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Premiere of Italia Gourmet Show / Italian Flavor Forum IV
Loris Scagliarini – March 20, 2006
Photos by B. Solè-March, C. Lepori, L. Scagliarini

Introduction • The Event • The Buyers' Feedback • Sponsors

	The Olivolo extra virgin olive oil by Azienda Agricola Buccelletti Vivai scored 9.34 average, marking the top score of the whole show.

The premiere Italia Gourmet Show, which included the fourth Italian Flavor Forum, took place on March 14, and 15, 2006 at Fort Mason's Landmark Building 'A', in San Francisco, CA.

Over 300 business professionals, including importers, distributors, brokers, restauranteurs, wine bars, resellers, wine collectors and trade writers visited the show tasting the about 100 products presented by 38 producers from ten Italian regions.

The Event

Ready, Set, Go! We are ready to open the doors for the premiere of Italia Gourmet Show / Italian Flavor Forum IV

As usual the first guests were at at the door when the show opened at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 14, 2006. As people started to look around and have sparkling wines poured for them, the waiters and the producers who had arrived from Italy were still putting the final touches on other wine an product displays, making sure that everything was laid out in the correct order according to the printed catalog.

In a slight variation from the usual Italian Flavor Forum layout, this time the core of the white wines presented by the Italian Flavor Consortium associates were followed by five groups of wines which were poured by the winemakers themselves or their representatives. Following was an extensive display of reds from Piedmont, Veneto, Umbria, Sardinia and Tuscany poured by hired professionals.

The wines were aligned along three sides of the bright room overlooking the San Francisco Marina, with the fourth dispaying organic baked delicacies from Friuli - Venezia Giulia presented by Quality Bio, followed by the dessert wines from Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany, Umbria and Sardinia, and the grappa liquors. The traditional Pastiglie Leone lozenges, chocolate from Guido Gobino and Vicenzi's amaretti cookies, all from Piedmont, completed the peripheral display.

The center of the room was filled by an island displaying the impressive traditional balsamic vinegar and condiment from Reggio Emilia from Acetaia DiScandiano on the side facing the white wines. The aged traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena (ABTM, 12 and 25 years old), followed by extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany, Apulia and Sardinia, filled another side, followed by the tables occupied by the cheese, cracker, bread sticks and cold cuts buffet, while the last exhibited were four rices presented by the Consortium "Le Fontane" from Piedmont and the preserved vegetables by NATUR'é from Sicily.

The Buyers Feedback

That said, the best in show among the wine was the Ventisei – Moscato d'Asti DOCG by the Azienda Vitivinicola Colledoro, a delicate, enchanting light white which scored an average 9, earning from perfect 10s to 6 points.

In the individual categories, the Barbera d'Asti Superiore "Vigna del Carlinet" 2003 by Poderi Rosso Giovanni, with an average score of 8.88, took the lead. This is a single vineyard lush Barbera which took advantage of the hot weather during the 2003 growing season, As Wine Spectator's James Suckling wrote in the March issue of the respected US magazine, 2003 wasn't an easy year for the great red from Piedmont, however the Barbera was the great exception. Poderi Rosso's top-of-the-line single vineyard shows all of this.

Pecol Tocai Friulano Collio DOC 2004 from Scolaris s.r.l. come up at the top for the white wines, with an average score of 8.46 and the Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOC "Gorio" 2005 by Azienda Agricola Malibrán, not surprisingly, took the lead among the sparklers with 7.43 average score, brought down by low 4s and 5s by tasters who do not appreciate sparkling wines in general.

San Francisco Bay Area restaurants, wine bars and re-sellers interested in purchasing these products, may contact Michelle Keene. European importers and distributors may contact Mr. Lepori. Us distributors and worldwide importers may contact the Intenational Operation Center.

Among the grappas the top resulted the one made with Brunello di Montalcino grapes by "La Pescaia" di Di Donato A.R.V.E..

Among the balsamic vinegar and condiments, the most appreciated product resulted the excellent 25 years old Taditional Balsamic Vinegar by the Acetaia Malagoli Daniele with 9 points average score. For the olive oils the Olivolo extra virgin olive oil by Azienda Agricola Buccelletti Vivai scored 9.34 average, marking the top score of the whole show.

As for the other products, the dark chocolate by Piedmontese artisan chocolate maker, Guido Gobino, took the lead with 8.89 points average.

Sponsors

We are very thankful to the Italia Gormet Show / Italian Flavor Forum IV sponsors, including Acqua Panna, the water that belongs in the cellar, San Pellegrino, Provincia di Milano, Istituto Italiano di Cultura San Francisco, and BICA, best of Italy Consumer Associate.

Thats all for now. We will keep you posted on the appointment for the Italian Flavor Forum V planned for this coming July.