Taste of Italy

Category: IACC Partners

  • Taste of Italy remembers Francesco Tiralongo, leading manager for top Italian wineries and inspiration for Taste of Italy.

    Taste of Italy remembers Francesco Tiralongo, leading manager for top Italian wineries and inspiration for Taste of Italy.

    The world of Italian wine mourns the loss of one of its brightest stars this week.

    Francesco Tiralongo (above, left), veteran manager for some of Italy’s most iconic wineries, passed away yesterday, March 2, 2023. He was 55 years old.

    His passing was reported by scores of Italian mastheads, including the Giornale di Sicilia, the island’s leading daily newspaper.

    In 2020, Francesco became the CEO of Baglio di Pianetto, a top winery in western Sicily, owned by the Marzotto family (the same group that created Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio).

    Before that time, he had worked as a manager for some of the biggest names in Italian wine, including Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi, Mionetto, Donnafugata, and Cantine Settesoli.

    His loss is acutely felt here in Houston, where he had had an outsized role in shaping the Italian wine community.

    Not only was he a close friend of Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Maurizio Gamberucci (pictured, right, with Francesco, above). But he was also one of the inspirations for the first Taste of Italy Houston, held nearly a decade ago.

    “He always had bold business ideas,” said Maurizio in an email. “When I moved to Texas, we came up with the concept of an Italian wine trade show that would later become ‘Taste of Italy.’”

    Francesco is survived by his wife Chiara and their two children, Nicolò and Eugenia.

    He will be sorely missed and dearly remembered.

  • IACC at the Amon Carter Museum in Ft. Worth: American painters in Venice and Prosecco.

    IACC at the Amon Carter Museum in Ft. Worth: American painters in Venice and Prosecco.

    On Thursday, July 14, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South Central was at the wonderful Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Ft. Worth.

    The occasion was the “Second Thursday” of the month event where more than 200 art lovers gathered to view the touring exhibition “Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano.”

    Guests were also there to hear a lecture by Alex Mann, who originally curated the show for the Smithsonian, and to taste some Prosecco with the chamber’s in-house wine expert, food and wine historian Jeremy Parzen.

    As the guests enjoyed two types of Prosecco — a zero-sugar added Prosecco and Prosecco Rosé by the Peninsola winery in Italy — they also sampled authentic Prosciutto di Parma.

    The event was made possible thanks to support from the Italian consulate and the Consul General Federico Ciattaglia.

    We highly recommend that you visit the exhibition, running through September. And we would like to share our heartfelt thanks with the museum for making us part of this spectacular event.

    The IACC’s participation has been sponsored by the Italian government’s ongoing Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign, which promotes authentic Italian wines, foods, and foodways.

  • IACC members featured at 85th annual Texas Restaurant Show in Dallas, July 10-11. Register now.

    IACC members featured at 85th annual Texas Restaurant Show in Dallas, July 10-11. Register now.

    The staff at the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South Central is gearing up for the Texas Restaurant Association’s annual trade fair, the Texas Restaurant Show, July 10-11 in Dallas, now in its 85th year (see below for more background on the event).

    Click here to register. Use the following code: TRSItalia22. Please note that you will need to create an account to sign up.

    The IACC will be there will a number of its members, including the following: VERO Italian Traditional Food, Chiorri, Tenuta dei Mori, Selected Food & Beverage, Monti Trentini, Consorzio Prosciutto di Parma, Tutti Lili Vini, Peninsola Prosecco, Beviamo International, and Santo Iolo.

    And there will also be a space devoted to Calabrian wines (just added!).

    IACC will be there! We hope you can join us.

    From the Texas Restaurant Show website:

    The Texas Restaurant Show is the Texas Restaurant Association’s annual restaurant and foodservice show. The largest of its kind in the Southwest, it is backed by TRA’s more than 85 years of industry leadership, and is as bold, unique and packed with opportunity as the Lone Star state itself.

    Now in its 85th year, the Texas Restaurant Show dazzles visitors with stunning and interactive displays, state of the science products and equipment, cutting edge technology and the very latest news, trends and advice from dynamic industry leaders. Thousands of restaurateurs, chefs, and industry executives attend over the two-day period and over 400 booths and 300+ companies participate, showcasing everything from artisan food products and craft beverages to linens, mobile technology, security, kitchen equipment, supplies and much more.

    Part trade show and part conference, the Texas Restaurant Show motivates and inspires everyone – from first time restauranteurs to industry veterans. Engaging seminars and interactive panels are offered by industry thought-leaders on trending topics and specialty pavilions offer an exciting, diverse and valuable glimpse into the latest products and services that the market has to offer.

    Many nationwide consumer and industry trends have their roots right here in the Texas market. The Texas Restaurant Show provides attendees a chance to meet face to face with industry leaders, discover innovative products and practical tools, make valuable connections and discover relevant information not to be found any place else in the country.

    Texas remains one of the hottest growth markets for the restaurant industry as a whole, with sales projected to be $52.4 billion by the end of 2016. With over 42,500 eating and drinking establishments in the state, every $1 million spent in Texas restaurants generates an additional 26.3 jobs.

    The IACC’s participation has been sponsored by the Italian government’s ongoing Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign, which promotes authentic Italian wines, foods, and foodways.

  • IACCTX helps Italians abroad obtain Italian citizenship.

    IACCTX helps Italians abroad obtain Italian citizenship.

    Many countries allow for dual citizenship with the United States, and every government has its own set of immigration policies and citizenship laws, which in turn shape the eligibility requirements and the conditions one must meet in order to apply for dual citizenship. Notably, the Italian government’s requirements to apply for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis (by descent) are less strict compared to other countries, which make Italian citizenship one of the easiest citizenships to acquire in Europe. Most importantly, unlike other countries, there are no generational limits that will prevent you from applying for Italian citizenship by right of blood. In other words, it does not matter if you apply through your most recent ancestor or through your most distant ancestor since there is no limit in the number of generations one can go back. For more information about the eligibility requirements to apply, the application process and the benefits that Italian citizenship entails feel free to visit ICA’s website.

  • IACC congratulates its new board members.

    IACC congratulates its new board members.

    The Italian-America Chamber of Commerce South Central would like to thank the newly elected members of its board: Massimiliano Tosi and Carlo Di Nunzio who now join Frank Cerza, Roberto Noce, and Franco Valobra who are now embarking on their second term.

    The current board is comprised of the following members:

    Brando Ballerini, president
    Edoardo Ascione
    Paolo Valente
    Niccolo Lorimer
    Andrea Benedetti
    Roberto Noce
    Filippo Spezzapria
    Massimiliano Tosi
    Carlo di Nunzio
    Frank Cerza
    Franco Valobra

    Our team would also like to thank previous members Federico Farina and Elena Hofmann for their service to the chamber and the community. And we would also like to recognize Mary Ann Remollino-Ellis and Amine Matta who also ran for board positions this season.

    The energy and enthusiasm that all of our members bring to the table are key to the success of the IACC and its engagement with our community. Board members, new and old, and board member candidates, we thank you for your service!

    About the IACC newly elected board members:

    Frank Cerza is a partner in the Business and Corporate Services and Real Estate practice groups at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP and is Chair of the firm’s Italy Practice Group.

    Architect Carlo Di Nunzio is the recipient of numerous awards for his work, which has been featured in leading magazines like Texas Magazine, Houston Lifestyles and Homes, Houston House and Home, Luxe, Beautiful Homes, and Beautiful Kitchens.

    Roberto Noce is a leading member of the oil and gas community in Texas and has worked for a number of top companies. In 2003 Roberto joined the Saipem Group of Companies to start up a newly acquired offshore engineering company, Moss Maritime.

    Massimiliano Tosi is the Event & Community Relations Manager at Eataly in Dallas where he focuses on promoting Italian high-quality products, tradition, and hospitality. He is an MBA who has years of experience in the food and wine industry.

    Frank Valobra, whose family has been in the jewelry business since 1905, is the owner of two prestigious jewelry stores in New Orleans and Houston. His family also owns a shop in Turin and in Lugano, Switzerland, located on the city’s famous Via Nassa.

  • Nana’s Creole Italian Table: A new book on Sicilian cooking in New Orleans by IACC partner Liz Williams.

    Nana’s Creole Italian Table: A new book on Sicilian cooking in New Orleans by IACC partner Liz Williams.

    The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South Central couldn’t be more thrilled to share the news: IACC partner and founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, Liz Williams, has published a new cookery book this month, Nana’s Creole Italian Table (LSU Press 2022).

    Not only is Liz a leading authority on Italian-American cooking in the U.S. She is also the director of the IACC’s New Orleans office, which opened in early 2020.

    “In a kaleidoscope of flavors and fragrances,” says IACC director Alessia Paolicchi, “Liz Williams reveals Nana Elisabetta’s secrets in marrying authentic recipes from southern Italy with locally discovered ingredients, spices, and culinary traditions. Getting to know the different generations of Liz’s family, you’ll learn how hundreds of thousands of Sicilian immigrants socially integrated through the main point they had in common with New Orleanians: respect for the food.”

    In her new book, says Italian food and wine historian Jeremy Parzen, another IACC partner, Liz “weaves the personal and the epochal throughout the arc of this delightful and essential recipe collection. Each dish, paired with a family anecdote, is a pretext to explore New Orleans’ history as an expression of the American experience. This wonderful book is sure to take its place among the classics in the southeastern U.S. gastronomic canon.”

    Click here to read more about Liz’s new book on Amazon.