“We've found that sales increase when customers are able to taste new products that they may not be familiar with,” noted Barton. “During our festivals it creates a fun atmosphere for customers to try new things in each department and spend the day sampling, tasting wine [in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia locations] or reviewing new products.”

Med Mark

Oldways is also doing its part to promote the Mediterranean way of eating. Its latest effort is the Mediterranean Mark, an educational program introduced this summer to help guide consumers to healthy Mediterranean diet products.

“We recently asked ourselves, ‘Why aren't consumers paying attention to this elegant science?’” said Gifford. “We kept getting emails from people saying, ‘Can't you help us understand what belongs in the Mediterranean diet?’”

To be eligible for displaying the Med Mark, foods cannot have more than 8% of total calories from saturated fat, or more than 480 milligrams of sodium for individual foods and 4 grams of added sugar. Products also cannot contain any added trans fats. The symbol is currently featured on more than 60 products, including the Lucini brand of Italian olive oil and sauces that are sold at Costco Wholesale Corp., noted Nikki Heverling, Med Mark's program manager. Foods don't have to be ethnic or imported to qualify for the mark. A Campbell's vegetable soup, for instance, may be eligible.

“We're gaining a critical mass of product” interested in qualifying, said Gifford. “It's more work than we can deal with at the moment, but it's very satisfying.”

The introduction of the Med Mark follows Oldways' 2005 launch of the Whole Grains stamp, which now appears on about 1,400 products. Another part of Oldways, called The Latino Nutrition Coalition, distributes the Camino Mágico pamphlet, which helps Hispanic shoppers make more balanced dietary choices.

Oldways is also helping retailers guide shoppers toward these foods. It's putting the finishing touches on an eight-page consumer guide that can be developed into a full-scale retailer outreach program, noted Heverling. The pamphlet is to feature educational information about the components of the diet and the pyramid, as well as a grocery list. It will be distributed to retailers free on request.

“We find that consumers know it's a healthy way of eating, but they don't know what it is,” Heverling said. “The handout features information related to some healthy fats vs. not-so-healthy fats, and whole grains vs. refined, so we want to educate them about the main points. It's going to be a really useful guide.”

To help mark the 15th anniversary of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid next year, Oldways plans to sponsor educational food and wine pairing events with grocers and wine shops.

Lubbock, Texas-based United Supermarkets has yet to promote the Mediterranean diet in particular, according to Suman Lawrence, living well business manager for the chain. However, the retailer's corporate dietitian encourages shoppers to balance their diets in much the same way.

“She talks about olive oils and avocados, whole grains, the rich colors of vegetables and cutting meat down into small quantities and making sure it isn't fried,” said Lawrence. “Texas is meat country, so I think it'll take a long time before people here get into this type of cooking and lifestyle.”

Still, United merchandises a range of Mediterranean foods for its trailblazers.

“We're sourcing a lot of organic oils and pasta sauces,” she said. “De Cecco and De Lallo organic pastas and Gia Russa pasta, gnocchi, bruschetta and sauces do really well. The best-selling canned tomatoes are Muir Glen.”

United's sets include six feet of olive oils; three feet of vinegars; nine to 12 feet of pasta; six feet of rice and beans; three to six feet of canned tomatoes and olives; and six to nine feet of marinated vegetables.

Wegmans is also going Mediterranean. The Rochester, N.Y.-based chain introduced seven varieties of private-label specialty olives this month. Imported from Greece, the olives are hand-harvested, naturally brined and packaged by hand. Many of the varieties, which include Pitted Kalamatas; Greek Olive Mix; Green Olives Stuffed with Roasted Red Peppers; and Green Olives Stuffed with Bleu Cheese, are also sold in Wegmans' Mediterranean Bar. A 13.4-ounce jar retails for $4.99, while a 10.2-ounce jar costs $4.49. The olives are identified with shelf tags that read “new item.”

The 70-store chain is also actively promoting the health benefits of its store-brand olive oils, which it imports from Italy. An endcap display in its Woodbridge, N.J., location features mild, pure and extra virgin varieties in containers ranging from 16.9 to 101 fluid ounces and priced from $4.99 to $17.49. Shelf signage helps take some of the mystery out of the selection process. The extra virgin olive oil tag reads: “least processed of all olive oil, flavor determined by climate, region and harvest time, best if used as condiment or finishing oil.”

Other imported items, such as Krinos Tahini Ground Sesame Seeds and Peloponnese Sweet Pepper Spread, are merchandised in the European section of Wegmans' international aisle.