SIP & SAVOR THE AUTHENTIC FLAVORS OF ITALY AT THE NEW YORK WINE EXPO! 

The Italian Pavilion will tempt trade, press and consumers with a fantastic array of Wines, Cheese, Olive Oil and other Authentic Products of Italy.

New York, February 28th, 2013 – The Italian Trade Commission in collaboration with the New York Wine Expo will present a much anticipated Italian Pavilion this March 1st through 3rd on site at the Jacob Javitz Center Galleria. Over 8,000 consumers and members of the press are estimated to flock to the Expo over the weekend to experience and certainly indulge in a taste of authentic Italy. The final day of the show is expected to draw a large trade audience as the New York Wine Expo is collocated with the International Restaurant and Foodservice show of New York. The plentiful cornucopia of wine styles and gourmet specialty products will certainly be a main point of interest for trade. Participating Italian producers together with US importers and purveyors of Italian wine and specialty products in the Italian Pavilion will relish the opportunity to discuss their products and provide a guided tasting experience to visitors.

Analysis of 2012 data published by the US Department of Commerce for US wine and vermouth imports reveals Italy retains its market leadership position carving out a 29.5% US market share valued at an estimated 1.5 billion dollars. Further news that certainly bodes well for Italian wine exports to the US were recent comments made by respected market analyst Jon Fredrikson at the Unified Grape Symposium noting that America is the largest wine market in the world; consuming 13% of global production.

Italian Trade Commissioner, Aniello Musella comments “Italy’s ample array of quality wines directly responds to the growing interest in wine stateside.” “This interest,” he continues “has been partially fueled by sommeliers who seek out interesting wine offerings and millennials’ adventuresome spirit and purchasing habits. Together they have highlighted amazing lesser known Italian wine regions and wines creating a demand for these wines as well. Quality wine expressions from these regions and all over Italy are in demand and being increasingly integrated into both on and off premise offerings because of their excellent quality, variety and terrific price points. The wines featured at the Italian Pavilion illustrate this.” He also points out that the growing foodie movement in the US has fostered interest in both gourmet specialty products and wines of Italy.

The Italian Pavilion will not only feature indigenous and international wine varietals from Abruzzo, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Lombardy, Le Marche, Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, Veneto and Umbria but will also showcase several types of what many have dubbed Italy’s Liquid Gold from award winning olive oil producers from Abruzzo ,Calabria, Campania, Le Marche, Sicily and Umbria.

At this year’s show, it seems all roads lead to Italy. Foodies will not be disappointed by the menu of authentic specialty cheeses paired to perfection with fruit mustards, honey and other gourmet condiments. In addition, the Italian Pavilion will welcome the participation of cookbook author and host of PBS’ Stress Free Cooking‐ Barbara Seelig Brown. Barbara, the official food blogger for Italianmade.com blog, will be on hand to share tips, discuss authentic Italian ingredients and personalize a copy of one of her latest acclaimed cookbooks.

Another terrific addition to the Pavilion is Italy’s premiere food and cooking magazine La Cucina Italiana Magazine. Staffers will be on hand to share product picks and consult visitors on all things Italian including wine, travel, gastronomy and more.

A special addition to the New York Wine Expo this year, is the Italian Cheese Road Tour and POP UP SHOP featuring Asiago, Piave, Valtellina Casera, and Grana Padano DOP cheeses presented by Agriform in collaboration with e‐tailer igourmet.com. The Italian Cheese Road Tour aims to engage and educate attendees about Italy’s bounty of quality cheeses. New York’s beloved Italian Cheese Guru, Lou Di Palo, will be featured speaker at the Expo’s sold out seminar Italian Cheese’s X Factor presented by Agriform in collaboration with the Italian Trade Commission. Lou will discuss how typicity, provenance and maturation regimes contribute to the irresistible taste of DOP cheeses. Attendees will leave with hands on cheese tasting and wine pairing experience and a treasure trove of helpful hints that will make entertaining friends and family a breeze in both formal and informal settings.

Aniello Musella concludes “we are pleased to collaborate with the New York Wine Expo and partner with Italian producers and their US trade representatives. I am confident that the Italian Pavilion will certainly contribute to the New York Wine Expo’s weekend celebration of food, wine and culture.”

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For more information on participating exhibitors and their product offerings, download the Italian Pavilion Catalogue: http://bit.ly/Y4N4Y4