Grana Padano to be featured in the “Experience Italy!” Pavilion for the third consecutive year and will be sampled at Wine Spectator wine seminars
Miami, February 20, 2013 – The Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano (Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano cheese) announced today that it will participate in the 12th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival, taking place in Miami February 21-24, 2013. The internationally-renowned event invites food lovers to sample and discover products from around the world and this marks the third consecutive year that Grana Padano will be part of the “Experience Italy” Pavilion.
For four days, Miami becomes the center of the culinary scene – with chefs, producers, celebrities and casual food and wine lovers enjoying some of the best products the wine and food industry has to offer. The best-selling PDO cheese in the world, Grana Padano will be one of the fine Italian products highlighted in the “Experience Italy!” Pavilion, an entire area dedicated to the best of Italian wines together with the PDO Italian cheese Grana Padano. At the Grana Padano booth, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the history and production of Grana Padano as well as sample its fantastic flavor. In addition, Grana Padano will be featured in a number of high-end restaurants in Miami and will be the main partner at the dinner at Casa Tua Restaurant hosted by Giada De Laurentiis on Friday, February 22. During the dinner, De Laurentiis will prepare a lasagna featuring Grana Padano cheese aged to 18 months.
Grana Padano will also provide sampling at Wine Spectator wine seminars taking place throughout the weekend at the James Hotel, including:
Friday, February 22, 2013
· 4:00pm – 5:15 pm Wine Spectator Wine Seminar “The Essence of Far Niente”
· 5:30pm – 6:45 pm Beer Tasting with Spiegelau: Does the Glass Make a Difference?
Saturday, February 23, 2013
· 10:00am – 12:40pm Wine Spectator Wine Seminar Series A
o Champagne Perrier-Jouet
o Vertical of Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
o Vertical Tasting of Graham’s Vintage Port
· 1:15pm - 2:15pm Wine Spectator Wine Seminar “Kosta Browne”
· 2:45pm - 5:25pm Wine Spectator Wine Seminar Series B
o Champagne Lanson – Non-Malolactic is the Style of the Future
o The Pinnacle Wines of Washington and Oregon
o Vertical Tasting of Vintage Amarones from the Bertani Estate
Sunday, February 24, 2013
· 11:00am – 12:30pm Wine Spectator Wine Seminar “Delta’s Taste Wine Like a Master
Sommelier: Top Taster for Top Fliers hosted by Master Sommeliers Andrea Robinson and Eric Hemer”
· 1:00pm – 2:00pm Bank of America Lifestyle Seminar “Italian Wines and Cheeses” hosted
By Laura Werlin and Andrea Robinson (Shelborne Hotel)
· 1:00pm – 3:40pm Wine Spectator Wine Seminar Series C
o Journey Through the Universe of Krug
o Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – An Evolution of Two Styles
o Numanthia: A Century in a Glass. Discovering the Icon of Toro
“The South Beach Wine & Food Festival gives chefs, producers and food and wine lovers the chance to enjoy great wine and food from the around and that is why Grana Padano, the best-selling PDO product in the world, is taking part in the event for the third consecutive year,” says Elisabetta Serraiotto, who is responsible for Marketing and Communications at the Grana Padano Consortium. “This is an opportunity for us to celebrate our Italian heritage while also showcasing how Grana Padano pairs well with a variety of wines and dishes.”
A versatile cheese with a sweet, nutty taste, Grana Padano is offered in three distinct ages: 9-16 months, over 16 months and ‘Riserva,’ over 20 months – to allow consumers and chefs alike to select the Grana Padano best suited for their needs, whether the cheese is to be grated over pasta, served with various meat and vegetable dishes, enjoyed as an antipasto or in chunks with a glass of wine.
Grana Padano cheese has been part of Italy's gastronomic tradition and culture since 1135, when it was created by monks in the Padana Valley. Based in northern Italy, the Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano cheese was founded in 1954 in an effort to protect and promote the Grana Padano brand throughout the world. Today this Consortium encompasses 147 Grana Padano producers, as well as many maturers and retailers that produce over four million wheels per year, making Grana Padano the most widely sold PDO cheese in the world. “Grana” refers to the grainy and crumbly texture of the cheese and “Padano” refers to its origin in the Po River Valley (“Pianura Padana” in Italian).
For more information and to purchase tickets to the South Beach Wine and Food Festival 2013, visit sobefest.com and to learn more about Grana Padano go to granapadano.it.
About Grana Padano
The monks in the Padana Valley in Northern Italy created the recipe for Grana Padano cheese as a way to preserve the surplus milk they produced. Today, the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano, based in Desenzano del Garda in the province of Brescia, guarantees that every wheel of Grana Padano meets consistent high standards of quality to ensure that consumers around the world are buying the authentic Grana Padano PDO cheese. Grana Padano is a registered trademark around the world, and in 1996 it was awarded the status of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)* cheese, by the European Community. Grana Padano is lactose-free, lower in fat than other cheeses and high in calcium and protein. Ounce for ounce, Grana Padano cheese contains more protein than beef, chicken, fish or 1/2 cup of beans. The hard cheese is easier to digest than meat-based proteins and 1 oz. of Grana Padano contains more protein than 12 oz. of milk.
*PDO – As a PDO cheese, Grana Padano is fully recognized as a highly-appreciated product which offers consumers a series of guarantees as to the origin and production method. The PDO regulation protects the name of Grana Padano in order to define its authenticity and preserve its place of origin, methods of production and essential ingredients.
