Specialty food producers take home state honors

Specialty foods producers in southeastern Connecticut were among the 329 winners in 38 categories such as cheese, bread, beer and wine in the Connecticut Specialty Food Association's 10th Product Awards Competition.

Winners in the region were:

• Now That's Good Bread, of Colchester, placed third in the "Bread - Yeast" category for its Olive Levain.

• Cato Corner Farm, of Colchester, won all three places in the "Cheese - Aged" category for its aged Bloomsday (first), Cato Ransom Blue (second), Dutch Farmstead (second) and Dairyere (third).

• Maple Lane Farms, of Preston, placed third in the "Fruit or Vegetable" category for its hydroponic bibb lettuce and first in the "Non-alcoholic Beverage" category for its black currant juice.

• Tiezzi Imports, of Chester, placed first in the "Honey/Syrup" category for its Arrigucci Honey and first in the "Oil" category for its cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.

• Turkeywoods Farm, of Mystic, placed second and third in the "Honey/Syrup" category for its Shagbark Hickory Syrup (second) and Hickory Nut Syrup (third).

• Salem Valley Farms Ice Cream, of Salem, placed first and third in the "Ice Cream/Gelato" category for its vanilla ice cream (first) and Cow Track ice cream (third).

• The Farmer's Cow, of Lebanon, placed first in the "Packaging" category for its Farmer's Cow milk.

• Mama Manju's Salsa, of Chester, won all three places in the "Salsa" category for its medium salsa (first), Fandango Mango Salsa (second) and Black Bean & Corn Salsa (third).

• Stonington Vineyards, of Stonington, placed first in the "Wine - Red" category for its Cabernet Franc.

• Jonathan Edwards Winery, of North Stonington, placed third in the "Wine - Red" category for its Cabernet Franc and third in the "Wine - White" category for its 2009 Chardonnay.

The 2011 Product of the Year award went to The Purple Pear by Tina, of Willington, for its Caramel Pecan Cream.

j.cho@theday.com