Hayley Hamilton Cogill, CS/CSW/SWS

Foodie Finds to Welcome Fall

Though we primarily feature delicious wine and spirits finds, occasionally, we stumble upon some tasty non-alcoholic options that we fall in love with and want to share. These include fantastic sparkling and still waters, scrumptious snack foods, incredible olive oil, tasty pasta, delicious sauce and a wine to pair, and a fabulous foodie website, especially for those with an eye on sustainability. Here are a few of the latest finds we can’t wait to share.

High-quality olive oils are made around the world, but we have found that the Italians genuinely know how to grow premium olives. From Frescobaldi, a family winery crafting elevated selections from the heart of Tuscany, Laudemio Frescobaldi Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Iitaly’s idyllic Mediterranean climate helps ripen olive trees to produce plump and juicy fruit. Frescobaldi’s option is bright, fresh, and spicy with a lively golden-green hue with herbaceous grassy olive flavors. It is the ideal finishing oil, particularly on fresh greens, grilled white fish, or pasta, like Tirrena made from semi-whole durum wheat semolina pasta, and ancient grains option brimming with nutrients.

We love to use marinara sauce for everything from pasta (obviously) to a dip for pizza, calamari, or fried cheese, as a sauce for stuffed peppers or grilled white fish. Finding a rich, flavorful marinara with an authentic, fresh taste always makes us smile. And that is precisely what Sauz Sauces do; they make our mouths smile, and our tummies happy. The brand launched to deliver a different kind of tomato sauce that was out of the ordinary, delivering flavor-packed tastes that would excite the palate, and they do! One of the core sauces is summer lemon marinara, a zesty tomato sauce that melds the richness of marinara with the pop of freshness citrus brings to any dish, pairing exceptionally well with shrimp-based pasta dishes. Additional flavors include Hot Honey Marinara, a gorgeous, herbaceous wild Rosemary, and a creamy sauce with spicy Calabrian chilis, the perfect coating for any stuffed pasta.
Staying hydrated is essential any time of year, especially when temperatures are as high as they have been this summer. Cano is a water company from England canned in airtight aluminum cans from natural British spring water, and it is one of the best-tasting waters I have had in a while. The sparkling option has exuberant effervescence that feels like you are sipping a fizzy cocktail, though it is only water. And bonus, sipping through cans that are infinitely recyclable vs. bottles eliminates the use of single-use plastics, helping our environment. Who doesn’t love to enjoy a refreshing product while keeping Mother Earth happy?
One of the best ways to enjoy the end of summer is to sip libations beachside, poolside, or in any al fresco environment. Josh Cellars is here to help this summer with its Seaswept white wine blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. The wine’s grapes are from cool climate California vineyards that are bright with freshness and acidity that combine with fleshy, ripe fruit flavors. Adding a little more fun to the beach party, a full line of merchandise is available from the producer, including an adorable backpack fitted with a wine pouch ready to keep your bottle of Seaswept cold. Add a few insulated tumblers and a few bottles of wine, and you are summer-ready.

We are true fans of Lesser Evil’s (highly addictive) popcorn. As a household that enjoys a lot of wine and movie nights, enjoying a bowl of popcorn with the film is a regular occurrence. The good-for-you brand released its latest snack offering, a healthy version of the fun, crispy onion snack we all grew up eating. Lesser Evil Snacks Moonions include all organic ingredients, including organic whole-grain yellow corn as the base with organic avocado oil, onion powder, garlic powder, raw cane sugar, and spices. The snack comes in Intergalactic Onion flavor and Hyperspace Hot Onion flavor, both playing to the company’s whimsical branding. Each packs a bold, crispy, oniony flavor, so you will love these if you are an onion fan.

Food waste in our country is high and heartbreaking, as is food insecurity, especially when both can be prevented. As the costs of groceries continue to rise, the ability to provide wholesome family meals becomes a struggle. MARTIE is a website that aims to stop food waste while delivering quality products that may be toward the end of their shelf life but are still perfectly safe to consume. The company’s mission is to provide consumers with delicious, nutritious, shelf-stable pantry items, like pasta, sauces, oils, and vinegar, and so much more, including vegan, organic, and gluten-free options, at a fraction of the price you would pay in a typical grocery or specialty foods store. We recently received a box packed with imported Italian tomatoes, luscious marinara sauces, probiotic-boosting vinegar, refreshing sparkling beverages, name-brand pasta, and more for around $50. And, with a $50 purchase, the order ships for free. And it’s not just pantry foods; the company also offers baby food, home goods, beauty products, and more. It can become a one-stop shop for everything except your fresh goods (and wine, of course), making MARTIE a shopping win-win.