The 2012 And 2013 Vintages Are Probably The 'Two Best Vintages In The History Of Napa Valley'

2012 And 2013 ‘Best In Napa's History’ -- The Drinks Business 

The 2012 and 2013 vintages were “the best two vintages in the history of the Napa Valley”, according to Garen Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard.

Speaking to the drinks business during a lunch in London last week to celebrate the estate’s new partnership with Pol Roger in the UK, Staglin said: “The elements were perfectly aligned in 2012 and 2013 in the Napa Valley.

“I’d have to go very far back in order to compare them to another vintage. I’d call them ’98-100 point’ vintages in terms of quality and quantity.

“It was like the 2009 vintage in Burgundy – the wines had such great expression, if you bought anything from anyone in those years then you’d be happy.”

While the Rutherford-based estate sells 70% of its wines directly to consumers via its mailing list, Staglin has recently partnered with Pol Roger to distribute its range in the UK.

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My Comment: I am looking forward to drinking these vintages.

A Guide To Tennessee Whiskey

Amanda Macias/Business Insider 

  An Expert's Guide To Tennessee Whiskey -- Richard Carleton Hacker, Business Insider/Robb Report 

Too often when a bartender is asked which bourbons his or her bar carries, the list invariably includes Jack Daniel’s sour-mash Tennessee whiskey.

But as most residents of the Volunteer State know, Tennessee whiskey is an entirely different libation from bourbon, even though they share many traits.

Bourbon must be made in the United States, but contrary to popular belief, it can be made anywhere in the country.

It is by a unique combination of history and geography that 95 percent of all bourbon is now made in Kentucky—the Civil War, the realignment of state boundaries, and the proximity of waterways are among the reasons.

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My Comment: A rather brief summary of Tennessee Whiskey .... but still worth the read.

The Art of Blending (Cognac)

From YouTube: Cognac has long held a reputation for being a drink consumed by old men sitting by the fireplace, perhaps with a cigar in hand. Working with the BNIC, Flow Films looked at this historic drink through a modern lens -- injecting renewed spirit into the iconic beverage. The film follows mixologists Marcos Tello and Kyle Branche who blend Cognac into cocktails, Michelin-starred chef David Féau who pairs Cognac with food, and passionate Cognac producers who are utilizing new techniques to produce the best possible product.

By giving attention to some of the smallest (Cognac Paul Giraud) and largest (Martell, Hennessy, Remy Martin) craftsmen in the region, Flow Films was able to capture an accurate portrait of Cognac production. Equally entertaining and educational, the film also takes the viewer through the entire Cognac-making process - from the vineyard, to distillation, barrel-making, aging, and, finally, to blending. Unfortunately, tasting is something you'll have to do on your own...

A Look At The Wine From Crimea

Crimean Winery Hopes to Benefit From Russian Annexation -- Voice of America 

WASHINGTON — Many Crimeans voted to join the Russian Federation in the hope of improving their well-being.

Ukraine's crumbling economy has hurt businesses throughout the country, while Russia has accumulated considerable wealth through its energy sales.

One Crimean winery's management hopes it will benefit from the region's annexation by Russia.

The Crimean peninsula may be best known for its Black Sea coast with beautiful beaches and naval ports, but the region's main industry is food production, including a centuries-old tradition of wine making.

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My Comment: Russian/Crimean wine is unique .... but if given the support it should succeed.

America's Beer Map

Researchers analysed a million tweets to see what people preferred to drink, and found huge differences between the coasts

The East Coast Prefers Bud, While The West Goes For Coors: Beer Maps Of America Reveals Top Tipples (And Finds If You Live Near The Coast, You're Probably Drinking Wine) -- Daily Mail

* Researchers analysed a million tweets to find what beers people were drinking
* Found those living near the coast tend to prefer beer over wine
* Washington, Colorado and California prefer wine, while Midwest, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas prefer beer

The East Coast prefers Bud Light, and those near the coast are more likely to prefer wine over beer, a new study of America's drinking habits has revealed.

Researchers analysed a million tweets to find out which each region prefers.

They found tweet preferences for Bud Light were found mainly in the Eastern half of the US, while preferences for Coors Light originate in the Western half, particularly near Colorado and surrounding states.

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My Comment: I prefer Guinness and Stella Artois.

A Look At Brazilian Wine (Video)

The Top 10 Powerful Wine Brands

Top 10 Most Powerful Wine Brands -- The Drinks Business 

Every year nearly 10,000 drinks brands are analysed by Intangible Business in partnership with the drinks business to produce the Power Brands 100 – comprehensive overview of the most powerful wine and spirits brands in the world.

Every year the drinks business work with Intangible Business to produce the Power 100 – a list of the top 100 most powerful spirits and wine brands in the world.

Each brand is given a score by which its power, and the brand’s ability to generate value for its owner, is calculated by factors including its share of the market, growth, brand awareness, relevance and heritage.

A panel of leading experts then rank each brand out of 10 on each factor to calculate an average score for each brand.

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My Comment: These are the best brands???? Mondavi ... I can drink. The rest ... hmmm ... no.