“Everything’s better with some wine in the belly,” says Tyrion Lannister. And now that bottle can be a Game of Thrones one. The Daily News reports that this spring, the HBO show will have its own branded wines, a Chardonnay for $20 and a red blend for $40. The wines will be produced by California’s Vintage Wine Estates. The question now is, which will come first, the Game of Thrones wines or the new episodes?
Red Wine Bath in Tuscany
Retired NBA All-Star Amare Stoudemire was a proponent of a restorative dip in red wine, and the trend continues at Castello di Casole in Tuscany. Part of the “DiVino Ritual” package includes a “a red wine bath complete with a hydro-massage enriched with red wine extracts.” Conde Nast Traveller has more about luxuriating in the full red wine spa treatment, all inside a Tuscan castle.
UNESCO Honors Belgian Beer
It’s official: the beers of Belgium are a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Former head of the Belgian Brewers association and now culture minister for the northern region of Flanders, Sven Gatz, tells The Guardian, “We love our beer and appreciate the endless diversity within it, something that can’t be equalled anywhere else in the world.”
Enjoy this short video and celebrate along.
Von Miller Treats the Entire AFC West to a Bottle of Wine
In a show of sportsmanship, Denver Broncos All-Pro and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller gave every player in his division a bottle of 2014 The Setting, a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley. The wine was made by Jesse Katz, a Colorado native. “I thought about all types of stuff, from cars, trips to Vegas, vacations. The wine sounded about right,” Miller jokingly told the Denver Post.
Get Wine-Certified on the Ocean
Sure you could sit in a land-locked classroom and learn about wine, but what if you could get wine certification while aboard the Queen Mary? The Wine and Spirits Education Trust, in partnership with Cunard Luxury Cruises, is giving you the chance. Per The Drinks Business, on transatlantic and round-the-world cruises you can enroll in a class to achieve a Level 1 Award (Wines, Spirits and Sake) or Level 2 Award (Wines and Spirits). Do you detect whiffs of ocean breezes in this white wine? And if you’re looking for more wine cruises, these trips will float your boat.
The New CEO of Mumm is…Usain Bolt?
Hot on the heels of tennis superstar Roger Federer’s appointment to brand ambassador of Moet & Chandon, the latest from the world of spots and wine pairings is nine-time Olympic gold medal winner Usain Bolt being named the new CEO—chief entertainment officer, that is—of Champagne house Maison Mumm. Bolt even shows off sabering skills, opening a Champagne bottles with his gold medal. (Don’t worry, remember he has eight more.)
In The Trade
Women in Wine Survey Results
Conducted by Meininger’s Wine Business International and The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society on behalf of the non-profit advisory board of the Australian Women In Wine Awards, a survey into the industry turned up issues of unequal pay and sexist behavior. Jenni Port, in Meininger’s, details answers provided by almost 600 women working in the wine business: “Many complained of an ‘old boys’ club’ culture that spurned female involvement, and of questions over their ability to perform what was often viewed as ‘men’s work’, often involving use of machinery, along with unwanted comments, some lewd, about their appearance.”
Remy Buys Westland
Consolidation continues in the world of craft beverages, this time in spirits. Reuters report that Remy Cointreau has purchased Seattle whiskey producer Westland Distillery (whose co-founder and master distiller, Matt Hofmann, was also one of Wine Enthusiast‘s 40 Under 40 of 2016).
Out and About
Contributing Editor Jim Gordon visited one of the world’s most famous wine shops, Berry Bros. & Rudd, while in London.
Look who came to see us! @gordone_cellars pic.twitter.com/hrzjmpeYV2
— Will Lyons (@Will_Lyons) December 2, 2016
Giving a schist about wine in Chile is Contributing Editor Michael Schachner
More soil, this time in California from Contributing Editor Matt Kettmann.
Published: December 5, 2016