Golfer Cristie Kerr has become the latest golfer with a wine label. Kerr’s wine, Curvature is partnership with Suzanne Pride Bryan, the owner of Pride Mountain Vineyards in St. Helena, California. The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reports that the first New York tasting of Kerr’s wine took place Monday at Country Club of Rochester after her Sunday win of the the LPGA Championship presented by Wegmans. The first edition is a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, with a production of 350 cases.

A 2007 Cabernet with a run of 700 cases will be unveiled in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Kerr’s mother, Linda, is a breast cancer survivor and Kerr has also partnered with Kwiat on a line of pink gold, pink sapphire and diamond jewelry that benefits her Birdies for Breast Cancer charity. Kerr also donates $50 to her Birdies for Breast Cancer charity every time she birdies a hole. A 1.5 liter magnum sells for $165. Three bottles in a wooden box autographed by Kerr sell for $250. Proceeds will go to breast cancer awareness charities. The wine was first unveiled in April and has been picked up by all the Trump resorts.

By Deidre Woollard | Source :: www.luxist.com

For a champagne founded in the same year as the United States of America, Louis Roederer’s Cristal has changed remarkably little over the years compared to the country across the pond.

Founded in 1776 as Dubois Pere & Fils, the company was renamed after the founder’s nephew, Louis Roederer, who took over in 1833 and renamed the champagne house after himself. One of Roederer’s greatest moves was expanding the brand into Russia. The champagne enjoyed years of success among well-heeled Russians, and Tsar Nicholas II eventually requested a special champagne to be made for the Imperial Court of Russia.

The result was Cristal, a sweet and delicious wine that broke with tradition – instead of being packaged in a dark bottle like, say, Dom Perignon – Cristal came in crystal-clear bottles, hence the name. As legend has it, the transparency was a feature designed so that Tsar Nicholas could tell if somebody was trying to poison his bubbly.

Today, Cristal remains one of the world’s most prestigious champagnes, with vintage bottles fetching thousands of dollars in the auction market. In the 1990s, Cristal became a favorite among hip-hop artists – until American rapper Jay-Z issued a boycott over what he deemed negative comments by Louis Roederer’s director, throwing his support behind another champagne.

Despite the hiccup, Cristal remains a favorite of oenophiles worldwide – and strong as ever in Russia, where a new generation of oligarchs now enjoys it.

By Carrie Coolidge | Source :: www.luxist.com

In 1787, scarcely ten years after some ambitious colonists declared a new country across the Atlantic, a small French winery called Chateau Lafite produced a very special bottle. Little did the resident oenologist know that nearly 200 years later, the bottle would sell for 105,000 pounds – roughly $160,000 – setting the mark for price that has stood since 1985.

When Baron James de Rothschild, a patriarch of the famous European banking family, purchased Chateau Lafite in 1868, it was perhaps a sign of a good investment recognized. But the Baron never saw his purchase bear fruit – he passed away just three months later, leaving the renamed Chateau Lafite-Rothschild estate to his three sons.

Over a century later, Chateau Lafite Rothschild remains one of the world’s most esteemed wine estates, producing some 35,000 cases per year. Much like the record-setting bottle from 1787, even the most recent vintages continue to rapidly appreciate in value – the 2008 Lafite Rothschild was valued at 1,500 pounds upon its release, but bottle prices more than doubled within two weeks. Baron James would be proud.

By Carrie Coolidge | Source :: www.luxist.com

“Canadian wine country” may sound absurd to those not in the know but the land of the maple leaf also boasts a robust fermented grape industry in Ontario. One challenge for local vintners though is that many Canadians might not know this.

Even worse, many Canadians who do know this are having trouble figuring out just which wines are home-stomped and which are imports. Consumers looking to buy local can identify 100-percent Ontario-made wines by noting the VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance of Ontario) symbol. The problem? Grape Growers chairman Bill George Jr. explains, “Several studies have shown a lot of customers don’t know what VQA means.” However, the alliance has a solution. Too bad it is more of the same. [more]

In the interest of helping consumers better identify the Ontario-made brand, the organization’s marketing board introduced a new, very characteristic logo: A clutch of purple grapes surrounded by a trillium flower. The logo is more colorful and noticeable than the old black VQA version.

However, the new logo does not advance the winemakers beyond their existing quandary. While a more colorful, attractive logo may be an improvement in theory, the fundamental problem remains; if a lot of customers did not know what VQA means, why are they going to know what the new (prettier) logo means?

What the alliance really needs is a strong, extensive outreach and education program for its brand. This is especially true since the alliance’s marketing board says the new logo is intended only to compliment the existing VQA symbol, not replace it.

Source :: Brandchannel

Gallo’s Turning Leaf isn’t the most exciting wine brand out there and certainly doesn’t have the most exciting label design but that is about to change with a little makeover from British fashion designers Basso & Brooke. The pair are famous for their use of bright colors like the ones in the designs above and they will serve as “designers in residence” for Turning Leaf.

The Financial Times reports that the pair will create a wrapping for 2,000 bottles, a blog, limited-edition umbrellas and a retail installation for a London department store. Chris Brooke recently toured Gallo vineyards in Healdsburg, Cali­fornia where he showed off the bottle in its colorful sleeve and went through a tasting of the six Turning Leaf blends. The exuberantly colored sleeve which looks much like the dress above is a bit at odds with the Turning Leaf label which remains the same but at least the flashy new outfit might catch a few eyes on the wine shelf.

Source :: www.luxist.com

This spring look for a new release from Annika Vineyards, a 2008 Chardonnay that’s described as full-bodied with a balance of apricot, peach, and tangerine and a finish of vanilla, graham, and ground spice.

Annika Vineyards is a collaboration between Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam and the family-owned Wente Vineyards and this new vintage joins a 2006 Syrah to be the second ultra-premium boutique wine offered by the vineyard. Sorenstam worked closely with winemaker Karl Wente to select the Chardonnay and said “This is the one I could picture myself enjoying with family, friends, and business associates.”

Look for it to be released nationally this spring with a retail price of $40/750ml.

Source :: www.luxist.com

The renowned champagne brand Perrier-Jouët has invited Rie Rasmussen, a fashion model, designer and artist, to become its new muse.

Rie Rasmussen has brought the artistic heritage of the brand and its Emille Galle’s bottle design to her life and now shares it with her own view at the refined Perrier-Jouët.

The campaign’s motto is “Beauty is a form of genius” (Oscar Wild), and Rasmussen is one of those who can depict the sensitive and artistic soul of the brand.

Source :: www.popsop.com

French winemaker Pommery introduces its new champagne, Pop, just in time for New Year’s Eve. NYT says the eco-friendly bubbly stays green by creating “sexual confusion” among hungry butterflies!

Source :: Liqurious