Simply Italian: Great Wines Americas Tour 2013 Kicks Off at the Miami Culinary Institute
MIAMI, Fla. -- January 30, 2013: Simply Italian: Great Wines Americas Tour will host its 13th annual trade tastings here on Tuesday, February 5th, under the auspices of International Event and Exhibition Management, I.E.E.M., and International Exhibition Management, I.E.M. The much-anticipated trade event brings together key leaders in the local and international wine industries on Miami Dade College's Wolfson campus. For the first time, I.E.E.M. has partnered with the college's Miami Culinary Institute to stage the day-long series of seminars and tastings that is expected to draw a record number of attendees.
Miami Culinary Institute (located on the downtown Wolfson campus) will be the site for a series of three Simply Italian guided tasting seminars presented by distinguished experts: Master Sommelier Laura De Pasquale, World-renowned Sommelier Charlie Arturaola and award-winning chef Sarah Freedman-Izquierdo. A food and wine pairing seminar will showcase the versatile wines from the Veneto Region with samplings of international cuisine. The distinguished downtown campus is anchored by the historic landmark Miami Freedom Tower, where the grand tasting will be held following the seminar series. Within the tower's splendid ballroom, more than 30 participating wineries from Italy's finest regions will pour their latest releases exclusively for the trade and wine media. The wines will be complemented by culinary offerings from well-regarded South Florida Italian restaurants such as Quattro, Salumeria 104, Spuntino Catering, Toscana Divino, Cioppino and others.
As part of the day's Simply Italian festivities, a scholarship check will be presented by I.E.E.M. for Miami Culinary Institute student(s).
In another first, Simply Italian will single out some of the top stars in the South Florida hospitality industry with the “Simply the Best Awards,” which will include the following categories: Best Global Wine Communicator, Best Wine List in an Italian Restaurant, Best Wine List in an International Restaurant and Best Sommelier. The awards will be presented by the Italian General Consul, Mr. Adolfo Barattolo. (Recognized for its cultural significance, the Simply Italian event has been included in the Italian Cultural Program 2013 by the Consulate General of Italy.)
I.E.E.M. is honored to partner with Miami-Dade College, the largest and most diverse college of its kind in the nation, for the 2013 edition of Simply Italian. The Tour's founder, Marina Nedic, envisions this event as "The first of many future collaborations and cultural exchanges."
Simply Italian participating wineries include familiar names such as Banfi Vintners, Ricci Curbastro and Zonin USA, along with exciting new estates from Lombardy, Piedmont, Sicily and Tuscany, together with select producers from the winegrowing associations of the Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Chamber of Commerce of Udine and from Veneto, Unione Vini Veneti. Also among the exhibitors will be member wineries from the esteemed Istituto Grandi Marchi, a collection of Italy’s top winemaking families, including Alois Lageder, Ambrogio & Giovanni Folanari Tenute, Antinori, Ca’ del Bosco, Carpene’ Malvolti, Donnafugata, Gaja, Jermann, Lungarotti, Masi, Mastroberardino, Michele Chiarlo, Pio Cesare, Rivera, Tasca d’Almerita and Umani Ronchi.
Simply Italian February 5th festivities will conclude that evening in Miami Beach with an after-party on the rooftop of the Dream Hotel where more fantastic Italian wines will be on offer, along with bites from the hotel's Serafina restaurant.
Mexico City on the menu: The Simply Italian Tour will travel to Mexico City on February 7th, where it will stage seminars and tastings at the prestigious Presidente Intercontinental Hotel.
