In its October report, French nonprofit consumer advocacy organization UFC-Que Choisir tested 92 bottles of wine and found evidence of pesticides in every bottle, including those made from organically grown grapes. While the group determined the toxicity levels to be “well below” the European Union’s residue limits, it also found both an insecticide and fungicide not allowed by the EU. The largest pesticide count—with 14 chemicals detected—was attributed to a bottle of 2010 Bordeaux, but the producer wasn’t disclosed.
Premium saké brewery Asahi Shuzo recently released its newest saké offering, Dassai Beyond, in the United States. Currently the highest milled sake on the market, the Dassai Beyond is milled even finer than Asahi Shuzo’s highest quality commercial offering, Dassai 23, a junmai daiginjo-style saké made with rice milled to 23% of its original size. Beyond takes the process a step further, though Executive Vice President and fourth generation saké producer Kazuhiro Sakurai is keeping the Beyond’s polish level secret. Currently, only 30 bottles of Beyond are available in the United States from importer New York Mutual Trading, Inc.
Colorado-based Upslope Brewing is launching in Texas this month, marking the company’s first distribution expansion beyond its home state. The brewery’s production is up 70 percent over last year’s, to 9,500 barrels a year. Its Pale Ale, India Pale Ale and Craft Lager will be available throughout bars and restaurants in the Austin, Dallas and Houston areas, as well as select retailers.
Beginning in October, a new smartphone breathalyzer, the Breathometer, will be available for sale online. The device, which is registered with the FDA, transforms a smartphone into a portable breathalyzer. Key chain-sized, it plugs into a phone’s audio jack and works with a mobile app to measure the user’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC). If the user is unfit to drive, the device also allows users to call local cab services from within the app itself. The Breathometer retails for $50 and operates on iOS and Android systems.
The Philadelphia Eagles are commemorating their 80th anniversary this season with the launch of a limited edition wine. Dubbed “Rollout,” the wine is a 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon produced by winemaker Sam Spencer of Cameron Hughes and sourced from Napa Valley and Dry Creek fruit. The $30 wine will be on sale in Philadelphia and South Jersey retail stores and online, as well as on the club level and in suites at Lincoln Financial Field.