Blog

Texas BBQ and Chianti
Tasting and Seminar
with pit master Ara Malekian
Spec’s Italian wine buyer Tom Dobson
food writer Eric Sandler (CultureMap)

Monday, March 14
2:30 p.m.

$25 per person
includes admission to the walk-around tasting

Click here to register.

Taste of Italy’s most popular seminar, “Texas BBQ and Italian Wine,” returns this year with celebrity pit master Ara Malekian, Tom Dobson, the Italian specialist and wine buyer for Spec’s, one of the largest wine retailers in the U.S. today.

They will be joined with leading Houston food writer Eric Sandler.

For this sure to be sold-out event, Ara, Tom, and Eric will be leading wine and BBQ lovers through a tasting of top Italian wines served alongside smoked meats from Ara’s legendary Harlem Road Texas BBQ.

Spec’s has partnered with Taste of Italy this year for the first time as a title sponsor. And all the wines poured will be available at Spec’s flagship location in midtown Houston.

Wine writer Jeremy Parzen will moderate the panel.

Image via the Harlem Road Texas BBQ Facebook.

This event is presented by Spec’s and Consorzio Vino Chianti.

We are pleased to announce that the 2022 Villa Sandi Houston Sommelier Competition is now open to candidates from anywhere in the world!

Any and all wine professionals are encouraged to apply.

The only requirement is that candidates be present for testing in Houston during the Taste of Italy festival and fair — March 13-14, 2022.

The winner of this competition will receive a $750 stipend and a fully sponsored trip to Vinitaly, the annual Italian wine trade fair in Verona. The runner up will receive a stipend of $750. The second runner up will receive $500.

Villa Sandi, producer of premium Prosecco, is this year’s Houston Sommelier Competition title sponsor.

The Texas Wine School will also offer one or more scholarships, including the Riccardo Caflisch Memorial Scholarship in Italian Wine Studies, to qualified competitors who complete the Texas Wine School’s scholarship application, which can be found and downloaded here.

If you’d like to participate in the 2022 competition, please send an email to the organizers by clicking here. Please be sure to specify your accreditation status and your current job status.

The brainchild of Houston-based sommelier Jaime De Leon, a regional wine buyer and manager for Kroger supermarkets, the Houston Sommelier Competition is modeled after the Court of Sommeliers exam, considered by many to be one of the most challenging in the wine world today.

Candidates will be required to complete a theory test (arguably the hardest of the three exams); a blind tasting where they have to identify the grape, the appellation, and the vintage; and a service test where they will have to serve wine in a mock dining room setting.

For the 2019 event (the last time the competition was held), more than 20 sommeliers participated. The winners (above) were awarded with honorariums intended to help them continue their fine wine studies.

De Leon will be enlisting some of the city’s top sommeliers and wine experts to serve as judges and proctors for the exams.

Taste of Italy, March 13-14, 2022 in Houston.

Taste of Italy Houston is the largest trade fair in the U.S. devoted exclusively to Italian wine and food products.

Ethical Wine: An alternate path.
Tasting and Seminar
with sommelier Steven McDonald MS and wine writer Dale Robertson
moderated by wine writer Jeremy Parzen
featuring the wines of
Tenuta dei Mori (Umbria)
and
Santoiolo (Umbria).

Monday, March 14
10:30 a.m.

Click here to register.

For the lead-off tasting and seminar at the 2022 Taste of Italy Houston trade fair, Italian wine educator Jeremy Parzen will be moderating a discussion of “Ethical Wine: An alternate path.”

He will be joined by Steven McDonald MS, wine director for Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Houston and one of the top tasters in the city; and wine writer Dale Robertson, author of Sporty Wine Guy and former wine columnist at the Houston Chronicle.

Steven will lead attendees through a technical tasting of the wines using the methodology developed for the Court of Sommeliers blind tasting exam.

We’re also hoping that Steven will share one of his wine-themed raps!

With the growing interest in organically farmed wines, consumers have become increasingly excited about buying and drinking wines that are “organically certified.”

But what many wine lovers don’t realize is that organic farming, depending and where and how it is managed, can actually be detrimental to the environment and the communities that live in proximity to estates where “organic” wine grapes are raised. Another thing that consumers might not be aware of is that even when the grapes are farmed organically, the vinification process may still include synthetic additives that few would call “organic.” Lastly, the financial burdens of organic farming can be so overwhelming that many wineries simply can’t afford the costs of the farming itself, not to mention the certification process.

Today, many winemakers and grape growers across Italy and Europe are looking to alternate, “sustainable” approaches to grape farming and winemaking. In the light of this, the organizers of Taste of Italy have asked two leading Umbrian wineries to share “ethically” farmed wines that reflect an overarching approach to sustainability balanced by quality. While they both employ organic and biodynamic farming practices, neither is certified and neither religiously follows the restrictive precepts of organic and biodynamic viticulture. The result is high-quality wines that help to bolster the health and well being of the communities where they make their wine.

As new information regarding Covid 19 continues to become available, the organizers of Taste of Italy Houston 2022 are monitoring the situation closely. In the light of the fact that travel plans remain fluid, they have decided to make the trade fair’s Early Bird registration 100 percent refundable in case of any travel restrictions.

In order to obtain the discounted rate for early registration, please contact IACC deputy director Maurizio Gamberucci at [email protected].

The deadline for Early Bird Registration is December 17.

Exhibitors concerned with losing their deposit because of unforeseen travel restrictions need not worry: All Early Bird fees are 100 percent refundable if exhibitors are unable to attend due to travel restrictions.

Please contact Maurizio (see his email above) for more information.

The organizers of Taste of Italy Houston are thrilled to announce that the Houston Sommelier Competition will return in 2022!

The brainchild of Houston-based sommelier Jaime De Leon, a regional wine buyer and manager for Kroger supermarkets, the Houston Sommelier Competition is modeled after the Court of Sommeliers exam, considered by many to be one of the most challenging in the wine world today.

Contestants will be required to complete a theory test (arguably the hardest of the three exams); a blind tasting where they have to identify the grape, the appellation, and the vintage; and a service test where they will have to serve wine in a mock dining room setting.

For the 2019 event (the last time the competition was held), more than 20 sommeliers participated. The winners (above) were awarded with honorariums intended to help them continue their fine wine studies.

De Leon will be enlisting some of the city’s top sommeliers and wine experts to serve as judges and proctors for the exams.

Stay tuned for more details!

Taste of Italy is scheduled for March 13-14, 2022 in Houston.

For more information, please contact Italy-America Chamber of Commerce deputy director and Taste of Italy director Maurizio Gamberucci at [email protected].

Taste of Italy Houston is the largest trade fair in the U.S. devoted exclusively to Italian wine and food products.

Great news!

Taste of Italy is scheduled for March 13-14, 2022 in Houston!

For more information, please contact Italy-America Chamber of Commerce deputy director and Taste of Italy director Maurizio Gamberucci at [email protected].

Taste of Italy Houston is the largest trade fair in the U.S. devoted exclusively to Italian wine and food products.

Although last year’s event was held virtually, previous years have included more than 100 exhibitors and more than 500 attendees each year, including leading food and wine trade professionals, top buyers, and select food and wine-focused media.

“We are excited to get back to an in-person format,” says fair director and chamber deputy director Maurizio Gamberucci. “Italian companies are eager to get back to Texas and American trade professionals are excited to taste new products and make new connections.”

“There’s a good reason that the Houston-based chamber is ranked number one in north America,” adds wine and food educator Jeremy Parzen, who will be emceeing the fair’s breakout seminars and tastings. “It’s because this event genuinely connects buyers and producers. There are so many amazing success stories from previous years. We are planning to mount our biggest and best fair to date!”

And the news just keeps getting better!

As in years past, we have been able to schedule the fair to coincide with the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show, one of the city’s signature events and a favorite of visitors from across the U.S. and the world.

Attendees will have the opportunity to attend an evening at the rodeo, including a concert by a top American entertainer (Lizzo was among the performers scheduled for 2020).

Please stay tuned for updates as they become available. We hope to see you in Houston in spring of 2022 when Taste of Italy Houston returns to its in-person format!

OCTOBER 5, 2021

PRESS RELEASE
ITALY-AMERICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
LOUISANA, TEXAS, AND CALIFORNIA

EXPORTS BEGIN WITH FIRST CONTRACTS

AMERICAN BUYERS IN CALABRIA WITH THE REGIONE CALABRIA AND THE ITALY-AMERICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

THREE DAYS OF MEETINGS TO BE FOLLOW BY A TOUR OF THE U.S.

COSENZA, CALABRIA

Exports: The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce and the Regione Calabria (the superintendent for economic development, tourism, and internationalization) are pleased to announce the early results of the joint project “La frontiera americana — opportunità in Texas, Louisiana e California. Le eccellenze della #CalabriaStraordinaria negli USA” (“The American Frontier: Opportunities in Texas, Louisiana, and California. Top food and wine products from #CalabriaStraordinaria in the U.S.”).

The first contracts between producers and buyers have been signed.

Top food products and wines are ready to take off for the U.S. beginning in 2022.

The 50 businesses that took part in the project are extremely happy with the outcome, as are the American buyers who they hosted in Calabria last week.

Following the wonderful tours of different parts of Calabria in July, the representatives from the chamber of commerce came back to the region together with a delegation of leading buyers for four days of sales meetings and on-site visits. They stayed at the Palace Hotel Mediterraneo in Amantea where producers had the opportunity to teach them about their products. Over the course of their stay, the producers discussed the quality, identity, history, competitiveness, and added value of a wide variety of top products with their VIP guests.

There were also two more on-site visits. A delegation of buyers visited the Hotel – Ristorante Barbieri, a natural oasis that looks out over the Altomonte Città d’Arte (Art City). It was there that “agrichef” (farm-to-table chef) Enzo Barbieri, an ambassador for the #CalabriaStraordinaria project, took them on a tour of the gardens and ateliers where fruit preserves are grown and produced. He also shared some of the recipes developed over the years at his family’s Bottega Barbieri. Many of those products are now well known throughout the world.

Another delegation traveled to Badia di Nicotera in Vibo Valentia province where they visited Casa Comerci, an important producer of Calabrian wine. They were greeted by export director Rosa Comerci who led them through the estate’s vineyards of Greco Bianco and Magliocco Canino. They had the opportunity to see the vineyard workers as they harvested and sorted the grapes. They also tasted wines from another winery, Altomonte di Pizzo Calabro, with owner Nino Altomonte.

The chamber of commerce and Regione Calabria are now looking forward to the results of the third phase of their joint project, slated to begin in the U.S. in 2022. Launched by the Regione Calabria, this campaign represents a new, interesting, and solid opportunity for companies that are looking to export their products for the first time. The challenge ahead for all parties lies in expanding the reach of the participating companies. The goal of both the Regione Calabria and the offices of the chamber of commerce in Louisiana, Texas, and California is to present these companies and share their products from #CalabriaStraordinaria in coming months through events and market-focused initiatives.

Click here for images from the tastings and visits on Facebook.

Please join us for a webinar on the State of the Italian Wine Trade in the Pandemic Era with Brian Larky, founder and CEO of Dalla Terra Imports, on Wednesday, March 17, 10 a.m. CST.

Click here to register (open to all). Attendees will be provided with a Zoom link.

The event is part of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce South-Central’s Taste of Italy Virtual Trade Fair 2021, March 15-17 (click here to browse a list of presenters and to sign up for tastings and meetings; appointments are still available and food products and wines will be delivered directly to your home or office before the meetings).

Brian and wine writer and educator Jeremy Parzen will be discussing new trends and strategies that have emerged in the time of the global health crisis. Brian will also be sharing his insights about what to expect over the next year and beyond.

About Brian:

Brian Larky revolutionized the way Italian wine was imported and sold in the U.S. when he started his company Dalla Terra in 1989. Literally decades before anyone else envisioned an importing model that would save consumers money by working outside of the traditional three-tier system (importer-distributor-retailer/restaurateur), he began setting up regional distribution networks that allowed wineries to sell their wines directly to local vendors. Today, Dalla Terra brokers the sales of some of Italy’s most iconic wineries, including Vietti (Barolo), Casanova di Neri (Brunello di Montalcino), Adami (Prosecco), Selvapiana (Chianti), and so many more.

About Jeremy:

Jeremy Parzen has been writing about Italian food and wine for more than 20 years. He is a widely published authority on Italian gastronomy and viticulture and serves as an adjunct professor at the Slow Food University of Gastronomic Sciences in Piedmont where he teaches food and wine communications (in normal years). His blog Do Bianchi is considered to be a leading resource for Italian wine education.