February 2023

Sandrine Chamfrault appointed Director of the Wine Syndicate of Graves Wines

Sandrine Chamfrault has recently been appointed Director of the Wine Syndicate of Graves Wines. Originally from Bordeaux, Sandrine and began her career in communication agencies, before joining the French Rugby Federation as part of the World Cup in 2007. In 2008, she became a consultant partner in an audit firm, then joined Château Marquis de Terme in 2013 with the mission of developing the tourism, communication and marketing division.

As Director of the Syndicat Viticole des Graves, Sandrine Chamfrault aims to support the marketing of Graves wines and to increase its visibility in France and internationally, as well as its brand’s digital presence.

“I want to premiumize the perception of Graves, which are quality wines, well rated, and which offer a wide variety of choices. I will continue the substantive work-initiated years ago to create a strong identity for the wines of Graves. The Syndicate has a role of network animation, it is an entity which must become essential, which federates the local ecosystem, must be a driving force and an example for the members. I have always had this desire to carry out a collective project, which is why I am delighted to join the Syndicat Viticole des Graves” explains Sandrine Chamfrault.

“The Syndicate has a role of network animation, it is an entity which must become essential, which federates the local ecosystem, must be a driving force and an example for the members. I have always had this desire to carry out a collective project, which is why I am delighted to join the Syndicat Viticole des Graves ” Sandrine adds.

Winelikes and Balzac Communications partner to launch social networking app

The new social networking app “Winelikes” will be released as a beta version in a few weeks, connecting wine drinkers, wineries, bars and restaurants. The new app is designed to grow consumers’ wine knowledge, wine palates and help them share experiences along the way.

The app will allow you to generate a taste profile that will guide you towards the types of wines that you will most likely enjoy. As well, you can scroll through the interface and interact with the “Winelikes Community” which connects other users and locations, sharing photos and reviews.

Wineries, wine bars and restaurants will have a direct pathway to connect with customers. They will be able to target audiences within the app by easily creating advertisements and sending direct messages while also posting regularly.

Before starting Winelikes, Owner and CEO Jeff Gillis worked as a food and beverage director at numerous five-star properties. He believes the app will bring new people to wine and give current enophiles a way to chat with like-minded individuals.

“Learning about wine and finding out what you like is so difficult alone,” he said. “Our app will provide a fun way for people to discover wines that might appeal to them. They can learn more about wine through fun quizzes and conversations with others. Our simple yet modern interface makes it easy for Winelikes to serve individuals from every generation.”

Gillis also notes that Winelikes won’t use algorithms to suggest content, which differentiates it from many existing social media apps. “When you connect with others, you see their posts and not content a computer (or AI or algorithm) thinks you’re interested in,” he noted.

Gillis selected Balzac Communications and Marketing to help recruit influencers and build buzz for the app because of the firm’s expertise in both technology and wine. “Winelikes is a wine app, so it’s important to work with someone who is knowledgeable and has access to wine regions,” he said. “But we’re also a social media company that relies on technology. Balzac has the perfect balance of wine expertise and technology experience to make this company successful. Their location in the heart of wine country and connection to influential people in the industry will help us expand our reach and do it more quickly.”

“There are dozens of wine apps in the various marketplaces,” said Mike Wangbickler, president of Balzac Communications and Marketing. “Some are quite good, but none are truly social networking apps with a focus on wine. Winelikes is. Wine is a social beverage. We use it to toast to those we care about and share time with friends. The existing, big social networks are OK at connecting wine lovers and enthusiasts, but there is a ton of noise and wine is not their primary focus. With Winelikes, users can geek out as much as they want, or simply find friends with similar interests. In addition, companies selling wines have a receptive and available audience to tell their unique stories and grow their brand engagement.”

Buckingham Palace launches Coronation “Royal Windsor Pink Gin”

Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, has launched a pink gin, infused with raspberries grown around Windsor Castle, with a mix of sweet and fragrant botanicals.

The “Royal Windsor Pink Gin” is spiced with piquant pink peppercorns and warming cassia bark, along with orange peel and rose petals that add a subtle sweetness. The hand-picked raspberries from across the Royal Estate in Windsor were infused into the spirit, lending the gin a fruity finish and vibrant pink hue.

The royal gin pairs beautifully with ginger beer for a fiery twist on the classic Gin and Tonic. Garnished with fresh raspberries and orange peel, this rosy tipple will make the perfect accompaniment to Coronation celebrations in May!

All profits from sales go towards The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity, and help fund the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and access to the Collection through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programs.

Royal Windsor Pink Gin can be purchased online from Friday, 17 February from http://www.rct.uk/shop at £38.00 and is available from Royal Collection Trust shops.

“A tipple fit for the King’s Coronation!”

Source: Royal Collection Trust

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Clarendelle and Domaine Clarence Dillon Announce Partnership with the 2023 Oscars

The Chairman & CEO, Prince Robert of Luxembourg, is thrilled to announce a partnership with the Oscars®. From the March 12th awards ceremony at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood to the Governors Ball and extending to all other Oscar®-related events, Clarendelle, Quintus and Haut-Brion will be the exclusive red and white wines poured. They are also named the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ official wine partners in 2023.

The Clarendelle “inspired by Haut-Brion” family of wines finds its roots in the 1935 acquisition of Château Haut-Brion by American financier, Mr. Clarence Dillon. Today, under the leadership of his great-grandson, Prince Robert, the mother company of Clarendelle has grown to include famed Paris restaurant Le Clarence (proclaimed one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World), a fine wine merchant (Negociant) and a number of exceptional wine retail shops, launched in 2015 under the banner of “La Cave du Château”. While principally renowned for its excellence in the worlds of oenology and gastronomy, over generations the family company has also become a stalwart supporter of the arts.

Like the Academy Awards®, also steeped in a nearly century-long tradition, Clarendelle offers a resolutely contemporary expression of our times and the celebrated French “Art de Vivre”. This everyday luxury benefits from the expertise of the Haut-Brion winemakers, who oversee the blending process, vintage after vintage, as they do for the notorious La Mission Haut-Brion and Quintus estates. The bottles are then cellared before being released to the market when they are judged to have reached their apogee and can offer the finest expression of their Bordeaux terroirs to wine lovers around the globe.

Also featured at the Oscars will be Le Dragon de Quintus, a veritable rising star of the Bordeaux Right Bank, hailing from the relatively newly minted Saint Emilion estate. Backstage, a few lucky nominees and winners will also be able to relish one of the rarest white wines produced in Bordeaux, which is born from the Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Château Haut-Brion properties: La Clarté de Haut-Brion.

“Star Wine List” celebrates top wine lists in New York

“Star Wine List of the Year” is a celebration of the great wine lists in the world and the teams behind them. There are eight categories for the top wine lists in New York, and the category winners will qualify for the International Final in June 2023. The jury for the very first “Star Wine List of the Year New York” includes four highly respected sommeliers and wine professionals: Veronique Rivest, Best sommelier of Canada and the Americas, Doug Frost MS MW, Rajat Parr and Christy Canterbury MW.

“We are truly excited to come to Vinexpo America and reward the great wine lists of New York for the first time, and we are thrilled to see so many high-caliber entries!” says Krister Bengtsson, Star Wine List’s founder and publisher.

Star Wine List is the guide to great wine bars and wine restaurants, with recommendations made by top sommeliers and wine professionals. Since its start in Sweden in 2017, Star Wine List has grown to cover 36 countries on all continents. On starwinelist.com and the app, wine lovers can find over 2500 recommended wine bars, wine restaurants and wine lists.

The winners will be announced at Vinexpo America on 8 March at 3:30 PM.

For further details: www.starwinelist.com.

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