This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Slideshow
The week in pictures
Famous fine wine authenticator Maureen Downey came to 67 Pall Mall in London this week to give a masterclass on how to spot fakes. Here she is surrounded by some of the world’s most valuable wines, which are, in fact, worthless.
As she told attendees, if the counterfeiter hasn’t made any mistakes – such as misspelling a name, bottling in the wrong format for the year, applying the wrong classification etc – then it’s usually the quality of the printing on the label that proves the wine’s not what it says it is (they didn’t have dot matrix printers in 1945…).
Drinks trade charity The Benevolent launched its ‘Thanks for Giving’ silent action online auction yesterday, raising £31,000 in its first 24 hours. Running for one week until 10.45pm on 1 December, the charity event is offering punters the chance to bid on dozens of lots including wine and rare spirits, cultural and corporate experiences and “wacky promises”.
Among the more interesting lots on offer is the opportunity to commission artist Edgar Lizarazu Shiosaky to take a favourite photo and turn it into an original painting where, instead of using oils or watercolour paints, red wine is used (above). Other lots include a bottle of the extremely rare Limited Edition Martell Silver Jubilee Cognac, donated by the late Michael Cox, and a half-day team workshop for up to 20 delegates aimed at improving their team’s communication skills.
The most coveted items were a case of Graham’s 1963 Vintage Port, a three day trip to the Czech Republic for two people to visit the Budweiser Budvar brewery, and this bottle of Joseph Drohuin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche 2011 Grand Cru White Burgundy, which was donated by Hugh Johnson from his personal cellar.
There are still plenty of lots to bid on, with the auction running until 1 December. To browse the lots and make a bid, visit 32auctions.com/thanksforgiving.
Money raised will go toward The Benevolent, which supports members of the UK drinks trade facing financial, emotional or physical hardship.
Havana Club celebrated the launch of Havana Cultura: Anthology – the result of eight years of musical exploration in Cuba – at Bedroom Bar with an evening packed full of Havana Club cocktails and Cuban culture, including discussions on Cuban contemporary music and performances from Cuban singers, Arema Arega and Daymé Arocena as well as a DJ set from Gilles Peterson.
Havana Cultura: Anthology is a triple vinyl set of 23 emblematic tracks curated by Gilles Peterson with the backing of the Havana Cultura project.
On Saturday afternoon, poetry and gin fans descended on the visitor centre at Beefeater Distillery, Kennington, for the first event in the ‘London Tonic Series’ of cultural and creative events. Guests enjoyed tailor-made literary cocktails whilst listening to London’s trendiest spoken word artists, Joshua Idehen, recite his own verse in his unmistakeable, signature style.
Last week Matteo Lunelli, president on the 2016 International Wine and Spirits Competition, presented TerraNoble with its its trophy for IWSC Chilean Wine Producer of the year at this year’s IWSC annual awards banquet at London’s Guildhall.
db attended Rosewood Hotel’s Christmas bash in London on Thursday, enticed by the promise of a surprise performance by a “multi platinum” artist. After sipping our way through several glasses of Ruinart Champagne and several plates of smoked salmon, Ellie Goulding was announced to the stage, performing an atmospheric set in the Edwardian hotel’s courtyard…..
….which finished with a stunning fireworks display.
This week db headed to Amsterdam for the 8th annual World Bulk Wine Exhibition. Making the most of the setting, we headed to Moeders (meaning ‘mothers’ in Dutch), an adorably kitsch restaurant where customers are encouraged to bring in a framed photo of their mum to add to the ever-growing wall of fame.
Our first pitstop at the fair was to see David Arthur of ConeTech who wowed us with the science surrounding spinning cone technology and how it is revolutionising the low and no alcohol wine industry. He also spies a big opportunity to use to to speed up the ageing process of Bourbon.
South African producer Overhex got creative with its labels for the Bulk Wine Show, offering a Pantone spread of hues from pink to brick red.
Gerhard van der Wath and Chantelle Potgeiter of Overhex told us that their Survivor brand is going great guns in the UK.
Paolo Lasagni of Bosco Viticultori treated us to a tasting of his divine Amarone and spoke of how the Prosecco he makes for M&S housed in a gold bottle has sold out due to popular demand.
Some of the more daring labels on display at the show…
Bulk wine enthusiast, db’s own Andrew Oliver, couldn’t resist getting up close and personal with this Infinity flexitank
Our final port of call was Matetic, where we shared a glass with two reps from the Chilean producer – Juan José San Martin and Arturo Larraín.