At Andronico's, the people, the passions and the stories behind the foods that line our shelves and fill our stores are as important as the food itself. It is through this ever-evolving process of uncovering what truly makes food good that we are able to discover some extraordinary new finds that we are thrilled to share with you.

Our buyers are passionate about discovering the best new foods, and the stories behind them. For our Wine Buyer Jeff Porter, the stories behind the bottles are revealed in unexpected ways-on journeys to vineyards, wineries and tastings around the world.

After scouring remote wine regions for wines that are beautiful and aromatic, Jeff brings his discoveries back to Andronico's, allowing our customers to broaden their wine- drinking horizons in unparalleled and memorable ways. The diverse stories of the wines, the winemakers and the regions are revealed to the wine-drinker with each and every pour.

There are more than 300 cheeses in each of our stores, and when it comes to finding new ones, our Deli Buyer Melinda Mills uses a range of creative sources to make her discoveries. Once she has found a new cheese, the extensive process of smelling, tasting and testing begins. If the new find is similar to another, Melinda will do a "cutting," which allows her to taste multiple cheeses side by side to ensure that we are carrying the superior variety. Through numerous tastings and comparisons, Melinda is able to discover the unequaled flavor nuances and characteristics of every new cheese she finds.

And when it comes to finding the freshest meat and seafood for our stores, Reid Pomerantz's journey of discovery takes him right to the source. Journeying to cattle ranches, traveling to Alaska for King Crab season, and visiting Canada to source environmentally sound, sustainable seafood for our program FishWise (www.fishwise.org), Reid's adventures allow him to discover new finds, and meet the ranchers, farmers and fishermen who provide us with our fantastically fresh meat and seafood.

By traveling, tasting, researching, visiting the sources directly, and meeting the producers, we are able to tell the stories behind the foods that we proudly showcase in our stores. This past January, we journeyed to San Diego for the Winter Fancy Food Show. With more than 80,000 specialty foods and beverages from 40 countries, the Fancy Food Show gives us the opportunity to discover the newest and best foods from around the world, many of which you'll discover for yourself in our stores, on our "A" List, and in this issue of the Food Enthusiast