Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/55461
This month we look at leading menu trends for 2012, canned wine, a new generation of ketchup and more. food trends BY DENISE SHOUKAS Can It W inemakers are following the trend in artisan beer: alumi- num packaging. In 2004, Francis Ford Coppola Winery first broke the mold, debuting its effervescent Sofia Blanc de Blancs blend in pink cans. Infinite Monkey Theorem, an urban winery in Denver, Colo., made the leap in 2011, introducing at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colo., its Black Muscat, a slightly effervescent wine with a subtle taste of lychee, in a small black can emblazoned with its monkey logo. Newest to market is the Flasq screw-cap, recyclable aluminum bot- tles, available in Merlot, Chardonnay and Cuvee Blanc. Holding two gener- ous glasses per bottle, the aluminum offers more than just portability; it chills five times faster than glass and stays cold longer, and compared with glass bottles the carbon footprint is reduced by 35 percent. Sounds great for con- venience and eco-minded consumers, but what about the taste? According to the company, the aluminum has zero impact on the wine quality. To preserve the taste, from barrel to consumption, the interior of the bottles are coated to prevent direct contact between wine and aluminum. Good Food Renaissance N umerous NASFT members were winners at the second-annual Good Food Awards, held in January in San Francisco. The awards are a nonprofit initia- tive established to honor the work of producers who create both exceptional-tasting and responsibly made artisanal food. Restaurateur and food activist Alice Waters presented this year's 99 winners, chosen from among 926 entries in eight catego- ries: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles, preserves and spirits. Winners were invited to take part in the Good Food Awards Marketplace at the San Francisco Ferry Building the following day, where they sampled and sold their award-winning items. NASFT-member winners include American Spoon Foods, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Bellwether Farms, Creminelli Fine Meats, Escazu Artisan Chocolates, Gary West Smoked Meats, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Lillie Belle Farms, Miss Jenny's Pickles, Mozzarella Company, Old Chatham Sheepherding Co., S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, Theo Chocolate, Victory Brewing Company and Wine Forest Wild Foods. The Good Food Awards Seal can be found on all winning products, and assures consumers that the product is high in quality and supports sustainability and social welfare. For more information, visit goodfoodawards.org. Getting It Right: Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese F or products that have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, like Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese, accurate in-store and menu labeling is extremely important, not just to the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano, the nonprofit group that represents all Parmigiano-Reggiano dairies, but to consumers who expect a certain quality when they see those words. The Consorzio has launched a national effort to improve and regularize the labeling of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese throughout the supply chain by creating a brochure entitled, "Marking and Labeling a Masterpiece," filled with the most accurate and complete information on the certification, as well as marking and labeling. Not just a formality, it is law in Europe to label the cheese properly. In the European Economic Community the terms "Parmesan" and "Parmigiano" can be used only for cheese certified and bearing the Consorzio's certifica- tion marks. The European Court of Justice has affirmed the exclusive right to use the term "Parmesan," and while this legislation does not yet apply to the U.S., the EEC is in the process of gaining recognition here. For a copy of the bro- chure, email nradke@parmigiano-reggiano.com. MORE TRENDS: PROTEIN- AND FIBER-RICH SNACK CHIPS, P. 42 14 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com PHOTOS (FROM TOP): COURTESY OF AMERICAN SPOON; STOCKFOOD; COURTESY OF FLASQ