Milano Wine Week Goes Digital – October 3 – 11 2020

Milano Wine Week will represent the first international wine event since the global Covid-19 shutdown. This year the organizers have set up a series of food and wine pairing demonstrations with top Italian chefs, for both trade and consumers that focuses on wine providing the inspiration for the dish – this online event will take place at a test kitchen near the Piazza del Duomo.

Milan Wine Week 2020 will be focusing on experiential events that connect with wine consumers, rather than a wine fair with booths. The organizers are also setting up small wine worlds within the popular neighborhoods in Milan; one neighborhood will focus on Franciacorta wines while another will focus on Prosecco wines, i.e., each neighborhood will have wine bars and restaurants focusing on that specific wine area. Each neighborhood will become a particular wine consorzio (association).

For trade and media, there will be a series of masterclasses and wine tastings as well as seminars that will not only focus on advice, guidance and networking opportunities but it will speak about exploring opportunities in a post-Covid world while all events will honor rules and government guidelines for avoiding the spread of the virus.

Milan Wine Week an international event and for 2020 they have upped their digital game by having events taking place in ten key cities: New York, San Francisco, Miami, Toronto, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Moscow, Munich and London that will be linked live to events taking place in Milan such as a winemaker leading a tasting and connecting live to other international cities via the internet.

Last year, Milan Wine Week attracted over 300,000 attendees across 300 event spaces in the northern Italian city.

“When our reality changes we need to change accordingly. Milano Wine Week has risen to the challenge by turning a gap into an opportunity,” Federico Gordini, Fonder of Milano Wine Week states

“During the lockdown, we decided to reimagine and adjust our business model in order to create something that was revolutionary and suitable for these times, trying to achieve an even bigger endeavor at an international level, while complying with strict regulations,” he added.

The week-long event will also gather opinion leaders, international professionals and consumers, and will include seminars, masterclasses, tastings and forums exploring everything from millennial drinking habits to wine retail trends.

“We will act as a broadcaster streaming a series of programs that can be accessed in real-time around the world. For the first time in our history we have decided to create a common thread connecting all the events in our schedule,” Gordini said.

Pre-registration : https://www.milanowineweek.com/digital-wine-fair-pre-registration/

Women in Wine Talks — Fall Schedule

Les Dames d’Escoffier Ontario (Canada) is proud to host  “Women in Wine Talks™” as an online platform to raise awareness of women in the wine industry to impact positive change. We shine the spotlight on global women business leaders, winemakers, authors and industry experts.

The Concept
Women in Wine Talks™ are inspiring conversations, virtual wine-tastings and panel discussions with wine industry experts.

“Memorable and Elevated Virtual Experiences”

Women in Wine Talks™ is designed for every wine lover, at all levels; with international participation.

Past speakers included:

Elizabeth Gabay, MW
One of the world’s foremost authorities on rosé wines, is the author of ‘Rosé: Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution’, and President of the Jury at International Rosé Challenge – Rose Tasting and Talk.

Maggie Henriquez, Ph.D., CEO Krug
Leadership in Challenging Times with Maggie Henriquez CEO of Krug Champagne – Leadership Talk

Janet Dorozynski, PhD
Trade Commissioner Canadian Wine, Beer and Spirits
Q and A with Moderator: Shari Mogk-Edwards

Watch this space for our upcoming talks commencing September 2020, which will include:

Beatrice Cointreau
She was born into a long line of vine-growers and distillers.  Beatrice has her Master of  Law, in business, an MBA, studied at the Bordeaux Institute of Oenology, and at the ISIPCA European School of perfumery. She is also the great-granddaughter of the Cointreau liquor founder and granddaughter of the founder of Rémy Martin.

Reva Singh
Founder & Editor-in-Chief of India’s first wine magazine Sommelier India

Ariane Khaida
Executive Director of the Chateau Wines Division Barons de Rothschild

Lorraine Immelman
CEO, Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards (South Africa)

Father and Daughter team of Michel Drappier and Charline Drappier of Champagne Drappier

Ann Sperling
A leading force in the Canadian movement towards organic and biodynamic fine winemaking 9BC Winery and winery in Argentina)

Alysha Harker
Canadian Director for Riedel

…and many more exciting speakers in the world of wine and spirits!

Recent Testimonials:

What a successful inaugural virtual event! It was very interesting to learn there are over 400 appellations for Rosé wines, and how the various regions are grouped together. Elizabeth Gabay is exceptionally knowledgeable, and very generous sharing her passion, about Rosé wines. As she spoke to us from her home in the south of France, it was entertaining tasting wines virtually and comparing comments with each of the participants. There are a few I plan to try as a result! I am looking forward to the next virtual wine event!  Shari Mogk-Edwards

Janet Doroznyski’s presentation
Very informative and helpful presentation.  Thank you!
Jessica DiFruscia

I was honoured to be included in the LDEO Women in Wine Talks. Leadership in Challenging Times with Maggie Henriquez was inspirational and poignant.  Ms. Henriquez shared her life work and experiences while sharing optimism for the future.  Thank you Liz for setting this up.
Doris Bradley, Professor, George Brown College

I was really pleased to participate to Women in Wine Talks’ on-line conference on last June 23rd: Leadership in Challenging Times with Maggie Henriquez, President and CEO of Krug Champagne. Maggie is a very high-level personality with a great and riche experience. During one hour, Maggie shared honestly her experiences in top-level wine and/or spirits global groups. Her words were really inspiring. We can define her as a self-made woman who had different leadership and crisis management experiences – as top-level group leader – in global groups in Southern America, Northern America, Europe.  She gave concrete examples of crisis management and solutions development through her own experience.  She also clearly told to participants her point of views and clues about trends after current covid-19 crisis: crisis is always a hard step full of challenges but generating new business opportunities.

The on-line conference organization was also very high-level. First of all, to share debates with Maggie and also at a technical level. We were over 25 people connected at the same time from different countries.

Special thanks to really great job done by Liz Palmer, Founder UPsocial Wine + Spirits and her associate, Virginia Hutton – Loïc OROFINO, France

Wonderful webinar with Maggie Henriquez, CEO of Maison Krug. Inspiring to hear her talk about the various times throughout her business career when the world, and wine world, was in the midst of a global crisis and how she navigated through – with the key message being to support and retain your staff against all odds. The only thing that would have made it better was to have a glass of Krug in hand.
Janet Dorozynski, Ph.D. Dip WSET, WSET® Certified Educator
Trade Commissioner, Canadian Wine, Beer and Spirits and TourismTrade Sectors Bureau (BBI)/Bureau de secteurs commerciaux (BBI)
Global Affairs Canada/Affaires mondiales Canada

Canadian Rapper Drake launches Champagne range called “Mod Sélection”

Canadian rapper Drake has expanded his drinks empire, once again teaming up with American drinks entrepreneur Brent Hocking to launch a Champagne range called Mod Sélection.

Described as “the purest expression of balance and terroir produced in champagne today,” the House of Mod Sélection dates back to 1892 and has produced Champagne for over five generations in the Vallée de la Marne.

According to Mod Sélection: “The house practices minimal interventional throughout harvest, press, and production, ensuring the purest display of balance and terroir in every cuvée. Only grapes demonstrating optimal levels of sugar, acidity, and maturity are selected for press.

“The most delicate extraction and juice selection, meticulous settling, natural clarification, and rigorous control of fermentations are carried out with exacting precision to preserve the balance, purity and finesse unique to Mod Sélection house style and production.”

In the bottles in Mod Sélection range include Mod Réserve Champagne (US$300) and a Mod Rosé Champagne (US$400) that are available to pre-order now in 750ml bottles, with magnums and jeroboams in the works. The metallic brown bottle is adorned with handcrafted delicate flowers, and each individual bottle is unique in its design details.

In a promotional video to announce the launch, Drake said: “The product is great, the presentation is great, and hopefully the representation is great as well. We’ll enjoy this run. It should be a long one and a strong one. I think the full package is there.”

Drake and Hocking first worked together back in 2016 when they launched Virginia Black Whiskey. Last year, they offered an IPO for the whiskey, hoping to raise $30 million to fund domestic and international expansion, sales and marketing, and working capital.

Website:

Social
#BLESSTHISHOUSE
@MODSELECTIONCHAMPAGNE

Source: Drinks Business

HAPPY HOLIDAYS…..

Happy Holidays from Liz Palmer and the UPSocial Wine & Spirits Team!!

#happyholidays #happyholidays2018 #happyholidays🎄 #merrychristmas #christmas #christmastime🎄 #christmasiscoming #christmasforwinelovers #wine #winelover #winelovers🍷 #spiritlovers #wineforchristmas #champagne #champagnelovers #cognaclovers #toronto #newyork #chicago #london #paris #reims #cognac

Liz Palmer

“PORN STAR MARTINI” NAMED UK’S FAVOURITE COCKTAIL

Knocking the minty Mojito off its perch, the cheekily titled Porn Star Martini is now the most popular cocktail in the UK, according to recent research by CGA Strategy. Porn Star Martini is now the most ordered cocktail in UK restaurants, bars and pubs.

Viewed as a modern classic, Porn Star Martini is made with vanilla vodka, fresh passion fruit, passion fruit liqueur and lime juice, and is served with a shot of Champagne on the side.

Pernod Ricard revealed that Absolut Vanilla brand is now the number one flavoured vodka in the UK on-trade, a spokesperson states “We have been tracking this fantastic cocktail’s rise in popularity and are delighted it has finally been given the crown it deserves. Consumers are increasingly looking for experiences and the Porn Star Martini delivers this because of the theatre the serve provides”

“We have recently seen just how loved this drink is via our Porn Star Martini Townhouse at London Cocktail week, which welcomed over 900 consumers,” said Adam Boita, head of marketing for Pernod Ricard UK.

The cocktail was created in 2002 by bartender and LAB bar founder Douglas Ankrah at The Townhouse bar in Knightsbridge. Ankrah first christened the cocktail Maverick Martini, in a hat tip to a dodgy club in Cape Town, but changed the name to Porn Star Martini.

“I called it the Porn Star Martini because I thought it was something that a porn star would drink. It’s pure indulgence, sexy, fun and evocative,” Ankrah told The Buyer in a recent interview.