2016 THIRD EDITION
INTERNATIONAL WINE &
FOOD FESTIVAL OF NEW
PALTZ
Article By:
Gloria Consolacion T.
Cressler
International
Editor/Host
Photographs by:
Bill Lee Lanndis and
Angelina Shipilina
The International Wine &
Food Festival of New
Paltz 2016, the 3rd
edition, was another
successful fabulous
event held again for
three wonderful days at
the gorgeous Castle
Mohonk Mountain
House. Coming upon the
castle, it was such
a beautiful, majestic,
and glorious site to
behold… similar to
castles at previous
stays when traveling
throughout Europe. True
to form, so many
familiar faces were
there beginning with the
Director of Marketing
Nina Smiley of Mohonk,
and old friends from 700
wine and food producers,
and Michelin Chefs from
all over the world, and
so many friendly members
of the trade and Press.
The festival was hosted
by the International
Wine Masters headed by
a hardworking couple Sam
and Dushka Ramic, who
are also the Founders of
Wine Worldwide Inc. They
had done such a terrific
job which included their
lovely children Ben,
Tiana, Tifani and their
friends. On Friday,
which was the first day
several informative
seminars were held in
different rooms attended
by guests in the trades.
The seminar topics were:
A Journey Through Wine:
A 40 year Perspective"
by Kevin Zraly, Trade
Wine Seminar by Michael
Wies, "Trade Talk"
Moderated by Sam Ramic,
and La Mancha- Spain's
Awakening Giant by Miles
Rupic.
That Friday night was
the opening which
started off with
a beautiful cocktail
reception held at the
terrace for the trades
and members of the Press
only. Everyone had such
a grand time
socializing. There were
global wine and food
producers coming from
Albania, Argentina,
Australia, Bosnia,
Chile, Croatia, France,
Germany,
Italy, Macedonia,
Portugal, South Africa,
Spain, and United
States, and some are
local wineries from
around the area.
Once again they served
sumptuous food. Sam
Ramic and Jean Baptiste
Dangin of Paul Dangin
and Fils Champagne
demonstrated the saber
ceremony at the sunset
porch during the
cocktail reception which
impressed all the
guests. Both of them
opened the bottles of
Dangin Champagne and
Bellussi Prosecco Brutt
with their sabers, and
then poured it into a
giant champagne glass
which was such a
spectacular way to begin
the festival.
After the cocktail
reception we all
migrated to the West
Dining room for the
Opening night of the
Wine and Food Gala where
they had a group
entertaining the guests
as more food was served,
you should have seen the
fabulous array of
delicious foods. And the
wine tasting began that
evening with different
wine producers serving
their own personal
favorite wines to the
guests. They had table
wines and Emperors Vodka
displays around the
room. It was really a
pleasure to see all
these wonderful people
again…we get to see them
every year
at this wine festival.
Saturday was the big
day; the day that
included the Grand
Tasting, Red Carpet Cru
Tasting, Wine and Food
Seminars, Celebrity Chef
Demonstrations, Organic
Wines and Slow Foods,
Silent Auction for
Charity, and that
evening the VIP Gala
Wine Dinner. Both large
ballrooms and meeting
rooms were occupied by
many of the guests from
the trades and members
of the Press, and 700
Wine and Food Producers
offering their best
wines for tasting to the
guests. All of this
happening while the
Celebrity Michelin chefs
were doing
cooking demonstrations,
and the other chefs were
busy making and serving
their delicious, out of
this world food in
between the wine tables
in both ballrooms. The
food was so palatable
that even when you were
full, you wanted to eat
more because the taste
was so delectable that
you could die and go to
heaven, and then come
back again. The pairing
of great food with the
best wines, champagnes,
Vodka and the GIORGIO G
Cognac by (famous
designer Giorgio GUCCI)
is when I can truly
state that "LIFE IS
BEAUTIFUL".
Our Celebrity Michelin
Chefs came from
different parts of the
world headed by
Celebrity Michelin Chef
Peter Xavier Kelly.
Peter X Kelly is the
Founder and owner
Xaviars Restaurant Group
which includes four of
critically acclaimed
Restaurants in New York
State, and he did a food
demonstration in the
main dining room. There
were cooking
demonstrations all day
Saturday, and some on
Sunday, many
participated from Sarah
Moulton, Rose Levy, Rose
Beranbaum, Rossana Di
Michele of Italy - all
these ladies have
cooking shows, or are
authors of several award
winning cookbooks. And
of course Chef Marcus of
Tyme Bistro who was
cooking "The New
American Cuisine." We
also have several Wine
Educators from Mile
Rupic, originally a
well-known actor and
songwriter from Croatia,
now a wine
educator, Michael Weiss
originally from Canada
who served as a wine
judge in America as well
as abroad, also Steven
Kolpan a Professor of
Wine Studies at the
Culinary Institute of
America who gave Wine
and Food Seminar, and
Kevin Zraly who
also gave a Wine
Seminar. Chef Ric
Orlando, Owner of the
New World Home Cooking
Cafe and New World
Catering was there, and
also Lou Di Palo noted
trade member and fourth
generation purveyor of
authentic products for
Italy who gave a cheese
seminar.
The Vodka and Cognac was
represented by the
President of Emperors
Brand, Zina Mashin, and
her father David Mashin
of Emperor's Brand who
acted as their very own
Napoleon Bonaparte,
representing the
delicious GIORGIO G
Cognac (by famous
designer Giorgio GUCCI)
and Emperors Vodka.
Emperors Vodka won the
Double Gold as the BEST
VODKA of the year for
2013, which a great win
- this was pitted
against the other vodkas
from all over the world.
The Giorgio G Cognac,
the letters and logo
used in this cognac is
made of 22 carats
gold. Besides the
delicious taste, the
bottles are also
designed by GIORGIO
GUCCI himself. This
Cognac has been
conceived and created
with the same high
quality standards as
clothing fashion designs
that GUCCI is recognized
for. You can order all
of his products through
the website:
wineworldwideinc@aol.com Attention:
Sam Ramic.
Additionally the other
vodka presented was the
Slovenia Vodka, and the
driving force behind
this vodka is Celebrity
Chef Peter Xavier
Kelly. Actor Bill Murray
and the Legendary
Mikhail Baryshnikov
supported this boutique
brand which garnered
international acclaim
and was also featured on
the David Letterman
show.
Saturday evening was the
Gala dinner exclusively
for the VIP GUESTS and
the WINE & FOOD
PRODUCERS where more
great foods and wines
were being served, very
good
entertainment, dancing
and tossing of
champagne. Earlier in
the day there was a
silent
auction benefiting the
charity: The Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation.
Congratulations and
thank you to all the
winners, you surely
helped this wonderful
charity!
The festival was in
partnership with the
Italian Trade Agency
headed by the Trade
Commissioner of Italy &
Executive Director for
the US Mr. Maurizio
Forte (Who dropped by
Saturday with his lovely
wife) & Wine WorldWide
Inc. Sponsored by
VERUM Winery, BELLUSSI
VALDOBBIADENE Winery, Belpoggio,
La Purisima Bodega,
X2O, Mottura, Collesole
Cantine Winery,
Vignobles Terroirs
DeFrance, The Lost Tribe
Expectations, Emperors
Brand, CTG Export &
Marketing, IWG, PRATELLO
Winery, ALVIERO
MARTINI, La Collina dei Tiliegi, Mohonk
Mountain House, Stina
Inspiracija Iz Kamena,
USIGLIAN DEL VESCOVO,
Boston Wine Expo, Wine
Spectator Magazine,
Saratoga Performing Arts
Center, Apuzzo
Kitchens, Eredi Pisano
Pratello (Italian
Men's Suits), Lamborghinni
of Manhattan, New Paltz
Regional Chamber of
Commerce, Empire State
Bank, Q92.1FM,
GloriasCollection.com,
Elite Professional
Networking Group, Black
Tie International
Magazine, and many more.
We had 700 International
Wine, Champagne, Vodka,
Food and other companies
of high end products
from 15 countries who
all participated in
this fabulous high-end
event, including the
United States. It was so
nice to see so many
friends Lucia Sutera
Sardo of Tenuta di
Collosorbo
Winery of Tuscany Italy,
Jean Baptiste Dangin of
Paul Dangin & Fils
Champagne France, Edoardo Freddi
of Pratello Winery
& Nicola Cerini, Export
Manager Azienda Agricola Russolo Rino
of Italy, Giuseppe Brasa,
North America Sales
Manager of Bellussi
Spumanti, and Kate
Williams the Export
Manager and Silvia Utrio Lanfaloni,
Marketing Manager for
Collesole Cantine
Winery, also of
Italy. Benjamin Galisteo,
Export Director Bodega
Boutique VinosDefinca of
Spain, Tihomir Kuduz,
General Manager Tbpaow
Winery, Franco Venturini
of Credem Banca, Josip Pavicic,
Export Manager from
Feravino Fericanci, and
many, many others. This
was such a pleasant
reunion.
We are still working on the
schedule for next year’s
International Wine & Food
Festival or check the
website event go to
www.internationalwinemasters.com
and for more information you
can email me at
gloria@blacktiemagazine.com
or
queenglori@aol.com or
elitepronet@aol.com. Let
me know if you will be
interested in joining us
next year? So we can get you
in on our special prices.
This is going to be another
fun, fun event!
We thank the host and the
sponsors and all the
participants headed by
Celebrity Chef Peter Xaviars
Kelly, and of course all the
wonderful guests who came
and supported this grand
event. It was a fabulous,
fabulous, wonderful event
due the labor of love,
dedication, and all the hard
work everyone put
in, especially the President
and Founders including their
children and staff of
International Wine Masters
and Wine Worldwide Inc.
Everyone did such a great
job! This year we have more
than 28,000 guests from the
Trade and member of the
Press. Check the beautiful
pictures below.
This is Gloria T.
Consolacion Cressler signing
off… We will see you at our
next year’s event. Those who
live in the tri-state area
we will see you at our last
2 events of the summer at
Trump World Tower World Bar
on Tuesday, June 14, and
Wednesday, July 13. Do make
sure to email us if you are
not getting your invitations
to
queenglori@aol.com or
elitepronet@aol.com or
gloria@blacktiemagazine.com
to send you the invitations.
Gloria Consolacion Tamayo
Cressler
International Editor/Host
Black Tie
International Magazine/TV
President/Founder
Elite Professional
Networking Group
Producer/Director/Host
Fabulous Cooking
with Queenglori
Member: United Nations
Associations and Foundation
Global Ambassador
Power Team International &
Impact Leadership 21 (UN)