Jaw Dropping Results Breaking for BTI’s 2020 Whisk(e)y Awards

September 16, 2020 by evebushman

CHICAGO /PRNewswire/ — Beverage Testing Institute, conductors of the oft-imitated first international spirits competition in the United States, has completed its evaluation of 2020’s Best Whiskies. Twenty-one all-trade blind tasting panels assessed the spirited contenders for quality in the BTI Lab using its proprietary methodology and custom software.

From small US artisans, to Canadian distilleries, to Kentucky powerhouses, here are some of the best of category winners:

Colorado’s Old Elk Distillery came out with gloves on. The 15-year Old Elk Straight Rye and Old Elk Straight Wheat dressed to impress winning Gold and leading their categories. The secret to Old Elk’s success? We think it’s likely the combo of the lifetime experience of Master Distiller Greg Metze (38 years at Seagram’s Distillery) and the exceptional palate of Head Distiller Kate Douglas.

Also, from the “The Centennial State”, the Boulder Bottled-In-Bond American Single Malt from Vapor Distillery set the bar for what ASMW can produce with its 95-point, Gold Medal winning, liquid treasure. Nods to The QuintEssential ASMW from Iowa’s Cedar Ridge Distillery for a great showing as well at 93 points.

For the Blended Rye Whiskey category, Utah’s High West Double Rye! received a golden accolade solidifying its place as a bar and consumer top-performer.

Rye Whiskey craft dominators Old Potrero from California and Evanston Illinois’ FEW Rye Whiskey excelled at 94 and 92 points, respectively. And Kentucky stalwart, Wild Turkey Rye 101 shined as an expert expression of the Rye persuasion.

There’s no denying that there’s something about that Kentucky limestone-filtered, “branch” water… The big winner was Kentucky scion Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which grabbed the only BTI Platinum Medal—the beverage world’s ultimate honor for a spirits brand.

Heavy-medal-laden Kentucky distillery, Sazerac belted out some big Bourbon anthems. Their Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel, Weller Full Proof and Stagg Jr. all hit 95-point high notes.

The Knob Creek 12-Year-Old 100 Proof Bourbon from Clermont Kentucky’s legendary Jim Beam Distillery not only proved that it provides great bang for the buck, but with an sensational 95-point score, will make your taste buds sing.

Flavored Whiskey nods go to the Michigan craftsmen at Journeyman Distillery for their 92-point Field Rye Fig Flavored Whiskey and the from-left-field, only-in-America Skrewball Peanut Butter Flavored Whisky, which are both delicious and far more than just guilty pleasures.

For the full list of BTI’s 2020 North American Whiskey Results visit their free consumer buying guide Tastings.com: http://www.tastings.com/Calendar-Spirits/Review-2020-09-01-North-American-Whiskey.aspx

Across the pond in the World Whiskey Review a record 7 Platinum BTI Medals were awarded to Midleton, Redbreast, Jameson and Kavalan this year. Kavalan from Taiwan shows off its whisky finishing and how their liquid gold and barrels benefit from the region’s warmer temperatures.

Do you know about Jameson’s Bow Street 18 Year Old Cask? It made our judges’ knees buckle as they fell in love with it. At 96 points, gifting this beaut will ensure that your in-laws write you into their will.

Midleton’s Dair Ghaelackh Knockrath may be difficult for Americans to pronounce but even harder to put down. Savory, warming and a spiritual experience. Consistently golden Aberlour grabs 5 gold medals.

On our radar, newcomer Archie Rose from Australia will be a collector’s dream whiskey as we suspect the brand grow and get better and better and better. Slightly peated Irish Blended Whiskey The Legendary Silkie is highly recommended.

The takeaways?

No matter the size of the budget of the consumer, delicious North American drams are plentiful.
Digging for gold? Get lucky in Kentucky.
Ready to venture beyond the bluegrass state? Craft distilleries Journeyman and FEW deliver and show that craft spirits producers have truly honed their technique and distilling skills.
Learn to leave the Steakhouse Single Malts to the uninspired. Instead try Aberlour, the malt of the individual.
And if you do have some extra dough to dish out for some quality whiskies—our results show, they should be Irish.

For a full list of BTI’s 2020 World Whiskey Review along with detailed tasting notes and cocktail recommendations visit: http://www.tastings.com/Calendar-Spirits/Review-2020-08-01-Scotch-Irish-and-World-Whiskey.aspx

About BTI: Beverage Testing Institute was founded in 1981 with the mission of making the beverage industry better, one brand at a time. Creators of the first international spirits competition in the U.S. they have a rotating monthly category call for their unbiased, professional published reviews. For more information about BTI’s reviews, competitions and other services visit: www.bevtest.com

Amorim Cork America announces the addition of Vinoseal to their portfolio

March 14, 2020 by evebushman

Napa – Amorim Cork announced in mid-2019 an agreement with Czech Republic-based Preciosa Group for the acquisition of a 50% stake in Vinolok, the manufacturer of technical glass and crystal stoppers for premium wine, spirits and mineral water.

The Preciosa Group will retain the remaining 50% stake. The deal, which grants Amorim access to Vinolok’s management, will complement Amorim Cork’s product portfolio, leveraging its unsurpassed global distribution network to achieved further growth for the easy-to-open, convenient glass stoppers designed for the premium and ultra-premium segments of a wider market.

Vinolok is trademarked as Vinoseal in the US and Canada and this product will be an extension to the portfolio of Amorim Cork America from 2020 onwards. The historical association of cork and glass is expected to lead to further gains in sustainability, convenience and design in premium and ultra-premium wine and spirits packaging.

This brings together corks and glass as two key components in the history of wine and spirits to a complete new level.

Universal Packaging, the previous distributor will continue to be part of this renewed effort to grow and develop the Vinoseal business in the North America market.

Commenting on the deal, the Amorim Cork America General Manager Pedro Fernandes noted that “We are excited with this new challenge and there is so much in terms of sustainability, convenience and premium package innovation shared by cork and glass that we feel this is a natural extension to our efforts to continue to develop strategic partnerships in the wine and spirits segments”. Ales Urbanek, Vinolok’s CEO added that “The whole team at Vinolok is very excited about working with Amorim to continue to grow and develop the business, as well as with the possibility of continuing expanding our capacity. The identity of Vinolok will be reinforced because we now have an industrial partner that will complement our knowledge and presence in the world’s premium wine and spirits market”

With annual sales of approximately 16 million Euros and a highly-skilled work force of about 170 people, Vinolok will continue to be headquartered in the Czech Republic’s so called “Crystal Valley”, where the world’s best Bohemian crystal has been made since 1550.

About Corticeira Amorim:
Tracing its roots back to the XIX Century, Amorim is today’s the world’s largest cork company with annual revenues in excess of 760 million euros, generated in more than 100 countries. With the industry’s most robust R&D+i budget, Amorim applies its specialist knowledge to this centuries-old traditional culture, developing a vast portfolio of 100% sustainable products that are used by blue-chip clients in industries as diverse and demanding as wines & spirits,
aerospace, automotive, construction, sports, interior and fashion design. Completely natural, reusable and recyclable, cork is extracted from the cork oak tree (Quercus Suber L.) in nine-year cycles without ever damaging the trees that cover 2.2 million hectares in the Western Mediterranean Basin.

About The Preciosa Group:
The Preciosa Group is a leading international glass manufacturer. For decades Preciosa has brought, and continues to bring, new blood to the art of glassmaking through creative ideas, colour and their brilliant glass and crystal components. The Preciosa Group know-how allows for one-of-a-kind, awe-inspiring chandeliers and elegant jewellery. People in over 140 countries worldwide admire The Preciosa Group craft and the products it helps create.

46 new members join the Native Grape Odyssey

January 8, 2020 by evebushman

VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – The Native Grape Odyssey (NGO) Maestro course in Tokyo which ended on December 6th, 2019, marked the last educational initiative of the Native Grapes Academy (NGA) project for the current year. The course took place over five days, similarly to the previous Canadian (15-19 September) and Russian (28 October – 1 November) editions. After four intense days of lectures and tastings on Italian and Spanish wines and grape varieties, participants took a final exam consisting of theory questions and the tasting of a red and a white wine. Upon successful completion of the course, 46 participants obtained the “European Quality Wine Hero” title, with the “hero” appellation symbolizing the role that these trained experts will have to fulfil to represent Italian and Spanish wines among consumers in Japan.

Participants were selected among all applicants for their knowledge of Italian and Spanish grapes and wines. The course served the purpose of providing additional, in-depth knowledge about these two viticultural traditions. Kaitani Ikuko, journalist and author of Italian wine and food publications, commented, “I feel like all the scattered knowledge I had gathered occasionally during my winery visits in Italy, one-day seminars, and through books has now finally come in an orderly manner.” Many participants also commented on the uniqueness of the NGO Maestro Course in the Japan market for its thorough analysis of all regions as well as treatment of wines and grape varieties that are little-known internationally.

The training provided by the NGO course as well as the inclusion of participants in an international community will allow to create official representatives of Italian and Spanish wine in Japan. Roddy Ropner, director of Wellspring Wines and teacher of the NGO Japan course, stated, “I think there is already a high level of knowledge on Italian and Spanish wines in Japan, but the market seems to be stable. Especially for the Italian wines, most of the sales seems to be concentrated on Italian restaurants. What we can try to do is creating more opportunities to sell to private customers and also more opportunities to sell to Japanese restaurants. That’s why we need ambassadors of the Italian and Spanish wine quality.”

Regarding Spanish wines in particular, Ropner added, “I think that one of the troubles with Spanish wines is that there have been a lot of changes in the last 20 years, so the styles have changed quite a lot; you’ve gone from traditional styles to modern styles. So often it’s difficult to know what to expect from wine, and this can create confusion for the consumers. NGO Maestro participants have now acquired the knowledge to demystify it for the public.”

Irving So, instructor at the Academie du Vin and co-teacher of the NGO Maestro Japan, also provided his insights into the perception of Italian and Spanish wines in the Japanese market and the importance of education, “In Japan, usually what is sold is the best-known wines, like Brunello or Nebbiolo. However, there are so many wines of high quality that are still not known in this country. We need experts that know the grapes well and can be ambassadors of Italian and Spanish wines.”

Another important learning moment of the NGO week was the Walk-Around Tasting, which took place on Friday December 6th. Whereas during the course students tasted one major example of a wine coming from a specific denomination, in the Walk-Around Tasting additional wines from the same denomination were made available, thus allowing students to fully understand the diversity of styles and wine-making techniques. Moreover, this event gathered more than 100 wine experts and trade professionals working in Tokyo and furnished them with the opportunity to network and meet local importers. Wines for the tasting were provided by leading food and beverage import companies in Japan along with wine trade associations.

The Tokyo event marked the end of the NGO initiatives for 2019, yet for 2020 the project will increase its activities scheduling wine seminars and Walk-Around Tastings in 5 different cities for each target country (Canada, Japan, and Russia) for a grand total of 15 high-level training and tasting events. In 2020, moreover, the NGO Web App piloted in 2019, will be further expanded. The App allows users to create and share tasting notes and stay in touch with the community of course participants. Additional information on NGO activities can be found on the official website nativegrapeodyssey.com and by following the project’s social media channels.

About: Native Grape Odyssey (NGO) is a brand of the Native Grapes Academy (NGA) project. NGA is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and Interprofesional del Vino de España (OIVE) for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad, in particular in three countries: Japan, Canada and Russia. In order to achieve this, the NGA educational program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Verona, Italy, inviting wine experts and influencers from these countries. These events realized across the span of three years (2019-21) aim to create awareness about European native grapes abroad, as well as the wines produced from them, in particular Italian and Spanish wines, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.

500+ Wineries Add Augmented Reality to Labels en Masse

December 22, 2019 by evebushman

GEELONG WEST, Australia /PRNewswire/ — Augmented reality and artificial intelligence are propelling more than 500 wineries across the globe into futuristic marketing that cleverly connects wine-labels with millennial wine-lovers.

Winerytale is a groundbreaking app and platform that lets every winery and wine producer create, manage and market an augmented reality experience for their own labels via a smartphone app.

See AR wine demonstration video

App creator and Winerytale founder Dave Chaffey said 524 wineries from across the world were already part of the trial and accessing the marketing potential of a marriage of artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

Chaffey said in the past few years a handful of wine producers have created augmented reality apps for their specific brand. Winerytale aims to blow the augmented reality door open to any winery in an inexpensive and easy way.

“I don’t believe anything like this has been done to this level before – bringing together artificial intelligence, augmented reality, clever technology, 500 different wineries with different visuals and branding, as well as different languages,” Chaffey said.

“This platform is purpose-built for mass adoption and accessibility to any winery wanting to take advantage of a brand marketing and sales future that will undeniably involve augmented reality.”

The technology behind the App is designed to work on any wine label, using artificial intelligence to scan and recognize labels, and augmented reality to showcase the wine’s backstory by beaming it from an imaginary space inside and outside of the bottle.

Through that technology, multimedia branding content comes alive including winery tour videos, wine tasting notes, food pairing suggestions or nearby stockists.

The Winerytale team has also created a “fanwall” for every wine label. Through the use of augmented reality, the fanwall appears to be inside the wine bottle and – driven by hashtags – displays images of the wine’s biggest fans inside the bottle.

Given this potential, field testing of the Winerytale App has attracted world-wide interest and a selection of leading wine producers are on board from across Australia and New Zealand, as well as from wine regions in South Africa, France, North America, Canada, Croatia, Lebanon and Mexico.

Chaffey said the wineries involved in testing the beta version of the App are small to mid-level where the App has the ability to help them reach a broader market, boosting brand recognition and sales.

“Current world consumers – millennial or not – live their lives through their phones and being able to give them the information they need, in a way they want, influencing the choices they make and harnessing that purchasing power is a no brainer,” he said.

“When you switch the Winerytale app on, it becomes instantly activated on every bottle. And having every bottle activated is like having thousands of marketing machines all going to work for these wineries.

“The app allows them to tell their story, and through the App’s connection to social media, gives insta-obsessed customers their own virtual connection to the brands they love to love.”

Through the App field trials, Winerytale is also rolling out location-based services (where the wine bottle in your hand knows where it is and adapts the content) with self-translating wine bottles to follow in 2020. For example, a European traveler in Asia, could easily view information about a wine, which changes if they are within a winery’s boundaries, in a language they can fully comprehend.

“Through Winerytale, the wine industry is becoming an early adopter of technology that has the potential to be used across multiple industries like pharmaceutical and grocery,” Chaffey said.

“It will just build on our current internet-based consumer habits. Want to know something about a product? Ask your artificial intelligence and augmented reality-powered App!”

Download the App

WhistlePig Rye Whiskey The Boss Hog 六 Edition ‒ The Samurai Scientist

December 5, 2019 by evebushman

SHOREHAM, VT. (PRWEB) – WhistlePig, the No. 1 distiller in the fast growing, ultra-premium and luxury rye whiskey category, 1 is pleased to introduce their newest edition of The Boss Hog: The Samurai Scientist. Now available for pre-order via Caskers, The Samurai Scientist is a sixteen-year-old, single barrel, straight rye whiskey that is powerfully complex and distinctly unique from anything WhistlePig has introduced before.

The Samurai Scientist is named for a legendary Japanese chemist, Jōkichi Takamine, the pioneer who introduced koji fermentation to the American whiskey industry in the 19th century. The limited-edition whiskey is the embodiment of a genuine collaboration between WhistlePig’s team and Japanese brewers from Kitaya, an award-winning sake, shōchū and umeshu producer located near Yame City in Fukuoka Prefecture on Japanʼs Kyushu Island. The umeshu used is Saikoo, a uniquely traditional, aged umeshu made by Kitaya. The whiskey was distilled in Canada using koji fermentation and aged for sixteen years before being finished in umeshu seasoned barrels and bottled by hand on the WhistlePig Farm in Shoreham, VT.

“It was an honor to work alongside the team at Kitaya to bring this collaboration to life in the form of the first American whiskey finished in Japanese umeshu barrels. With the introduction of The Samurai Scientist, WhistlePig continues to pave the way for innovation across the rye category,” says Jeff Kozak, CEO, WhistlePig. “Dave Pickerell committed to five promises for The Boss Hog, including being distinctly unique from anything we’ve done before. He had a thirst for exploring and trialing techniques from around the world, and Takamine was likeminded in propelling whiskey innovation across continents. This vision continues to drive us to explore beyond the limits of American Whiskey.”

“We finished one of our oldest whiskeys in barrels that held Kitaya’s eleven-year-old umeshu. With umeshu being an intensely aromatic spirit, it does not take long to impart deeply complex flavors. Each barrel of The Samurai Scientist is bottled at proof. Only 90 barrels exist and each bottle notes the barrel number and proof, ranging between 120 – 122,” says Pete Lynch, Master Blender, WhistlePig.

On the nose, The Samurai Scientist is intensely aromatic, with cinnamon, maple syrup and toasted marshmallow. Upon tasting, you’ll find bold notes of tobacco, ginger, baking spices and savory umami. After some time in the glass, and with a few drops of water, the whiskey reveals rich and complex notes of rye spice, oak char and vanilla. The finish on The Samurai Scientist is incredibly long, with oak spice, char and just a touch of smoke.

The Samurai Scientist is crowned by a hand-made Danforth pewter stopper representing Takamine’s family heritage and ground-breaking contributions in the field of chemistry. It is presented in a gift box elaborating his story.

The Samurai Scientist is available in a 750ml bottle at 60 – 61% alc./vol. with a suggested retail price of $499.99. Like the other Boss Hog editions before it, The Samurai Scientist will be sold at a variety of premium liquor stores, bars and restaurants across the United States, entering select international markets in the coming weeks, and is now available for pre-sale via Caskers.com.

About WhistlePig

Founded in 2008, WhistlePig is the premier aged rye whiskey, featuring the bold and often untapped flavor of rye. WhistlePig is leading a surge of innovation in the emerging field of North American whiskey. As the most decorated rye whiskey – having received the coveted ‘Best in Show Whiskey’ title from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, WhistlePig is widely viewed as the world’s finest Rye. With the opening of its distillery on its 500-acre Vermont farm in the fall of 2015, WhistlePig has also become one of the leading farm-to-bottle rye whiskeys in the world. http://www.whistlepigrye.com

(1) Ultra-premium and luxury rye category defined as all rye whiskies in the U.S. sold at $75 or higher per 0.75L bottle at retail (Source: IWSR 2016)

FLXcursion International Riesling Expo Coming in July

June 24, 2019 by evebushman

Geneva, NY – From July 21-23, over 150 leading winemakers, writers, sommeliers, and industry professionals from across the vinous world will be in the Finger Lakes for the FLXcursion International Riesling Expo. The Grand Tasting marks the opening event to kickoff the conference. The tasting will take place on the lakefront in Geneva, NY and tickets are now available. Winemakers and principals representing over 30 producers from cool climate regions around the world (Germany, Austria, US, Canada, Australia, and more) will be presenting their portfolios.

“Never before have so many wines and winemakers been on hand for tasting in our region, we can’t wait to share this experience with our local community ” says Co-chair of FLXcursion, Kelby Russell. Russell is the Winemaker at Red Newt Cellars on Seneca Lake.

“The Finger Lakes Region is ready to host the wine community on a scale of this size and the Grand Tasting is an incredible opportunity for wine enthusiasts to taste with winemakers and principals from many noted producers,” says Oskar Bynke, Co-chair of the FLXcursion and Co-owner of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard and Standing Stone Vineyards on Seneca Lake.

Tickets to the Grand Tasting are $60 and include the tasting from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., hors d’oeuvres, and a souvenir glass. A select number of VIP tickets will be available for $100.

For more information visit flxcursion.com.

American Cheese Society Brings the Specialty Cheese World to Richmond for its 36th Annual Conference and Competition

June 17, 2019 by evebushman

RICHMOND, Va. (PRWEB) – With 86 percent of cheesemakers in agreement that sharing knowledge and resources benefits their businesses¹, over 1,300 cheese and specialty food professionals will come together at the industry’s leading educational event, the American Cheese Society’s (ACS) 36th Annual Conference & Competition. The conference, ‘Virginia is for Cheese Lovers’ will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center at 403 N. 3rd Street in Richmond, Va. from July 31-Aug. 3, 2019. Nearly 2,000 different cheese products will be judged in the world-renowned ACS Judging & Competition, with the top cheeses named ‘Best of Show’. The public can sample and purchase competition cheeses at the Festival of Cheese and Cheese Sale on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Proceeds from the Cheese Sale benefit the nonprofit American Cheese Education Foundation.

The ACS Annual Conference & Competition is acknowledged as the foremost educational gathering for the cheese industry in North America. In addition to the country’s top cheeses and cheesemakers, the event draws producers and purveyors of related specialty foods – from charcuterie and crackers to sweets and preserves. “Many events in the food world revolve around a traditional trade show model,” said Nora Weiser, executive director of ACS. “Attendees value our event because it focuses on education, creating a learning space for those in the cheese and related specialty food industries. We recognize that the quality of U.S. artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheese improves as producers share knowledge and resources with each other, and this event really helps them work together collaboratively in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” she added.

Growing from just 89 entries 36 years ago, in 2018 the ACS Judging & Competition welcomed 1,954 entries of cheeses and cultured dairy products from 259 companies representing 35 U.S. states, 5 Canadian provinces, Mexico, Columbia and Brazil. ACS awarded a total of 364 medals including 103 gold medals, 124 silver medals, and 137 bronze medals. The event will take place over two days, during which a panel of internationally renowned judges will evaluate the entries for their aesthetic and technical merits. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on Friday, Aug. 2, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. In 2018, ‘Harbison’ from Cellars at Jasper Hill in Vermont was named ‘Best of Show’. Second place ‘Best of Show’ went to ‘Calderwood’, also from Cellars at Jasper Hill. Third place ‘Best of Show’ was awarded to ‘Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar’ from COWS Creamery in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

2019 winners will be highlighted at the “Festival of Cheese Showcase” on Aug. 3, where conference attendees and the general public can taste winning competition cheeses while sampling other specialty foods from artisan producers around the country. The Festival includes a Cheese Sale to benefit the American Cheese Education Foundation featuring more than a thousand artisan, specialty and farmstead cheeses for purchase at 50-75 percent off retail prices.

Education plays a central role at the ACS Conference, including:

CHEESE³ Talks: New for 2019, these short Cheese (cubed) presentations feature: Cheese, Creativity and Community with focused insights from cheese industry thinkers who will share, teach, and inspire the cheese community.
Open Networking Sessions: Opportunities to connect and network with industry colleagues with facilitated discussions organized by theme.
Meet the Cheesemaker – producers of cheese and cultured dairy products meet with and sample products to hundreds of key industry distributors, retailers, buyers, and food writers.
40+ educational sessions geared toward cheesemakers, retailers and distributors including: Virginia Terroir: Made in Virginia Cheese & Wine: Five paired tasting of Virginia made cheeses and wine; Dairy Milk vs. Non-Dairy: A Look At Consumer Trends, Nutrition Research, and Sustainability Findings; You Be The Judge – A session designed to recreate the experience of what it’s like to judge for the American Cheese Society; Dairy Farming, Climate Change Mitigation and the Marketplace – A scientist and four cheesemakers discuss their understanding of and approaches to this issue and how their efforts translate to the marketplace.
ACS Certified Cheese Professional® Exam
ACS T.A.S.T.E. Test® (Technical, Aesthetic, Sensory)

Registration for Virginia is for Cheese Lovers is available at https://www.cheesesociety.org/acs-conference-registration/. Press passes are available to qualified individuals upon request.

1.From a poll of 209 cheesemakers in the 2018 State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry Survey commissioned by The American Cheese Society.

About the American Cheese Society
The American Cheese Society (ACS) is the leader in promoting and supporting American cheeses. At over 2,000 members strong, ACS provides the cheese community with educational resources and networking opportunities, while encouraging the highest standards of cheesemaking focused on safety and sustainability. ACS strives to continually raise the quality and availability of artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheese in the Americas. Since its founding in 1983, ACS proudly hosts America’s foremost annual educational conference and world-renowned cheese judging and competition. For more information, visit http://www.cheesesociety.org.

Bordeaux’s Crus Bourgeois Du Médoc Announce the Finalists Of The 2016 Official Selection Crus Bourgeois Du Médoc Cup

June 15, 2019 by evebushman

NEW YORK (PRWEB) – The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc (http://www.crubourgeois.com), one of the oldest and most prestigious classifications in Bordeaux, are pleased to announce the twelve finalists, and overall winner of the 9th edition of Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Cup for the 2016 Official Selection.

Hosted annually in conjunction with French publication, le Point magazine, this year’s Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Cup was held at the Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, with the winner and laureates announced on May 14 at Vinexpo Bordeaux. Over 166 of the Left Bank’s top Cru Bourgeois classified châteaux participated in the hotly contested cup, with smaller, upstart producers pitted against the more established and renowned châteaux as part of a match play-style competition over multiple rounds of tasting.

In total, twelve châteaux were selected during the competition to move on to the final round of judging for the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Cup, and they included:

Château Cambon la Pelouse, AOC Haut-Médoc
Château Campillot, AOC Médoc
Château Cap Léon Veyrin, AOC Listrac-Médoc
Château le Crock, AOC Saint-Estèphe
Château la Fortune, AOC Margaux
Château Lestage Simon, AOC Haut-Médoc
Château Maurac, AOC Haut-Médoc
Château Moulin de Blanchon, AOC Haut-Médoc
Château Reverdi, AOC Listrac-Médoc
Château Ricaudet, AOC Médoc
Château La Roque de By, AOC Médoc
Château les Tuileries, AOC Médoc

Following the final round of judging, The patron of the Cup, Véronique Rivest (Best Sommelier of Canada in 2006 and 2016, Best Sommelier of the Americas in 2012) along with other notable wine journalist from around the world, awarded the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Cup to Jean-Pierre Marie of the Haut-Médoc Producer Château Cambon la Pelouse for their 2016 vintage offering.

Since 2013, the number of Crus Bourgeois du Médoc distributed in the U.S. has grown from 130 to 200. Today, nearly 70% of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc are available on the U.S. market and in most fine wine stores throughout the country. Each bottle is authenticated with a QR code sticker that guarantees the quality of the wines that are bottled and enables Cru Bourgeois wines to be easily identified.

About the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc
The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc (http://www.crus-bourgeois.com) form the largest family of Bordeaux crus from some of the most prestigious appellations of the Left Bank. This family brings together vineyards with widely differing profiles and terroirs that satisfy a drastic set of requirements. Thanks to its yearly blind selection process, the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc guarantee consumers a standard of quality for every bottle that proudly bears the “Cru Bourgeois” label.

Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Becomes the Official Partner of Cirque du Soleil Touring Shows

August 26, 2018 by evebushman

CHOUILLY, France, PRNewswire/ — Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte has announced an exclusive multi-year contract with Cirque du Soleil as the first ever official Champagne partner of its touring shows throughout the USA and Canada. The partnership will begin in September 2018 with the premiere of VOLTA™ in Redmond, Wash. and will continue through December 2020.

The partnership will see Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte served at more than 800 performances annually (including shows such as Cirque du Soleil VOLTA™, LUZIA™, Amaluna™ and Alegría™) in major U.S. and Canadian cities. including: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. as well as Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

“We are thrilled to have our two incredible brands working together,” said Christophe Juarez, CEO for Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. “Both Nicolas Feuillatte and Cirque du Soleil were founded on the strong ideals of constantly reinventing ourselves and creating moments of awe and inspiration. Their artistic prowess and our Champagne bring enchantment and pleasure to life. We look forward to bringing exceptional experiences to guests through this unique partnership,” Juarez continued.

The partnership will take on different forms, including a Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Lounge where guests will be invited into an immersive experience which will include Champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Cirque du Soleil concessions will serve Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, and digital and retail integration will also be offered.

“The values we share with Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte of celebrating the present moment, creating joy and wonder, as well as the passion and expertise we both pour into our respective products makes this partnership a natural fit. We are looking forward to working together in offering our guests a memorable experience,” said Richard Davies, Vice President, Corporate Alliances at Cirque du Soleil.

The natural association with Cirque du Soleil is part of Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte’s latest brand campaign, Enchantment Awaits: an invitation to celebrate life’s precious moments with emotion, intensity, generosity and boldness. The initiative includes the launch of a new immersive website and a refreshed visual identity for its full range of Champagnes worldwide, both debuting in the U.S. in September 2018.

For full list of show dates and locations, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

ABOUT CHAMPAGNE NICOLAS FEUILLATTE: Founded in heart of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Champagne hillsides, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte is the youngest of the major Champagne houses, and the biggest wine growers’ brand. It embodies the commitment and passion of its 4,500 associated growers spread across the appellation. In the course of just 42 years, Nicolas Feuillatte has quickly reached the first rank of Champagne brands in France, the third worldwide and the fourth in the USA. Its claim: Champagne is a wine born in a unique terroir. It need not be reserved for exceptional circumstances but is meant to be shared and to enchant life during the most cherished moments. The range of Champagnes by Nicolas Feuillatte is diverse, as the richness and diversity of the terroirs (5,189 acres of vines) and grapes sourced from the highest quality of crus. It is a demonstration of the unique savoir-faire of its Chief Winemaker and unique signature style made of finesse and elegance. Nicolas Feuillatte Champagnes are available in more than 100 countries worldwide with 10.3 million bottles sold in 2017 alone. Travel to is flagship state-of-the-art new winery and visitor center, the Éspace Nicolas Feuillatte in Chouilly, or visit www.nicolas-feuillatte.com.

ABOUT CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP: Originally composed of 20 street performers in 1984, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group completely reinvented circus arts and went on to become a world leader in live entertainment. Established in Montreal, the Canadian organization has brought wonder and delight to over 180 million spectators with productions presented in close to 450 cities in 60 countries. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group currently has over 4,000 employees, including 1,300 artists, from nearly 50 countries. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group creates content for a broad range of audacious projects. On top of producing world-renowned shows, the organization has extended its creative approach to a large variety of entertainment forms such as multimedia productions, immersive experiences, theme parks and special events. Going beyond its various creations, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group aims to make a positive impact on people, communities and the planet with its most important tools: creativity and art. For more information about Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, please go to www.cirquedusoleil.com/entertainmentgroup.

THE INTERNATIONAL SOMMELIER ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNER OF THE BEST SOMMELIER OF THE AMERICAS

June 27, 2018 by evebushman

MONTREAL — The International Sommelier Association (ASI) is pleased to announce MS Pier-Alexis Soliére as the winner of its first continental competition of the year, Best Sommelier of the Americas. Soliére won a dramatic final over Argentina’s Martin Bruno, who came in second, and Canada’s Carl Villeneuve Lepage, who took third place. The Final was observed by dozens of people in the Marie Gérin Lajoie Theater of Montreal and followed by thousands of sommeliers and aficionados around the world via live streaming.

The event was organized by ASI in conjunction with the Alianza Panamericana de Sommeliers (APAS) and the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). This three-day competition started on Tuesday with 20 competitors from 10 countries and was an idyllic launchpad for ASI’s new longterm vision.

“The responsibilities of a modern sommelier are today seen as going far beyond merely serving wines,” says ASI President Andres Rosberg. “We at ASI aim to elevate the position of sommelier within the industry and increase global awareness of how special and important this field is to consumers.”

Participating sommeliers were: Martin Bruno and Valeria Gamper from Argentina; Diego Arrebola and Paulo Limarque from Brazil; Carl Villeneuve Lepage and Pier-Alexis Soulière from Canada; Gonzalo Troncoso and Misato Inaoka from Chile; Andres Villegas Green and Juan David Quintero from Colombia; Dario Rosario Mejía and Federico Díaz Macias from The Dominican Republic; Luis Antonio Morones López and Steve Ayón Espitia from Mexico; Simon Zalimben and Christian Mezger from Paraguay; Gerardo Joseph Ruiz Acosta and Diego Vásquez Luque from Peru; and Federico De Moura and Pablo Rodriguez from Uruguay.

Official images: bit.ly/asibestsomm; Facebook: @AssociationSommellerieInternationale; Instagram: @Sommellerie_ASI; Twitter: @Sommellerie_ASI Hashtags:#ASIBestSomm, #ASIAmericas2018, #ASISomms, Official program: http://bestsomm.ca

Upcoming ASI Dates & Events

OCTOBER 14-17, 2018: Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania in Kyoto, Japan
MARCH 2019 TBC: Best Sommelier of the World in Anwerp, Belgium
JUNE 2019 TBC: ASI’s annual meeting and 50th anniversary party in Champagne

About ASI

Founded in Reims (France) in 1969, ASI is an international non-profit organization with over 30,000 members from national sommelier associations spanning almost 60 countries. It is the world’s largest organizer of sommelier competitions, running periodical, continental and global contests. Ongoing objectives include promoting the culture of wine and bringing sommeliers together from all over the world as well as introducing and developing sommellerie in countries where it does not yet exist. The organization as a whole strives to enhance the métier of the sommelier and generate more awareness among consumers and restaurateurs alike.

Andres Rosberg Background

ASI President Andrés Rosberg (43) is one of Argentina’s first professional sommeliers and was named “Wine Personality of the Year” by Wines of Argentina as well as being named one of the “50 Most Inspiring People” by La Nación (Argentina’s most important newspaper) in 2017. Andres was a co-founder of the Argentine Association of Sommeliers (AAS) in 2001, serving as its President between 2005 and 2016 and has been a Board Member since then. He also co-founded the Pan American Sommelier Alliance (APAS, in Spanish) in 2007, was its president between 2013 and 2017, and is its VP today. Andres has judged and/or helped organize dozens of national, regional, continental and world sommelier competitions. His ongoing interest in exploring the boundaries of the world of wine led him to organize the Forum del Vino wine fair between 2001 and 2004, the first of its kind in Argentina, and Cavas del Sur, the country’s first rare and limited edition wine auction house, between 2005 and 2007.

Andrés often appears in TV and radio programs as well as being quoted in various media, including the likes of Wine Spectator, Vinum and Decanter. He has run a weekly wine column in a local cable TV channel for almost two years and participated as columnist and host in many radio and TV programs. He has been a member of FIJEV for several years, and has directed the wine department of the Argentine chapter of the Slow Food international movement, and the editor of the wine section of Slow, its quarterly magazine between 2004 and 2008.

His first book, Más allá del Malbec. Conversaciones sobre vino sin dogmas (“Beyond Malbec. Conversations about wine without dogmas”) was published on December 2013, and has been awarded the Best 2013 Wine Book by the country’s most prominent specialized journalists, cooks and restauranteurs. Andrés has also collaborated with Neal Martin, from The Wine Advocate in the organization of his 2012 – 2013 Argentine wine report, and with the texts of the Argentina chapter in the 7^th edition of Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson’s Atlas of Wine and the last edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine.