especially for the event was the perfect symbol of the diversity and value of the  “Made in Italy” brand worldwide.

Speakers and espousers for the evening included Professor Massimo Bergami, founder of the prestigious MBA program, Angelo Manaresi, Director of MBA Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods, Fernando Napolitana , Founder & President, Italian Business and Investment Initative, Teodora Sevastakleva, International Business Director of Ferragamo Parfum and Riccardo, Director of Instituto Italiano di Cultura, NYC.

To further tempt these special graduates, if that was even necessary, the University announced full and partial scholarships for the 2012/2013 academic year on the night. Potential students can apply for the programs and find out more about the scholarships by going to: http://www.almaweb.unibo.it/internationalmba/foodAndWine1.php?v=8 and http://www.almaweb.unibo.it/internationalmba/designFashionAndLuxuryGoods1.php?v=8.

And just as fast as the educational whirlwind tour sashayed into the town, they were gone in a New York Minute. Next stop Miami,  final destination -  limitless!

Sangrita

2 oz Tabasco or Cholula Hot Sauce

1 oz Lime Juice

7 oz Orange Juice

2 oz Grapefruit Juice

1 teaspoon Salt

2 teaspoons Fresh Ground Pepper

15 oz Tomato Juice

1 Jalapeno (Cut in half with seeds)

Add all the ingredients into a pitcher. Stir until the salt & pepper is dissolved. Let the mix sit for 15mins to 30mins with the Jalapeno then when the right heat level is reached then discard the jalapeno pieces. Keep Refrigerated. Enjoy Sangrita traditionally accompanied with a neat pour of your favorite Tequila Partida.

For the first time ever, Vinitaly will hold its US Tour events in the Spring in order to better serve the American wine trade. For the third year in a row, Vinitaly will partner with the American Cancer Society to help raise money to fight cancer.

Vinitaly in the World is dedicated to opening up the exciting world of Italian wine to US wine press and trade, including importers, distributors, retailers, restaurateurs and sommeliers, and to educating Italian wine producers about the US market.

The Slow Wine Guide of Italian wines in English has arrived in the US. Last week saw CPR staff embracing the Slow Food movement by hosting press, trade, interested consumers and 70 Italian wine producers at tasting events in New York and Chicago.

The Slow Wine Guide adopts a new approach to wine criticism and looks at a variety of factors to evaluate wineries in their entirety, taking into consideration the wine quality, typicity and adherence to terroir, value for money, environmental sensitivity and ecologically sustainable viticultural practices.

The innovative guide uses three symbols to evaluate each winery:

• The Snail, the Slow Food symbol, signals a cellar that has distinguished itself through its interpretation of sensorial, territorial, environmental and personal values in harmony with the Slow Food philosophy
• The Bottle, allocated to cellars that show a consistently high quality throughout their range of wines
• The Coin, an indicator of great value

The level of interest and positive feedback from attendees has been terrific. Our clients at Slow Food headquarters in Bra, Italy are equally enthusiastic about their US audiences:

“We are delighted. It was our first experience in the USA and we were pleased to meet with a very attentive, interested audience,” said Giancarlo Gariglio, one of the Chief Editors of the Slow Wine guide. “Both the trade and consumer audiences were engaged.” Fabio Giavedoni, the guide’s other Chief Editor, added “There is an attention here that is difficult to find in Italy, something that even our Italian producers noted. The quality of the questions and comments was excellent.”

The Slow Wine guide is published in the USA by Chelsea Green and is available on amazon.com.

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!

http://avvinare.com/2012/01/07/spirited-saturday-partida-tequila-neat/

Happy 2012!

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.

We liked this article that gives a bit more of a historical perspective on this important date, Cheers to America’s Alcohol System.

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
Slow Food is an international organization founded in Bra, Italy in 1986 and dedicated to respecting the pleasures connected to food, learning to appreciate a diversity of foods and tastes, recognizing place of origin, respecting the rhythms of the seasons, and enjoying food together.