Week in pictures

Movember! Snow! Snakes! Horses! It’s all going on in this week’s round-up of seven days in the drinks industry.

 

 

 

 

 

  Hennessy serves up Cognac-based warmers at Newbury racecourse 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diamond Harry may have skipped home in the big race of the day, the Hennessy Gold Cup, but Sarah’s Gift put in a promising performance in the Amateur Riders Handicap Steeplechase

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The team at Thierry’s show off their Movember ‘taches. The charity drive, which takes place around the globe, raises funds and awareness of men’s health issues. L-r  Rob Griffiths, Matthew Dickinson, Scott Trutwein, Jim Robinson and Christian Gilbert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The team recreate Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody cover shot to help drive home their message. Queen frontman Freddy Mercury died of AIDS in 1991. Clockwise from the top, Matthew Dickinson, Christian Gilbert, Rob Griffiths, Scott Trutwein and Jim Robinson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not to be outdone, the blokes at Bibendum also spent the month shying away from top-lip trimming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As did drinks PR guru Marcin Miller, who we reckon looks like a cross between Dennis Hopper and Stalin. A bit harsh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L-r: André Morgenthal of Wines of South Africa; Marilyn Martin, former director of the SA National Gallery and a judge in the art and culture category of the competition; and Jean-Pierre Rossouw, one of the judges, at the Wine Tourism Awards lunch in Steenberg where Steenberg Vineyards was handed its awards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tamsin Snyman of Lannice Snyman Publishers; Clarence Johnson, deputy mayor of the Cape Winelands; and Neil Grant of Rust en Vrede enjoy a giggle and a tipple at the lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somewhere down there is Kelis, performing on the first night of three Russian Standard Originals gig nights at the HMV London Forum last Monday. The other nights saw the brand put on performances by The Hoosiers and Paloma Faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

db wasn’t too fussed about being so far from the stage, so long as we had access to a complimentary bar serving Russian Standard with mixers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Tasting Sessions unleashed snakes and naked ladies during the return of "A Fluid State", a four day festival combining food, drink, art and music which took place in London over the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 8,000 square foot space was transformed into five main experience areas, including this Mad Men-inspired jazz bar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The underground tasting and retail space is unveiled at the newly opened Finborough Wine Café near Earls Court, London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coronation Street’s most brazen barmaid Becky McDonald, played by Katherine Kelly, swapped pulling pints for distilling gin as she officially launched the G&J Greenall third production line in Warrington last week.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plateau restaurant’s head chef Tim Tolley grates Umbrian white truffle over pasta at Marlborough-Sancerre comparative tasting and food-matching dinner courtesy of Loire Valley and Kiwi producer Henri Bourgeois. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New French fine dining outpost in Soho Gauthier plays host to magnificent Hine tasting of vintage Cognacs back to 1961. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monsieur Bernard Hine himself leads the tasting before the food – and wine – arrives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly the smoking ban precluded us from testing whether this really is the perfect tipple for a serious cigar, but as Hunters & Frankau helped to blend it, one can be sure it’s not going to clash with anything puffable and Cuban. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Masters of Wine tasting last week in the midst of the snow-caused travel chaos pitched Krug 1990 against Krug Clos de Mesnil 1990.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tasting saw the same exercise with Krug ’95 and ’96…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…as welll as Krug ’98

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krug has also started labeling its Grand Cuvée blends depending on the year they were released – although this is only being done for the company’s private stocks. This one has been called Finesse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is Krug Memoires

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While this is Krug Savoir-faire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Rann, premier of South Australia addresses representatives from the UK wine trade during a lunch held at Australia House last Thursday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simon Burnell of Barwell & Jones, a member of the Coe Group of companies, poses in a vineyard after Barwell & Jones added family-owned Willow Bridge Estate to its international portfolio of wines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who needs an ice bucket?…traders in East Grinstead enjoy a ready-chilled glass of Pink Elephant in the snow.

db, 06.12.2010