Introducing Mia Wines

Hello my Foodie  & Wino Friends,

I recently attended a private press event with Freixenet winemaker Gloria Collell who introduced her new wines called Mia. These Spanish wines are casual yet modern, reflecting the vibrant style of Gloria’s hometown of Barcelona.

Fort Lauderdale was her only Florida stop on the launch tour, and I was excited to have the opportunity to meet her – she is dynamic, fiercely intelligent, down to earth and a lot of fun. The reception was held at a beautiful waterfront mansion in the Seven Isles neighborhood.

Gloria had a dream of creating a new brand of wine for the 21st century;  she set out to do something different. She dreamed of bringing to the world the best of Spanish grape varieties in wines that are as young and exciting as her home in Barcelona. A cosmopolitan city of contracts - of old and new, of color and passion and spontaneity. This dream had Gloria searching for the best of her country's grapes, rediscovering old varieties and exploring new combinations- looking for perfection in a glass. And throughout her journey, she credits Freixenet with helping her.  Their wisdom and experience, she says, provided inspiration and together they have created wines that we can all call "mine" (Mia in Spanish).

Due to the crisp freshness and fruity character of Mia wines, they are excellent with food or simply enjoyed on their own. Mia reds are made with the best Tempranillo grapes. They pair extremely well with pasta dishes and meat and of course their local ham, says Gloria.

Mia's sparkling wine is perfect for celebrating any occasion and touts this sparkler as a delicious and easy drinking wine that bursts with apples and pears on the palate.  If you are in a sweeter mood, Gloria suggests reaching for their Moscato.  It's an explosion of wonderful aromas, she says, and she loves it with chocolate, pastries and even cheese. 

To learn more about Mia wines, you can visit their website: http://www.miawines.com

Until we eat (and drink) again...

 I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise

Jamba Juice launches a new line of Juices here in South Florida

Hello Foodie Friends,

I am thrilled to let you know that I was contacted by Jamba Juice's Public Relations firm and asked to come to one of their stores to sample their new juices which they recently launched here at their South Florida locations. South Florida was among the first markets in the U.S. to have the new menu of juices and according to Jamba Juice, "the refreshing blends are a healthy alternative to other summer beverages and a tasty way to increase fruit and vegetable intake".

Today, I took along fellow food Blogger, Shaina Wizov or Take a Bite Out of Boca to sample 6 of these new juices. We arrived at the Jamba Juice in Boca Raton, on Yamato Road in the Boca Village plaza, just west of 95 where Manager Brittney was cheerfully awaiting us. She soon brought over a tray with the assorted juices we were about to try. What a visual, and the hues were as colorful as one would find in a rainbow.  

Citrus Kick

The Citrus Kick, the first juice we tried, was one of our faves.  It  felt as if we were getting a serious heaping of vitamins with every sip we took. We mostly detected the pineapple, however there were most distinctly hints of ginger and orange coming through. Very refreshing.

According to the info I received from the PR firm, Jamba Juice has always offered fresh-squeezed juices and this new expanded line of juices significantly expands the offerings, both in terms of the ingredients and the variety of blends.  In terms of how the new juices are different, four of the six juices (ones with super greens or pineapple) have a whole food fruit and or a vegetable component blended in. The unique process of juicing and blending allows for whole foods, including the nutrient-rich pulp and skin, to be incorporated into the juice.

The expanded juice platform incorporates high nutrient and on-trend whole foods including kale, beets, cucumbers, apples, oranges and chia seeds, blended into convenient, great-tasting and affordable juices.  All the produce and vegetables are locally grown underscoring Jamba’s commitment to ‘ground to cup’ in just three days!

The new juice flavors that we sampled are as follows:

·         Citrus Kick – orange, apple, pineapple, ginger

·         Garden Medley – super greens (spinach), carrot, apple, chia

·         Orange Reviver – orange, beet, banana, apple, chia

·         Veggie Harvest – beet, carrot, (spinach), apple, ginger

·         Carrot Cayenne – carrot, apple, ginger, cayenne

·         Tropical Greens – super greens (spinach), apple, pineapple, chia

Orange Reviver

The Orange Reviver was a complete surprise. With a color like this, one would expect to taste beet. With a name like this, you might even expect to taste orange. The single most dominating ingredient found in this juice: banana!

"The new line of fresh juices ushers in a new chapter at Jamba Juice, underscoring its pledge to living well and satisfying customer’s desires for convenient, wholesome, great-tasting juices.  Jamba Juice was founded in 1990 as the original Juice Club and is leveraging its juicing and blending heritage to meet the growing demand for fresh, hand-crafted, made to order juices.

Jamba Juice works hand-in-hand with local produce farms and distributors and pledges to have juices ‘from ground to cup’ in three days or less.  Each of the juices are freshly-made with locally grown ingredients, and hand-crafted to bring alive each fruit and vegetable that compose the delicious blend.  The USDA/MyPlate recommends eating a variety and rainbow of colors of fruits and vegetables daily, and these fresh juices contain all that goodness in one nutrient-packed beverage.  Jamba Juice is committed to improving Americans’ well-documented fruit and veggie deficit.

Jamba Juice’s dedicated team members have completed the Jamba MBA program (as in the ‘Master of Blending Arts’!) courses that provides personnel a high-level of knowledge relating to the nutritional value and health benefits of Jamba Juice’s offerings.

In addition to living well and fostering goodness in each of its juices, Jamba Juice also engages in giving back to the community by advocating the building of healthy communities through its involvement with local schools and area non-profits.  For more information visit, www.JambaJuice.com."

Tropical Greens

The Tropical Greens was the last of the six juices we tasted and was another favorite of mine. I liked the way it looked, first of all. The balance of the greens with the fruits was perfect. 

About Jamba Juice Company

Founded in 1990, Jamba, Inc. is a leading restaurant retailer of better-for-you, specialty beverage and food offerings, which include great tasting, whole fruit smoothies, fresh squeezed juices and juice blends, hot teas, and a variety of food items including hot oatmeal, breakfast wraps, sandwiches, Artisan Flatbreads™, baked goods, and snacks. As of April 1, 2014, there were 854 Jamba Juice store locations globally. Jamba is a proud sponsor of "Team Up for a Healthy America" in the fight against childhood obesity and encourages fans to join the Team Up community of celebrities, athletes, and other leaders committed to getting kids active and involved at www.myhealthpledge.com. Fans of Jamba Juice can find out more about Jamba Juice's locations as well as specific offerings and promotions by visiting the Jamba Juice website at www.JambaJuice.com or by contacting Jamba's Guest Services team at 1-866-4R-FRUIT (473-7848).

Until we eat (or in this case, drink) again...

   

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise

Denise Righetti

C.F.O. (Chief Foodie Officer)

Savor the City Culinary Tours

www.SavorTheCity.info