This package won best design and packaging prize at the 2008 Drink Business awards, for its clutch-style handbag box. Now perhaps I am just not the right kind of woman, but I found the strapline “White Grenache – loved by women almost as much as they love their handbags”, a tad condescending. "Appealing directly to the rosé wine consumer" – does the love of rosé equal a love of handbags? Apparently so; according to Tesco, where it is being sold, the package has been “incredibly successful”.
Monthly Archives: June 2008
Logan Wines
More wine, and more design from War Design for family-run Logan vineyard. The label speaks to the old-fashioned winemaking process, human involvement and enjoyment at the same time, all with one graphic device. I imagine the winemaker, pants rolled around knees, tramping away from the crushed grapes, leaving his oenophilic footprints on the way. Not only would this jump out on-shelf, but it’s not a frivolous tactic to do so. I’m really enjoying the tactility and the relevant message on this one.
Check out our previous article on Logan Wines.
Live Video Feed from Frank Gehry’s Hall Winery Project
You can now monitor progress on Frank Gehry‘s amazing Hall Winery project in the Napa Valley via a live video feed. Last year my colleague Deidre Woollard told you about the ambitious plan for the new facility built around the original 1885 winery south of St. Helena. Progress is proceeding apace on the project, which artfully blends avant-garde architecture with existing historic structures. The live cam is the latest addition to the Gehry plan web features, which include a project gallery and time-lapse camera showing progress to date. Hall’s new 110,000-square-foot complex of six buildings, which broke ground last summer, is slated to open in 2010. Pictured above is Gehry (center) and associate Edwin Chan (left) with winery owners Kathryn and Craig Hall (right) discussing the architect’s model for a new Visitor’s Center, an all-glass structure supported by a "floating" trellis overhang.
Urban Winery & Wine Bar
When Springwise first covered San Francisco-based Crushpad back in 2005, the idea of a winery in an urban centre was surprising. Crushpad has since blossomed, and now a like-minded contender on the opposite end of the nation is picking up on the notion and combining it with a wine bar.
Due to open this fall, City Winery will combine a wine bar and event space with a fully operational winery in the heart of Soho, New York City. The private-label winery—apparently the city’s first—will let consumers choose their favourite grape, consult with City Winery’s master winemaker and then crush, ferment, bottle and label their own bottles of wine. The company will have the capacity to make about 300 barrels of wine in its first year, and 200 of those will be dedicated to a limited set of members, who will have access to City Winery’s state-of-the-art equipment and professional team. Grape varietals will be sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington State, New York, Chile and Argentina under strict temperature control, and customers will be able to work with City Winery’s specialists in person or online to customize their barrel, participating as much or as little as they like in the process. Membership is available on three levels, beginning at USD 5,000 annually plus the cost of grapes, barrels and labelling for about 250 bottles of wine. Wine classes are also included, as is the opportunity to trade bottles with other members; wine sales, however, are prohibited. About a third of City Winery’s barrels have already been sold, according to its site.
City Winery’s venue side, meanwhile, features a flexible space that can accommodate up to 200 people seated or 400 standing, with an in-house stage and sound system. A full catering kitchen is onsite to serve the venue’s multiple dining and tasting rooms, while the wine bar will have more than 50 wines available by the glass each night. Through City Winery’s VinoFile membership program, customers can track their wine consumption and get related suggestions from the on-site sommeliers and winemakers. A special cheese bar from Greenwich Village-based Murray’s Cheese, meanwhile, will be manned by a full-time expert to create the appropriate wine pairings from a selection of over 30 cheeses. City Winery also plans to create unique pairings of private concerts with such delicacies as wine and chocolates, mushrooms or truffles, port or scotch.
Frequent Springwise readers will undoubtedly notice the way City Winery’s efforts tap into the customer-made and still made here trends, while offering consumers some much-sought-after status skills to boot. Will City Winery follow in Crushpad’s footsteps and relax its rule prohibiting wine commerce among its customers? We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, one to watch!
Website: www.citywinery.com
Contact: info@citywinery.com
French Foreign Legion Wine
Fine wine isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the many skills mastered by the famous military force but that isn’t holding the group back from taking this innovative approach to raising money for its aging veterans.
The wines are sourced from grapes grown in southern France and tended by retired legionnaires, so they not only provide profits for supporting the Legion and its veterans but also work to keep the men feeling busy and productive well into their retirement years.
So Chic Wines
I really like this design, the shape of the bottle, the colors, the type. It all works very well together. I tried finding out some more information about it on their website, but I don’t speak French. Can anyone help? All I could decipher was that each bottle includes a Swarovski crystal.
Source: thedieline
Bordeaux For Wine Lovers
In Bordeaux the word Chateaux can be applied to anything, from an imposing estate to a simple country house to a few rows of vines that constitute a small vineyard. There are over 3,000 Chateaux names in the Bordeaux area but they do not represent a corresponding number of palatial mansions. Watch this video and learn what gives the local wines their distinct character.
Videos provided by compulsivetraveler.tv
Napa Valley Wine Train
Voted as one of the most unique and memorable rail experiences in the world, the Napa Valley Wine Train provides a three hour relaxing journey through the scenic Napa Valley, past vineyards and wineries while guests enjoy their wine and gourmet lunch or dinner.
The Napa Valley Wine Train has nine historic cars that have been elegantly decorated with brass fixtures, flowers, white linen and glass ceilings to accommodate splendid dining areas that offer views of 26 Napa Valley Wineries.
Guests can freely move around in the train since it is all open, you can also watch the talented chefs preparing the food since the kitchen has glass walls.
Guests also get a chance to shop and taste wine prior to boarding in the McKinstry Street Station. The Wine Emporium features over 180 kinds of wine and gifts, Baubles & Beads offer elegant jewelry, and Unique Gift Express offers fine gifts.
Related articles:
Green Wine Awards
For grape growers, vino viticulturists, syrah sippers and green gods and goddesses, the day has come when wineries both domestic and foreign can compete for glory to bring us, the consumer, the best eco-friendly wines available.
The Green Wine Competition has chosen its champions from over 271 entries originating in six states and eleven foreign countries within four categories: Class I – certified biodynamically grown; Class II – organic; Class III – transitional & third party certified; Class IV – natural (international imports only).
With 153 award-winning bottles, broken up into gold, silver and bronze medals, and a shopping list to make your next selection of wine easier, the search for a fantastic bottle of green wine is bound to be simpler.
(And in case you are wondering who took home the most medals, Bonterra Vineyards blew the competition away).
Source: Luxist
Celebrity Wine: David Beckham Buys Victoria A Vineyard
David and Victoria Beckham are notoriously generous with each other on their birthdays, splashing out on jewels, watches, cars and lavish vacations. Now The Sun reports that David Beckham bought Victoria her own winery in Napa and the pair will be making their own wine. Last month, the paparazzi spotted the pair along with celebrity pals, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Seal, Heidi Klum, Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman, touring a winery. It was assumed they were just going wine tasting but apparently while winetasting, David presented Victoria with a bottle with her name on it. The couple isn’t planning to go into the wine business, they will just be making their vintage for family and friends.
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Another celebrity wine project
Celebrity wines are popular with wine drinkers
Source: www.luxist.com