Buffalo Trace has acquired the E.H. Taylor brand, along with its product inventory, from Beam Global. E.H. Taylor  the distiller, first produced E.H. Taylor the bourbon in what is now the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfurt, KY. so this shuffling of brand and barrels amounts to a homecoming. Taylor, a great nephew of 12th US president Zachary Taylor, purchased the Frankfurt distillery in 1870 and eventually named it OFC, for Old Fire Copper. though Taylor eventually sold the distillery, the brand continued under new ownerhip. In the small world of Kentucky bourbon distilling, it has now come full circle.

Six different vintages of Penfolds Bin 389, often referred to as ‘Baby Grange’, will be tasted at events in the US, Germany, Australia, the UK, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sweden, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea.  Attendees will assess for themselves the longevity of this quintessential Australian blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz with vintages including 1976, 1985, 1991, 1998, 2002 and 2006.
 
“New World winemakers have often strayed from convention in the way wine is traditionally made, so it stands to reason that we are doing the same with this original mode of wine tasting,” says Peter Gago.

“Throughout this webcast, people across the world will collectively - in real time - be sampling six different vintages of one of Australia’s most iconic wines, Penfolds Bin 389, which has only just been vintaged for the 50th consecutive year. And yes, it’s symbolic that we’ll be broadcasting the tasting from Bordeaux, the heart of Old World Wine. Ideally, participants will witness the graceful aging of a New World wine style.”

Wine lovers will have the chance to view the footage from the tasting from 23rd June.

“An irresistible mix of dark grungey smoke and light sweet fruit. If you could barbeque a tin of Del Monte exotic fruits this is what it would taste like. Stunning.” Dominic Roskrow

“Big, fruity nose, dried fruits, dried herbs; waxy mouthfeel, sweet taste, crystalline sugar; mouth-cooling. A cracker!” Charlie MacLean

“Sun heated pebbles. A marine and spicy breeze. Hints of soot. Oysters with a dash of Tabasco. Powerful, uncompromising, wild. Superb.” Martine Nouet

And, as if that wasn’t enough, the same judges at the same awards voted Highland Park 40 year old the World’s Best New Release.

“I guess these awards say something about the entire Highland Park range; the two newest expressions have won these prestigious and significant awards. Talk about a squad with strength in depth.”

For more information about the World Whiskies Awards visit www.whiskymag.com/awards/wwa/

Kevan Evans, from Fife, Scotland, signed-up to become a Naked Wine Angel, a scheme which allows customers to sponsor indivudal winemakers looking to break into the UK market.

“Naked Wines is really rather different to any other wine retailer I’ve come across before, and very refreshing!” explained Kevin. “I’ve ordered from Laithwaites and Tescos.com in the past, but often found myself confronted with un-expected cases turning up on my doorstep, full of wines I didn’t choose. Naked Wines allows me to set aside a small amount of money each month, which I can spend when I feel like it, on the wines I want.  Kind of like a personal bottle saving plan! I also like the idea of buying from smaller producers.”

“Kevin was sent a case of champagne in celebration, and we’ll be popping the champagne corks too,” said Rowan Gormley, founder of Naked Wines.

To find out more about Naked Wines, who offer Next Day Delivery throughout the UK for £4.99, visit www.nakedwines.com or call 01603 281 800.
Naked Wines offerings have featured on Spittoon recently, including two new Australian wines and the wines from Chilean producer Angel’s Share.

Sure, International Cachaça Day is a promotional vehicle for Brazil’s national beverage, but there’s a colonial back story! It was started by Sociedade Brasileira da Cachaça, a Brasilian government organization. It was created to commemorate June 12th, 1744: the day when Portugal, then the colonial authority in Brazil, outlawed the production and sale of cachaça. and I’ll bet that was thirsty work.

The caipirinha is the cocktail most often associated with Cachaça, particularly outside its native land. But here are a couple of cocktails you might want to sip on June 12 as you celebrate International Cachaça Day. These recipes were offered up by the folks ac Cabana Cachaça.

The Marpessa

• 1 oz Cachaça
• 3/4 oz Orchard Pear Liqueur
• 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• 1 oz aloe vera

Combine with ice in a cocktail shaker, Shake and strain into a chilled, tall cocktail glass, garnished with a thinly sliced lime wheel.

Feeling tropical?

Beach Comber

• 1 oz Cabana Cachaça
• 1 oz Veev Acai liqueur
• 1 oz kiwi puree
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz simple syrup

Shake with ice and pour into a cocktail glass.

First up, a beyond-basic drink, for tequila fans on a budget.

The Azul Paloma

• 1.5 oz. Azul Reposado tequila
• Fresca (or similar sparkling drink)

Pour Azul into Collins glass full of ice.  Top with Fresca, stir, and garnish with lime

The Rosangel Ruby Fizz

• 2 oz Rosangel tequila
• .5 oz agave syrup
• .5 oz ruby port
• 1 bar spoon pomegranate molasses
• .25 oz lemon juice
• .5 oz egg white

Shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a highball glass with one large ice cube.  Top with club soda and garnish with a cherry.

Here’s what Gran Centenario says about the Rosangel Ruby Fizz

“This exquisite cocktail from mixologist extraordinaire Julie Reiner (Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club - NYC), uses Rosangel, the first-ever hibiscus infused tequila, made from a reposado base, and rested in port barrels for an additional two months.:

Maestro Maria Verde

• 3 2-inch slices celery
• Loose handful of cilantro
• 2 oz Maestro Dobel tequila
• .25 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• .75 oz simple syrup
• 1 oz ginger ale

In a pint glass, muddle celery & cilantro, then add all spirits & mixers. Shake vigorously for six seconds, add ginger ale. Strain over fresh ice in Collins glass, garnish with celery stalk. Maestro Dobel’s diamond tequila is a filtered blend of reposado, anejo, and extra anejo tequilas.

“The Maestro’s version of the Bloody Mary: crisp, cool and green.  Created by Pablo Moix of STK and Coco De Ville in Los Angeles, this wildly original and refreshing cocktail uses Maestro Dobel the world’s first-ever “diamond” clear-aged tequila.  It is a blend of reposado, anejo, and extra-anejo tequilas,”

Building on the success of the multi award-winning Smokehead Single Malt which launched in 2006, Extra Black takes the DNA of the core brand to the next level, reflecting the luxury and limited edition status of this 18 Years Old matured whisky.

Created to appeal to the discerning and adventurous drinker, the contemporary frosted black squat bottle features silver letterpress type applied directly to the glass ensures it stand out presence adding a spot of sophistication and visually differentiating Extra Black as the premium product in the Smokehead range.

Despite its 18 years maturation giving Extra Black a slightly more mellow flavour than the original Smokehead Islay Single Malt, Extra Black is certainly not for the faint hearted. A neck-booklet provides tasting notes, bringing to life the rich, complex and peaty flavours of this distinctive Single Malt. Instantly full of peat smoke with hints of ginger and mint, the taste starts light and briny with gentle cloves, before building with flavours of vanilla and cocoa, creating a rounded and smooth mouthfeel. The finish brings together the ever present smoke with rich dark chocolate and kiwi fruit undertones.

A stylish and robust matt black flight case with silver Smokehead logo, reaffirms that this product is every inch, ‘Extra Black’. While the individual numbering of each bottle, highlights the product’s rare, limited edition status.

Limited stock of Smokehead Extra Black 18 Years Old Islay Single Malt is now available from specialist suppliers throughout the UK and online, RRP £85. For further details visit www.smokehead.co.uk

The embodiment of Glengoyne’s famed unpeated and authentic ‘Real Taste of Malt’, the natural strength 40 Years Old Highland Single Malt is regarded by the distillery to be one of the finest whiskies they have ever produced.   Its superior quality and flavour reflecting Glengoyne’s long standing commitment and enthusiasm for their craft and heritage.

Every detail of the design and presentation of the Limited Edition Single Malt was carefully considered to reflect the outstanding character and craftsmanship of the Glengoyne 40 Years Old. Even the producer of the stunning hand blown crystal decanter, Glencairn Crystal, a well-respected independent Scottish family company, was specially selected for its shared values with Glengoyne.

The shape of the crystal decanter creates a strong visual feature of the 40 Years Old Single Malt’s dark copper colour, complemented by gold engraving. Each decanter’s individual number, engraved in the base, is accompanied by an etching of Scotland’s most beautiful distillery, reflecting up through the malt itself. 

The 11 times lacquered piano-finished solid oak wood presentation box, complete with gold plates on the front and hand-stitched cream leather interior, further reinforces the excellent quality and showcases the rich, natural colour of the 40 Years Old Malt.  An accompanying cream leather and gold foil traditionally bound book, personally signed by Distillery Manager, Robbie Hughes, provides tasting notes and detailed background on Glengoyne’s long and illustrious history as an independent distillery since 1833.

With a nose of red apples, crème brulee and strawberries and cream, the Glengoyne 40 Years Old offers a complex and oily mouth feel of ripe bananas, spiced plums, honey and cereal, before drying into grapefruit and soft oak, with a long and lingering dry finish.

Iain Weir, Marketing Director for Ian Macleod Distillers, brand owners of Glengoyne commented: 

“This is a world class, once in a lifetime bottling. It was essential that the design and presentation of the Glengoyne 40 Years Old Highland Single Malt be a true reflection of its outstanding quality and reinforce its position as one of the top luxury Limited Edition Single Malts available in the market today.

The 40 Years Old Single Malt captures the pure essence of Glengoyne, from its heritage and craftsmanship through to its exceptional and unpeated ‘Real Taste of Malt’.  It is a joy to open casks after four decades and find such great balance between malt and Still. It doesn’t get any better than this”.

From August just 250 crystal decanters of this unique and treasured Malt from Glengoyne’s rare whisky reserves will be available from specialist whisky outlets in the UK and worldwide, Domestic RRP £3,750 (EUR4,250/ $5,730)

Stylish diamond display plinths, designed to complement the bottle design and create maximum standout, will also be used to showcase the Glengoyne 40 Years Old in opinion-leading international luxury outlets.

Glengoyne Highland Single Malt is one of the leading premium malt whiskies in the world and has been distilled at Glengoyne distillery since 1833. The 40 Years Old Highland Single Malt joins a multi gold award-winning range, which includes the Single Malt 10 Years Old, 12 Years Old Cask Strength, 17 Years Old and 21 Years Old, as well as a number of limited edition single casks released each year.

One look at the RSVP and attendance lists shows how widely it appealed with wineries, importers, wine shops, journalists, restaurants and PR executives filling the 175 seats. Ryan Opaz of Catavino Marketing opened the proceedings by talking about the history of social media, the birth of blogging and the launch of social networks.

“If you are involved in the wine business in anyway, you know it’s complicated to get your wine brand out to the consumer. Social media has opened up the opportunities for the conversation to happen. A powerful way to reach consumers, influencers etc. We’re not saying that social media is replacing what’s happening now. We’re talking about something that adds to it.” Ryan Opaz

Then Rob McIntosh of The Wine Conversation talked about the future of the social wine brand and specifically the idea that brand managers have less control over their brand in the marketplace than ever before. If it’s out there then people will be talking about it. Companies need to be part of that conversation in order to influence it. Social wine note sites like Adegga and Snooth mean that people can very easily share information about a wine, leading to new ways for users to influence others’ purchasing behaviour.

“Normal people chatting about your wine can influence all of their friends, community, and communities around the world. Your brand is being influenced. In the social wine channels online you no longer have the same power you had in traditional marketing channels. Join the conversation online. Interact, communicate, be with them, and let your online fans build a relationship with you.” Rob McIntosh

Ryan then went through the free tools and communities that are out there to use including Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Twitter Taste Live, Twitter Fall, Adegga, Snooth, Open Wine Consortium, the European Wine Bloggers Conference and Wine Blogger amongst others.

Finally Dan Coward of Bibendum got up to add a practical appendix to the discussion by explaining why Bibendum had moved into social media and what the activities and outcomes had been. After initially experimenting by holding a Twitter Taste Live event at their Annual Tasting in January, Bibendum have now expanded their social media strategy to improve their blog, communicate with new influencers via Twitter and host other online wine events. The results have seen a 97% increase in traffic to the blog and 30% increase in overall web visitors as well as building really strong relationships with journalists, bloggers and potential customers. Having said all that Dan admitted that “It feels like we have only just scratched the surface of what is possible.”

Crowd Reaction
There were plenty of questions from the floor about whether social media has had any effect on sales, whether people should run professional and personal twitter accounts, and what to do when people talk negatively about your product online. Here are the thoughts of some of the attendees:

“I very much enjoyed the briefing and came away re-invigorated and tremendously positive about the opportunities the web and social media have to offer the wine business. I am in no doubt that this will become a major part of future business plans for all companies and I would urge all to embrace the new technology.” Justin Liddle, Stokes Fine Wines

“At the 2009 LIWF, the UK wine trade realised at last that ’social networking’ might be a new route to consumers. There was a packed room at the seminar on Wednesday. People were fascinated by the webcam at the ViniPortugal stand. Everywhere you turned, there were wine bloggers and tweeters, dazzling wine-folk with their electronic wizardry. Bloggers and tweeters attained a new status at ExCel last week. Congratulations to Bibendum, ViniPortugal/Catavino and The Wine Conversation for catching the mood of the moment.” Charles Metcalfe, journalist

“We’ve been using social media to interact with our customers from day 1 (back in December) and our website is very heavily focused on customer interaction. The talk highlighted the great importance of social media in our industry today and contained some handy tips on some of the best tools to use.” Greg Banbury, Naked Wines

The next steps?
There is clearly a lot more that people would like to find out about this new business area. Gabriella Opaz live-blogged the presentation. Alternatively a Word account of what she broadcast is also available

The session was filmed and this video will be available in the next 2 weeks. Check out the Catavino, Bibendum or Wine Conversation websites for the link when it’s ready.

Bibendum is going to host another social media session later in the Summer (in the UK) with a special focus on wine retailers and how they can build better customer relationships and ultimately sell more wine through developing social networks. If you are a retailer (traditional or online) or a journalist interested in coming to this please email dcoward@bibendum-wine.co.uk to register your interest.

European Riesling is known for its incredible elegance, versatility, unrivaled quality and harmonious balance of fruit and acidity.  It is the fastest growing white varietal in the U.S. and is consistently named as the first choice for white wines by sommeliers nationwide.

“Since Riesling can range from bone dry to seductively sweet, its diverse nature suits a variety of dishes and pallets, making it an ideal choice for sommeliers and consumers alike,” said Alex Hasbany, General Manager of Spice Market NYC.

Over 100 top restaurants and retailers in New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami and Chicago have signed on to promote European Riesling during this national celebration. 

“This year marks the fifth anniversary of our very successful Riesling Week promotion,” said Monika Reule, Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI) Director.” By offering Riesling specials, such as tastings and pairing menus, restaurants and retailers are exposing customers to the unique strengths and qualities world-class Riesling from Germany, Austria and Alsace.”

The Riesling Week promotion is part of a three-year “Destination Riesling” campaign, underwritten by Wines of Germany and the European Union, to market European Riesling in the U.S. The campaign seeks to increase interest and awareness for European Riesling among consumers and the trade.

Participants include:

RESTAURANTS

New York
15 East
Aquavit
Asia de Cuba
bar Olivino
Café Boulud
Center Cut
China Grill
Craft
Dévi Indian Cuisine
Double Crown
Fat Cat Pie
H2O Seafood Grill, Smithtown
Hearth
Le Colonial
L’Ecole
MetroCafe & Wine Bar
Morimoto
North Square Restaurant
Ono
Prime an American Kitchen, Huntington
Resto
Seäsonal Restaurant & Weinbar
Spice Market
Stone Park Cafe
Tellers an American Chophouse, Islip
Terroir
Thalassa
The Harrison
The Monday Room at Public
Tocqueville
Union Prime
Veloce Club
Zum Schneider Bavarian Bierhaus

Chicago
Ai Japanese Restaurant & Lounge
The Bottle Shop
Carlos’ Restaurant
C-House
Frontera Grill & Topolobampo
Italian Villiage
La Cantina
Mirabell Restaurant
Ringo Japanese Restaurant
Salpicon
Shaw’s Crab House
Tsuki
Vivere
Webster’s Wine Bar

San Francisco
Ana Mandara
Betelnut Pejiu Wu
Campton Place Restaurant
Chez TJ Restaurant
Epic Roasthouse
Farallon
Fifth Floor
Jardinière
John Ash and Co. Restaurant
Le Colonial
Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant
Martini House
WINE Bar & Shop
xyz
zazu restaurant+farm

Miami
Azul
Bourbon Steak
Café Sambal
Emeril’s Miami Beach
M-Bar
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Michy’s
OLA
Ortanique on the Mile
Palme d’or Restaurant
Wine 69

Las Vegas
Aureole
Japonais Las Vegas
Lotus of Siam
MICHAEL MINA Bellagio
Pinot Brasserie
Rosemary’s Restaurant
Vintner Grill
Top of the World Restaurant, Stratosphere
RETAILERS
New York
Best Cellars, Lexington @ 87th
Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit
California Wine Merchants
Discovery Wines
Fountain Head Wines & Distillations
Fountain Head Wines & Distillations
K&D Wine & Spirits
Wine Therapy
Court Square Wine and Spirits
Union Square Wine & Spirits
Long’s Wines & Liquor
Crush Wines & Spirits
Gnarly Vines
Olivino Wines
Olivino Wines
Blue Streak Wines & Spirits
67 Wine
Oak and Steel, Wine and Spirits
Manor House Cellar

Chicago
Binny’s in Orland Park
Binny’s in Schaumburg
Binny’s Lakeview
Gentile’s Wine Shop
Lush Wine & Spirits- University Village
Lush Wine & Spirits-Roscoe Village
Potash Brothers Market
Printer’s Row Wine Store
Provenance Food & Wine-Lincoln Square
Provenance Food & Wine-Logan Square
Sandberg Wine Cellar
The Bottle Shop
DOC Wine Bar
Wine Knows
Courtyard Wines At Market Square
In Fine Spirits
Artisan Cellar

San Francisco
K&L Wine Merchants
WINE Bar & Shop
William Cross Wine Merchants
Blackwell’s Wine & Spirits

Miami
Sunset Corners  Fine Wine & Spirits
W Wine Boutique
Wine 69