August 2011

The Safest Airlines in the World Revealed

A report released yesterday by Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA) found that the safest carriers in the world were mainly those based in Europe and the US.

While European and US airlines rarely feature in the top 10 rankings for best customer service, airlines from these regions have dominated a new list of the world’s safest carriers.
Air France-KLM, British Airways and Lufthansa are the safest airlines in Europe.

The safest US-based airlines are AMR Corporation, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways, while the safest from Asia is Japan Airlines.

To obtain this classification, the first of its kind, ATRA examined publicly available information on 15 criteria, such as the average age of the aircraft used or the homogeneity of the fleet.

Each year, the European Union releases list of banned airlines, often considered to be the world’s most dangerous. The latest list, published in April, can be seen at http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm. It includes 37 Kazakh carriers and 43 Indonesian airlines.

World’s 10 safest airlines

Air France-KLM
AMR Corporation (American Airlines, American Eagles)
British Airways
Continental Airlines
Delta Airlines
Japan Airlines
Lufthansa
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways

SEPTEMBER 1ST DEADLINE: AUSTRALIA CORKS ITS USE OF “CHAMPAGNE”

On September 1 Australia joins the global movement to support robust truth-in-labelling laws that protect consumers by requiring that wine growing place names are reserved exclusively for the regions where the wines come from.

Any bubbly produced in Australia after September 1 can no longer be labeled as “Champagne”, and will have to be called ‘sparkling wine’ or other term.

There has been a trade agreement signed between Australia and European Union which is meant to protect winegrowers around the world, and to enforce labelling laws, an initiative of the Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne, or CIVC in France.

Russia and Vietnam continue to mislabel their bottles, says a CIVC spokeperson, and more than 50 percent of sparkling wine in the US is mislabeled as champagne.

Canada has robust labeling laws and consumers have been educated and are aware they are purchasing a bottle from the Champagne region of France.

To mark this industry milestone, CIVC has created this website to count down the days and minutes until the new Australian law comes into force http://countdown.champagne.us/

CHAMPAGNE HARVEST STARTING DATES – BY VILLAGE AND GRAPE VARIETY

The Champagne Bureau (Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) ) based in Epernay has released the dates for the 2011 Champagne harvest.

Starting dates differ from village to village and also by the grape varietal. For instance, the villages which produce the Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir varieties commence earlier than the Chardonnay variety. This is due to Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir variants maturing in terms of sugar levels more quickly than the Chardonnay variant, with rare exception.

The balance of sugar and acid is key in the harvesting of grapes.

Click here for the complete list of 2011 Champagne harvest starting dates by village and grape variety: 2011 Champagne Harvest Dates

Liz Palmer – Wine and Travel Writer
Member of the Circle of Wine Writers (UK)
Distinguished Member of The Wine Century Club
http://about.me/lizpalmer
http://lizpalmer.wordpress.com
www.boutiquechampagnehouses.com
http://twitter.com/champagnehouses

IT’S HARVEST TIME IN CHAMPAGNE !

The 2011 Champagne harvest has begun and with a combination of early flowering, low rain levels in the spring and plenty of summer sun make it one of the earliest picking seasons since 1822, the Champagne Bureau said Friday.

Three grape varieties, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, are being harvested across the French region and weather forecasts are favorable for the next few days.

“As we celebrate another successful harvest from this unique region, we are reminded of the importance that location plays in every bottle of wine and renew our call on the United States to join the majority of the rest of the world in reserving the term Champagne only for wines made with grapes from this specific place,” said Sam Heitner, U.S. director of the Champagne Bureau.

“This year, the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), the region’s trade body, has raised the amount of grapes that can be harvested in a given area to 12,500 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha),” says Heitner. “They believe that this will keep Champagne on track to meet the growing demand. This is good news for Champagne enthusiasts everywhere, as more people will be able to enjoy real Champagne, which can only come from Champagne, France.”

Liz Palmer

Wine and Travel Writer
http://about.me/lizpalmer
http://lizpalmer.wordpress.com
www.boutiquechampagnehouses.com
http://twitter.com/champagnehouses

Moet & Chandon and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Team up for US Open

Moet & Chandon and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) have recently announced that Moet & Chandon will be the official Champagne of the US Open. Together with the USTA, Moet & Chandon will offer a number of luxurious and charitable elements to tournament guests as well as to those cheering on the tournament stars from their homes.

“Moet & Chandon’s debut partnership with the US Open is truly the perfect match, as both brands share a passion for success and celebration,” commented Daniel Lalonde, President and CEO of Moet & Chandon. “Through the magic of Champagne, we look forward to creating unique and unforgettable experiences together with the USTA by toasting all the players and fans throughout the exciting competition.”

Moët offerings include: Moët & Chandon Rose Imperial, Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage and the most recent Moët Ice Imperial, the first champagne created to be enjoyed over ice. Guests can enjoy most of the vintages in the bars and restaurants throughout the US Open. Moët Ice Imperial can be found only at the Champagne Bar near food village and adjacent to Mojito Restaurant.