Posts from the Wine Category at Luxist

Veuve Clicquot Icebox, Chemistry Makes It Cold

Posted Aug 6th 2008 12:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

Now you no longer need ice or a refrigerator to keep your Champagne cold. Veuve Clicquot has come out the with icebox, a bright yellow box that contains the Champagne, two flutes and a couple of chemicals that react together when you snap the seal, creating a reaction that cools the bottle. The reaction only happens once and the set costs £99 at Selfridges.

Veuve Clicquot has created a lot of unique designs in the past few years, check out the gallery below for a small sample.

Gallery: Veuve Clicquot and Design

B-Side Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

Posted Aug 5th 2008 12:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

Remember B sides, the flip side of a 45 record or cassette that featured a song that wasn't as popular but was, in many cases, better than the single on the other side? Don Sebastiani & Sons is applying that concept to wine with a new wine brand called "B Side." The first release of B Side Cabernet Sauvignon features grapes from vineyards on the "flip-side of Napa Valley" a few miles from the "glamour wineries along Highway 29." The grapes are sourced from areas such as Pope Valley, Chiles Valley, Wooden Valley, Stags Leap District and lower Calistoga. The vines in these areas yield smaller, more concentrated fruit which create Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignons with classic berry and cassis flavors. The 2005 vintage is described as having classic Bordeaux aromas of currant and ripe plum and recommended pairings include braised short ribs with horseradish and parsnip mashed potatoes, Miso glazed black cod over steamed rice with spring onion dim sum, or arugula salad with fresh strawberries, goat cheese and black pepper.

There were 9,860 cases produced of the 2005. B Side Cabernet Sauvignons will be sold at price points from $20 to $30 a bottle and will be offered mainly at upscale restaurants and key independent retailers.

[via Wine & Spirits Daily]

DKNY Plans Branded Bubbly

Posted Aug 2nd 2008 2:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

Donna Karan's fashion line DKNY is celebrating its 20th anniversary in traditional fashion, with a bottle of bubbly. Or many bottles in this case, the brand is working with Napa winery Chandon to create a DKNY sparkling wine which will have a special bottle design and will be available at the Chandon winery in Napa and on Chandon.com, as well as being given to guests attending the spring/summer 2009 runway show in New York.

Grand Cru Estates, Make Your Own Pinot Noir In Oregon

Posted Jul 31st 2008 4:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

Yesterday I mentioned Crushpad but they aren't the only ones in the make your own wine business. Another make-your-own wine business has launched, this one in Oregon. Grand Cru Estates is a 13,000 square-foot winemaking facility breaking ground this month in the Yamhill Carlton AVA. Partners Domaine Danielle Laurent and Bailey Estate Vineyards have created Grand Cru Estates as an exclusive winemaking club that lets members create a barrel (25 cases) of their own premium Pinot Noir. Each membership offers interaction with the winemaking team both in the vineyard and in the winery and includes winemaking seminars, winemaking dinners, a biodynamic garden for member use and personal access to the winery for private events and personal concierge.

Club membership is available immediately beginning with the 2008 fall harvest with an initial membership fee of $5,000 for the first 30 founding members, along with a $20,000 fee for each member barrel.

Crushpad Raises $9 Million From Customers

Posted Jul 30th 2008 4:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

I've been a fan of Crushpad since 2005 and since then they've grown by leaps and bounds, bringing in $6.7 million in revenue last year. But unlike some other growing young companies, San Francisco-based Crushpad isn't funding their growth through venture capitalists but instead has raised $9 million from 120 loyal customers. Venture Beat checks in with Michael Brill who started Crushpad in 2004. Brill states that the company was originally going for $5 million but raised it to $9 million and found that the deal was still oversubscribed. Now that's customer loyalty.

Crushpad helps users create their own wine online or come to Crushpad's headquarters to participate hands-on in the process. Making your own wine is relatively expensive (the minimum order for Crushpad is a barrel, which ranges in price from $5,000 to $9,600) and so Crushpad's customers are generally wealthy. The months-long process of creating the wine has helped the customers become passionate not just about wine but about Crushpad too. Their investment will help grow the company and some of the investors will join the board of directors. Crushpad is planning to use the money to enhance the long-distance experience on the web site and possibly open more locations including one in France.

Oldest Bottle of Veuve Clicquot Found In Scottish Castle

Posted Jul 29th 2008 12:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

After reading "The Billionaire's Vinegar" it's hard not to be skeptical about wine finding stories but this one from the BBC is pretty amazing. An 1893 bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne was found in a sideboard at a Scottish castle. The BBC News reports the sideboard came from Torosay Castle on the Isle of Mull. The owner Chris James found the bottle after getting a locksmith to cut a key to open the piece of furniture. Once opened the sideboard revealed a bottle of brandy, a port decanter, a bottle of claret and the single bottle of 1893 Veuve Clicquot. The drinks are believed to have been locked up since at least 1897.

James contacted Veuve Clicquot, who said the bottle was the oldest in existence. The priceless bottle is now displayed at the company' s visitors center in Reims, France.

[Thanks, Lana]

Hart Davis Hart To Auction Off Major Wine Cellar

Posted Jul 27th 2008 3:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

Hart Davis Hart Wine Co., has a huge single-owner sale planned for September 19th and 20th. The Fox Cellar includes 166 lots of Château Lafite-Rothschild worth an estimated $1,067,400- $1,589,900 including 7 cases of the 1982 and 21 cases of the 1996 vintages (all in their original wooden cases); a 100 lot offering of Château Pétrus worth an estimated $1-$1.5 million; more than 1,000 bottles from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti; over a thousand bottles each of Châteaux Latour, Margaux, Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion; a large selections of Italian wines from Angelo Gaja along with Super Tuscans, Guigal's Single-Vineyard Côte Rôties, and top California producers. Many of the lots were purchased by the current owner as futures or on release and are still in their original wooden cases.

The live auction will take place at Chicago restaurant Tru, at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, September 19th, 2008 and Saturday, September 20th, 2008. The auction of over 1,700 lots is estimated to fetch $7-$10 million.

Those in town for the auction can indulge in a Château Lafite-Rothschild Dinner at Charlie Trotter's on Thursday, September 18th. Hart Davis Hart Wine has chosen 20 celebrated vintages reflective of the Fox Cellar, spanning the past four decades of the estate and Chef Trotter will design a five-course dinner to complement the wines.

Krug's Luxury Tent Experience

Posted Jul 26th 2008 3:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys, Wine

I've seen a lot of luxury tent experiences but the new Mongolian yurts at Krug's Clos du Mesnil in Champagne is one of the priciest. The eight double-berth tents in Krug's famous Clos du Mesnil vineyard at Mesnil-sur-Oger in Reims cost £40,000 in total which works out to £2,500 per person. The yurts are luxurious with carpets, four poster beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, fresh flowers and candles but they don't include toilets or showers. Generators are cut off at 1am so late night forays have to be conducted by lantern light.

Decanter checked out the facility and has a video of the experience. The real perk is the Champagne, guests are served Krug Grand Cuvée, Krug Rosé, Krug 1996 and Krug Clos du Mesnil 1998 and the food is supplied by world-class chefs. The winery reports that they have already booked one package for August and expect that, despite the high price and relatively rough accommodations, others will want to sign up for this unique experience.

French Chateau Picks Up Famed Napa Winery

Posted Jul 24th 2008 12:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

Last month I mentioned that Chateau Montelena, one of Napa Valley's best-known wineries, might be for sale. Now the San Francisco Chronicle reveals the new owner. Michel Reybier, owner of Bordeaux chateau Cos d'Estournel, will soon own the Calistoga property pending approval from the federal government. There has been no definitive word on a price but rumor has it that the figure is in the $100 to $110 million range. The potential deal comes at a time when attention is being focused toward the winery anyway because of the release of the movie "Bottle Shock," which centers on the events surrounding the moment when the 1973 Montelena Chardonnay outscored top white Burgundies in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting.

Prosecco Wants To Be The Next Champagne

Posted Jul 23rd 2008 6:01PM by Tracy Chait
Filed under: Wine

Italian prosecco is in the process of re-branding itself as the "softer, lighter" bubbly, not to mention cheaper. Production has already increased thirty-fold over the past four decades, with plans for greater distribution particularly to emerging wine markets like China, where marketing drives the majority of sales, relegating prosecco to champagne wannabe status. Hence Italy's support of reserving the name prosecco for wine produced only within the region, a formerly Slovenian area that's been growing grapes since the 1500s, to up the exclusivity factor. Oh, and then there was that little Paris Hilton promo. Italian winemakers disparaged the pairing (she was, after all, promoting an Austrian-crafted sparkling wine in a can), but Paris certainly knows a thing or two about aspirational status.

Warre's Otima Port

Posted Jul 23rd 2008 2:02PM by Jared Paul Stern
Filed under: Wine

Lots of us have been put off by port's connotations of crusty vintages and even crustier connoisseurs. You don't actually need an English country house, a kennel full of fox hounds and a gouty leg to enjoy it, however.

Ironically, it fell to Warre's, the oldest British-owned port producer dating to 1670, to give the storied fortified wine a facelift. With the introduction of their Otima bottlings, Warre's managed to modernize the drink without turning it into some kind of silly snake oil marketed to wannabe rap stars.

Otima is a premium tawny (the best of port's non-vintage iterations) with a "lighter, more contemporary style," available in 10 and 20-year-old versions.

The "contemporary" vibe is admirably captured by the clean, elegant clear glass bottle and minimalist labeling, making for an aesthetically pleasing addition to your bar without sacrificing any of the wine's sophistication. On the palate it presents pleasing notes of honey, raisins, nuts and dried fruit. If you've never tried port before we suggest starting here.

Date Night Wine

Posted Jul 22nd 2008 2:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

Can sharing a bottle of wine keep a couple together? Businesspeople turned wine couple, Suzanne Phifer-Pavitt and her husband Shane Pavitt, have created Date Night, a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon as a nod to their marital happiness. The couple hatched the plans for their own winery dream after several years of wine-fuelled date nights. And they hope that their Date Night wine will inspire other couples to open a bottle and share dinner, conversation and closeness.

Phifer Pavitt Wines has become known for its annual Pick-Up Party when customers arrive to collect their purchases and enjoy food, friends and music by local musicians. Customers enjoy adding their favorite 'date night' experience on the chalkboards that adorn the winery's barn wall. Now website customers can add their date night experiences online at the Date Night Wine website.

The grapes are sourced from Arthur Spencer's Lakespring Vineyard in Pope Valley, the winemaker is Ted Osborne. The 2005 Phifer Pavitt 'Date Night' Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a release of just 300 cases. The wine spent 17 months in barrel (65% new French) before being bottled. It sells for $75 a bottle. The 2006 Date Night Cabernet Sauvignon will be released around October/November 2008.

Hestan Vineyards Launches Stephanie Wines

Posted Jul 18th 2008 12:02PM by Laura Malesich
Filed under: Wine

He may be known for an empire built on cookware from Kitchen Aid, Circulon, Anolon, and Farberware but Stanley Cheng's newest venture continues his success with consumables -- namely wine. Stephanie Wines, named after Cheng's only daughter, are made from five Bordeaux varietals at his estate in Napa called Hestan Vineyards. The CEO of Meyer Corporation's debut release includes 2005 Stephanie Red Bordeaux Blend (940 cases, $65), 2005 Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignon (930 cases, $50), and 2005 Stephanie Merlot (475 cases, $40). The consulting winemaker is Jeff Gaffner who has also worked for Saxon Brown, Black Kite, and Xtant. These are just newly released and only to mailing list customers and select markets nationally so if you get your hands on some let us know what you think!

[via Wine & Spirits Daily]

Sub-Zero Dream Kitchen Up For Grabs

Posted Jul 18th 2008 9:02AM by Tracy Chait
Filed under: Dining, Wine

While the phrase "Enter to win!" is often accompanied by eyerolling and a lesson in probability, when it comes to the 2008 Sub-Zero Dream Kitchen -- and dreamy it is, complete with sleek sub-zero fridge, freeze and wine storage alongside $2,000 worth of gourmet goodies from Dean & Deluca, Wolf dual range, Kohler kitchen gear ... the list goes on -- the words just may inspire a foodie frenzy. Until July 31, enter here if you aspire to cook and entertain in this kitchen-for-the-gods (did we mention ambrosia flows freely from those Kohler products? And there is a subscription to the Windsor Sonoma Wine Club?). Winners of the $50,000 in kitchen booty will be notified August 3. I hope I'm invited to your first dinner party.

Gallery: Sub-Zero Dream Kitchen Up For Grabs

Wine Stores Launches Twitter Tastings

Posted Jul 17th 2008 4:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine

Tonight marks the first in a series of "Twitter tastings" by wine store, Bin Ends. The tastings will feature famous wine personalities taking part in online tastings. that anyone can participate in. The tastings will take place on the third Thursday of each month at 7pm. For each tasting Bin Ends will sell a tasting pack. Tonight's pack of six bottles cost $100. The tasting will include comments from Ryan and Gabriella Opaz of the popular Spanish and Portuguese-centered wine site CataVino.

Bin Ends offers "fine wine bargains" for customers both in their Boston store and online. They use an automatic markdown system where every three weeks, anything still in stock gets marked down an additional 10%. Bin Ends offers free shipping nationwide on all orders of $200 or more.

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Veuve Clicquot Icebox, Chemistry Makes It Cold

B-Side Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

DKNY Plans Branded Bubbly

Grand Cru Estates, Make Your Own Pinot Noir In Oregon

Crushpad Raises $9 Million From Customers

Oldest Bottle of Veuve Clicquot Found In Scottish Castle

Hart Davis Hart To Auction Off Major Wine Cellar

Krug's Luxury Tent Experience

French Chateau Picks Up Famed Napa Winery

Prosecco Wants To Be The Next Champagne

Warre's Otima Port

Date Night Wine

Hestan Vineyards Launches Stephanie Wines

Sub-Zero Dream Kitchen Up For Grabs

Wine Stores Launches Twitter Tastings

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#	Blogger	Posts	Cmts
1	Deidre Woollard	171	1
2	Jared Paul Stern	42	0
3	Tracy Chait	26	0
4	Rigel Gregg	24	0
5	Laura Malesich	24	1
6	Lisa Palladino	16	0
7	Marsha Reid	6	0