'Top Chef' Fan Favorite Fabio Viviani Stars in 'Wine-ding Down' Series for Cooking Panda

In "Wine-ding Down," a Cooking Panda series based on a bit from "30-Rock," Fabio infuses his favorite traditional Italian dishes with his signature humor and flair. "Wine-ding Down" episodes will be posted to Cooking Panda's Facebook page weekly for seven weeks, with longer versions posted to CookingPanda.com. The first episode, "Smoked Mozzarella & Chicken Ravioli," was released on both platforms today. 

Since his television debut on "Top Chef" in 2008, Fabio has continued to appear on a variety of food and cooking shows as a guest and judge, has opened restaurants in several major U.S. cities and launched an upscale wine collection, Fabio Viviani Wines. He is now expanding his online presence by collaborating with Cooking Panda for "Wine-ding Down" to share his passion for food with a wider audience. Cooking Panda will also be sharing episodes of Fabio's upcoming independent web series, "Fabio's Kitchen," on its platforms.

"I've been working with Cooking Panda on this new series for a while and I'm excited to finally share the videos with everyone," says Chef Fabio Viviani. "I get to do two of my favorite things which is cooking Italian food and drinking delicious wines; I hope everyone is ready for a good time!"

Cooking Panda is a multi-platform online food publication under the banner of Los Angeles-based digital media company Render Media. Cooking Panda is one of the fastest-growing food publications in the digital space, exploding from 600,000 to 12 million social fans in less than a year. "Wine-ding Down" is among the first personality-driven series for Cooking Panda as the brand begins to diversify its offerings beyond overhead recipe videos.

"'Wine-ding Down' marks a real milestone in the evolution of Cooking Panda's content," says Render Media CRO Ross Cimino. "I'm confident that Fabio's sharp wit, humor and the amazing food and wine pairings he creates in this series will connect with our fans and get them even more excited about the diverse content that Cooking Panda offers."

About Cooking Panda:
Cooking Panda is a social-first, multi-platform digital publication producing creative food and recipe content that connects with and excites an audience of millions. In just one year, Cooking Panda has grown from 600,000 fans to over 12 million, has produced the most viral cooking video of the year, and has attracted reputable branded content partners.

About Fabio Viviani:
Best known for his TV debut on Bravo's Top Chef, chef Fabio Viviani's career first began in Florence, Italy and in 2005, he moved to Ventura County, California where he opened Café Firenze. In 2013 he teamed up with Chicago's DineAmic Group and opened Siena Tavern and went on to open Bar Siena and Prime & Provisions in 2015. Outside of Chicago where he is currently based, Viviani opened Osteria by Fabio Viviani at the LAX Delta Terminal and several Mercato by Fabio locations throughout the country. Additionally, Fabio is releasing his next cookbook, 30-Minute Italian in May 2017.

About Fabio Viviani Wines Collection:
Fabio Viviani Wine Collection is a creative collaboration between friends, rooted in a common passion for good food and wine. Chef Fabio's years as an admired chef and well-known wine aficionado has led him to expand his expertise into the wine arena. Together, Chef Fabio and Sipp Brands partners Carlos Quimbo and Sean Thomas have developed an entrepreneurial wine brand that combines charisma and years of industry experience. The Fabio Viviani Wine Collection is currently available in sixteen states with plans of expanding into seven states in 2017.

Press Contacts:
Hilary Miller, Render Media, [email protected] 
Bridget Cheng, Bread and Butter PR, [email protected]

SOURCE Render Media

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