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Monday, April 28, 2014

04/28/2014 - Trends and Tipples

The world is changing, moving, evolving - whatever term you'd like to give it, we are a world in transit, sometimes more quickly than we can keep up with.  How will the new breed, given the term, "Millennials" shape the future?  There is no better person to bring us a sense of this than Maeve Webster, Senior Director of Datassentials, a strategic research group focused on sourcing behavior trends in different demographics, forecasting menu trends, global food service directions and so much more.



Our second half guest brings to the show another trend we are experiencing, but in a very mellow, laid back, yet exciting and cutting edge direction.  From prohibition to ultra mod distilling and tasting bars, our guest, Paul Martin, Brand Ambassador and Tasting Room manager for the new cult classic in the Oxbow Market, Napa Valley Distillery.  With his encyclopedic knowledge of liquor, we'll travel from prohibition, to speakeasy, "Dean Martin days", to the current boom taking off.  We'll learn that "bitters" ain't just "bitters"!


 
 
 
Paul Martin

Brand Ambassador

Tasting Room Manager
 
The First Distillery located in the city of Napa since Prohibition. Family owned and operated by Arthur and Lusine Hartunian, Napa Valley Distillery was founded on one basic principal - Make it different!
 
Napa Valley Distillery is a family-owned and operated micro-distillery founded by Arthur and Lusine Hartunian out of their passion for premium, small-batch craft spirits and their love of the Napa Valley. Napa Valley Distillery features a unique variety of fruit-based distilled spirits, shrubs, tonics and syrups from around the world, as well as several brands of bitters that are not available anywhere in the U.S. Their flagship product is Napa Vodka Vintage Reserve, made entirely from Single Vintage Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. They also make pre-prohibition era barrel-aged cocktails, like the Negroni and East India and seasonal liqueurs like their platinum medal-winning Meyer lemon liqueur. Napa Valley Distillery also stocks a large collection of authentic vintage bar ware from the early 1900’s.
 

The unique boutique at Oxbow Market offers complimentary tastings of over 300 different cocktail bitters, syrups, shrubs and other cocktail essentials from all over the world.
 
Open Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, 9 am-7 pm; Tuesday, 9 am-8 pm; Sunday, 9 am-6 pm
 
Maeve Webster
Senior Director, Datassentials; Chicago, Il
 

Maeve Webster, a senior director at Datassential, is a lead consultant for foodservice manufacturers, operators, and distributors. She has spearheaded over 300 major industry studies during her 12 years as a foodservice specialist, and today designs and manages both consumer and operator-based studies in Datassential’s strategic research group. During the past decade, Maeve helped develop several of Datassential’s new products and programs including the several new publications, Global Culinary Tour, the TIPS report, and Optimizer—a service that provides manufacturers and operators with recommendations on optimal product mixes for the menu. She also heads the company’s Health & Wellness consulting group, authoring the Healthy Profits series of reports and participating in several industry initiatives. Maeve’s expertise is in the areas of trend analysis, market assessment, consumer behavior, product testing, and brand optimization. She is a regular speaker at industry events and is a collegiate guest instructor on the topic of market research. Maeve earned her MBA at the University of Illinois and holds a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago. (Chicago, IL)
 
 
Defining the Millennial Diner
A growing segment larger than their Gen X predecessors, millennials are already shaping up to be the next largest dining demographic following boomers. With an age range as broad as its dining preferences, the foodservice industry continues to scratch its head at the best way to define this segment. But therein lies the problem: generalization. To deal with the millennial age gap, Chicago-based foodservice research firm Datassential now measures millennials based on “adult millennials” (ages 25 to 34) and “young millennials” (ages 18 to 24). Maeve Webster says adult millennials are much more adventurous and drive trends, while younger consumers are much more broad in tastes and less likely to experiment. Ironically, “nostalgia foods” like red velvet and tater tots are considered cutting-edge and experimental to the younger millennials because they never experienced the original.
 

 
Technology is also important to both demographics. In a study conducted by Datassential, 48 percent of operators said they are using email to target millennials. But that's not the way they like to communicate. Seventy-eight percent of millennial diners use a smartphone, but use email for personal communication, whereas 45 percent of millennial diners have used an app to choose where to eat or what to order. Because of this, adult millennials are more likely to use restaurant apps to check in, review and make reservations. Taking photos while eating at restaurants is now a requisite part of the millennial dining experience, so let them get snap happy—it actually serves as free PR for your operation. - See more at: http://foodfanatics.usfoods.com/blog/5-trends-from-cia-worlds-of-flavor#sthash.mFUhaJPW.dpuf
 

 


 
 
 


Monday, April 21, 2014

04/21/2014 -- The Big Fat Greek Show



This week Slow Living Radio celebrates all things Greek through four very different perspectives.


Maria Tourikis Wainwright was born in Greece, and travels back frequently to find products from her country to bring back to the US.  She and her husband, John Wainwright from London, share their travel experiences, exciting finds and the regional diversity of Greek food, wine and culture.

 Peter Granoff, M.S., Co-Owner, Oxbow Wine Merchant, has developed a penchant for Greek Wine, carrying many unique varietals on his shelves and educating his customers about the emerging yet historic industry. 

 
Finally, our regular guest and "nomad" chef, Bob Hurley will bring an American chef's perspective on living in Greece, and what it has added to his culinary repertoire at Hurley's Restaurant and Bar in Yountville.
 


 



Show information and links

Peter Granoff MS
Oxbow Wine Merchant,

Peter's Recommended Greek Wines

Peter with a bottle of
Malagousia-Assyrtiko
Xinomavro
("sour black") is the predominant grape variety in Macedonia, centered around the town of Naousa. This variety has great aging potential with a palate reminiscent of tomatoes and olives, and a rich tannic character. It is often compared to Nebbiolo.

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Moschofilero is a Blanc de gris variety from the AOC region of Mantineia, in Arcadia in the Peloponnese. Its wines offer a crisp and floral character in both still and sparkling styles.


 

Malagousia is a grape growing mainly in Macedonia, with a special aroma leading to elegant full bodied wines, with medium-plus acidity and exciting perfumed aromas.
 

Assyrtiko is a multi-purpose variety which maintains its acidity as it ripens. It is similar in character to Riesling, and is mostly island-based, being a native variety of the island of Santorini, whose old vines have been resistant to Phylloxera.
 
 
 
 
 
Maria Tourikis Wainwright and John Wainwright
 
Maria's Greek friends....
 
 
Olive Oil
 
Food and Wine Travel 
 
 Regional Wines
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
sitting on a bed of Greek Mountain tea