Monthly Archives: January 2010

The Perfect Portable Wine Carafe

The Perfect Portable Wine Carafe

If you’re fanatic about your water, you probably already know about Klean Kanteen.

Klean Kanteen makes safe, 100 percent BPA free, responsibly manufactured, stainless steel (not aluminum, which requires a dubious chemically-created lining) bottles in varied sizes. The lack of an inner coating, besides saving you from alleged health risks, means that from drink to drink, even from hot drink to cold drink, the flavor never gets muddled by residual particles which can seep into the lining of most bottles. And that means you can even use one for wine.

The Wine Karafe bottle looks surprisingly small but can, in fact, hold an entire 750mL of wine — its capacity is actually 800mL. This is perfect for picnics in areas where glass is prohibited or for sneaking into your jacket and using like a flask (you didn’t hear that here). It will also never shatter if you throw it in your bag or suitcase. The slim bottle is 9″ x 2.75″, comes in silver or claret and says “wine” in ten languages on the back. Most importantly, it’s easy to clean completely, so if you have syrah in there one day and pinot grigio the next, it won’t disturb the flavor.

The Klean Kanteen Wine Karafes are created by a family owned and operated company in Chico, California, and each bottle is assembled and welded by hand. They are available from Klean Kanteen from $20.95.

By Annie Scott | Source :: www.luxist.com

+359 Wine

+359 Wine 1

+359 Wine 2

+359 Wine 3

“The +359 brand name comes from the international phone code of Bulgaria which is +359. This brand identifies 100% with Bulgarians and it is very popular in the country. The client wanted to change the look of the whole package into a vision that is more fresh, modern, colourful and absolutely distinguished.

I decided to change the +359 logo as a start. I used Extra Black Poster Bodoni and changed it slightly to fit perfectly to my design. Poster Bodoni is well known to the audience. It is type often used by Bulgarian Post and I thought it would communicate well with the audience, and that they would feel willing to buy it.

The rest of the label could be described as an effort to make it more fresh, colourful and glossy – hence the use of nice warm colours, the glittering silver hot foil dots and glossy inks. I also wanted consumers not only to see this label as an image, but to feel it and to sense it with their fingers. The use of puff-up transparent varnish makes a relief structure on the +359 logo. The cap of the bottle is very interesting too – it is a pattern of the +359 logo which is printed with transparent matte varnish on a glossy background that helps repeat the matte/gloss theme on the label”

Designed by Jordan Jelev | Source :: Lovely Package

Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Art Quiz

Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Art Quizz

Champagne Perrier-Jouët has unveiled the new 2002 vintage of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque, the first great vintage of the new millennium. To mark the release the brand has launched an online art game, providing the entrants with a unique opportunity to win the “Art of Vintage” book.

To celebrate the launch of the House’s inaugural vintage of the 21st Century, Champagne Perrier-Jouët opened its cellar doors and organised a legendary tasting with ten of the world’s top wine and champagne experts. These aficionados tasted 20 historic vintages from the House’s own cellars, from the oldest vintage in Champagne (Perrier-Jouët 1825) to the first vintage of the new millennium. The private event, which took place earlier this year, demonstrated the consistency of the house style and excellence of craftsmanship spanning over two centuries.

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2002 is a very elegant cuvée: the quality and finesse of the Chardonnay shines through the power and structure of the Pinot Noir. Citrus notes of grapefruit and pineapple are sustained by a little vanilla on the palate, which is beautifully balanced and rounded with a long, elegant finish. The champagne was aged for six years before disgorgement to maintain great balance and freshness.

The House is world-renowned for its ‘avant-garde’ spirit, which finds its purest expression in the iconic prestige cuvée ‘Belle Epoque’ and its legendary Emile Gallé 1902 anemone bottle. Champagne Perrier-Jouët constantly seeks to maintain an aesthetic and artistic dimension to the House and the champagnes. Again, to mark the release of the 2002 vintage, talented Japanese art photographer Makiko Takehara, inspired by the art House story, has brought her own artistic vision. She interpreted each vintage through the artistic aspects that marked each exceptional year, turning champagne into a work of art.

It was proposed that, following the legendary tasting, a book reflecting the historic and aesthetic odyssey through 20 legendary Perrier-Jouët vintages should be compiled. Led by Serena Sutcliffe MW, Head of the International Wine Department at Sotherby’s, ‘The Art of Vintage’ is being published by Jacqui Small (Aurum press) with Perrier-Jouët’s assistance. From December, 18 to January, 31 2010 visit www.perrier-jouet.com, match the four works of art by Makiko Takehara with the people who inspired them and win the limited-edition Perrier-Jouët book, ‘The Art of Vintage’.

Source :: www.popsop.com

Anatomy of a Wine Glass : Size & Shape Matters

Anatomy of a Wine Glass - Size and Shape Matters

It’s the question that burns in the mind of every novice wine drinker: do all the different sizes and shapes of wine glasses really matter?

The short answer: Yes. Although wine glasses are often admired for their beauty each element, from the bowl to the stem to the foot, serves an important purpose in making sure the wine is served up and enjoyed in its most perfect state. Here’s how the basic anatomy of a wine glass breaks down (no pun intended).

The Foot The foot is the flat base that allows the wine glass to stand on its own and not tip over, especially when filled.

The Stem The stem was created so that a wine drinker’s hand need never come in contact with the bowl and risk either smudging the glass (and ruin the view of the wine) or warm it with body heat.

The Bowl The bowl of a wine glass is perhaps the most important element, as well as the most stylized. The shape and size of the bowl affects how the aromas are trapped and circulated, how much aeration occurs, and how the wine is showcased
visually.

Shape The most common shape is tulip, which is slightly wider at the bottom and tapered near the top. This shape allows the wine to be swirled and observed while the aromas are trapped by the narrower opening and directed towards the nose. Glasses for full-bodied red wines are wide and full at the bottom to allow for more exposure to the air and room for the rich flavors and aromas, while glasses for white wines are narrower to help keep the wine cooler longer and to help concentrate the lighter aromas in a smaller area. Champagne flutes are especially tall and narrow in order to showcase the rising bubbles, and to help maintain the chilled temperature.

Size Wine glasses come in many shapes and sizes but a good rule of thumb is that the glass should be large enough to hold a full serving and not be quite halfway full. This allows room for swirling without spilling, and for the aromas to rise and collect in the glass.

Color Although colored glasses or those with decorative accents like etchings can be beautiful, the best wine glasses are smooth, plain, and clear to allow the beauty and subtleties of the wine to show through.

Rim A good wine glass will have a ‘cut’ rim that is smooth to the touch and does not inhibit the wine as it flows out of the glass. Avoid those with rolled or bumpy rims.

By Rigel Celeste | Source :: www.luxist.com