Fine Wine Fair welcomes wine and food fans

Excitement is building ahead of the first Fine Wine Fair, which opens its doors in London next month.

The Fair, at Chelsea Old Town Hall from Friday 15 October to Sunday 17 October, offers producers a unique opportunity to showcase their wines to consumers who might previously have been unaware of their products.

A raft of top producers from all over the world will be on display alongside fine gourmet treats to help line the stomachs and vitalise the tastebuds of visitors.

Among them is Vado a Cena, a new service offering a selection of Italy’s finest foods and wines.
 
Vado a Cena means “I go for dinner”. It is a common saying in Italy when one has to leave their friends to run home to mamma’s for dinner.

The website lists charcuterie, cheese, pasta, olive oils, chocolate and wines, all sourced from small local producers across Italy with special emphasis on quality and authenticity.

Example products include balsamic vinegar Giusti from Modena that has been aged for 12 years, prosciutto crudo toscano from an old Luccan charcuterie in Garfagnana, Pecorino cheese matured in cave, Pesto Genovese made with DOP Basil from Genoa, hand shaped breadsticks from Veneto, Tuscan almond cookies and Campordigno, a Montescudaio DOC Merlot.

The business is run by Pietro Nastasi, a native of Pisa, Italy, who has been living in London for two years. Nastasi decided to launch Vado a Cena after finding it difficult to buy Italian produce of a similar quality to that on offer in Italy.

“We run a simple, honest business bringing the very best of Italian ingredients to food lovers’ doorsteps,” he said. “People should use Vado a Cena if they are planning a very special dinner party, or if they are looking for a unique gift for a friend. Alternatively, we are equally as useful if they are just feeling a bit peckish.”

As well as offering products individually, Vado a Cena also packages up complementary products into themed hampers, which come with serving suggestions and detailed notes on origin.

Nastasi believes the Fine Wine Fair will offer the perfect opportunity to introduce his business to discerning London diners and drinkers. Samples of his balsamic vinegar and olive oil will be included in the goody bags given to VIP and premium ticket holders.

Alongside an auction to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity foundation, the Fine Wine Fair will also offer the services of personal wine shoppers to visitors who may want a little help in perusing the wines on show with a view to taking one or more bottles home with them.

For more details on the Fine Wine Fair, visit www.finewinefair.org.

Alan Lodge, 30.09.2010