Thank you to La Grande Orange Grocery and Pizzeria for having us at their holiday shopping on December 9th! Guests enjoyed homemade pesto paninis, marcona almonds, & parmesan cheese drizzled in our organic 8-year aged balsamic vinegar!

Villa Graziella Organic spent a sunny Sunday afternoon celebrating Italian food & wine at Marinarathon. Produced by Vincent Anzalone of Genuine Entertainment Chicago & Rachel de Marte events, guests enjoyed Italian cuisine from 14+ chefs at Morgan Manufacturing in west loop.

The competition determined which Italian restaurant best balanced authenticity with modernity in both flavor & approach. Proceeds benefitted the 100 Club of Chicago which provides for the families of first responders who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Judges panel included acclaimed author-Ari Bendersky, Zagat Chicago-Sarah Freeman, Editor in Chief Michigan Avenue Magazine-JP Anderson, Host of Chicago’s Best-Brittany Payton, food & culture writer-Audarshia Townsend & Master Chef Junior-Philly Vazzana.  This year’s inaugural winner was Mark Sparacino from Prosecco.

Villa Graziella Organic offered tastings of our pesto panini & herb roasted Marcona almonds made with our single estate, extra virgin, organic olive oil along with our 8 year aged organic balsamic vinegar di Modena paired with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.   

Check out more photos from the event!

We’re already saving up our appetite for next year’s edition!

A summer celebration with family, friends & Villa Graziella Organic in Hong Kong.

Guests recently enjoyed a taste of summer at a Mediterranean style dinner paired Villa Graziella Organic wines at the Deep Water Bay Golf Club.

Chef Caesar Chan used Villa Graziella Organic aged balsamic vinegar di Modena & Villa Graziella organic,extra virgin olive oil with fresh, seasonal ingredients to create healthy & delicious dishes.

Villa Graziella single estate wines from Tuscany complimented the Mediterranean menu of an Antipasto Wellness Salad, Primo piatto of Linguine con Vongole, Secondo of Branzino al forno con sale-Spanish Sea Bass baked in sea salt or whole roasted lamb. Dolce-dessert concluded the evening with the natural sweetness of fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream & drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar di Modena.

Villa Graziella looks forward to attending attending the upcoming North American Olive Association conference, Spend Wisely on Olive Oil. The first olive oil conference in North America focused on what matters most to olive oil users – Value!

The conference will discuss the benefits & uses of all classifications of olive oil as compared to other edible oils & fats.

Experts related to health, cooking & trade will host topical sessions, cooking demonstrations & workshops to share & learn about best practices.

Participants will gain first-hand experience by tasting a wide range of oils & enjoying olive oil enhanced meals.

We were so excited to be the spotlight sponsor for the Chicago Food Swap this past weekend. Take a peek at this short recap video we made. We already can't wait for the next swap!

Villa Graziella was recently highlighted on AM 560 The Answer -Get Down to Business Show on AM560! In case you missed the live broadcast, the full interview with Master Vistage Chair Dick Smith is now online! 

Families, food enthusiasts & even cyclists riding from Baltimore to Seattle to raise money for cancer, recently stopped by the French Market in Wilmette to sample Villa Graziella certified organic products. Guests enjoyed 4 year aged balsamic vinegar di Modena paired with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese as well as extra virgin, Italian olive oil paired with crusty Tuscan farm bread for a delicious & healthy snack! Come by & see us at the Edison Park family & pet friendly Farmer’s Market next month. Details will follow soon!

Tune in to Playmakers WIND AM 560 TODAY June 14th at 6:00pm!!

This afternoon, June 14th Villa Graziella Organic is thrilled to be a guest on the Playmakers business program on WIND AM 560. Hosted by Master Vistage Chair Dick Smith, the interview will air shortly after 6:00 pm.

We will be discussing Villa Graziella Organics, our passion for great tasting food & wine that is also good for you & our commitment to sustainability.

If you are in the area, please tune in to AM 560 right after 6:00 PM to hear our interview.  This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about Italy’s rich culinary heritage & wonderful food traditions. Our talented Italian artisans & producers who craft delicious, small batch food & wines that balance nature, the long term health of the environment & those who enjoy them.

To find out more about organics, sustainability & our talented Italian artisans, please visit us at www.villagraziellaorganic.com. 

Host Dick Smith spotlights Villa Graziella Organic Managing Partner Consuelo M. Martinez

Sol&Agrifood at Vinitaly hosted a food forum highlighting the best of the healthy Mediterranean diet & its focus on fresh, seasonal & simple ingredients prepared at home instead of pre-packaged or processed foods. Italian tasting tours included artisan chocolates, craft beers, a cheese pairing experience, extra virgin & flavored olive oil from various Italian provinces along with healthy pastry & confectionary alternatives. We enjoyed Spaghetti all’Amatriciana & dessert from 2 of Rome’s most esteemed organic restaurants followed by a delicious cup of coffee.  Buon Appetito!

We recently attended the 49th edition of Vinitaly in Verona, Italy & experienced yet again Italy’s diverse & unique role as a true “wine & food nation”. Over 300+ wine appellations, 400+ grape varieties were available for tasting by 4,000+ exhibitors from Italy’s 21 regions.  Obviously wine is big business for the country as the industry registered 14 billion Euros in revenue in 2014 alone.  

Vinitaly was the perfect showcase for newbie’s like us; it was well designed, organized & professional. Over 2 days, we navigated from 1 region to the next; from Piemonte to Puglia with stops in Emilia Romagna, Toscana & Sardegna.  Our adventure included seminars on artisanal wines, agronomic practices & sustainability, tastings of aged cheeses, hand crafted chocolates & organic olive oils.  

As important as business, sales & net shipments are for the exhibitors, the winemakers & producers we met with were eager to share their individual stories; their unique history, their viticulture & innovation in viniculture techniques. What impressed us most was not only genuine passion & pride, but a sincere respect for their vineyard & a true love of their land-expressed in every glass of wine we tasted.  We can’t wait to go back next April!