"Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't eat has been proved to be indispensable for life. But I go marching on."
- George Bernard Shaw

"Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures." - M.F.K. Fisher

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J.R.R. Tolkien

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Fusion Napa Valley Verjus 2008 Hits the Market!

Since 1993, the grapes used for Napa Valley Verjus are among the first grapes of the season harvested in California. Having the distinction of being the first wine-grape product bottled and released into the market, no more than ten days pass between the day the grapes are picked to the day that the Verjus is bottled. The resulting juice has fresh aromas of berries and flowers, with a tart, clean and barely sweet sensation on the palate. The balance of acidity and sweetness is perfect for many styles of cooking, from traditional French recipes to modern American, Italian, Asian and Mediterranean Cuisine.

An unusually hot summer in California resulted in the Fusion Verjus crop being harvested a few weeks earlier than in 2007. French Colombard and Alicante are the two grapes that were selected from separate vineyards with different growing conditions and levels of ripeness at harvest to produce this years vintage of Verjus.

Without divulging too many proprietary secrets, Verjus Blanc is made from a "base verjus" with very high acidity which is then blended with juice made from sweeter grapes. Verjus Rouge is blended with the dark red-purple Alicante juice to give it the color of a light red wine. Blending the juices is what allows Fusion to control the acidity of the Verjus and adjust the sweetness of the final product with culinary diversity in mind.

The 2008 Fusion Napa Valley Verjus Blanc is 10.2 degrees Brix and has a titratable acidity (TA) of 2.0 g/100 ml. The acids found in grape juice are primarily citric, tartaric and malic. They are milder and naturally more wine compatible than the acetic acid found in vinegar. The Verjus Rouge is 11 degrees Brix and 2.0 g/100 ml TA.

To give you an idea of how quickly the grapes go from vine to bottle, we've created a timeline of this year's harvest:

Upon being bottled, the final product is sent for laboratory analysis for sterility and stabilization. That leads to the full release of Napa Valley Verjus into market for distribution and sales. We hope you enjoy cooking with the 15th vintage of Fusion Verjus. Please contact your local FoodMatch sales representative or call our office for pricing and availability in your area.

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The recent active hurricane season in Florida has caused some to wonder if the supply of Divina Roasted Red Tomatoes will be negatively affected. It is true that Central Florida crops were hit especially hard by Hurricane Fay as it moved from Orlando to Tampa Bay over the course of several days. In some areas, up to 36 inches of rainfall was reported. Much of this area is faced with replanting, which will delay the Central Florida crop into early next year. As of this writing, the tomato crop in Southern Florida had not been damaged by any of the storms.

Thankfully, this time of year FoodMatch is receiving our tomatoes from local farms in the Northeast. We are just now wrapping up production using tomatoes from our contracted fields in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey. This supply will last until early 2009 when the Florida winter crop becomes available.

FoodMatch will continue to monitor the results of the winter tomato crop and provide updates if necessary.

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San Marco Italian Rices

One of the trendiest additions to menus across the country in recent years has been risotto. Even home cooks are willing to invest the time and effort into this fall/winter culinary treat! FoodMatch is proud to offer three distinctive and high quality Italian rices courtesy of San Marco.

FoodMatch offers three distinct types of San Marco rice:

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Coming Soon...

2008 Fall/Winter Market Plates by Divina

The FoodMatch marketing department is happy to announce that the 2008 Fall/Winter Market Plates by Divina brochures and recipe stands will be available beginning in October! Building off the success of the Spring/Summer campaign, there are nine new recipes that combine Divina favorites with fresh seasonal produce and ingredients.

The nine recipes that will be featured are:

Artichoke Gratin

	Roasted Moroccan carrots and green beldi olives Gigandes in Vinaigrette with Swiss chard and bacon Provencal cauliflower with dry-cured black olives Braised fennel with citrus stuffed olives Broccoli rabe with pitted kalamata olives Roasted tomatoes with Mediterranean bulgur salad Portabella with roasted winter root vegetables Polenta and grilled asparagus salad

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Just the Facts

Name: Jari Buechler
Department: Quality Control
Job Title: QA Coordinator
Years @ FM: 3
Hometown: Clarkston, MI

Job Description:
"I work as part of our Quality Control team to ensure that FM products are of the highest possible quality. I work with our suppliers and growers to set standards for products based on constant monitoring of incoming products and customer feedback. I also work with our customer base to answer product related questions."

Favorite FoodMatch Memory:
"Last year, during an office lunch, we noticed that if my hair were combed a certain way, I would look just like a picture of a coworkers younger daughter. Our graphic designer took a picture of me and manipulated it to match the background of the original picture. The switch was on! We waited almost a full week before the rogue picture was finally spotted. We knew we were caught when we heard a loud scream followed by hysterical laughter."

Little Known Facts and Hobbies:
"I had wanted to live in New York City since I was teenager --- so after graduating college in Michigan, I packed up my car and moved here. I spend most of my time enjoying the city, running, cycling, relaxing in Central Park, kayaking on the Hudson River and trying new restaurants with my friends."

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New York City Wine & Food Festival
New York, NY
October 9-12, 2008

The New York City Wine & Food Festival brings together both legendary culinary icons from around the globe and America's most beloved television chefs. Mirroring the charitable component of South Beach, the New York City festival will benefit the hunger relief programs Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength. All net proceeds from the festival will go directly to these community based initiatives.

Expo EastNatural Product Expo East Trade Show
Boston, MA
October 15-18, 2008

Over 25,000 natural, organic, and healthy products industry members will meet at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center for Expo East 2008. The show floor will feature products and ingredients from over 1,200 exhibitors.

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