Wine Technology Archives

Winechain (wiNeFT) Partners with CMA CGM Group for Logistics of Fine Wines

Winechain the NFT platform (wiNeFT /Winechain NFT name) designed to create direct links to new generations of wine consumers around the world, has today announced the partnership with the CMA CGM Group. This global player in sea, land, and air logistics solutions will take a minority shareholding in Winechain alongside its founders.

Winechain is the first independent NFT platform for fine wine estates. This wine-meets-technology project has been designed to create direct links with new generations of wine consumers around the world has now raised over €1 million in backing from top international wine estates and others.

The initiative was launched in April 2022 by three Frenchmen: Xavier Garambois, former head of Amazon Europe, Guillaume Jourdan, CEO of VitaBella, Paris, and Nicolas Mendiharat, CEO of the San Francisco Palate Club. The plan is to go live by the end of 2022 with the issue of the first wiNeFT (Winechain name NFT).

Xavier Garambois, joint founder of Winechain states:

“Although the acquisition of NFTs will be the first thing that enthused buyers will do on Winechain, the day will come when the owner of the wines will want to have them shipped to their homes, wherever that might be in the world, and in the very best conditions. Apart from enabling access to rare wines, Winechain also takes care of logistics to ensure that the wines arrive at their final destination in perfect condition. This worldwide partnership with the CMA CGA Group is a mark of confidence in the future and our strategy that enables us to look to the long term. We will be able to benefit from the expertise and experience of CMA CGA and the major support that they can bring in terms of sea and air transport and logistical services.”

#winetrade #winedelivery #winelogistics #logistics #NFT #winechain #winemarketing #nfts #nftcommunity #wine #finewine #winelovers #winecollectors #wineinvestors #nftcollector #winenews #wineindustry #winetech #winetrends #winetechnology

Drone Footage on Mount Etna [The Highest Active Volcano in Europe]

…….Pls note: DF will be found on my Instagram @lizpalmer_

One of the most memorable highlights of my trip to Sicily was a 1.5 km hike up Mount Etna with Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato, COO of Firriato wines, and Rossella Marino Abate, Consulente Social Media presso Firriato and to celebrate the trek tasting Le Sabbie Dell’Etna Rose 2021 on lava rocks.

Experiencing Mount Etna in person was like visiting a distant planet, as you can see from the footage. We had clear visibility with various cloud formations which made the trek more magical. Views of the terrain were spectacular….

We walked through startling volcanic landscapes: silver birch woods, pine forests, and lava flows. The terrain was very challenging with the altitude changes and unstable volcanic rock, but worth it!

There are documented records of Mount Etna historical eruptions dating back to 1500 BCE. Scientists have found that activity has frequently originated from its summit areas, which include the Northeast Crater, the Voragine-Bocca Nuova complex, the Southeast Crater (formed in 1978) and the New Southeast Crater (formed in 2011). Another crater, the “cono della sella” developed during 2017 between SEC and NSEC. Its most recent eruptive period began in September 2013 and more recently has been characterized by Strombolian explosions, ash plumes, lava fountaining, and flows.

According to the Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program Mount Etna has three volcanic types: Stratovolcano, Caldera, and Pyroclastic cone.

Stratovolcano is located:

Latitude 37.748°N

Longitude 14.999°E

Summit 3320 m

Elevation 10,892 ft

And believe it or not scientists have numbered the volcanos and Mount Etna is active Volcano Number 211060. Its last known eruption was February 23-25 2022 CE. A brief overview of the report follows.

Last Report
February 23 – March 1 2022

INGV reported that during 23-25 February activity at Etna’s Southeast Crater (SEC) was characterized by Strombolian activity and occasional ash emissions that rapidly dispersed to the SSW and SSE. At 1338 on 24 February a forceful ash emission from Northeast Crater drifted SSE. A diffuse ash emission rose from the same crater at 1642. Emissions at Bocca Nuova Crater consisted mainly of gas with occasional minor ash content during 21-27 February.

Source: Sezione di Catania – Osservatorio Etneo (INGV)

Wine Tasting on Mount Etna

Le Sabbie Dell’Etna Rose 2021

Grape Variety: Nerello Mascalese 100%

The grapes come from different areas of the North side of the Etna. The soil

composition is Loamy –sandy of volcanic origin, highly draining. Exposure is

the Northeastern side of the Volcano (720 metres above sea level).

Tasting Notes

Beautiful fine pink colour; The wine has pronounced intensity on the nose with aromas of ripe raspberries, pomegranate, and minerality; on the palate there is freshness, medium acidity, with flavors of strawberries lots of minerality through to a long finish. A great elegant wine that reflects the territorial characteristics of its origin.

Thank you Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato, Firriato wines, and Rossella Marino Abate for this amazing memorable experience!

#winesofsicily #sicilianwines #italianwines #siciliaenprimeur2022 #siciliaenprimeur #Sicilia #Sicily #SicilyWine #WineofSicily #DrinkSicily #sicilianwine #sicilianwines #vinosiciliano #vinosicilia #winelovers #wineexperience #travelling #winetravels #winetourism #traveler #winetasting #wineinfluencer #wineadventures #traveling #italianwine #italianwinelovers #AssoviniSicilia #Firriato #FirriatoExperience #FirriatoWinery #volcanicwine #drone #dronephotography #dronepilot

@assovinisicilia @just_sicily @wineinsicily

The Wine Business Institute Celebrates 25 Years on May 31st

The Wine Business Institute, of the School of Business and Economics, at Sonoma State University will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on Tuesday, May 31st, 2022, at the Wine Spectator Learning Center.

Twenty-five years ago, forward-thinking leaders envisioned a new kind of partnership between academia and the wine industry, and the resulting vision became the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. Founded in 1996 as a brainchild of Gary Heck of Korbel Champagne Cellars and Sonoma State, “We wanted to create a program that would prepare the next generation to run our businesses, a viable succession plan for the wine industry. Great grapes and great wine were already the norm. Professionalizing the business of wine was the next frontier to tackle“ explains Mr. Heck. “Over the past 25 years, our faculty has built the most comprehensive suite of wine business education in the world with the support of our wine industry, generous donors and board members,” noted Ray Johnson, WBI executive director. “Today our alumni occupy positions of leadership across the wine industry value chain, in organizations large and small.”

“The WBI is an exemplar of successful collaboration between industry and academia,” said Jean-Francois Coget, dean of the School of Business and Economics, within which hosts the WBI. “We will continue to provide diverse talent for the business side of the wine industry and conduct research and other activities that can help the industry address its keenest opportunities and challenges.”

Sonoma State’s School of Business and Economics is the first in the United States to offer an undergraduate degree (since 1998), an MBA (since 2008), an Executive MBA (since 2012) and a new Global EMBA (since 2020) focused on the business of wine. In addition to the degree programs, the WBI offers professional certifications in subjects such as Wine Business Data Analytics, Wine Business Management and Wine Entrepreneurship. The institute regularly brings together wine industry leaders to discuss the opportunities and challenges in the current landscape and those on the horizon.

Looking back on the past 25 years, the WBI celebrates three major achievements: the awarding of 257 Wine MBAs, the launch of the Global Wine EMBA, and the opening of the Wine Spectator Learning Center.

#wine #winebusiness #wineeducation #winenews #wineeconomics #winestudy #winemaking

#winelovers #sommlife #wset #wineknowledge

Cult Wines Americas – The Future of Fine Wine Investment [Part 1]

The “Silver Linings” are real when it comes to fine wine. Despite 2021 being an unprecedented year due to COVID lockdowns, volatile markets, and Brexit challenges, it has been a record-breaking year for fine wine investment.

Both Champagne and Burgundy have an excellent final quarter, with Champagne gaining 22.98%, according to the Liv-ex Champagne 50 index, and the Burgundy 150 posted a 11.19% quarterly gain in advance of the upcoming 2020 vintage en primeur releases. The fine wine market certainly shows encouraging signs that a brighter future is ahead.

According to the Liv-ex Bordeaux 500 Index, over the last 18 months, there has been a resurgence of interest not only from those who have been building their wine portfolios over the longer term but also from new investors.

There are some big investors looking into this alternative-asset class including Warren Buffett himself, so I thought it would be a good idea to investigate further. Cult Wines Investment came on top of my searches.

About Cult Wines Investment
Founders Tom and Phil Gearing launched the Cult Wines platform in London during 2007 with the idea to revolutionize the way fine wine investment works and make the asset class more accessible. Not only is Cult Wine Investment the global leader in fine wine collection and investment management, but they are also on a mission to make investing in wine as enjoyable and rewarding as the wine itself.  The leadership team have a deep-rooted passion for fine vintages, and close relationships with prestigious and respected growers, as well as market-leading investment expertise.

Enters “Cult Wines” Americas
Cult Wines enters the North American market in 2021 with headquarters in New York and Toronto, as one of the first wine investment platforms with a special focus on US and Canadian investors.

“The US is a big player in the auction and collectors’ market but historically has been underserved in the wine investment market,” describes Tom Gearing, the CEO and co-founder of Cult Wines.

“Historically, the wine investment category has been perceived as only for the wealthy, or those with considerable wine knowledge. We know that is not the case and are enabling more people to invest effectively while maintaining the client service, impeccable standards, and returns for which we are known,” said Atul Tiwari, CEO Cult Wines Americas.

Cult Wine Investments website: www.wineinvestment.com

Here is a list of the Americas leadership team and either wines they have really enjoyed or regions they love.

Tom Gearing, Global CEO

Tom Gearing oversees the company’s overall strategy, global operations, and technology innovation. Tom has grown this start-up to an award-winning global company with $390 million assets under management (AUM) and 80+ employees in six offices including: United Kingdom, North America, and Asia Pacific.

Tom has been regularly quoted in the New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. As well as being the recipient of numerous awards, he has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade and the Spear’s 500. He also holds a WSET Level 3.

Tom’s Favorite Wines:

Tom enjoys chardonnay and pinot noir, and at the same time, he likes to try as many different styles and grape varieties as possible. His most memorable vinous experiences to date are Petrus ’61 en Magnum, Liger Belair La Romanee ’09 and Domaine Leroy, Richebourg ’03.

Atul Tiwari, CEO, Americas

Atul Tiwari leads the team and is responsible for the overall strategy and development of Cult Wines Americas. Hailed by Investment Executive as ‘having a knack for knowing what’s next.’

As former CEO of Vanguard Canada, Atul and his team helped pioneer ETF investing in Canada and grew the company to $30 billion in assets over 7.5 years. Prior to Vanguard, he was the founding President of BMO Exchange Traded Funds. In 2018 he received the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce award for Corporate Executive of the Year and has twice been named to Wealth Professional’s annual list of People to Watch in the industry. Atul is a member of the Independent Review Committee for Mackenzie Funds, a Director of the D.D. Foundation, Atul is also a member of the Advisory Council for the CFA Society of Toronto and an Honorary Trustee of the Royal Ontario Museum.

Atul has previously managed a 4,000-bottle cellar of Bourgogne for Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (Toronto). It’s interesting to note that he also has a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and has practiced in both London (UK) and Toronto before transitioning to finance.

Atul’s Favorite Wines:

Atul has a passion and is very knowledgeable on Bourgogne, in addition he enjoys Bordeaux and Italian wines.

Carrie Tuck, CMO, Americas

Carrie has spent nearly two decades working in public relations and marketing for multimillion-dollar brands and start-ups within the financial services industry.

Prior to joining Cult Wines Americas as Chief Marketing Officer, Carrie was the Head of Marketing for Vanguard, Canada and was instrumental in building the brand in the region. Throughout her career, Carrie has held various senior positions at asset management and fund companies, where she ran marketing, product and client service. Carrie also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Concordia University.

Favorite Wines:

Carrie likes to experiment with wine, so she seizes opportunities to try new wines whenever she can.

Jonathan Stevenson, EVP, Americas

Jonathan brings over ten years and extensive experience in the alternative investment sector of fine wine to his role of Executive Vice President at Cult Wines. In 2021, he was appointed to oversee Cult Wines’ global expansion into the Americas and is responsible for growing the client base.

Previously, Jonathan was the Sales Manager for the UK sales team. He began his career at Cult Wines as a Portfolio Manager after graduating from Newcastle University (UK) with a degree in Marketing and Management.

Favorite Wine:
Vega Sicilia Unico

– Up Next –

Cult Wines Americas – The Future of Fine Wine Investment [Part 2]

I will explore and do a deeper dive into this growing alternative-asset class, and explore Cult Wine’s new investment platform how it makes investing in fine wine more accessible!

#wine #finewine #wineinvestment #alternativeinvestment #winenews #winelovers #winecollectors #champagne #bordeaux #burgundy #finewinelovers #wineindustry #winebusiness #winetrade #winetrends #vin #frenchwine #winemarket #winenews #wineeconomics #vintagewine #wineinvestors #cultwines #cultwinesamericas #cultwinesUSA #cultwinescanada #cultcru #bourgogne #mycultcollection #winewednesday

Disclaimer

Past performance is not indicative of future success; the performance was calculated in GBP and will vary in other currencies. Any investment involves risk of partial or full loss of capital. The Cult Wines Index is a hypothetical tool. The results depicted here are not based on actual trading and do not account for the annual management fees that may be charged to a Cult Wines customer which ranges from 2.95% to 2.25% depending on the size of the portfolio, and there is no guarantee of similar performance with an investor’s particular portfolio.

BlockBar NFT Gifting Platform Launches with 300 Bottles of Penfolds Wine

BlockBar, the world’s first direct-to-consumer NFT platform for wine and spirits has just diversified further by launching a gifting capability comprised of 300 bottles of Penfolds.

This new initiative lets the BlockBar community gift a highly coveted collectible wine or spirit connect the physical and digital world. In fact, BlockBar says the market for investing in high-end collectible spirits, like Penfolds wine, has increased by 582 % in the last decade.

Sam Falic, co-founder of BlockBar, told Forbes about the platform’s extension which targets both crypto experts and beginners: “This is of great value to add to your digital portfolio, aside from the digital art you own, you can now own a digital bottle and build your digital bar which is also backed by physical assets.”

NFT (Non-fungible tokens) are currently popular (almost in every industry), from art to rare wine and spirits. Since its founding in 2018, BlockBar has allowed consumers to purchase asset-backed NFTs directly from brand owners, to burn, redeem or sell the physical product. The actual bottles are stored in a secured facility in Singapore. BlockBar also gives the chance to gift the physical product, and the NFT gifting platform is designed so that anyone can use it.

Penfolds wine estate has launched a limited edition NFT tied to its rare Magill Cellar 3 barrel of wine, available to purchase for $130,000.

Dov Falic, the other co-founder of BlockBar, explained: “All you need to know is that you are receiving a gift which is a physical bottle that is stored for you in a secure location; the fact that it’s built on blockchain or uses NFTs is the mechanism to prove provenance and ownership. You can take possession of the bottle anytime you want.”

BlockBar’s first NFT gift launches on 18 January 2022, with limited edition NFTs linked to 300 bottles of Penfolds Magill Cellar 3 2018, priced around 0.13 ETH ($467). The founders described the Australian producers’ rare wine as the highest quality and representative blend of the brand’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz and “one of the most collectible and giftable wine brands in the world.”

When the NFT is purchased, the cryptographic version is stored securely on BlockBar with proof of authenticity held on the blockchain as a digital certificate of ownership. The recipient will receive an email with an invite to create or sign into an account and accept their NFT, receiving full ownership. The receiver now can choose to redeem the physical product, trade its NFT version within the BlockBar marketplace or store it in their virtual bar, all with no additional transaction fees.

The limited-edition NFT release includes a buyer experience: the first three people to purchase six bottles of NFT Penfolds Magill Cellar 3 2018 are invited to a private virtual session with Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago, and will receive a personalized plaque for their wine gift box as well.

#wine #winelovers #BlockBar #wineinvestors #wineinvestment #winecollectors
#winecollector #wineenthusiast #finewines #winelife #luxurywine #womeninwine #penfoldswine #limitededition #NFT #NFTgifting