Monti Trentini has attended every Taste of Italy since the first year the fair was held. And they also attended all of our virtual events when in-person events were not possible.
Over the years, they have developed a long-term relations with Selected Food & Beverage, a top Texas-based distributor and a proud IACCTX member. And they have had their products on the shelves of HEB supermarkets and gourmet shops since that very first fair they attended.
Another Taste of Italy Success Story!
Stefano Albano, the owner of the Rome-based Vero Italian Traditional Food, is one of the shining stars of our campaigns here at Taste of Italy.
Not only are his food products like his Pasta Vero now available at Spec’s, one of the largest fine wine and gourmet food retailers in the country with nearly 200 stores across Texas. Many of the wineries he represents are also now available at stores across Texas like Spec’s and the state’s leading supermarket chain HEB, which is based in San Antonio but has multiple locations in all of the states major metropolitan areas and in many rural areas as well.
Just another Taste of Italy success story!
Now in its third year, the Houston Sommelier Competition is currently accepting applications for its March 5-6 event.
And for the first year since the competition was first launched, the organizers are accepting applications from any and all wine professionals who would like to participate, regardless of accreditation, affiliation, or home city. (In previous years, Court of Master Sommeliers members were not allowed to compete and the event was open only to residents of Texas and neighboring states. This year, anyone can participate).
If you’d like to compete in this year’s event, please register HERE.
For more information, please contact the Director, Jaime De Leon: [email protected]
The competition includes three exams: Theory, blind tasting, and service.
For the theory component, competitors must answer a wide range of questions about wine and viticulture throughout the world. For blind tasting, they must identify the grape, appellation, and other technical information for wines they taste without viewing the bottles or labels. For service, they must complete a mock shift on the floor of a restaurant where the guests, played by the judges, ask questions about the wines they will be served.
The winner and two runners-up receive monetary awards intended to help them pursue their studies in wine.
Since its inception, the Houston Sommelier Competition has been part of Taste of Italy, the largest food and wine trade fair in the U.S. devoted exclusively to Italian food and wine. Last year, the gathering expanded to Dallas with its first-ever event there. And this year, Vancouver will also host a Taste of Italy.
The event is supported also by the Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo. Stay tuned for details on this year’s prizes and title sponsor.
For the first time ever, Taste of Italy, the largest food and wine trade fair in the U.S. devoted exclusively to Italian food and wine, will be featuring exhibitors from countries outside of Italy.
“We have had so many great success stories thanks to connections exhibitors have made at the fairs,” says event director Maurizio Gamberucci, Deputy Director of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South Central. “Over the years, a number of producers from the U.S. and Central and South America have asked us to open it up to international exhibitors.”
Now in its 9th year, Taste of Italy has expanded beyond Houston to include gatherings in Dallas and now in Vancouver, Canada for the first time.
“We believe that this ‘cross-pollination’ will be a win-win for everyone involved, including the buyers who attend the event,” he adds.
If you’d like to learn more about reserving a stand at the upcoming Taste of Italy fairs (Vancouver, March 2-3; Houston, March 5-6; Dallas dates to be announced soon), please contact Maurizio via email here.
INTERNATIONAL PRODUCERS
Domaines Aimé Arnoux (France)
Pizzorno Winery (Uruguay)
Antica Bodega Stagnari (Uruguay)
Eccocivi (Spain)
Bodegas y Viñedos Lleiroso (Spain)
Vinum Vini (Undiscovered European Regions, and beyond)
Vite Colte, a top producer of Barolo, Barbaresco, and other iconic wines from Piedmont, first participated in Taste of Italy in 2019.
Not only did they sign a deal with Spec’s, one of the largest retailers of fine wines in the U.S., but they also connected with an importer in Mexico who is bring their wines in for the first time. They have also used their contacts at Taste of Italy in Houston to make connections with other IACC offices across North America.
It’s another one of the countless examples of Italian food and wine companies breaking into the U.S. market thanks to their experiences at Taste of Italy.
While most of the exhibitors at Taste of Italy are medium-sized and family-run companies, the trade fair — the largest in the U.S. devoted exclusively to Italian products — also features some of Italy’s most well-known and iconic brands.
When Peter Gryska, the head fine food buyers at Spec’s in Houston, found out that Melegatti, the iconic producer of panettone, was looking for distribution in the state, he jumped at the chance to add the products to his retail and distribution products. Today, those products are available throughout the state at the behemoth retailer’s nearly 200 locations.
In 2016, Acetaia Guerzoni, led by Lorenzo Guerzoni, above, Italy’s only biodynamic certified producer of traditional balsamic vinegar, attended its first Taste of Italy in Houston.
Right out of the gate, the Guerzoni family made a connection: the Ciorciari brothers, owners of the San Antonio-based food importer Food Related, fell in love with their high-end products.
Today, the Ciorciari family has been importing their products for more than 7 years and they are available throughout Texas, including Austin, Houston, Dallas, and, of course, San Antonio.
One thing that a lot of people don’t realize about Taste of Italy, which is now held in two major markets in Texas, Houston and Dallas, is also attended by buyers from across the large state of Texas.
Congratulations to the Guerzoni and Ciorciari families for your fruitful partnership!
The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South Central and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada West are thrilled to announce that Taste of Italy, the largest trade fair in the U.S. devoted exclusively to Italian food and wine, will be presenting the first-ever Taste of Italy Vancouver on March 2-3, 2023.
It will be followed by Taste of Italy Houston on March 5-6.
On the heels of the success of Taste of Italy Houston™ (now in its 9th year) and Taste of Italy Dallas (which took place for the first time earlier this year), the IACC has decided to expand the event to include the largest city in British Columbia and the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada.
To receive more details, including exhibitor info, please contact:
Do you want to attend the event as a buyer? click HERE to register.
Taste of italy Houston™ will take place at the OMNI Hotel Houston (4 Riverway, Houston, TX 77056). Click HERE to reserve your room at the dicounted rate!
For the team at the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce, there is perhaps no greater reward than knowing that our work for our members and clients has helped them expand their sales network.
One such case is that of Cantine Silvestri, a legacy grape grower and winemaker in the Castelli Romani hills outside the Italian capital.
It all started at Vinitaly 2022… Fast forward to fall 2022: Not only is Cantine Silvestri now available in the state of Texas; it’s being featured at HEB supermarkets in Texas.
In wine trade parlance, having your labels displayed like that is called being “stacked.” It’s a sort of badge of honor for wineries and distributors. And it means that they will be “moving a lot of boxes,” as they say in the industry.
Congratulations to Cantine Silvestri for their remarkable accomplishment! And thank you to the owners for believing in what we do here at the IACC South Central: Building community for our clients and members.
The wine is currently being imported by Beviamo International, a Houston-based importer and longtime member. The winery is represented in the U.S. by Vero Italian Traditional Food, an Italian-based company and also a chamber member.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29-30 in Houston, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South Central is proud to present two wine tastings featuring three top Italian producers: Cantine Bruni (Calabria), Isula di Pantelleria, and Tenuta San Giaime (Sicily), and Citra (Abruzzo).
The seminars will take place at Vinology on Tuesday, November 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; and Caracol on Wednesday, November 30, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Both seminars will be led by Houston-based wine writer and educator Jeremy Parzen, a leading Italian wine expert.
The events are open to qualified trade and food and wine-focused media members. Seating is limited and is available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Click here to sign up for the Tuesday, November 29 event at Vinology.
Click here to sign up for the Wednesday, November 30 event at Caracol.