Monthly Archives: December 2008

Krug ‘On My Own Terms’

krugomot As the ultimate holiday gift for champagne connoisseurs, the famed French House of Krug is offering a bespoke cellar case containing six bottles of Krug’s prestigious Grand Cuvée. Called Krug ‘On My Own Terms’, the luxe case can be ordered with a personalized plaque in either metal, mirror, or saddle leather bearing the Champagne Krug coat of arms and the recipient’s name or initials.

The case costs $1,000. Krug, founded in 1843, is now part of the LVMH empire. The Grand Cuvée is described as "the timelessly stylish signature of Krug." The cellar case is the latest in a line of luxurious Krug offerings, including the Escape Artist trunks and Hat Box.

By Jared Paul Stern. Source: www.luxist.com

Wine Glass Gift Box For Steakhouse & Wine Bar

Flemings Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has a program in which diners who purchase a dinner for two receive a pair of limited-edition signature wine glasses, presented in a handsome gift box. The diners must mention “Glasses,” when they call for a reservation or enter “Glasses” in the special requests box, when they reserve online.

The very special wine-glass gift box is produced by rigid-paperboard product design and packaging producer, NAPCO (www.napcousa.com). The box is designed to look like a wooden wine crate using a chipboard base made from recycled materials and paper wraps and liners printed with wood texture art and brand-stylized graphics. “NAPCO’s design team created a really unique box for our annual signature wine glass program. The comments from our partners in the field and guests are that this is the best one yet,” says Tanya Sparkman, VP of marketing for Fleming’s.” We had a tight turnaround to get boxes produced, and NAPCO delivered flawlessly.”

NAPCO kicked off the Fleming’s box project by creating a custom-tailored structure featuring a sliding top panel for easy opening and packout with a specialized inside platform to hold the glasses securely in place. The box was finished with a matte coating to create the visual look and feel of real wood. The glasses were made, etched and packed out with kraft paper to further authenticate the wood box look by Masterpiece Crystal (www.masterpiececrystal.com). “We were very engaged at every point in the development and creation of Fleming’s wine-glass gift box,” says Shelli Kaiser, NAPCO’s VP of marketing. “NAPCO provided a complete turnkey package, including design services, concept prototypes and print and structural box production.”

Source: www.packagingdigest.com

Bailout Wine

bailoutwine

Custom wine facility Crushpad has a unique answer to the financial crisis, Bailout Wine. The wine is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which will sell for $39 per bottle. But what makes this wine with the bear and bull label so unique is that for every 100-point drop in the Dow Jones from the date of purchase to the projected bottling date of August 14 2009, Crushpad will knock another $2 off the bottle. If the Dow rebounds the $39 price stands.

Only 500 cases of Bailout will be produced but the company could still take a hit if the Dow tumbles. For example if you bought when the Dow was at 8,800 and then on August 14, 2009 it closes at 7,300 (let’s hope not) you would pay just $9 a bottle and get your $30 back. The wine will be shipped after it is bottled in Summer 2009.

By Deidre Woollard. Source : www.luxist.com

The Disappearing Cork Forests of Portugal

For a couple years now the wine industry has been moving toward more screwcaps but there are some good reasons that the pendulum may shift again. A study by The World Wildlife Fund shows that up to three quarters of the Mediterranean’s cork forests could be lost within 10 years if the trend for plastic stoppers and screw tops continues.

A BBC Natural World documentary highlights the fact that these forests also support rare species such as Iberian lynx, black storks and booted eagles which are already disappearing in some areas. Because the farmers can no longer make as much money from cork harvest they have been ripping up the trees in order to grow alternative crops that will provide more ready cash. But the land that the cork oaks are on sometimes turns into a desert when the trees are removed.

According to an article in the Telegraph, in the Algarve, Portugal, cork forests have declined by 28 per cent in the past 10 years. The cork industry in Portugal is now attempting to fight back and has introduced new methods to protect against cork taint and are trying to bring increased attention to the industry through public service announcements.

By Deidre Woollard. Source: www.luxist.com

Related articles.

Are French winemakers abandoning the cork?

Wine cork recycling gets organized.

Personalized Moet Now Online

MOET & CHANDON CHAMPAGNE COUTURE

This time last year I wrote about Moet & Chandon’s pop-up boutique offering personalized Champagne bottles in New York City. Now they have come up with MyMoet.com which will offer Champagne bottles personalized with Swarovski crystals in your choice of message to everyone across the country.

The service is available in Moet & Chandon Imperial or Nectar Imperial and in 750 ml or magnum size bedazzled with gold or silver Swarovski crystals. Pricing starts at $90 [excluding tax and shipping] for a 750mL bottle of Moet Imperial with up to seven characters.

By Deidre Woollard. Source : www.luxist.com

Pica Nuttalli Wines

Pica Nuttalli 1

pica_closeup 2

Elliot Olson, a communication design student from Portland Oregon, has created a identity system, labels, and packaging for a company called Pica Nuttalli. Pica Nuttalli ( a company name that Elliot thought of) is the scientific name of the Yellow Billed Magpie, a bird that only lives in the foothills of California’s wine country. During the project he created a back story for the vineyard, a logo and type treatment, a set of labels, and gift packaging.

Source: Packagings of the World.

Italy Is The Biggest Wine Producer

Italy Big Italy is once again the world’s largest wine producer, an honor it hasn’t had since back in 1998. This year’s big harvest is expected to give Italy the edge over France. The Coldiretti farmers lobby estimates the production of Italian wine is up eight percent over 2007 to 4.7 billion litres, compared with 4.44 billion litres in neighbouring France, where production fell five percent. The bumper crop of grapes is attributed to good weather, especially in Sicily which battled a deadly fungus last year. Production estimates by Assoenologi, an association of Italian wine producers, are slightly lower at 4.45 billion litres, or an increase of five percent which would still give Italy a squeaker of a win.

Bloomberg reports that more Italian consumers are taking another look at prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine, this season for their celebrations. For the most part prosecco is cheaper than its popular French rival, champagne.

By Deidre Woollard. Source : www.luxist.com

Merus Winery, Napa Valley

merus winery 1

merus winery 2

merus winery 3

We love a fine wine, especially when it can be ingested in as thoughtful an environment as this one. Welcome to Merus, a "designer" winery like no other.

Located in the Napa Valley in California, Merus looks more like a Michelin-starred restaurant than your average cellar-door retail outlet. Exposed beams are the only nod to the past in this interior design strategy, which is thoroughly modern with a hint of Californian warmth. Amsterdam-based Uxus Design is the architecture and design firm behind the winery which will open in early 2009. With more than a few inspiring, high profile projects under its belt, Uxus is one of the Netherlands’ hottest design studios.

It’s been a busy year for Uxus, who have unveiled a number of other great retail design projects recently including the new Heineken ‘concept’ bars which will open in airports across the globe and one of Europe’s coolest McDonald’s play areas in Amsterdam.

Source: www.thecoolhunter.net