The Islamists of Hamas have imposed their socially conservative rule on the Gaza Strip since taking over in June 2007. But not everyone practices in private what is publicly preached. Since no alcohol is for sale in stores, some Gazans now brew their own at home — at great personal risk.
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
BORDEAUX, France–(Press Release)–While Bordeaux’s history is centuries old, a new campaign aims to make Bordeaux wines come alive for American wine lovers. The “Life Goes Better with Bordeaux” campaign brings together easy to understand wine information with real time where-to-buy details, food pairing suggestions, helpful tips, events around the country, and live online chats with wine experts with the goal of putting Bordeaux wines in the glasses of consumers. The campaign also introduces a new contemporary, but classic look with elegant illustrations and a bold sense of color that puts a modern spin on Bordeaux’s image. www.enjoybordeaux.com
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
As more and more American consumers look to the world wide web for wine recommendations and information, Bordeaux seized an opportunity to pull the online world together with the offline in a way rarely seen by regional wine councils. “At front and center of this campaign is the consumer,” said Bordeaux Wine Council Marketing Director Pascal Loridon. “We’re not only seeking to educate in an uncomplicated way, but also help American wine lovers find high quality Bordeaux at affordable prices that are only as far away as the corner wine shop. At the end of the day, our mission is to help support sales of Bordeaux wines.”
The newly launched website www.enjoybordeaux.com serves as a hub for the campaign and features
* Recommended Bordeaux wines priced under $25 powered by Snooth, the world’s largest wine site with more than 500,000 monthly users
* Live Online Chats with “Le Wine Buff,” seasoned sommeliers from around the country, through December 15
* Event Listings around the country where Bordeaux wines are featured
* A Shop Finder also powered by Snooth
* Tips and Facts about Bordeaux
A series of online advertisements are running nationally on high traffic lifestyle and epicurean websites along with video spots in New York City taxi cabs and a wallscape advertisement on a building in Manhattan. The Bordeaux Wine Council will also host a series of consumer events in November and December in Boston, New York City, Chicago and Miami. In store promotions around the country will commence in the coming months.
Connect with Bordeaux at www.facebook.com/bordeauxwine and www.twitter.com/bordeauxwines.
The “Life Goes Better with Bordeaux” micro website and consumer campaign is directed by CreativeFeed, Inc, the Bordeaux Wine Council’s U.S. digital agency of record. The campaign is supported by the European Union.
About the Bordeaux Wine Council
The Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) represents nearly 10,000 Bordeaux producers and 400 négociants. The association has three missions: marketing, economic and technical. Through various communication campaigns, the CIVB promotes the interests of its members on a national and international scale. With its Economic Research Service, the CIVB aims to improve the knowledge of its membership about markets’ trends, from production to distribution. Finally, its technical mission addresses all quality-related issues, anticipates new environmental and food safety stipulations, and conserves and protects viticultural heritage assets.
The 149th Hospices de Beaune wine auction took place on Sunday, beating all records by putting 799 barrels up for sale. The auction is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world, with proceeds going to its namesake hospital and other charities.
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
Tags: Hospices de Beaune
DALLAS–(Press Release)–In its first foray into global merchandising, 7-Eleven, Inc. (SEI) in the U.S. and Seven-Eleven Japan (SEJ) are jointly introducing two proprietary wines – a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon – today under the Yosemite Road label. These are California wines produced by The Wine Group exclusively for 7-Eleven® stores and its parent company, Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. of Tokyo.
Also participating in the launch and carrying the new beverages are Ito-Yokado super- and hyper-markets, York Benimaru supermarkets in northern Japan, Shell Garden upscale grocery stores, Denny’s family restaurants, Seibu and Sogo department stores, retail outlets that, along with SEI and SEJ, are subsidiaries of Seven & i, a $57.6 billion corporation. Seven & i has annual wines sales of $127 million, and SEI’s yearly wine sales are $46 million.
After researching the most frequently purchased products at their stores, the merchandising counterparts under the Seven & i umbrella selected wine to inaugurate its global product development and procurement plan. Value-priced wines, those under $5, have been gaining in popularity and enjoying double-digit sales growth at 7-Eleven stores as consumers continue to search for value in their purchasing decisions.
Available in the companies’ collective 15,000 convenience, department and grocery stores, the introduction of the two California wines is the culmination of a collaborative, global merchandising effort for the world’s largest convenience retailer. The same-day launch marks the first global product designed and developed exclusively for Seven & i stores. Taking their experience and knowledge of product development to a new level, the companies’ international plan reduces provides a very reasonable sales tag for the consumer. Suggested retail price for a standard 750 milliliter bottle is $3.99 in the U.S. ($4.99 in Florida because of state taxes) and 598 yen in Japan.
“The development and production of Yosemite Road wines was a global team effort and is just the beginning,” said Kevin Elliott, 7-Eleven senior vice president of merchandising and logistics. “By using our collective purchasing power to negotiate product exclusivity and pricing, we can meet customer demand for quality and value, as well as differentiate our brand from the competition.”
The around-the-world venture began in earnest this year with a series of video conferences followed by multiple trips to California’s wine country. Leveraging its sheer scale and sourcing capabilities, 7-Eleven approached The Wine Group, the world’s third-largest wine producer, with the mission to craft two quality, affordably priced varietal wines.
Experienced, award-winning wine-makers John Willumson and Jim McDonald were tapped for the task. The winning vintners created a Chardonnay, described as fresh and zesty with notes of apricot, peach and honey, and a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with juicy plum overtones. Both are well balanced, offered at an affordable price and can be enjoyed anytime of the year.
Yosemite Road is currently a limited-edition wine that will be available while supplies last.
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South-West France: The Wines and Winemakers (Hardcover) by Paul Strang (Author) & Jason Shenai (Photographer)
Product Description
Between Bordeaux and the Spanish border, reaching east to the Massif Central and the river valleys of the Dordogne and Lot, and south to the foothills of the Pyrenees, lies a unique and little-known viticultural landscape. South-West France is a wine lover’s paradise that cultivates an astonishing array of grape varieties, many that grow nowhere else, and produces a fascinating assortment of wines. In this book, Paul Strang covers the South-West with enthusiasm and keen expertise, providing a history of its wine industry, including a near collapse and unlikely rebirth, and introducing readers to a region that seems to defy globalization. The outstanding local wines–made by idiosyncratic growers motivated by a passion for their profession–range from inky Tannats to honeyed late-harvest Semillons. Intrepid readers are invited to rediscover this beautiful part of France, already well known for its cuisine, castles, and cave art, for its earthy and intriguing wines.
About the Author
Paul Strang is the author of Wines of South-West France, which was named one of 1994’s best wine books by Decanter magazine, and Languedoc-Roussillon: The Wines and Winemakers, as well as Take 5000 Eggs: Food from the Markets and Fairs of Southern France.
Tags: 7-Eleven Wine, Paul Strang
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (Press Release) The Champagne Bureau, the U.S. representative of the Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) (http://www.champagne.fr/), is proud to announce that two visionary U.S. wine producers, Schramsberg Vineyards (http://www.schramsberg.com/) and Beringer Vineyards (http://www.beringer.com/), have been awarded the first annual Truth-in-Labeling Award of Excellence.
The Truth-in-Labeling Award of Excellence is given to leaders in the wine world who demonstrate a commitment to the integrity of wine place and origin. In the case of these two producers, their commitment to truth-in-labeling has included significant labeling changes that ended the use of terms associated with other wine growing areas, and proudly supports the grape locations where their wines come from.
“Wine labels that truthfully depict the wine’s appellation or place of origin ensure that consumers receive clear information and are a further sign of the winemaker’s pride in the location from where the wine comes,” said Champagne Bureau Director Sam Heitner. “Schramsberg and Beringer’s consistent leadership in proudly proclaiming the origin of their grapes, educating consumers about the importance of truth-in-labeling and making business decisions based on these beliefs makes them perfect recipients of this award. We look forward to highlighting numerous other examples of similar leadership throughout the U.S. wine community in years to come.”
In the last year, these two wineries took their commitment to truth-in-labeling a step further. In July, Beringer and Schramsberg formally requested that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) delete a total of thirteen old Certificate of Label Approvals (COLA) from the government’s database. Despite not having been used in years, the COLAs had still been registered to these companies and included the term “Champagne.” Such a step was necessary since unlike trademarks COLAs never expire and can even be sold or transferred, a disregard for the spirit of the trade agreements.
Both wineries are located in Napa Valley, an original signatory of the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin. The Declaration was the beginning of a multi-year effort to educate policymakers and consumers around the world about the importance of wine place names. Today, the Coalition has grown to 13 members including Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Oregon, Washington State, Champagne, Port and Sherry among others.
Wine is uniquely tied to its place of origin. The land, air, water, soil and weather where grapes are grown are what make each wine unique. Consequently, it is vital that wine labels reflect the geographic area where they were produced in order to allow consumers to make an informed choice and protect the integrity of great wine-growing regions like Napa Valley, Walla Walla Valley, or Champagne.
Yet today, a loophole in U.S. law allows some domestic winemakers to use the place names of 16 internationally recognized wine regions on wines that are not produced in those regions, potentially misleading consumers who have a right to know from where their wine actually comes.
Consumers are asked to join these wine regions, groups like the National Consumers League, producers like Schramsberg and Beringer, Members of Congress, and all those who support fair and accurate wine labeling by signing a petition at http://www.protectplace.com/. For more information, please contact Shira Levy 202-777-3516 or slevy@clsdc.com.
Source: The Champagne Bureau
CONTACT: Shira Levy, +1-202-777-3516, slevy(~AT~)clsdc.com, for The Champagne
Bureau
Web Site: http://www.protectplace.com/
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
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I Am Drinking Stars! A History of Champagne (Hardcover)
~ Gerhard Steidl (Editor)
Product Description
Dom Pierre Perignon tells the story of the world’s most luxurious champagne, tracing its circuitous history across four centuries, arranged in three chapters–one each for the seventeenth, eighteenth and twentieth centuries. Beautifully produced, in keeping with its subject, this page-turning luxury object unravels the myth of Dom Perignon champagne, beginning with its namesake–the pioneering Benedictine Monk Dom Pierre Perignon–who set out to create the best wine in the world. Offering glimpses of the champagne-infused hedonism of Louis XV’s court at Versailles, Marilyn Monroe’s glamorous affiliation with the beverage and Karl Lagerfeld’s recent advertising campaign for the brand, this volume incorporates a spectrum of artifacts, including texts, drawings, paintings, photographs and film stills from artists and writers such as Francois Boucher, Denis Diderot and Jonathan Swift.
Hong Kong opens its first winery, despite having no vineyards or land. CNN’s Pauline Chiou reports.
http://www.the8estatewinery.com/
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
Tags: 8th Estate Hong Kong
French wines may be among the most celebrated in the world, but the country’s wine producers say they’re still suffering severe economic hardships. Prices have dropped by half over the last six years, and many small-scale growers are now struggling to stay afloat.
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
Wine lovers around the world are being given a chance to buy some of the world’s oldest and finest wines straight from the cellar of a famed French restaurant.
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
Napa, CA (Press Release) October 20, 2009 — Winemaking superstars, Sarah and Sparky Marquis of Mollydooker Wines, are on a mission to do more than just make great wine. With the help of wine lovers across the globe, Mollydooker is lending a hand to support children in Cambodia by donating the proceeds of the sale of 1,000 cases of wine called “Sip it Forward”.
Mollydooker Sip it Forward ($25 per bottle) is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and is available exclusively on Mollydooker Wine’s USA-based website.
The proceeds from the sale of ‘Sip it Forward’ to date have already gone toward opening the first of three children’s centers in Phnom Penh through an Australian-run organization called Transform Cambodia (www.transformcambodia.com). The program supports children who are living or working on the streets by providing them with food and clothing, and giving them a chance to go to school, learn English and to work with mentors who can help them achieve their potential.
Watch Sarah’s Sip it Forward video at www.mollydookerwines.com to learn more.
In celebration of the new project, wine fans in the US are invited to meet Sarah & Sparky at a series of events named ‘Blend a Hand’ where they’ll taste the entire Mollydooker portfolio of award-winning wines and learn the art of blending.
The final leg of the US tour kicks off on October 23, 2009 at the Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience ‘Top 10′ event, where Sarah and Sparky will present their 2007 Carnival of Love - the second vintage in a row to make the Top 10 wines in the world list. Sarah and Sparky will host events in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oregon, Washington and California. Tickets and more information can be found on the winery’s US website (www.mollydookerwines.com).
Not just another wine tasting event, consumers at the Blend a Hand celebrations learn the art of blending what Sarah and Sparky refer to as “wow” wines. “Watching our friends discover the process of blending at these events is absolutely amazing, and heaps of fun,” says Sparky. “Guests are telling us it’s the best wine event they’ve ever been to,” Says Janet, Sparky’s Mum and Mollydooker’s General Manager.
Sarah describes how Sip it Forward came about, “For a long time now Sparky and I have had a huge desire to help others less fortunate than ourselves. We were two young kids when we met and fell in love at winemaking college, and since then we have been able to build a business which not only brings us huge enjoyment, fun and friendship, but allows us to give our two children what they need to develop their talents and abilities. Living in a free country that has never experienced war, we feel we have been incredibly blessed. So in 2008 we set aside 1,000 cases of the 2007 Two Left Feet (awarded 93 points by The Wine Advocate), to be bottled under a different label, with all of the proceeds going to charity. We asked our Mollydooker Mates to suggest a name for the wine and among thousands of submissions we chose ‘Sip it Forward’, the name submitted by Ian & Katie Muncy from Ohio.”
Those interested in purchasing 2007 ‘Sip it Forward’, or in attending a ‘Blend a Hand’ winemaker event to meet Sarah & Sparky Marquis and to taste all the newest Mollydooker Wines can visit www.mollydookerwines.com.
For More Information and Wine Samples Contact:
Alicia Kelley Raymond, US Marketing Director, Mollydooker Wines
Tags: Mollydooker
NEW YORK, Oct. 19 (Press Release)
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
6:00 p.m. Press Arrival - RSVP Required
6:30 p.m. Cristal Champagne Reception, Ty Room
7:30 p.m. Chateau Haut-Brion Dinner, Cosmopolitan Suite
Where: The Four Seasons Hotel, New York City
Who: Grapes for Humanity, US
HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg
On the evening of Wednesday, October 21, HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg, owner of Chateau Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, will join other distinguished members of the international wine community in tasting eight vintages of his generously donated wine in support of US-based foundation, Grapes for Humanity, U.S., Inc.
Grapes for Humanity, US is an internationally recognized charitable foundation that has raised millions of dollars in support of landmine survivors and innocent victims of conflict and disease around the world.
The evening will begin with a Louis Roederer Cristal champagne reception, with bottles donated by Sardian Realty. The dinner will consist of a live and silent action and a performance by Robert Pilon and the Metropolitan Children’s Choir.
Special guests to include world renowned wine writer Hugh Johnson, Marchese Piero Antinori of Antinori, Jean-Guillaume Prats of Cos d’Estournel, Leonardo Frescobaldi of Frescobaldi and Pierre-Henry Gagey of Maison Louis Jadot.
The evening is sponsored by Mutual of America and Navios Maritime Holdings, Inc.
For auction items and more information about Grapes for Humanity, US, please visit http://www.grapesforhumanityus.com/
Source: Grapes for Humanity, US
CONTACT: Adrienne Willis, +1-917-359-8543,
adrwillis(AT)grapesforhumanity(DOT)com
Web Site: http://www.grapesforhumanityus.com/
NAPA, Calif.–(Press Release)–The former site of Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts that was the brainchild of legendary vintner Robert Mondavi and renowned chef Julia Child, is seeking buyers with the opening of a formal sale process.
Alvarez & Marsal Real Estate Advisory Services, LLC has been retained by ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation to market and oversee the sale of the property, which closed in November and subsequently filed for bankruptcy. Under the creditor-approved joint plan of liquidation, which is awaiting final approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of California, ACA, as insurer of Copia’s bonds, will have the ability to sell the property for the benefit of Copia’s bondholders.
“This property’s ideal location in the center of a world-renowned wine region, the quality and significance of its existing facilities and strong support from local government present an exciting opportunity for a new owner to develop a vibrant and valuable commercial and tourism destination,” said Jerry Pietroforte, a managing director with Alvarez & Marsal Real Estate Advisory Services, LLC. “Not surprisingly, initial interest in the property has already been significant, with a number of parties having made inquiries. We are pleased to now have a formal sale process underway.”
Located on the Napa River in the heart of Napa Valley, the property spans more than 17 acres with three contiguous parcels and will be sold or leased as a whole or as individual pieces. The centerpiece of the site is a two-story, 78,632 square foot building that previously housed the food and wine center, which opened in 2001 as a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and sharing the benefits of wine, its relationship to food and its importance to the American culture.
Featuring steel frame construction and finishes including stone, polished concrete, ceramic tile and large expanses of glass, the facility includes the former “Julia’s Kitchen” restaurant, administrative office space, 13,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 270-seat theater, a library, classrooms with audio-visual capabilities, a 127-seat demonstration kitchen forum, café and retail gift shop.
In addition to strong support from local government, the site stands to benefit from its proximity to Downtown Napa, which is currently undergoing an organized revitalization with several major projects underway and others recently completed. These include the development of a 351-room Ritz-Carlton Hotel, the Oxbow Public Market, a diverse shopping experience featuring one-of-a-kind items and artisanal and local foods and wines, as well as the new Westin Verasa Napa Hotel, which opened in October of 2008 with many of its units already pre-sold.
Designated as mixed use, the property is zoned “CT” Tourist Commercial and is considered part of the Oxbow District, which encourages hotels and motels and their related amenities and recreational facilities. In addition, the site was included in a new redevelopment area, the Soscol Gateway Redevelopment Project Area, in November 2007. Funds generated in this project area will be used primarily to fund major infrastructure improvements.
For more information or to receive a copy of the prospectus, please contact Jerry Pietroforte at 212-759-4433. Interested parties must submit proposals no later than 7:00pm EST on Thursday, November 12, 2009. Copies of proposals should be addressed to:
Mr. Jerry Pietroforte
Managing Director
Alvarez & Marsal Real Estate Advisory Services, LLC
125 Park Avenue, Suite 2500
New York, NY 10017
gpietroforte(AT)alvarezandmarsal.com
About Alvarez & Marsal Real Estate Advisory Services
For more than 25 years, Alvarez & Marsal, a leading global professional services firm, has set the standard for working with organizations to solve complex business problems, boost performance and maximize value for stakeholders. Alvarez & Marsal Real Estate Advisory Services, LLC advises owners, investors, lenders, and users of real estate throughout the real estate lifecycle, providing services including workouts, restructures and real estate asset management.
For more information visit http://www.alvarezandmarsal.com
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
Tags: Julia Child, Robert Mondavi
New York, NY (Press Release) October 1, 2009 — Dori Bryant, President of The Polished Palate, and Adam Levy, spirits writer, today announced the debut of the New York International Wine Awards.
The NYIWA is a competition that will award the best wines in various categories as judged by the people on the front line of consumer contact. Trade-only judges will consist of restaurant owners, sommeliers, liquor store buyers, and distributors and importers of fine wine.
Jack Robertiello of Drinks Ink will act as the Competition Host and lead the judging panel. All judging will be performed blind by a number of panels of experienced wine judges who will then confer and decide in consensus whether a wine receives a double gold, gold, silver, bronze or no medal. Double Gold winning wines will be tasted by all panelists to determine the recipients of the FDR awards, our Best of Category award.
The judging for the NYIWA will take place in closed sessions the week of February 6, 2010, at the Astor Center in New York. The deadline for brands to enter is January 22, 2010.
Bryant and Levy hosted the premiere New York International Spirits Awards in June 2009. The success of that inaugural event led to the expansion of the franchise to include wine.
“The NYIWA is the first wine competition to rely solely on the results of trade-only judging. These judges are the front-line of consumer purchases on a daily basis,” said Dori Bryant, co-founder of the NYIWA. “These judges are also critical decision-makers for the brands,” furthered Levy. “Brands, through this event, will get in front of judges with the purchasing power to make a difference.”
For more information and to download entry forms, visit www.nyiwineawards.com.
More about the Founders
Dori Bryant started the Polished Palate LLC (www.polishedpalate.com) in 2005, building on years of experience in publishing and a passion for spirited excellence. The Polished Palate hosts consumer tasting events, professionally judged competitions, seminars, gourmet food/spirits pairing experiences and other special events. Adam Levy is a spirits writer and judge. He received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his EMBA from Baruch College.
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
New York, NY (Press Release) September 24, 2009 — This year, the world’s most respected wine critics and sommeliers put brand images and prices aside to conduct a rigorous blind-tasting of more than 1,000 brands. The results were published in Fine Champagne magazine, the only international publication devoted to Champagne and a renowned authority on the industry.
Each Champagne was rated on a 100-point scale. The process was so strict that, if judges’ assessments were more than four points apart, the Champagne would be re-tasted and re-assessed. When the results were weighed, the top ten included many classic names. The surprise first-place finisher was Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, with a taste score ranking No. 1 among the world’s best Champagnes.
The Top Ten:
1. 96p Armand de Brignac Brut Gold (http://www.armanddebrignac.com/)
2. 95p 2000 Dom Pérignon (http://www.domperignon.com/)
3. 94p 1998 Mumm Cuvée R. Lalou (http://www.mumm.com/)
4. 94p 2002 Roederer Cristal (http://www.champagne-roederer.com/)
5. 94p 2000 Egerier de Pannier
6. 94p 1998 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill (http://www.polroger.com/)
7. 93p 1998 Dom Pérignon Rosé (http://www.domperignon.com/)
8. 93p 1999 Jacquart Blanc de Blancs
9. 93p 2002 Roederer Cristal Rosé (http://www.champagne-roederer.com/)
10. 93p NV Chartogne-Taillet Fiacre
Of the competition’s results, Fine Champagne Editor-in-Chief Pekka Nuikki said, “Our highest rating went to Armand de Brignac: a fine, smooth and creamy champagne with underlying power and great mineral freshness. The panel praised the wine for its classic style and perfect drinkability today that does not compromise its aging capacity. It has everything a truly great champagne can offer, and the packaging - the distinctive, showy golden “ace of spades” bottle - serves as a brilliant example of Armand de Brignac’s courageous, successful branding.”
This extraordinary recognition crowns a series of accolades accumulated from expert critics, journalists, and wine lovers all over the world.
“To be selected as the best-tasting Champagne in the world is a remarkable achievement, but to receive such an award in a large blind-tasting competition is testimony to the quality of our product,” said Jean-Jacques Cattier, head winemaker of Champagne Armand de Brignac and the estate’s patriarch. “It is a further incentive to continue making the best Champagne in the world for those who are truly passionate about the art of Champagne.”
About Armand de Brignac Champagne
Armand de Brignac Champagne, a prestige cuvée bearing recognizable pewter Ace of Spades insignias on its bottle, exemplifies unmatched winemaking expertise and a true passion for the art of Champagne. Armand de Brignac is produced by the award-winning Champagne Cattier chateau of Chigny-les-Roses, France. The Cattier family has owned and cultivated vineyards in the Montagne de Reims terroir in the French Champagne region since 1763, and Patriarch Jean-Jacques Cattier oversees the production of Armand de Brignac using intricate, old-world production techniques and a staff of only eight people. Armand de Brignac is currently available in approximately 50 countries worldwide. The Champagne counts among its accolades a score of 98 (out of 100) points from world-renowned wine critic José Peñín and has now been ranked #1 among the world’s best Champagnes by FINE Champagne magazine.
Armand de Brignac Champagne is available throughout the United States in fine wine retailers and top restaurants, hotels and clubs. Armand de Brignac Champagne Brut Gold retails at approximately $300; Armand de Brignac Champagne Rosé and Blanc de Blancs retail at approximately $500 each.
Tags: Armand de Brignac
WALLA WALLA, Wash.–(Press Release)–For the first time in its eleven-year history, the prestigious Food & Wine magazine American Wine Awards has named a Washington State winemaker, Charles Smith, as its Winemaker of the Year. Joining the likes of Helen Turley, Robert Foley, Mia Klein and other, mostly-Napa luminaries, Smith was recognized for his track record of knockout wines, excellent values, and an outsized, rocker personality to match.
Smith grew up with a family tradition of home winemaking, and then spent a decade managing rock bands in Europe. Mainly on impulse, he moved to Washington, tasted some impressive Walla Walla wines, and set up shop in 2001 as K Vintners, specializing in intensely flavored, small-lot Syrah. With no formal winemaking training and no corporate fanfare, Smith rapidly developed a following among critics and consumers alike, and the volume was only amplified as he launched two new, larger brands, The Magnificent Wine Company and Charles Smith Wines: The Modernist Project, both focused on value-priced wines. And more recently, the Charles & Charles project with Charles Bieler of Three Thieves. The awards have kept rolling in.
Smith’s ex-rocker persona—complete with an unforgettable head of hair—has made its mark in local and national wine circles. But more important, his personality infuses all the wines—as a winemaking philosophy that emphasizes that wine should, above all, taste good, that people should like to drink it, and that wine should be flat-out fun. All the grape varieties Smith works with—now ranging from Cabernet and Syrah to Chardonnay and Riesling, and many more—come through with big fruit flavors and mouth-filling intensity. The same spirit goes onto the labels: edgy design, bold colors, huge letters, catchy names, all screaming, “You’re gonna like this wine!”
Food & Wine magazine clearly liked the Charles Smith range of wines, giving a boisterous upstart the same recognition bestowed on veteran wine industry all-stars. The American Wine Awards will be formally announced in the October issue, due on newsstands this week, and the awards themselves will be presented in Napa on October 6. It’s not just a sign that Smith knows how to make good wine; it’s a sign that the wine industry is catching up with the times.
Located at the base of the Blue Mountains in Walla Walla, Washington, K Vintners opened its doors to the public in December 2001 on property homesteaded in 1853 with the adjacent farmhouse built in 1872. Owner and winemaker Charles Smith arrived in the Walla Walla Valley after 11 years in Scandinavia, owning and operating night clubs and managing rock bands. Originally from northern California, he has been involved with wine personally and professionally his entire life. K Vintners produces single vineyard wines from two distinctive viticulture areas: the Wahluke Slope and Walla Walla Valley. www.kvintners.com
Charles Smith Wines: The Modernist Project is a response to how people generally consume wine today, that is immediately…as in immediately after being purchased to be drunk straight away. ‘The Modernist Project’ wines with typicity in regards to variety—that is merlot that tastes like merlot—and to the vineyard—wine that tastes like where it was grown. www.charlessmithwines.com
Published on http://wine.the-world-in-focus.com
Tags: K Vintners
