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Holiday Splurges

Limited-edition cheeses, hand-harvested sustainable olive oils, the once-forbidden Jamón Ibérico and pink sparkling wine will be favorites for indulgent holiday treats.

by Nicole Potenza Denis

Fortino Godinez, Hubbell & Hudson, The Woodlands, TX

Sweet indulgent treats, limited-edition flavors and
exotic black truffles have splurge appeal. Favorites are:

Bissinger’s Wine Grapes
The Crispery Crispycake Christmas Chocolate Dipped Crispy (top right)
Jeni’s Sweet Potato with Torched Marshmallows Ice Cream
Mrs. Prindables Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Almond Caramel Apple
Pizza Romana Black Truffle & Wild Mushroom Pizza

Cesar Olivares, Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, Chicago, IL

Special seasonal releases such as cheese and organic and sustainable olive oils do particularly well in the fourth quarter. Limited-production cheeses, especially, are great treats for holiday occasions. My picks are:

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota
OMED Organic
Olive Oil
River’s Edge Saint Olga
Rogue Creamery Rogue River Blue (bottom left)
Uplands Cheese
Rush Creek

Cross-Merchandising Festive Sparkling Wine

“Billecart Salmon Brut Rose is incredibly complex with vibrant fruit in the front and a spicy minerality in the finish. It is pale pink and has a nose of tangerines, strawberries and raspberries, making it a great pairing to any holiday cheese plate. On average, it is priced around $80.” —Cesar Olivares, Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, Chicago

Jeanie Rarick, Annona Gourmet, St. Anthony, MN

Items like truffle sea salt, sugar spiked with green chili, pastas flavored with fall and winter vegetables and soy sauce made with expensive black fermented soybeans add dimension to ordinary dishes and make great non-everyday purchases. Favorites include:

Annona Gourmet Black Truffle Sea Salt
Annona Gourmet Cranberry Pear
Aged Balsamic
Essential Cane Green Chili Sugar
Maruso Soy Sauce
Rossi Pumpkin Spice Fettuccini

Emilio Mignucci, Di Bruno Bros., Philadelphia, PA

Strong, pungent Italian olive oils and Spanish Jamón Ibérico, which always draws two “wows” from our guests—the first one when they see the price and the second when they taste it—are just some splurges great for the holidays. My picks:

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota
Lodovico Campari Balsamico
Olio Verde Novello
Petrossian Royal Osetra Caviar
Roquefort by Jacques Carles

Photos: (Clockwise from top) photo by maria san andres; courtesy of olio verde; courtesy of rogue creamery, istock photo

Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine.

This article was featured in the September 2011 issue of Specialty Food Magazine. See other articles in this issue at: September 2011 Specialty Food Magazine.