Wine Sediments - News and New Products April 2011

Berry Brothers Wine Buyer David Berry Green seems to have taken root in Piedmont; the company is offering the chance for one lucky winner to join him and "experience the life of a wine buyer". Head over to http://www.bbr.com/about/becomeawinebuyer for details of this amazing competition. You will need a video camera...

"The lucky winner of this exclusive competition, along with a friend, will have the chance to see behind-the-scenes of David's day-to-day life as a buyer in this stunning region of Italy. You will shadow him as he visits the vineyards that supply Berry Bros. & Rudd with wine, as well as taste the samples in the cantinas. As well as walking among the vines and tasting some of the region's most acclaimed wines with David, there will also be time for some cultural visits to food producers, a local market and time to explore the beautiful city of Turin."

Another email from a Champagne house urging interest in a new box or metal label? Not this time for Ruinart has just launched a Ruinart Interpretation Giftbox: "an innovative and interactive way to taste and discover Ruinart's cuve, Blanc de Blancs".

The Ruinart Interpretation Giftbox explores the aromatic bouquet of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, revealing the eight contributing aromas of the signature cuve to offer a unique tasting experience. This beautifully crafted set brings to life an initiative that was designed to reveal the secrets of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and to present a sociable format to discover the cuvee wine.

The Ruinart Interpretation Giftbox contains a bottle of Ruinart Blanc de Bl! ancs and eight vials; each containing one of the principal aromas that make up its bouquet (jasmine, lemon, citron, pineapple, peach, pink peppercorn, ginger and cardamom). Thin strips of unscented paper are neatly stored in a small drawer used to help participants play the Interpretation game, guess the beautiful smells found in the individual vials.

The ninth and final vial in the giftbox is the masterpiece collaboration between Frdric Paniotis, Cellar Master for Ruinart and Anne Flipo, the 'nose' from the IFF (International Flavours and Fragrances). The vial contains their aromatic interpretation of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs."

The Ruinart Interpretation will be sold at Harrods and Selfridges and will be available at 85.

This month has also seen the launch of The Hungarian Wine Society (www.hungarianwinesociety.co.uk), who are offering the "most extensive range of Hungarian wines available in the UK".

Two of Hungary's wines are famous the world over. The sweet white Tokaji was named 'King of Wines' by Louis XIV, and 'Bull's Blood' (the red now known as Bikavr) is reputed to have fortified the defenders of Eger against Suleiman the Magnificent. We hope British wine drinkers will be able to name a few more in years to come!

We believe in giving back to the country that produces our wines, and The Hungarian Wine Society will give 10% of its profits to a Hungarian charity chosen by the public. Anyone can nominate a Hungarian charity of their choice through the society's Facebook group (http://tinyurl.com/6b2fao4) or Twitter feed (http://tinyurl.com/4kq9d2u). The person behind the winning nomination will win a mixed case of wine worth 200. The winner and chosen charity will be announced in the first week of May."