China isn’t just collecting Bordeaux wine, Chinese investors are buying land and wineries in Bordeaux. Decanter reports that Philippe Raoux, owner of Chateau d’Arsac in Margaux and wine tourism complex La Winery, sold his Lalande-de-Pomerol estate, Chateau Viaud, to Cofco, a company 100% owned by the Chinese government. According to the article the deal followed three years of negotiations.
The sale was part of a larger business deal, Cofco will also distribute Chateau d’Arsac in China, along with other Bordeaux wines from Raoux’s merchant business. The company will also bring Raoux’s Signe Œnologique (wine star sign) concept to China to use in wine education. Raoux’s son Pierre has moved to Beijing to work with the company to create a Bordeaux branded wine aimed specifically at the Chinese market.
Several Chinese companies and families have invested in Bordeaux in the last several years but recently the partnerships have more of a reciprocal nature. As we reported back in 2009, Chateau Lafite Rothschild formed a partnership with CITIC, China’s largest state-owned investment company, to develop a winery on the peninsula of Penglai in Shandong province, an area said to be China’s Bordeaux.
Interest in wine in China has risen dramatically over the past few years and with its large population and spending power that interest is only expected to increase.
Benoit New York, the highly acclaimed French bistro that is part of the Alain Ducasse restaurant empire, is offering fresh black Périgord truffles throughout the month of February. The truffles can be shaved over any dish offered on the menu that features classic French bistro cuisine for a supplemental cost of $9 for 5 grams, which is the actual cost to the restaurant. The truffle pairing will be available through the end of February.
BenoitExecutive Chef Philippe Bertineau suggests enjoying the truffle garnish atop a selection of dishes. In addition to the Maine Lobster Salad and Tarte Flambée, the truffle shavings work well with the Filet Mignon and Hand-chopped Beef Tartare.
“One of the dishes I recommended serving with truffles is our Seasonal Local Vegetable Cookpot,” says Chef Philippe Bertineau told Luxist. “The Cookpot is an oven-to-table porcelain dish that Alain Ducasse created with designer Pierre Tachon specifically for cooking and serving vegetables. It’s a modern adaptation of the traditional cooking pot used in France’s rural regions, and all of Chef Ducasse’s restaurants around the world offer a seasonal vegetable Cookpot dish that’s composed of local vegetables.”
“For the Cookpot at Benoit, we wanted to create a vegetarian dish using root vegetables—our version includes parsnips, carrots, potatoes, sunchokes, rutabaga, celery root, butternut squash and chestnuts layered over a mushroom duxelles and finished with fresh black truffle,” adds Chef Bertineau, the former Executive Chef of Balthazar who joined Benoit in October. “All of the vegetables are cooked together and served in the Cookpot, and it’s a wonderful dish for the wintertime.”
Under French inheritance law, in the Napoleonic Code originally established in 1804, property is inherited by bloodline. That makes it virtually impossible to disinherit an offspring and that is the main reason behind the array of vineyards the size of large postage stamps that make up the Burgundy region, as the sons and daughters of sons and daughters each wind up with a piece of land here and there.
Imagine our surprise, then, to learn that the Burgundy House Cottin Freres, which brings us the well-known Laboure-Roi brand, sold seven hectares (nearly 17 acres) of Meursault vineyards, to a group of investors headed by New York sommelier Robert Bohr.
The year 1855 turns out to have been a very green year for wine. Two Bordeaux estates that gained classification status that year are the first of the “Growth Estates” to gain 21st century organic certification.
First growth Chateaux Guiraud (Sauterne) and Fifth Growth Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) were each recognized by France’s Agence Bio (AB) as certifiably organic producers, the former beginning with its 2011 vintage and the latter beginning with its 2010 wines.
Depending on the vintage, Guiraud’s wines are priced from two to four digits per bottle, with an average across vintages of $45 to $121. With one exception, Pontet-Canet bottle prices have generally been in the triple digits with an average across vintages of $62 to $172.
The two venerable Bordeaux wine producers of the Gironde River area were inducted into the original 1855 Bordeaux classification under different names. In 1766, a merchant named Pierre Guiraud bought La Maison Noble du Bayle, which was the estate’s name when it achieved First Growth status for white wine. Originally named Canet, Pontet-Canet was established in the early 18th century by Jean-François de Pontet, royal governor of the Médoc. Canet gained Fifth Growth status for red wine.
Big giving is back at one of the year’s grandest wine events. The Naples Winter Wine Festival in Naples, Florida was held over the weekend. It raised $12 million for Collier County’s underprivileged and at-risk children during the live auction of 70 one-of-a-kind auction lots. The total was healthily above last year’s $8.1 million and over double the $5.1 million raised in economically gloomy 2009. The total nearly grazed the $12.2 million record set in 2006. The festival has brought in over $94.5 million since it began in 2001.
Approximately 580 festival guests were seated under a giant tent set on the grand lawn of The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples bidding on lots that ranged from $30,000 to $1 million. The million-dollar lot was an 8-foot-tall bronze sculpture, Reina Mariana, by artist Manolo Valdés. The 2,000-pound sculpture had traveled to the festival grounds from New York City’s Columbus Circle, where it had been on display. The top wine lot, modestly called Perfection, was a total of 100 bottles of 100-point wine in a custom cabinet. It equaled the highest bid of a wine-only lot in the festival’s history at $400,000. A 39-bottle collection of Sine Qua Non, many in large format and including 100-point wines, captured a winning bid of $160,000; a 25-year complete vertical of Shafer’s Hillside Select and 24 bottles of the vintner’s Silver Anniversary Sensation, when released in 2013, resulted in a high bid of $150,000; and four magnums of Colgin Cellars IX Estate Napa Valley Red Wine went for $130,000.
Planning on watching the premier of Season Four of The Real Housewives of New York City on February 15? Be sure to place your order now for a few bottles or even a case of Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio wine, which is now available for pre-order. The first shipment from Veneto, Italy, which is expected to arrive in February, will sell out quickly. All pre-orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first served basis.
The perky blond cast member’s love for Pinot Grigio is well-known to viewers. For three years, fans of The Real Housewives of New York City have been asking Singer the name of her favorite Pinot Grigio. Apparently, Ramona was always hesitant to answer the question, because she jumped from brand to brand, trying to find the Pinot Grigio she liked the best. When you consider that Singer is a serial entrepreneur who operates several successful businesses including True Faith Jewelry, Ramona Singer Jewelry line for HSN, Ramona Singer Collections for Amazon.com and Tru Renewal Skin Care, it is not too surprising that she teamed up Opici Wines to launch her own line of Pinot Grigio that suited her tastes.
The wine is made from 100% Pinot Grigio grown in the picturesque Veneto region of Italy. The wine’s label was designed by Ramona herself. The tasting notes describe the wine as having “Expressive citrus aromas with hints of mineral which show on the nose. On the palate you get fresh, clean white fruits and crisp acidity, with a kiss of lemon and stony mineral in the well-balanced finish. It is best enjoyed young and chilled.” The wine is best paired with shellfish and other seafood; simple preparations of poultry, pork and veal; pasta salads; vegetarian dishes; mild cheeses; or enjoyed as an aperitif.
With 50 brands in its portfolio from such countries as France, Chile, Italy, Spain, South Africa and the United States, Opici Wines is an experienced and highly reputable player in the wine business, and thus an idea partner for Singer. Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio is priced at around $14.99. It will be represented nationally through Opici’s distributor network covering close to 50 states. It can be pre-ordered for delivery in 35 states now, by the bottle ($13.99) or by the case ($167.88) through Bottle King.
For year wineries have fretted about shipping wine during the warmer months and the potential for having it be damaged on the way. That situation may be changing as FedEx is creating an overnight temperature-controlled wine shipping solution for wineries in Northern California. Trucks that maintain a steady 55 degrees will be used to ship to FedEx hubs. The FedEx Express and Ground shipments of wine can be sent to one of about 1,700 locations for the recipient to pick up. Using the hold-at-location option will help to avoid potential security and temperature-damage issues with wine shipments left at someone’s home or business.Testing for the service was done last summer using sensors in shipping boxes to monitor temperature.
Wine Business says that the new service will serve five hubs covering 70 percent of the country with delivery by 10:30 the next morning. The new service will launch on April 1 with a northern route and May 1 with a southern route. Pricing has not been revealed yet but this is big news for some wineries who have opted not to ship in the warmer months to avoid potential damage to their prized vintages.
John Gillespie, president of the Wine Market Council revealed that wine consumption continued to grow through two recessions, albeit at reduced rates. In 2010, U.S. consumers downed 276 million cases of table wine. But it is the core wine drinkers that really keep the numbers high. This group, defined as those who drink wine daily, several times a week or about once a week, is about 20 percent of the population (approximately 46 million U.S. adults). This dedicated group accounts for 91 percent of all wine consumption. Marginal drinkers defined as those who drink wine less often than weekly represent 31 million U.S. adults.
Halewood International has owned the Prince William Champagne brand for decades but now, with the Royal Wedding coming, the brand is looking to cash in. The brand is releasing a limited edition commemorative label, using the ‘Prince William’ and ‘Royal Wedding’ trademarks. The champagne is expected to retail for around £25 and is expected to sell well in England in advance of the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on April 29.
Harry & David is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a series of giveaways including a grand prize that will send one lucky couple on a romantic getaway to California wine country. The Grand Prize includes two nights at Hotel Healdsburg in Sonoma County, cooking class for two at Relish Culinary Adventures, dinner for two complete with a 6 course Chef Tasting menu and wine pairings, airfare for two, and a two-day rental car for a truly all-inclusive experience. The only downside is that winners won’t be announced until afterValentine’s Day, but on the bright side even if you don’t win the trip they’re also giving away more than 100 instant prizes in the form of truffle assortments, cheesecake samplers, and other awesome goodies. Enter now through Feb 14th.
Boston-area wine lovers are eagerly anticipating the 20th Anniversary Boston Wine Expo coming up this weekend, January 22-23, 2011 at the Seaport World Trade Center. This year’s event includes the “Founding Chef” culinary series with celebrity chefs and local favorites Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger; Todd English of Olives, Figs and Kingfish; Jasper White of Jasper White’s Summer Shack; Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley’s Bistro; Michael Schlow of Radius, Via Matta and Alta Strada; Marc Orfaly of Pigalle and more.
The Boston Wine Expo also features keynote speaker Ray Isle, Executive Wine Editor of Food & Wine. The main event is the Grand Tasting showcasing over 300 international and domestic wineries pouring over 1,500 different wines. There is also an exclusive Grand Cru Wine Lounge, featuring high-end vintages; and a Seminar Series designed for all levels of wine enthusiasts. Tickets for the Grand Tasting are $110 each after that date and two-day tickets are $145. Grand Cru Wine Lounge ticket prices are $175. Seminar and other events are priced separately. For more information on chef demonstrations, seminars, participating wineries and to purchase tickets, go to www.WineExpoBoston.com.
The always entertaining actor Stanley Tucci, famous for his turns in Julie and Julia and The Devil Wears Prada, is the host of a new wine-centric talk show. Vine Talk is a round-table show moderated by Tucci. Each week, a different wine region from around the world will serves as focal point for a discussion of wine with an ensemble panel of well-known entertainment personalities and celebrity chefs. Guests will taste six wines from a featured region and varietal as will the studio audience and will choose their favorite wine at the end of the show.
The pilot episode features Tucci, Vine Talk’s resident wine experts and guests actress Patricia Clarkson, actor Penn Badgley and Chef Daniel Boulud. The show debuts on public television this spring. USA Today’s Pop Candy columnist Whitney Matheson recently attended a taping that included author Gay Talese, 30 Rock’s Cheyenne Jackson and chef Joey Campanaro and it sounded like one great time.
While the French wine offerings in the U.S. often take up plenty of shelves, champagne is limited to a much smaller range of marquee brands. One company seeks to change that. Fatcork.com is a new website which imports and sells grower Champagnes. Wine Business reports that Bryan Maletis is the son of Columbia Distributor’s owner Ed Maletis, who runs the largest beer, wine and soft drink wholesaler in the Northwest. The new start-up is a dream for Bryan Maletis and his wife. They are importing champagnes from 12 growers with a total of 39 cuvees, basically two to five cuvees from each grower. Most of the growers were not imported in the U.S. previously. The website gives tasting notes and food pairing notes for each bottle. Prices range from $40-$200, with a median price of about $52. Fatcork is using UPS to ship to states where direct shipment is allowed.
Northern California’s Mendocino County offers a different wine profile than you can get in other places in the state. In many ways it is similar to Oregon with cooler weather that is favorable to pinot noir and to riesling and other aromatic whites. The Anderson Valley growing region will celebrate Alsace-style white wines next month in an decoration: underline;”>Alsace Wine Festival weekend event February 12 and 13 that brings together a variety of different white wines including Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Muscat. The event includes a technical conference where participants can interact with winemakers and wine experts from around the globe and discuss the trends. This year’s topic is Old World/New World and includes a discussion of Alsace wine and the wines of Germany as well as a look at Anderson Valley wines and the white wines of New York’s Finger Lakes region.
The grand tasting brings together a variety of different wineries including Alderbrook Winery, Breggo Cellars, Domaine Weinbach, Foursight, Hagafen Cellars, Handley Cellars, Husch Vineyards, Lazy Creek Vineyards, Londer Vineyards, NY Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, Toulouse Vineyards and many more. A winemakers dinner is scheduled for the evening of February 12 in the private dining room at Scharffenberger Cellars. A sit-down dinner will be prepared by a renowned local chef and each course will be perfectly paired with wines featured at the festival or locally produced. The dinner is $125 and is nearly sold out.
The next day is given over to winery open houses. Local wineries are participating and hosting special programs. Events include live music, food pairings, cheese tastings and more. All together a lovely way to wile away Valentine’s Day weekend in beautiful Northern California.
Last year, we mentioned the debut of Beau Joie, the copper-encased champagne brand that made its world debut in Las Vegas in 2010. The brand is now expanding into Rosé (shown above on the right with its older sibling). The new bubbly is made from 50 % Pinot Noir and 50 % Chardonnay naturally derived from the finest grapes of Epernay, France. The Beau Joie Rosé has a crisp and fruity taste and like the Brut, it comes in a copper armored bottle. The Rosé’s bottle features over 60 hand-applied rivets and the rose color peeks between the spaces. It’s not just pretty, it’s a little green, the encasing is created from second-generation copper scrap and the brand has activated a recycling program with venues so that each bottle’s encasing can be further reprocessed. The copper also keeps it colder longer and provides a firmer grip while the bottle’s rubber punt provides improved stability. The Beau Rosé is available in the U.S. just in time for Valentine’s Day in many markets. Suggested retail is $125 to $135.
When Scarlett Johansson was named as the face of Moet & Chandon in 2009 she posed in a golden gown. Images from the 2011 campaign have been released which show the effervescent blonde in posed on a ladder in a robin’s egg blue evening gown surrounded by champagne flutes. The images shot by photographer Tim Walker were taken at Trianon, an impressive residence built by Jean-Rémy’s Moët between 1805-1817 on the Moët & Chandon Estate in Epernay, France. The campaign consists of three photographs which will be used in print, outdoor and online advertising.
A small Bordeaux chateau has sold for a record high price. Decanter reports that Château Carmes Haut-Brion in Bordeaux sold for 18 million euros. The vines cover 4.7 hectares with three hectares of parkland and the property has a 19th century chateau. Local paper Sud Ouest says this is the highest amount ever paid per hectare for a vineyard in Bordeaux. The vineyard is located close to Château Haut Brion. The 2009 vintage sells for around $50 a bottle.
The new owner is Patrice Pichet, head of Bordeaux real estate company Groupe Pichet. This is the first vineyard purchase for Pichet leading some to question whether Pichet is interested in the land or the vines. For his part, Pichet appears to be interested in wine, he released a statement saying that Groupe Pichet is “planning a series of investments, starting with the building of new vinification facilities, and the restoration of the park to encourage biodiversity.”
The myth of King Midas, the man who was blessed (and cursed) with the ability to turn anything he touched to gold, has inspired many things but few as lavish as Midas bottle from Armand de Brignac. According to wine bottle naming code, Melchizedek is the term usually used to describe a 30-liter vessel equivalent to 40 regular-sized 750ml bottles but perhaps Midas makes more sense for this bottle which weighs in at 100 pounds.
We’ve written about Armand de Brignac before. The luxury Champagne from the award-winning Champagne Cattier chateau of Chigny-les-Roses, France is instantly identifiable by the dramatic Ace of Spades insignias on its bottle. In the last few years it has become a celebrity favorite. Armand de Brignac has three cuvees: Brut Gold, Rose and Blanc de Blancs.
The first Midas bottle of Armand de Brignac sold for $100,000 at the XS nightclub in Las Vegas’ Encore casino. Mixed martial arts and UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez hosted his UFC 125 after-party joined by fighters Gilbert Melendez, Urijah Faber, Jake Shields, and UFC announcer Bruce Buffer. Two strongmen were needed to carry the bottle to the table of the anonymous high-roller who made the purchase. No word on what happened to the bottle afterward.
We already knew that Chateau Lafite Rothschild was hot in China but apparently the Bordeaux is so popular that counterfeiters have been scavenging the empty bottles to refill them. The Telegraph reports on the shadowy and lucrative world of China’s bottle dealers. The article quotes one dealer who offers the equivalent of over $400 for a good vintage bottle of Lafite Rothschild in top condition. His firm collected empties from bars and restaurants in Shanghai and Beijing.
Alcohol forgeries have long been a problem in China with premium spirits, such as Maotai being frequently faked. Ice wine is also a popular target for fraud. Wine dealers and fine restaurants are taking precautions, inspecting bottles careful for signs of tampering before buying but some older wines tend to be re-corked making unmasking the refilled bottles even more of a challenge.
Wine scionMichael Mondavi has announced his newest creation, the Private Cellars wine club. The club features luxury wines from around the world. As Mondavi puts it in the video above, his career in the wine business creating the Robert Mondavi wines led to relationships most renowned wine-making families in the world.
The club will feature a selections from a variety of wineries including some of the legendary “Supertuscans.” The club launches with the Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello, a four time Wine Spectator ‘Top 100′ wine. Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi is one of the most prestigious houses in the world of wine. The wine is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes has a deep ruby red color and a rich bouquet, with ripe fruit on the nose, followed by spicier notes of coffee on the finish. It is sold through the wine club for $55.
Members who joined Mondavi’s Private Cellars club by the end of the 2010 received a bottle of Castelgiocondo as a unique gift of entry but its not too late to join the club. You need not be a club member to purchase these wines, however club members receive special pricing and access to Member Only wines.Club Members receive 10% off most wines. Other benefits include personalized visits, VIP access and introductions to top wineries and winemakers around the world and invitations to special wine and culinary events with Michael Mondavi. Mondavi will also host Blend Your Own Wine Experiences in Napa Valley. All shipments are a maximum of $600 and shipping is included. You may choose to receive your wines monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly.
China isn’t just collecting Bordeaux wine, Chinese investors are buying land and wineries in Bordeaux. Decanter reports that Philippe Raoux, owner of Chateau d’Arsac in Margaux and wine tourism complex La Winery, sold his Lalande-de-Pomerol estate, Chateau Viaud, to Cofco, a company 100% owned by the Chinese government. According to the article the deal followed three years of negotiations.
New Wine Deal Has Chinese Government Investing Directly In Bordeaux originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Burgundy
The year 1855 turns out to have been a very green year for wine. Two 
