2010 Honored Guests

Biagio Cru and Estate Wines

Since its 1998 start, family-owned Biagio Cru Imports has grown from a dream into a vital wine industry competitor. Brothers Vincent & Louis Restivo, with their sons Ben & Darren Restivo, formed the company and direct operations with this mission: To deliver quality affordable wines in superior packages at great prices.

“We love wine and believe in family. We look for like-minded, quality wine producers around the world with strong family identities,” says Dr. Vincent Restivo, originator of the Biagio Cru concept and former medical school dean. His brother Louis adds, “As it’s named for our father, Biagio, the business is a very personal statement. His small baking company ‘Restivo Brothers’ grew into New York’s premier Italian bread supplier.” Prior to its sale, Louis managed and expanded the family bread business for two decades of amazing growth. Restivo Brothers innovated the unbaked, pre-formed, frozen bread goods that are now the industry standard.

“Our growing stable of producers and wines have to complement each other and the Biagio Cru vision, and we’ve been lucky to find such great partners in so many places,” adds Louis’ son, Darren Restivo, a former psychologist. Biagio Cru is in high gear, with a growing US market presence, now in 43 states. The portfolio now includes wines from many regions of Italy, Spain and Argentina.

Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Long ago in the quaint hilltop village of Sant’Elia a Pianisi, Italy, two small family businesses were born. One family operated a stone mill for crushing homegrown olives used to produce fine extra virgin olive oil. The other family gathered the durum wheat harvest, milled the wheat into semolina grain and ultimately produced fresh pasta for the local market. Over time, both families became experts at their trade, passing their knowledge to the next generation, who in turn did the same. The two families had much in common, not only in perfecting time-honored production methods, but also in name: They were both Colavita families.

Today, the Colavita Olive Oil and Colavita Pasta companies are still family-owned and operating in the same town of their ancestors. They have since joined with another family-owned company, Colavita USA, and together they have shared the fruits of their respective crafts with American consumers for more than 20 years.

Colavita USA, based in Linden, New Jersey, can trace its origins back to 1978 when, with a simple handshake, Enrico Colavita and John J. Profaci agreed that the American consumer should be introduced to a genuine, affordable Italian extra virgin olive oil. With that handshake, the two would unwittingly embark on a journey that would establish Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a national leader in the extra virgin olive oil category and the Colavita brand as a major force in the Italian specialty food business.

Colavita USA also remains a family business today. John J. Profaci, joined by his four sons, Joseph, John A., Robert and Anthony, continue to grow the company focusing on Italian tradition and quality in all aspects of the business. To symbolize their dedication to these ideals and to celebrate the history of Italian food in the United States, the three Colavita family entities (Colavita USA, Colavita Olive Oil, Colavita Pasta) joined to help build The Colavita Center for Italian Food and Wine at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

Past Honored Guests

2009 Wines From Spain

Jordi von Krenski
Karin Nylund
José-Luis Villar

2008 Folio Fine Wine Partners

Michael Mondavi

2007 Terlato Wines International

Bill Terlato, President and CEO, Terlato Wines International

2006 Wines of South Africa

Michael Ratcliffe, Zelma Long, and Kevin Arnold

2005 Trinchero Family Estates

Tony Trinchero Torres and Barry Wiss

2004 Beringer

Jerry Comfort

2003 Castello Banfi Vineyards

James and Christina Mariani

2002 Sterling Vineyards

Rob Hunter

2001 Robert Mondavi

Marcia Mondavi