In 1981, world renowned chef and television personality Julia Child and winery owners Robert Mondavi and Richard Graf founded the American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF) to provide a forum for the study and enjoyment of gastronomy.
At the time, American wine was essentially an afterthought, and chefs were considered behind-the-scenes actors rather than auteurs. That’s no longer the case-locally sourced and carefully crafted food and drink is the new standard by which many Americans choose to live. This is New American lifestyle.
New American is:
- Wine, beer and spirits from the same soil as your protein and produce.
- Food created using humble ingredients transformed by the many flavors and styles of the world.
- Global yet local. Modern yet traditional. Cutting-edge yet timeless.
- Your favorite chef and the story about the first time you ate at his or her restaurants.
- Where family and friends from all backgrounds and walks of life come together to enjoy a good meal the way meals were meant to be eaten.
- Real food that you can really love.
- What’s often lost when discussing New American is a deeper appreciation and greater recognition for the unique experience of enjoying local ingredients prepared using techniques from all over the world in your neighborhood dining establishment. Celebrating New American is the lasting legacy of AIWF’s founders—and now’s the time to foster a more profound appreciation of it.
- New American Mondays is an invitation to the New American table. It’s a campaign to elevate and celebrate what it means to live, eat and drink New American by visiting a new, or favorite, New American restaurant on Mondays for lunch or dinner to experience exciting, vibrant menus and interact with chefs.
New American Mondays will feature:
- AIWF events that spotlight New American cuisine and producers. Chef/restaurateurs may consider themed menus based on holidays or other calendar-specific considerations, as well as other special occasions. Wine tastings would be an integral part of each menu (as would beer tasting where appropriate).
- Social media engagement through national Facebook New American Mondays page and a dedicated Twitter hashtag #newamericanmondays. Also Instagram for photos of New American cuisine and featured chefs interacting with diners. From educating the next generation to bringing friends together to moving the conversation about food and drink, the overarching goal of New American Mondays is to make New American a unifying concept that celebrates what’s special about eating and drinking locally sourced ingredients.