Local Couple Opens Specialty Store at The Mall at Partridge Creek

Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegars - conceived, owned and operated by a local couple - opened April 1 in Clinton Township's outdoor regional shopping center, The Mall at Partridge Creek. Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegars specializes in the freshest, broadest selection of high quality single cultivar Extra Virgin Olive Oils from award-winning producers and aged balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy.

Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegars will provide a unique shopping experience where guests may taste before purchasing the finest 100-percent Extra Virgin Olive Oil, balsamic vinegar condimento and specialty oils. Giuseppe's will provide old-world flair by bottling and sealing olive oil on the spot.

Hometown couple, Joe and Wendy Cucinello, founders of Giuseppe's International Olive Oils and Vinegars, dreamed about owning their own business when they were both mechanical engineering students at Michigan Technological University.

The Sterling Heights pair began to realize their dream as their appreciation for fine oils and vinegars grew. Joe Cucinello, who attended Fraser High School, and his wife Wendy, who went to Regina High School in Harper Woods, enjoyed the taste and health benefits of using extra virgin olive oil, but knew something was missing in the marketplace - a storefront that would provide its patrons the opportunity to sample products before purchased.

"We are excited to bring Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegar taste-before-you-buy concept to Partridge Creek," says Joe Cucinello, owner. "My wife (Wendy) and I always wondered which oil and vinegar to buy at the store," he explains. "'Should I get the nice looking bottle, or the most expensive oil, assuming it's the best quality?' You don't really know what you're buying," he says. "It was during our research process that we became interested in bringing a store to our community where shoppers would be certain they made the right choice when purchasing fresh, quality oils and vinegars."

The Cucinello's new store, Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegars, offers natural extra virgin, flavored extra virgin and specialty olive oils cold-pressed from the best fruit of the olive tree, using the natural juice squeezed from olives within six hours after the harvest. Fresh and flavorful, Giuseppe's oils are imported from a third-generation family business. Giuseppe's natural extra virgin olive oils, include Arbequina, Cerasuola, Coratina and Organic Tunisian Phoenician, just to name a few. Butter, Basil, Blood Orange and Wild Mushroom and Sage make up a handful of the flavored oils. Rich and rare Black and White Truffle specialty oils round out the mix.

"Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegar is a welcome addition to The Mall at Partridge Creek that will add to the overall charm of our shopping center," says Seok Chung, marketing and sponsorship director for The Mall at Partridge Creek. "We're happy to have another unique and locally-owned store come to Partridge Creek."

Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegars also feature dark balsamic condimento, which is progressively Aged in Wood barrels for up to 18 years. This is no ordinary vinegar. It's certified to come from Modena, Italy and has the PGI (Protected Geographic Indication) stamp to prove it. Giuseppe's dark balsamic vinegar uses only a high-quality caramelized grape, which comes from Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes. Flavors include Black Cherry, Fig, Cinnamon-Pear, Dark Chocolate, Lavender and more. Patrons seeking a crisp, flavorful vinegar can try white balsamic condimento, which is made with white Trebbiano grapes. It has undergone the same cooking and barrel aging process, but white balsamic does not caramelize.

Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegar store its fine oils and vinegars in large stainless steel drums called fustis. Patrons may choose from one of three sizes of bottles (200, 375 and 750ml). The store also sells beautiful, handcrafted decanters.

Giuseppe's International Oils and Vinegars is located on the southwest side of the mall, near Nordstrom. For more information, visit www.giuseppesoils.com.

The Mall at Partridge Creek is a beautiful, open-air shopping center on the south side of M-59 between Garfield and Romeo Plank roads. Anchored by Nordstrom, Parisian and MJR/Partridge Creek Digital Cinema 14, it is home to more than 90 distinctive stores and restaurants. The 612,000-square-foot shopping center provides a dog-friendly environment, Bocce Ball courts, free WiFi, pop jet fountains, a TV court, snow-melt-sidewalks and a 30-foot fireplace. Preview the stores, the styles and sales at www.shoppartridgecreek.com.

GIUSEPPE'S INTERNATIONAL OILS AND VINEGARS, INC.
The Mall at Partridge Creek
17330 Hall Road, Suite #199
Clinton Twp., MI 48038
Phone: (586) 263-4200

RECIPE - Chipotle Grill Marinade

½ cup Giuseppe's Chipotle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup fresh squeezed limejuice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

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