Before becoming Wilmington residents, Lindsey Hallock and her husband Virgil Popp lived in their native Italy. And since moving here eight years ago, well, let's just say this… “I realized there was a lack of good food and wine coming into the Southeast,” she said. . “Everything has to come from New York.”
Fortunately, they have careers in problem-solving.
“His background is in warehouse automation and logistics, food packaging. … I do a lot of regulatory work,” she said. “It's like a perfect marriage. He knows food and distribution, and I have the regulatory skills to get approvals.”
With an Italian partner who wanted to enter the U.S. market, they began the process of creating their custom import business, American Fulfillment Online, about a year ago. The first shipment arrived in December. Now, a refrigerator filled with Reggio Emilia Parmigiano-Reggiano and three types of dry Lambrusco sits in a small warehouse near the port in Wilmington.
Hallock said traditional trade routes from Italy are well established and it can be difficult for new products to reach the United States.
“There's still a lot of mozzarella out there, and it's really good. But when companies get involved, the nuances are usually different,” she said.
They just do what they've always done and don't always know about niche products.
“It feels like Lambrusco is finally about to break out. …In my opinion, Lambrusco is still under-produced and mostly made in one region by small, family-sized producers. It’s been taken off the topic.”
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Additionally, many Americans have an outdated notion that wine is heavy and sweet, she said. The three of her varieties they import meet their own criteria for great wine, including her two red wines and her one rosato (rosé). She believes there is room to grow the market for more products and direct shipping to the Southeast.
In addition to wine, the first shipment contained large quantities of one of the world's most popular cheeses.
“It's the Ferrari of cheese, high-end cheese, and there are a lot of imitators,” she says.
In this case, keep the original packaging.
“By checking the certification and lot number, you can track the milk until it reaches the dairy farm,” she said.
There are three sizes, the smallest being kilo.
“Italians never weigh less than a kilogram. Less than that and you start wasting a lot of money,” she said.
Household-sized kilos, if stored properly, can typically be enjoyed for up to three months, with some of the skin included for use in soups and sauces. They also own a “party-sized” 5kg wedge and wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano, one of which is the subject of an online auction and the other stored for further aging.
Although they don't have a storefront, the couple sells their cheese (and offers samples) at markets such as Seagrass Monthly Market in Castle Hayne and Satellite in Wilmington. Because it's imported directly from Italy, it's never dried in warehouses, Hallock said.
“That's where people can taste the difference. It's been a huge hit.”
Due to ABC regulations, they cannot sell wine directly to consumers, but they work with other companies. Wilmington's Harp Restaurant is one of the spots Lambrusco is adding to its popular wine list.
In the future, they are offering custom import services for businesses (for example, some local pizzerias ask for olive oil) and more products, perhaps Pecorino Romano or wines from the Piedmont region. I plan to add it.
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Alison Ballard is a food and dining reporter for Star News. She can be reached at the following address: aballard@gannett.com.
