The 60th Summer Fancy Food Show was held June 29-July 1 at the Javits Center. It’s a bi-annual event with the Winter show held in San Francisco. Unlike the Restaurant Show held at the same Javits Center in which showcased many necessary to the trade but boring items such as insurance, computer systems and extermination services, the fancy food show presented specialty food and beverage products. What I keep sampling in between shots of espresso were the cheeses, olive oils, specialty soft drinks (especially ginger beer) and anchovies. Various countries had their little corner of the event space presenting its native products. It wasn’t a wine event but the wine-producing countries (but strangely, not France) had a booth or two of someone pouring wines. Thank the wine gods for my paisani who had several.
Austria
2013 Winzer Krems Gruner Veltliner (Wachau). Yellow with a greenish hue with an oily nose, crisp and floral with good acidity.
2012 Meinkang Blauburgunder (Burgenland). Pinot Noir. It was dark red with a brown robe with a red cherry nose with dusty and earthy fruit.
2012 Meinkang Blaufrankisch (Burgenland). Dark red with a nose of crushed black cherry and some mint and was tight with black cherry fruit with firm acids on the finish.
Spain
2011 Cortijo Trifillas Cabernet Sauvignon (Castilla). Barrel aged and was dark red with wildflowers on the nose and was very tight with a tart mouth-feel and some heat coming through.
2011 Cortijo Trifillas Tempanillo, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon Blend. (Castilla). Medium to dark red in color with a closed nose of pencil shavings and black cherry and was tight with slate notes on the fruit ending with firm tannin.
Chile
2012 Valdivieso Reserve Carmenere (Lontue Valley). Dark red with a closed, dusty nose and was chewy with black licorice notes on the finish.
2010 Valdivieso Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc (Chile). Medium red in color with sweet cherry and mint on the nose, tight with dusty mouthfeel ending with mouth-watering acidity, good balance.
Italy
2011 CasaSetaro Caprettone Brut. (Campania). 100% of the Caprettone grape, aged on lees with a greenish tint and was floral and crisp with some bread dough notes on the finish.
2013 CasaSetaro Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Munazei White (Campania). Medium gold in color with a slight honeyed nose and was crisp and tart with hazelnuts on the finish.
2013 CasaSetaro Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Munazei Red (Campania). 100% Piedirosso and was dark purple, light, grapey and stemmy and was firm with tannic plums on the finish.
2013 Tenuta Col Sandago Brut Rosé (Veneto). Made 100% from the Wildbacher grape variety which is a dark-skinned grape originating from southern Austria. Pale red in color with a closed nose and light strawberry on the finish.
2007 Tenuta Col Sandago “Wildbacher” (Veneto). Made entirely from the Wildbacher grape variety, dark red to brownish tints with dried leaf on the nose and big tannins, tobacco and cigar box on the finish.
2007 Tenuta Col Sandago “Camoi” (Veneto). Made with “typical red varieties” and was dark red with a brown robe, notes of black licorice on the nose and was rustic and chewy with slate on the firm fruit, balanced with bitter cherry on the finish.
Cantina Centro Massenzatico Lambrusco Secco (Emilia-Romagna). From a co-operative, dark black to purple in color, inky and dry with refreshing tannins and acids.
2013 Cantina La Salute “Manzione Bianco” (Veneto). A cross between Riesling and Pinot Blanc, and was medium gold in color with white flowers on the nose, floral medium fruit with low acids.
2008 Cantina La Salute “Eneto” (Veneto). Made from 100% the Raboso grape variety and was medium red with an amber robe with cigar box and dark cherry on the nose, tight, smoky and bitter cherry and good acidity on the finish.
2012 Montesole Falanghina del Sanno (Campania). Light yellow in color with a greenish tint, closed nose of bubble-gum and roasted nuts with moderate fruit.
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