Rosh Hashanah (9/25-9/27)

Happy Rosh Hashanah and a healthy, sweet and prosperous New Year! Shanah Tovah!

Rosh Hashanah, literally meaning the “head of the year” is the Jewish New Year. It is a time of inner renewal and divine atonement. This year, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Sunday, September 25th. For those observing two days, it ends at sundown on Tuesday, September 27th.

One of the most popular Rosh Hashanah customs involves eating apple slices dipped in honey, sometimes after saying a special prayer. Ancient Jews believed apples had healing properties, and the honey signifies the hope that the new year will be sweet. Rosh Hashanah meals usually include an assortment of sweet treats for the same reason.

Read more HERE

First Day of Fall!

Today is the first day of Fall! In mid-September each year, we greet the fall season with the arrival of the fall equinox (otherwise known as the autumnal equinox). This is the moment when the Sun crosses the Equator, and those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere will begin to see more darkness than daylight. We will also start seeing the leaves change, cooler weather and Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING. Hello Fall!

September Webinar Wednesday:

Financial Empowerment for First Generation College Grads

September 28, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT

To learn more and register click HERE

Welcome to Martignetti Companies

David Beanblossom

Maintenance Technician, Warehouse & Delivery



Hired: 9/12/22

Fun Fact: love the outdoors (hiking, fishing).

Favorite Martignetti Product: Johnnie Walker

Congratulations!

Please join us in congratulating this well deserved promotion!

Sam Reagan

From: Chain Specialist

Promoted to: Chain District Manager, Commonwealth

Date: 9/12/22

Happy Fall!

Fall is now HERE! We are excited about apple picking, pumpkin spice and Fall festivities. If you have any pictures from home please send them to thegrapevine@martignetti.com

Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight:

Giovani Verdejo

Winemaker, Foley Johnson & Kuleto Estate

Giovani Verdejo “Gio” was born in Mexico City, Mexico. At a young age he moved with his family to Napa Valley. Living in Napa Valley, Gio became fascinated by wine and was exposed to it from an early age. He recalls, “I grew up in a house of wine lovers, and good wine was present at every family gathering.”

With wine always being present in his life, Gio followed his curiosities of winemaking and began taking courses in Enology at Napa Valley College. In 2000, he began his career in the wine industry at Kuleto Estate Winery where he worked under winemaker, David Lattin. He knew he was doing something he loved and was promoted to Assistant Winemaker while he continued his education.

In 2011, in addition to his Kuleto Estate position, Gio was given an opportunity to work for Merus handcrafting some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons in the Napa Valley. In 2016, he ventured out of the Napa Valley and became the Associate Winemaker at Langtry Estate in the Guenoc Valley of Lake County. Gio always had a love for Napa Valley and when he was offered the head Winemaker position at Foley Johnson, he was thrilled to get back to his Napa roots. “I have always been a big fan of Foley Johnson wines and am happy and honored to continue the Foley Family's legacy and vision. The Rutherford AVA is highly regarded and the Foley Johnson vineyards are in an ideal location for grape growing. I am thrilled to be working with Rutherford grapes. This is a great appellation for Bordeaux varietals.”

8th Annual Women’s Beverage Alcohol Symposium: “Breaking the Glass Ceiling”

The Women’s Beverage Alcohol Symposium brings together women working in the beverage alcohol industry, including those working in restaurants, retail liquor and wine stores, as well as distributors, wineries, and distillers. It is a day dedicated to enhancing professional skills, learning to achieve balance in life and networking with peers.

This year we hosted a Hybrid Event at our corporate headquarters in Taunton, MA. This gave us the opportunity to gather and connect in person as an industry while live streaming portions of the event for remote attendees. Our theme was “Breaking the Glass Ceiling”; a metaphor for an invisible barrier preventing advancement in organizations. We had a full day of breakout sessions, a panel of industry professionals from different facets of our industry led by Nicole Olivier, VP, Sales, Excel Division, and a fireside chat with Robin McBride, cofounder and President of McBride Sisters Wine Company led by Maggie Dey Abele, AVP, Sales, Connoisseur Division. 

Throughout the event, women working in the beverage alcohol industry shared their stories about Breaking the Glass Ceiling and empowered others to do the same. We encouraged our attendees to strengthen their network, define clear goals, be their own advocate and create their own opportunities for advancement. The event was a huge success!

We would like to recognize the members of the Symposium Event Committee for their time, dedication and contributions in making this year’s event a success. We would also like to extend a special thank you to the WBAS Advisory Board for their leadership and guidance, our supplier partners who sponsored the event, our salesforce who assisted with recruitment, our internal volunteers and our marketing and operations teams. We are looking forward to next year’s event!

Featured Job of the Week

Chain Specialist, Commonwealth

Leominster/Dracut/Burlington, MA

The Chain Specialist role is a great opportunity where you can jump start your sales career in the industry. The candidate will be responsible for growing sales in assigned territories of chain accounts by building relationships with existing department managers and executing corporate sales programs.

A ham sandwich walks into a bar and orders a beer,

bartender says "Sorry, we don't serve food here."

Caramel Apple Cider Martini

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 oz Apple Cider

• 1.5 oz Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka

• 2 oz RumChata

• Caramel Syrup

• Cinnamon and Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Rim martini glass with caramel and cinnamon sugar mix. Add Apple Cider, Smirnoff Kissed Caramel and RumChata to shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into glass.

Missed the video? Watch HERE

Autumn Spiced Rum Punch

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 Apples, Chopped

• 1-2 Oranges, Sliced

• 1 Pear, Chopped

• 2 Cups Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

• 2 Cups Apple Cider

• 1 Cup Orange Juice

• 1 Cup Cranberry Juice

• 2-3 Cinnamon Sticks

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher or punch bowl. Stir ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Once ready to serve, pour punch in glasses filled with ice. Garnish with cinnamon sticks. Enjoy!

Celebrate Hudson 2022 Event this past Saturday. Two Chicks and Fun Wine were huge hits in the Food Truck/ Adult Beverage Garden. 

➤ Downtown, Hudson, MA

Michael Bushey

Sales Representative, Connoisseur

Showcasing Needham Golf Club's sold out wine dinner that Sabrina organized with the GM. Jessica Surro from Gallo will be leading the event. 

➤ Needham Golf Club, Needham, MA

Sabrina Smith

Sales Representative, Connoisseur

Commonwealth Sales Division is featuring Barefoot Apple Fruitscato, perfect for apple picking season.

Barefoot Apple Fruitscato a delightfully sweet wine with natural flavors of juicy, crisp, fresh picked apples. Best served chilled!

Century Sales Division is featuring Crown Royal Regal Apple for apple picking season.

Crown Royal Regal Apple a hand-selected smooth whisky infused with natural apple flavors that opens with a nose of bright apples balanced with hints of spice. It offers a flavorful palate of slightly tart, crisp apple with notes and sweetness.

United Sales Division is featuring Laird's Apple Jack for apple picking season.

Laird's Apple Jack a unique blended brandy that retains a hint of the delicate aroma and flavor of the tree-ripened apples from which it was made. Deep and rich in flavor of fresh apples with a touch of cinnamon. Perfect on its own with ice or mixed in cocktails.

Connoisseur Sales Division is excited to feature Pio Cesare Barolo 2018.

At Pio Cesare, there has always been a conviction that great wine can come only from the finest grapes and the winery's output has always been limited through adherence to the highest standards. Pio Cesare limits its production by using only the most mature and healthy grapes. The ripening of the grapes is carefully monitored and the harvest is rigidly controlled with each grape selected by hand.

Pio Cesare Barolo “Aromas of spicy red cherries on a loamy underlay, together with savory twists of forest floor and walnut shell. Some orange rind, too. Full-bodied with very fine, firm and silky tannins and lots of long, focused fruit and spice flavor.” 94 Points, James Suckling

“The 2018 Barolo opens to ripe aromas of dried plum and tobacco. This vintage lacks some of the complexity of a cooler growing season, but these results are far from monochromatic. Those tobacco aromas cede to cedar, earth, forest floor and hints of shaved truffle.” 93 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Classic Sales Division is excited to feature Château de Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône 2021.

Wine has been produced on the site of Saint Cosme since Roman times, evident by the ancient Gallo-Roman vats carved into the limestone below the chateau. The property has been in the hands of Louis Barruol’s family since 1570.

Château de Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône is sourced from Syrah vines rooted deep amid the limestone and clay rich soils in the Vinsobres and Villafranchiennes du Gard vineyards of the Rhône valley. Fermented in concrete vats with natural yeasts, this Côtes du Rhône Red is exemplary of its class. Deep plum with violet reflections. Aromas of bright berry fruits and licorice give way to a medium bodied palate with elegant flavors of red currant and gingerbread.

Carolina Sales Division is excited to feature Forman Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018.

Influenced early on by the wines and winemaking practices of the Bordeaux region of France, Forman Vineyard has consistently sought a similar perfection for their wines. Two words which embody the character of Foreman Vineyard wines are finesse and elegance.

Forman Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon “The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely impeccable. Best of all, it won't require years in the cellar to be enjoyable. In fact, it is quite expressive today. Juicy dark cherry, plum, mocha, spice, leather and cinnamon are some of the many notes that flesh out in the glass. Silky and supple, with no hard edges, Ric Forman's 2018 is a thing of beauty. The 2018 is a bit more open in the early going than Forman fans are likely to expect.” 96 Points Vinous

September is Sepsis Awareness Month

Sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Infections that lead to sepsis most often start in the lung, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal tract.

September has been designated as Sepsis Awareness Month by Sepsis Alliance since 2011. Every September since, healthcare professionals and individuals in all areas of medicine, as well as businesses and organizations, have been invited to help raise awareness of sepsis and save lives.

Read more HERE