The latest innovation from Germany, Instant Wine.

The latest innovation from Germany, Instant Wine

Its simply just add water, yes really. Red wine in powdered form, so you are never far from a drink.

It's aimed at the trekking market and with typical Teutonic efficiency they produce two versions, red wine for normal trips and mulled wine Arctic expeditions.

When mixed with water both versions have a strength of 8.2%, which is not unusual in Germany. I haven't found a review yet and it seems only to be available in Germany so far.

This is how Trek'n Eat describe their product

"Mountaineering gourmets never have to miss a glass of red wine on the mountain top. Trekking Meals presents a new red wine in powder form. The beverage powder in convenient portion bag has such a light wine from the bottle, an alcohol content of 8.2%. For expeditions in the snow and cold also the matching mulled wine was developed in powder form. For that special moment in the night camp."

I think we'll stick with offering liquid wine in bottles for now, for both personalised wine for business and personalised wine gifts.

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Harvest Reports

Bordeaux 2010 tipped to rival 2009

Bordeaux harvest is tipped for an exceptional vintage this year. The lack of rain has led to high concentration of colour and tannins in the key red grapes. This with the good levels of acidity should give a vintage at least as good as 2009

Great Burgundy wine possible despite difficult harvest

A low yielding and variable harvest in Burgundy this year is favouring reds from northern parts of the Côte d’Or.
Dry summer and harvest time storms have dramatically reduced yields in burgundy this year.

Lebanon hails stunning 2010 vintage

A freak heatwave this summer has left Lebanon’s winemakers great quality but low volumes. Many wineries reported harvest dates a month or more earlier than usual as temperatures soared. Overall production could be little more than half the usual volume.

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Highland distillery has produced the worlds most expensive whisky £100,000 a bottle.

Yes indeed the newly launched Dalmore Trinitas 64 sells for£100,000 a bottle!!!!
As the name implies. only 3 bottles have been produced and 2 have already been sold to private collectors in the US and UK.

The third bottle will be sold at at The Whisky Show in London at the end of October, so start counting out the pennies..

Industry experts claim that if the bottle was sold by the glass in exclusive restaurants and clubs, it could fetch up to £20,000 for a typical 50ml dram.

He said: "The hand of time has been generous and rewarding with the malts I chose to use. They allowed me to create a taste sensation which will never be repeated again and will only ever be available to those that own these bottles. You cannot put a price on that."

Why so expensive?
The Dalmore Trinitas 64 contains some of the rarest and oldest single malt whiskies in the world and some of them have been maturing in the Dalmore distillery warehouses for over 140 years! The youngest whisky included is 64 years of age and was distilled in the mid 1940s, hence the reference to that age in the name. Richard Paterson, the world renowned Master Blender for Whyte & Mackay, has used his expertise to fuse together a range of these exclusive malts and produce the Trinitas. They have been placed in one boutique, hand crafted American white oak cask for the last two years to create a unique spirit which will never or can ever be replicated.
Richard describes the Trinitas as "the pinnacle of my career - it's the best whisky that I have ever created".
He added: "The hand of time has been generous and rewarding with the malts I chose to use. They allowed me to create a taste sensation which will never be repeated again and will only ever be available to those that own these bottles. You cannot put a price on that."

Stunning packaging to hold this marvel.
The Dalmore Trinitas 64 is presented in bespoke hand crafted and hand blown crystal decanters and feature the distillery's iconic stag's head, an engraved neck foil and Richard Paterson's signature, both of which were hand made in silver by award winning jewellers. Each bottle comes with a hand made English oak and ebony veneer casket and each one took over 100 man hours to manufacture. Features include a hidden drawer which holds the certificate of authenticity signed by Richard Paterson and a unique lock and key created by Brahma, London's oldest locksmiths.

Tasting notes
As no-one has gotten to sample it yet, here are Richard Paterson's own tasting notes.

"The initial bouquet is highly complex. Powerful notes of sweet raisins, rich Colombian coffee, crushed walnuts and bitter orange casts its magical spell over you. Another glorious fusion of grapefruit, sandalwood, white musk and Indonesian patchouli completes this bouquet of exuberance. The spirit must be nurtured and cherished long in the mouth to tease out every hidden flavour. Sweet sultanas, figs, and a caramelised topping of Seville oranges, apples, mangos and dates roll over the tongue. This is quickly followed by a wave of lingering sensations of vino dulce muscatel, marzipan, treacle toffee, soft liquorice and roasted coffee. A soft caress of truffles, walnuts and muscovado sugar on your palate brings this unforgettable fanfare to a flawless finish".

                

The ideal Christmas gift, if you are a billionaire, or scooped the £113million on the lottery.

Otherwise we can offer you a very nice personalised whisky and personalised malt whisky at a fraction of the price.

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'Bugs Bunny Gang' Leaves French Wine Producers Hopping Mad

The worst plague of rabbits in recent memory blighted the Bordeaux grape  harvest this year.

Harvest began last week in the celebrated Medoc region of Bordeaux, and wine makers are reporting massive losses in their grape crops.

"More than 15 percent of our harvest has been swallowed up by the Bugs Bunny gang," Bruno Von der Heyden of the 500 year old Chateau de Malleret estate wrote in a blog. A neighbour of Von der Heyden said she caught 500 of the long-eared munchers on her land alone.

And the bunnies have an extra sting in the cottontail - they are eating the best the vineyards have to offer.

"In some places, there's nothing left because they started eating the vines in May. Elsewhere, they've been eating the grapes, and not any old grapes either. They get the mature ones," said Merlot grape grower Martine Cazeneuve.

It seems conditions over the past year have been ideal for bunnies. A dry summer stopped the spread of a disease that usually thins the rabbit population while at the same time proving too hot for some of the plants the bunnies usually eat and forcing them to take to the grapes.

Local growers have called for culling measures to be taken, including bringing in marksmen or ferrets to dine on them.

Looks like a lot of rabbit on the menu for the next few months.

We offer a range of Bordeaux wines with personalised label, all from rabbit free vintages!

Personalised Bordeaux Claret
Personalised Bordeaux Blanc
Personalised Bordeaux Sauvignon
Personalised Château Bouteilley

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Marketing exposed by Dilbert.

The dark arts of marketing put into perspective!

Or you could promote your business with a fab label on a nice bottle of promotional wine or promotional champagne.

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Aussie craft beers boomerang back into favour

Aussies have finally realised that the big brewers, Lion Nathan and Fosters with 85% of the market, aren't given them a classy brew. There is more to beer than ice-cold yellow fizz.

There are now over 140 microbreweries putting out top notch beers, and some of it is finding is way here. From classic pale ales to larger for ageing

Read more at the drinks business

Coopers Pale Ale

  über-exclusive Crown Ambassador Reserve Lager.

We don't just drink personalised wines!

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The Ultimate Promotional Gift?

There are lots of thing that available as promotional items, mugs, pens, stress balls, umbrellas. All of which can be branded up for you. but do they hit the spot? Are they remembered by the receiver? Are they appreciated? Are they ignored.? We all know some items go straight in the bin, particularly small memory usb sticks and mouse mats.

So what will be welcomed by the recipient? what will dispose d of with disdain?

Promotional wine and promotional champagne of course.

Everybody loves to receive a bottle, or even two! Your promotional label on the front of the bottle will be both remembered and appreciated.

For high perceived worth and ability to bring a smile to someone's face, its unbeatable. The ultimate promotional gift.

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International Grenache Day

Today is International Grenache Day, a day for celebrating a less well known grape.

Also known as Garnacha in Spain, Cannonau in Sardinia, this is a widely grown grape that hides in the background.

It is a key component in wines such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Rioja and thrives in hot, dry soils.

Apart from Spain and France, it is significant in Sardinia and Australia.

Why not try our award winning personalised châteauneuf-du-pape to celebrate?

Wikipedia list the following synonyms:
Abundante, Aleante, Aleantedi Rivalto, Aleante Poggiarelli, Alicant Blau, Alicante, Alicante Grenache, Aragones, Bois Jaune, Cannonaddu, Cannonadu Nieddu, Cannonau, Cannonau Selvaggio, Canonazo, Carignane Rosso, Elegante, Francese, Gamay del Trasimeno, Garnaccho Negro, Garnacha Comun, Garnacha Negra, Garnacha Roja, Garnacha Tinta, Garnatxa Negra, Garnatxa Pais, Gironet, Granaccia, Granaxa, Grenache Noir, Grenache Rouge, Kek Grenache, Lladoner, Mencida, Navaro, Navarra, Navarre de la Dordogne, Navarro, Negru Calvese, Ranconnat, Red Grenache, Redondal, Retagliadu Nieddu, Rivesaltes, Roussillon Tinto, Roussillon, Rouvaillard, Sans Pareil, Santa Maria de Alcantara, Tentillo, Tintella, Tintilla, Tinto Menudo, Tinto Navalcarnero, Tocai Rosso, Toledana and Uva di Spagna.

Synonyms for the hairy Grenache include Garnatca Peluda, Garnatxa Pelud, Lladoner Gris, Lladoner Pelud and Lledoner Pelut.

Grenache grapes from Santa Barbara California
By Josh McFadden
Source originally posted to Flickr as IMG_3353

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Warhol-inspired label for Dom Perignon

Luxury Champagne Dom Pérignon will offer limited edition Warhol-inspired 2002 vintage champagne from the middle of October in top London stores Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, at £120 a bottle.

Dom Pérignon wanted to use the Warhol-inspired packaging to “talk about Dom Pérignon alongside one of the most iconic figures within visual art.”

Labelled as A Tribute to Andy Warhol by Dom Pérignon, Emelie De Vitis, marketing manager for Dom Pérignon UK, commented: “Dom Pérignon’s iconic bottle has always lent itself to uber-cool innovative interpretation, having previously inspired the likes of Marc Newson and Karl Lagerfeld.

“The concept of this Warhol-influenced design offers a special opportunity for us to talk about Dom Pérignon alongside one of the most iconic figures within visual art, whilst creating something incredibly stylish, rare and aspirational – what Dom Pérignon is all about,” she added.

  

More importantly the 2002 has been getting rave reviews.

Jancis Robinson: Extraordinarily firm, confident, intense nose. Definitely the savoury side of Dom. Nothing remotely sweet or fat - though it's as intense as a Montrachet. Wonderful quality of mousse - surely slightly less bubbly than it has been? More like a Montrachet with a bit of carbon dioxide laced into it than a typical champagne. Broad and long with a hint of orange peel. Great persistence. This already delivers but has such backbone and great acidity and light grip (only noticeable at the very end of the tasting experience) that it surely has a long life ahead of it. Really reaches every hidden cell of the palate. A very assured performance. LVMH at its very best?

Wine Advocate: The 2002 Dom Perignon is at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical. Ripe apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this flashy, opulent Dom Perignon. The wine’s volume makes it approachable today, but readers in search of more complexity will want to cellar this for at least a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to drop off. Geoffroy describes the vintage as very ripe and adds that some of the Chardonnay showed the ill-effects of the hot growing season in it the somewhat burned, dehydrated fruit that came in that year.

Certainly better than tomato soup.
Of course our personalised champagne is very nice too....

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Methuselahs of Cristal go on sale

Famous champagne producer Louis Roederer is releasing a limited number of methuselahs of 2002 vintage Cristal Champagne in Harrods, for £10,000 each!

A methuselah holds the equivalent of eight bottles, so not something for a quiet night in.

As a single bottle has a price tag of about £1100, you'd be paying a hefty premium for the stunning impact that you'd get.

Or jut impress people with some personalised champagne at a fraction of the price

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UK launch of Champagne’s most expensive brut NV, Angel, took place last week.

The new brand sells for£640 a bottle for the Non Vintage on-line, and £800 for the vintage. It'll cost a lot more in clubs!

 The aim is to offer a champagne that has a more feminine style. The champagne has the backing of pop singers Mariah Carey, a shareholder, and Sinitta

Produced by Patrick D'Aulan, from the former Piper Heidsieck owning family, the Grand Cru grapes are from the Coopérative Regionale des Vins de Champagne (CRVC), the region’s second largest cooperative with 680 members and 880 hectares of vineyards.

The Champagne bottle packaging is particularly bling, with four layers of a "platinum finish" paint, solid silver labels and inset Swarovski crystals! So it might be more about being seen than enjoying good champagne.

.

Of course Euromarque can offer you your own quality branded champagne at a fraction of the cost.

Full details on The Drinks Business

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Cork taint can be transmitted by new oak barrels, not just corks

New research in France shows contaminated new oak barrels are a much underestimated source of cork taint - TCA.
Tests undertaken by analysts at Laboratoire Excell in France suggest that there are several sources of TCA (Trichloroanisole) contamination of oak wood – although so far nobody seems to know where it comes from.

The French coopers association,Tonneliers de France, have reacted in the typically French way and dismissed the study out of hand.

Full story on Decanter.com

 

Cork taint is is often detected by test equipment even when human tasters can't detect it, So the impact of this research is not yet clear.

Obviously if personalised wine labels ever found TCA in our wine, we would replace customer bottles immediately.

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Real ale sales rising in Britain, lager sales dropping

Real ale is making a comeback. Traditional beer, unsullied by the industrialisation of the 60's and 70s has increased its market share to 20.6%. Not huge, but enough to stop lager growth for the first time in 50 years, Hopefully the tide has turned against mass produced cold fizz.

The new edition of the Good Beer Guide, lists more than 700 real ale brewers in the UK, the highest number since the  War, and four times as many as in 1971, when the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) was founded in a last-ditch effort to save the proper beer from oblivion.

Read more at the Guardian of all places!

The best way to clear you palate after a wine tasting is with a nice pint of real ale. Livens up the taste buds and clears away the tannins.

Some times a beer hits the spot even better than personalised wine.

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Dilbert - Corporate social media

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Branded Wine

Branded wine is one of those terms that means different things in different markets.

In the wine world it means the big brands. Wines that are sold on the basis of a name/brand rather than the vineyard and grower. In a sense its the simpler end of the market because the supply is pretty much endless as its blended from many sources to achieve a standard result year after year after year.

Where as grower wines are limited in supply to just what that vineyard can produce in that one year. Next year could be quite different depending on weather and the skill of the wine-maker.

In the promotional industry branded wine has quite another meaning. It means putting your brand on the bottle not the wine companies.
You've all seen branded mugs, branded pens, and branded usb sticks, well branded wine is the same, only much tastier!

You can have your own branded wine with a minimum order of only 12 bottles (which is barely enough for your mates let alone clients and staff). Whether its your own smiling face on the label, or your logo or even a product picture, its a great way to promote your brand.

Visit the website to see examples of labels that Euromarque have produced and to see the great range of wines that you can brand.

           

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The ultimate beer?

Those nutters at Brewdog have pushed the boundaries of beer to the very limit. After creating the 32% abv Tactical Nuclear Penguin and the 41% abv Sink the Bismark, they have now produced a new world's strongest beer called “The End of History,' at an astounding 55% abv !!! That's the same as barrel strength whisky, where even the fumes can make your eyes water.

At if that wasn't enough to get lots of publicity and opprobrium for the anti- drinking lobby, they decided to present each bottle in a stuffed dead animal. Yes taxidermy beer bottles.

The stoats and grey squirrel used are all road kill, so I suppose they can claim to just be recycling.

 

In the words of the official press relief

"This 55% beer should be drank in small servings whilst exuding an endearing pseudo vigilance and reverence for Mr Stoat. This is to be enjoyed with a weather eye on the horizon for inflatable alcohol industry Nazis, judgemental washed up neo-prohibitionists or any grandiloquent, ostentatious foxes."

The End of History: The name derives from the famous work of philosopher Francis Fukuyama, who thought the fall of the Iron Curtain would end political evolution and make history uneventful thereafter. Lets see, war in the Balkans, 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan, erosion of civil liberties, yup no excitement nowadays.
This beer is at the end of what's possible (probably) and Brewdog's final high abv beer, therefore the end of beer.

Only 11 bottles have been released, 7 stoats and 4 squirrels in case you wondered, and they have all been sold. So, sorry you have missed out. The tasting note says its blond Belgian ale, infused with nettles from the Scottish Highlands and Fresh juniper berries.

I wonder if there would be a market for personalised wine in weasel? Probably not

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The ultimate beer?

Those nutters at Brewdog have pushed the boundaries of beer to the very limit. After creating the 32% abv Tactical Nuclear Penguin and the 41% abv Sink the Bismark, they have now produced a new world's strongest beer called “The End of History,' at an astounding 55% abv !!! That's the same as barrel strength whisky, where even the fumes can make your eyes water.

At if that wasn't enough to get lots of publicity and opprobrium for the anti- drinking lobby, they decided to present each bottle in a stuffed dead animal. Yes taxidermy beer bottles.

The stoats and grey squirrel used are all road kill, so I suppose they can claim to just be recycling.

 

In the words of the official press relief

"This 55% beer should be drank in small servings whilst exuding an endearing pseudo vigilance and reverence for Mr Stoat. This is to be enjoyed with a weather eye on the horizon for inflatable alcohol industry Nazis, judgemental washed up neo-prohibitionists or any grandiloquent, ostentatious foxes."

The End of History: The name derives from the famous work of philosopher Francis Fukuyama, who thought the fall of the Iron Curtain would end political evolution and make history uneventful thereafter. Lets see, war in the Balkans, 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan, erosion of civil liberties, yup no excitement nowadays.
This beer is at the end of what's possible (probably) and Brewdog's final high abv beer, therefore the end of beer.

Only 11 bottles have been released, 7 stoats and 4 squirrels in case you wondered, and they have all been sold. So, sorry you have missed out. The tasting note says its blond Belgian ale, infused with nettles from the Scottish Highlands and Fresh juniper berries.

I wonder if there would be a market for personalised wine in weasel? Probably not

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Wine information on our Website

In case you hadn't noticed our business to business website has articles on the regions that we offer wine from.
We thought it a good idea to give you a bit of background on the broader aspects of the wine, not tasting notes but a quick guide the area.

Take a look at our wine 101 page. You'll find information about the famous Bordeaux region and the magnificence of Champagne. We also cover those Australian classics of Chardonnay and Shiraz.

More wine regions will be added over the next few months, so pop back now and again.

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New EU/Australia wine trade agreement comes into force 1st September

The new agreement governing the wine trade between Australia and the European Union comes into force on 1 September 2010, replacing the previous one signed in 1994.

It full protection to the EU's geographical indications and includes a clear Australian commitment to protect the EU traditional denominations.

The agreement provides for the immediate protection of some EU geographical indications for wines. For the use of other terms, phase-out periods have been agreed. In particular, Australian producers will not be able to continue the use of important geographical names, such as 'champagne', 'port', 'sherry', along with some traditional wine terms, such as, 'Amontillado', 'Claret' and 'Auslese' from 1 September 2011 onwards. In return there is EU recognition of an additional 16 Australian wine-making techniques and of the 16 Australian geographical zones

                                                   

The new agreement also lists optional particulars that may be used by Australian wines (i.e. an indication of vine varieties, an indication relating to an award, medal or competition, an indication relating to a specific colour, etc) and regulates the indication of vine varieties on wine labels. It outlines the conditions for Australian wine producers to continue to use a number of quality wine terms, such as 'vintage', 'cream' and 'tawny' to describe Australian wines exported to Europe and sold domestically.

In 2009, EU wine exports to Australia were worth about €68 million and Australian exports to the EU are 10 times as big at €643 million.

Our Personalised Australian Shiraz and Personalised Australian Chardonnay already meet the revised labelling rules.

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English winemakers on the up

Two English wines won gold medals in the International Wine Challenge this year, and there are now more acres of red wine vines in England than ever before in the modern age. International recognition has been accompanied by a surge in national demand – supermarkets are finding English wine much easier to sell, and Waitrose opened its own British vineyard in 2009.
English sparkling wines are particularly making a splash, and beating champagnes in blind tastings.

DAVID SANDISON

'Everyone thought we were crazy' to plant red grapes, says Christopher White, of Denbies wine estate in Wiltshire

Read more from the Independent

We have looked at adding English wines to our personalised wine range, we still find a price/perception barrier among our clientèle. English wine still seems to be a bit of a wine buff area at the moment.

E

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Russia to ban night-time spirits sales

The Russian authorities are banning off-license sales of spirits at night, in an effort to curb Russia’s drinking culture.

The law is being changed to prohibit retailers from selling any type of spirits between the hours of 10pm and 10am. This follows on from a previous, widely ignored law, that banned the sale of any drink over 15% abv between 11pm and 8am.

Vodka dominates the Russian spirits market at roughly 70% of sales. Russia already raised the minimum price on a bottle of vodka to 89 roubles (£1.87), and increased the excise duties on beer, and is considering cutting sales at street kiosks. Police have also begun enforcing a zero drink-drive limit and there are further plans to make selling alcohol to minors a criminal, rather than an administrative, offence.

It is thought that half a million people die of alcohol-related causes in Russia every year, with the average Russian consuming a litre and a half of pure alcohol every month. It is now the main cause of premature death in adult males.

President Medvedev has previously talked of his shock at what he called “colossal” levels of drinking and has set about combating over-consumption and its links to black market production and supply.

Of course this sort of ban can make the problem worse. It is thought that currently around 51% of the spirits available on the market are distilled illegally! And during Gorbachev's drink clamp down in the 80's, there was a big surge in potentially fatal moonshine made from alcohols found in aftershave, boot polish and even window cleaner. So the death rate might actually rise because of this!

You can order personalised wine around the clock from our website!

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Weird bottle design - A two headed bottle!

A Romanian design company have come up with their own corporate wine gift. A two headed bottle!

Ampro Design  give this to all their new clients. This bottle has two necks and two integrated cups.

This how they describe it:

"The "Design Business Bottle" was made to capture the essence of our business in connection with the client's business, and thats why we designed a bottle with 2 necks: one for us, and one for the client, after all don't we all drink from this business?

And the story is like this: we thought: "Let's make a gift for every contract we sign...let's make a good wine bottle", and we did: the bottle has 2 necks covered by 2 glasses: one written "Our Business" and the other: "Your Business" because, as a client, you put a little of your business in our business, and in the end you will enjoy the sweet wine inside."

Silly gimmick, you can only open one end, and who wants to drink out of a vase?

For a  more sensible option look at our corporate wine gifts

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Britain has the best Sci-Fi "Monsters"

By monsters what we're looking at is non- humans.

Obviously at number one is the greatest threat to the known universe ever, the Daleks.

The metal-clad genetic mutants from Skaro - first seen on Doctor Who back in 1963 - triumphed over more modern creatures from Star Wars, Star Trek, and other Hollywood blockbusters films.

Leading sci-fi and fantasy magazine SFX, (t he Earth's greatest sci-fi and fantasy magazine is how they describe themselves), commissioned a poll of 8,000 fans.

Britain hit the jackpot with these placings
1 Daleks from Dr Who
4 Death from Terry Pratchett's Discworld
5 Gollum form Tolkein's Lord of the Rings
9 Aslan from C S Lewis' Narnia
13 Cybermen from Dr Who
16 Pinhead from Clive Barker's Hellraiser
18 The Great Dragon from the Merlin TV series
19. Frankenstein's Monster from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Perhaps we ought to have a sci-fi label range for our personalised wines.

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Beer boosts your bones, cheers!

Beer boost for bones

In a revelation likely to make the health lobby choke on their All-Bran and wheat grass shakes, US scientists have discovered that drinking beer can actually be rather good for you!

According to the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, a study at the University of California, Davis (UCD), more usual known for their work on wine, has revealed that drinking certain beers is good for your bones. And may be helpful against diseases like osteoporosis. 

The key is silicon, not the bit in your computer but dietary silicon. Apparently beer is a major contributor to Western society's silicon intake!

Malted barley and hops are high in silicon and much is extracted during brewing. Pale malts are best as they are less heat affected than the production of darker malts. If you drink beer made with cheaper ingredients such as wheat, maize or even rice(!), then you miss out.
Low alcohol "lite" beer and alcohol free beer had the lowest silicon levels on the tests.

To get your recommended level of silicon intake, and for the good of your bones, drink a pint of traditional ale a day, especially if you're a woman.

For a bit more on the science visit sciencedaily.com

To know a bit about our industry, visit personalised wine

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Drink if you want to drive

Scottish Boffins have developed a new biofuel mad from the waste of the whisky process. The Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University claim the fuel can be used in ordinary cars without the need for engine adaptation.

The waste products used are pot ale, liquid left in the copper stills, and draff, the spent remains of the grains. These are used to produce the butanol base of the biofuel. For the connoisseurs amongst you, these were provided by Diageo's Glenkinchie Distillery in East Lothian.

Professor Martin Tangney, Director of the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University, is leading the ground-breaking research.

“The EU has declared that biofuels should account for 10% of total fuel sales by 2020. We’re committed to finding new, innovative renewable energy sources.

 “While some energy companies are growing crops specifically to generate biofuel, we are investigating excess materials such as whisky by-products to develop them.

"This is a more environmentally sustainable option and potentially offers new revenue on the back of one Scotland’s biggest industries. We’ve worked with some of the country’s leading whisky producers to develop the process.”

Professor Martin Tangney


The benefit to the whisky industry is that they can turn a waste cost into an additional revenue stream.

The University intends to take the new fuel to market via a spin out company and make it available at petrol pumps. Which should certainly boost their coffers.

Do you think we will see this on the next series of Dragons Den?

So one day it really could be a case of drink your whisky if you want to be able to drive your car.

It would be nice if our personalised malt whisky would one day help save the planet!

Here is the full press release

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South Africa want to water down their wine!

Yes they really do. According to decanter.com, the official proposal to do this, to legalise the adding of water to the grape must, has already been passed by the South Africa's Wine and Spirit Board and it is now being under review by the Government. The plan is for the new law to be in place before the Spring 2012 harvest (southern hemisphere = spring harvest).

Apparently their reasoning is that they want to produce more lower alcohol wines, as these are growing in popularity.

What they haven't taken into account is that EU wine law prohibits this, so none of the wine will be allowed into the EU. As this is a key market for South African wine exports, it seems that they are shooting themselves in the foot here.

What bothers me more than their economic suicide bid, is that surely the wines will suffer. You add water, you dilute the flavour. Is bland newly fashionable?

We do not offer any South African personalised wine at Euromarque. That is certainly unlikely to change now.

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This is just so wrong - Wine Flavoured Sweet Cigarillos

Yes indeed, a new product to upset both the anti-drink brigade and the anti smoking lobby. I doubt it will ever make it to Britain.

A strange new product in the US. A cigarillo is a long, thin cigarette-like cigar, about 4.5inches long, like this
 
But this one is wine flavoured! To me this is just a weird idea

To me this sounds like ruining two perfectly acceptable products. If you don't like cigarillos, don't hide the flavour, just smoke them. If you like wine, just drink it.

Of course if you are a hard drinker, why not go straight for the tequila flavour?

I think I'll just stick with drinking my personalised champagne.

Hat tip to Good Grape for noticing this.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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On-line wine selling is the fastest growing area of UK retail

Its not all down to Personalised Wine labels of course!

According to research by IMRG/ Capgemini, the UK beer/wine/spirits sector has increased by 23% in the year to April 2010. That puts the UK on-line wine market at a value of £200 million, which is pretty sizeable but not dominant. In comparison the traditional mail order wine sales are £700 million.

I always wonder how many of the wine websites are actually legal. To sell wine to the public in any quantity, the business must hold alcohol licenses, but not sure everyone does. And I'm certain the local authority enforcement is minimal at best. The best way to police this is for you the customers to only buy from sites that state their license details, like us of course. 

More on the on-line sales figures at the drinks business.

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Roman wine discovered on the sea bed

Four Roman trading ships with their complete cargoes have been found near the Pontine Islands off Italy’s western coast.

The wrecks were discovered by the archaeological section of the Italian culture ministry and Aurora Trust a US seabed exploration company.

At a depth of nearly 100 fathoms, the ships have lain undisturbed by modern trawlers. Nonetheless, the 18 metres long wooden structures have been completely eaten away by marine organisms leaving only the cargo intact.

It is thought that at one time they would have contained wine, olive oil, and a pungent fish paste the Romans enjoyed from Spain, North Africa and Italy. It is unlikely that the amphorae will still be sealed, and even if they were, the wine would be undrinkable by now

As the small fleet is the second to have been found in the area in recent years, the island group is believed to have been used as a staging post for trade fleets sailing to and from Roman ports.

As Italy has signed a new UNESCO agreement they are obliged to leave the wrecks as they are, although further dives are permitted for archaeological purposes.

Thanks to the Drinks Business for this.

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Alcohol linked to lower risk of arthritis

Another bit of good news for us drinkers, scientists have found that regularly drinking alcohol both reduces the chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis and eases the symptoms if you do get it. Rheumatoid arthritis it an auto-immune disease where the body attacks itself and drugs are normally targeted at controlling inflammation. It is a painful progressive condition that can affect people of all ages, not just the elderly.

A team from Sheffield University, under Dr James Maxwell, a consultant rheumatologist at the Rotherham Foundation NHS Trust and Sheffield University, found that drinking on more than 1 in 3 days reduced damage, pain, inflammation, and disability.

The findings are published in the journal Rheumatology. See the Telegraph for a bit more info.

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Police officers who confiscate booze from teenagers and pour it down the drain are breaking the law!

According to the government watchdog The Environment Agency, this is a serious crime.
The action is polluting Britain's waterways because alcohol is poisonous - and offenders face a £50,000 maximum fine or 12 months in prison!
Police have tipped thousands of litres of booze, from cider to spirits, down drains to teach under-age drinkers a lesson since the Confiscation of Alcohol Act came into effect in 1997.

Embarrassed police forces say they will now dispose of the drink legally. So if you see a copper staggering around under the weight of drinks bottles, he is merely taking it back to the station for proper disposal.

Thanks to The Drinks Business for the heads up.

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WRAP's wine bottle environmental scheme Glassrite saves 35,000 tonnes of carbon emissions

Wrap's four-year Glassrite project for wine bottles has led to savings of almost 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year through a mix of packaging developments and bulk importing.

Launched in 2006, the Glassrite project's aim was to examine potential environmental and commercial savings in the UK wine sector, and Wrap hopes to build on this, in both the UK and internationally, through increasing bulk importing of wine for bottling in the UK. Bulk importing stops the build up of surplus green glass in the UK market, which has few alternative applications.

Nicola Jenkin, Wrap's drinks market key account manager, said: "We know that huge opportunities exist to use more lighter weight bottles and increase the use of recycled content in UK manufactured glass bottles.

"This is what will achieve a more resource efficient international wine supply chain."

Jenkin highlighted the work done to produce a 300g screwcap bottle as well as the research to introduce light-weighting to the heavier sparkling wine bottles.

"Internationally, almost 175,000 tonnes of glass savings could be made through using lighter weight bottles that are still fit for purpose," she said.

GLASSRITE RESULTS

35,000 tonnes CO2 savings
27,048 tonne reduction in glass bottle weight
44,295 tonne increase in recycled glass usage due to bulk imports

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Indian wine coming to the UK later this year.

The Bangalore-based conglomerate United Breweries Group plans to export its Indian wine brands to the UK, starting with three of its labels later this year.

The world’s second largest spirits manufacturer plans to duplicate the successful roll-out of its Indian lager counterpart Kingfisher, by distributing its red and white wines through Indian restaurants before moving to supermarkets in the UK.

The company has already signed distribution agreements with two importers and distributors and hopes to see the wines hit the market by this autumn.

United Breweries Group is owned by industrialist Vijay Mallya, who also owns Formula 1 team Force India.

Source: The Financial Express

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Adnams, the famous Southwold brewer, is moving into making gin and vodka

Adnams, the Suffolk

beer producer, has announced plans to start distilling. The ale specialists have unveiled plans for their own micro-distillery that will intially produce its own gin and vodka. Future plans include adding a Suffolk whisky.

Starting as a small-scale operation, the £500,000 distillery project will produce around 40,000 bottles a year. The initial target is to hit the Christmas trade by having the gin and vodka will on the shelves from November.

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Lambrini drinkers to be pivotal in the election? Surely not! #GE10 #GE2010

Lambrini Ladies are the new key demographic for the election according to its UK distributor! They are apparently the successors to Mondeo Man and Worcester Women as the quintessential voter for the 2010 election.

Can the typical Lambrini drinker, an airhead young women with no palate, really be who decides who governs us for the next 5 years? Ye gods.

More on this at The Drinks Business http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11135&Itemid=66

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WoodWinters has been named the IWSC Independent Retailer of the Year 2010.

Congratulations to WoodWinters on their win. They have 2 branches in Scotland, focusing on wine and whisky.
Read about the results at The Drinks Business or visit WoodWinters.

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Moderate drinking helps prevent strokes

You can achieve nearly 40% reduction in strokes according to new research from Cambridge University, for both men and women, by drinking regularly but sensibly. But if you smoke all the benefit disappears.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8617510.stm

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Worlds oldest single malt whisky now on sale. 70 years old limited edition, and only £10,000 a bottle!!

Yes I did say £10,000 a bottle. But then it was produced back in 1938 and they only have the equivalent of 100 bottles of it.
possibly a bit pricey for father's day, unless you have a City bonus.
It comes in a super stylish crystal bottle with a rosewood box so it looks the part. And more importantly the tasting reports rate it highly.
More info at decanter.com

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Brewdog regain strongest beer title. At 41% and £40 a bottle, Sink the Bismarck is not your average session bitter.

After just 2 weeks BrewDog have knocked Schorschbräu off the top spot. They seem to dedicated to stopping their German rivals holding the record. Whether there is much of a market for this, apart from novelty, remains to be seen.
Technically it is a quadruple IPA that is stronger than most spirits and much more expensive. It comes in a 330ml bottle which may be small but should still leave you unsteady on your pins. In fact each bottle comes with a bottle stopper so you spread over a few sessions.
The lads at BrewDog, apart from being amiable nutters, are clearly fiercely proud of their achievement. When speaking of the running battle with Schorschbräu to produce the world’s strongest beer, BrewDog managing director James Watt said: “We will fight them in the mash tuns, we will fight them in the fermentation tanks, by golly we'll physically get into the freezers and fight them there if we have to.” have a look at the video http://www.brewdog.com/blog.php

Naturally the humourless are already complaining about the impact on Britain's image - don't they like winners? I'm sure the health Gestapo will make wild threats too.
But you need to always remember that human civilisation is based on beer. Its why hunter gatherers settled down and became farmers, so they could brew.
Available from Monday 22nd February from the BrewDog website .

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Scottish wine to be produced later this year - weather permitting

Currently the most northerly British wine producer is in Yorkshire, which must be tricky enough. But according to The Drinks Business.com, an optimistic  Scottish chef is preparing to launch the first commercially-produced Scottish wine, provided there is enough sunshine.

Pete Gottgens is planning to harvest grapes at his Perthshire hotel later this year, and wants to use them to produce a crisp Riesling.

He plans to sell the wine in his hotel restaurant and run classes in wine-producing, although he will turn his crop into vinegar if it is not good enough.

A very brave chap.

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Chateau Tooting, a wine made from grapes grown in London. is launched tonight.

The grapes are sourced from private growers allotments and gardens in London in a collaboration run by The Urban Wine Company. The aim is to produce easy drinking wine, rather than compete for awards.

More info at the Drinks Business

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Champagne sales are showing signs of recovery - maybe the recession really is over

Although the full sales figures for the Christmas period are not available yet, it looks like the Xmas season got off to a good start. The November international sales figures were up for the first time in the year.
Off course its been a tough year, the Jan to Nov figures show overall UK sales down by a whopping 30%, whist in Japan sales were down 40%.
Our promotional champagne sales weren't down that much, but it was certainly noticeable. Our Personalised champagne sales for gifts were pretty stable though.
December for us showed a definite increase in champagne demand.

For the full story on international champagne sales visit http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10776&Itemid=66

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English fizz wins international contest against major producers including Bollinger.

Great showing by English sparkling wine producers against top class fizz from the rest of the world, including champagne. Nyetimber has a track record of international triumphs, and was joined in the top 10 by Camel Valley. Although England is still a very small producer, the quality is now in the big league.

For more info visit http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10781&Itemid=66

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Personalised Wine Labels for Valentine's Day

Give your Valentine a bottle of wine with your own personal message on the label. Tastier than a bunch of flowers! http://amplify.com/u/1j2u

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Alcohol helps keep the roads ice free in the US

A canny local distributor is marketing leftovers from the distillation process as “Magic Salt”, passing on this by-product, which works down to -35°F (-37°C), to hospitals and New Haven city council to keep roads free from ice. Thanks to The Drinks Business newsletter for that.

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