I’ve been attending the Fancy Food Show for more than 15 years, and, for the most part, this latest one in San Francisco was lacking innovative products that really stood out. It’s a tough industry to compete within and as I walked past the New Product showcase, I was happy that my business has evolved into a different realm. All that said, there are a few interesting tidbits to share.

Pure
Single origin continues to gain in popularity.  Products using ingredients from a distinctive geographic location offer straightforward flavors that truly make foods unique. Pure also speaks to products that are all natural and may or may not be organic.  Single-origin chocolates – made using cacao beans from a single area – were pervasive throughout the show. I sampled bars from Madagascar, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Colombia, and once again reveled in the flavors the different “terroirs,” or growing and climactic conditions, imparted to each of the chocolates.  The tastes encompassed smoky and earthy, fruity, and nutty – depending upon where the beans were grown.  Another example of  Pure was present in the profusion of teas.  Tea was ubiquitous, yet most often presented as a single types of tea, not as blends.  Tea varieties included the more traditional oolong, green, and assam, but also the more exotic types such as Chinese Pu-Erh.

Some of the chocolate companies showing interesting products were Amano and Tcho. Amano featured not only a variety of single-origin bars, but a range of single-origin cacao nibs as well.  Tcho debuted its simplified tasting wheel to help people decide what they liked in the taste of their chocolate:  chocolatey, nutty, fruity, etc.

Exotic
Foods with unusual ingredients, such as goji berries, acai, and kumquat, or unusual combinations of ingredients, such as olive oil truffles or pomegranate gummy bears, also continue to gain strength in the marketplace.  Such unusual combinations were featured in drinks, chocolates, granola and desserts.  Some, of course, worked better than others and I tasted one gojiberry drink that was cool and refreshing.  Dry Soda Co. featured soda drinks with unusual flavors such as kumquat, lavender, and lemongrass.

Nostalgic
Given the recession, it’s a given that comfort foods and foods that hearken back to better times will experience a resurgence. Some of the more popular nostalgic items included marshmallows, toffee, caramel and hot cocoa. Yet even among those very traditional products there were innovative products and new flavors. Sea Salt Caramel is suddenly appearing in a number of different candies.  Flavored marshmallows were featured by several suppliers as a complement to another nostalgic favorite – hot chocolate. And toffee was present in a number of booths, but often with a unique twist, like adding espresso to give it additional flavor.  The trend seems to be a return to basics, but using quality ingredients and exotic flavors to spice them up.

On a light note, Fairytale Brownies, maker of the best brownies that I think I’ve ever had (and have sent for years to customers as holiday gifts) was exhibiting for the first time.

In the end, an interesting and reasonably well-attended show, considering the global market place. If the buyers and manufacturers follow through on their commitment to the products featured in San Francisco, going to the grocery or specialty food store will be a much different experience.

I consider myself a wine aficionado. Like thousands of other Americans, I cannot pass up a fine wine with dinner. But I also enjoy visiting wineries and relish tastings and the opportunity to sample different wines from around the world. And the practice of continually tasting and explaining the flavors on my tongue are translated into our lab where we do the same thing with chocolate and the drinks that we create.

I originally picked up “The House of Mondavi,” about Robert Mondavi’s iconic company, to learn how he revolutionized the wine industry in California.  But in the end, the book illustrated the rivalries and betrayals within the Mondavi family business and highlighted Mondavi’s smarts, charisma and character flaws that eventually were the company’s undoing.

Before Mondavi, California was mainly known for cheap jug wines. Mondavi founded his company in 1966 and brought to the U.S. varietal wines and superior wine-making techniques such as cold fermentation and the use of French oak barrels.

Mondavi’s story is a fascinating look at a family business that grew quickly and convinced millions of consumers to enjoy better wines than they had previously tasted. It is generally accepted that Mondavi was the catalyst behind the American movement toward the daily enjoyment of quality wine and food.

Mondavi was a brilliant, urbane salesman, but also a dysfunctional patriarch who refused to cede control of his company to his sons.  In the end, it is a very sad story. Mondavi’s sons were never able to step out of his shadow and run the company, which ultimately was sold.

The premise behind Mondavi’s lasting impact remains a critical pillar of successful business. Quality processes and techniques yield quality product. And good taste is something that can – and should – be enjoyed by everyone.  All of us in the specialty food industry owe a debt to Mondavi for helping educate people about the great potential of our unique products.  I raise my cup of coffee in tribute to Robert Mondavi.