VinItaly returns to the US in October with two events, one in NY Oct. 25 the second in Philadelphia Oct. 27.  The NY event will be held at the fabulous new Eataly venue on 23rd and 5th that’s managed by the Bastianich family and Mario Batali.  More about Eataly below.
     The trade tasting in New York is from 2PM – 6PM at Eataly (200 Fifth Avenue) followed by the consumer tasting  from 6PM – 9PM.  There will be a closed pair of B2B sessions for the participating wineries and  I’ll be speaking on a panel discussion focusing on how producers can find importers in the US.  On the panel with me will be Nunzio Castaldo, SVP at Winebow, Gianfranco Sorrentino of Il Gattopardo restaurant and Bill Ippolito, of Charmer Sunbelt.  A second session follows on marketing and promotion of Italian wine in the US with Enore Ceola of Mionetto USA, Susanne Bergstrom of Folio Fine Wines Partners, Gino Colangelo of Colangelo and Partners PR and Jay Spaleta, Assoc. Publisher of Wine Enthusiast.

     The Philadelphia trade event takes place from 5PM – 9PM and I’ll publish the participants on those panels as soon as they’re finalized

     Have you checked out Eataly yet?  Imagine a microcosm of a street in Roma, a trattoria from Venezia  a pizza joint from Napoli and a grocery store packed with more Italian cheeses, olive oils, meats and bread than you’ll see in a hypermarket.  But that’s not all, right next door is a fabulous wine shop with a selection of some of the most interesting wines from Italy. It just opened last week and there have been lines out the door for real Italian gelato.  Constance stopped by yesterday and saw Mario Batali, and when I visited with Stevie Kim of Veronafiere last week I spotted actress Emma Thompson mmmming on pistachio gelato.