Cranium’s Post

Become a wine expert and discover France through the senses with these exceptional certification courses.

This is Nemea Grande Reserve of 100%Agiorgitiko grapes - by the iconic Semèli Estate; a privately owned single vineyard at 580 meters “vin de garde” produced at an extremely limited number of bottles, exclusively by the approval of the Estate’s winemakers team and when the vintage has been rated as exceptional; the wine matures for 18 months in French oak casks and at least 30 months in the bottles before its release; The inevitable question that arises though is to either keeping it according to the “instructions” for later, or to savor it at once?

🍏 Exploring the Future of Calvados: Lessons from Gin and Tequila 🌟 In the dynamic world of spirits, innovation and heritage often blend to create the next big trend. As we look to the future of Calvados, the traditional apple brandy from Normandy, we can draw valuable lessons from the past successes of gin and tequila. 🍸 Gin experienced a renaissance by embracing its botanical diversity, catering to the evolving tastes of consumers seeking unique and complex flavor profiles. Craft distilleries and creative marketing played pivotal roles in transforming gin into a contemporary favorite. 🇲🇽 Tequila, once perceived primarily as a party spirit, underwent a transformation by highlighting its artisanal roots and regional authenticity. Premiumization and education about the rich culture of agave cultivation elevated tequila to a respected and sophisticated choice. Now, it's Calvados' turn to step into the spotlight. 🍏 Calvados boasts a rich heritage, with centuries of craftsmanship and a deep connection to the terroir of Normandy. By focusing on its unique production process, from orchard to bottle, we can captivate a new generation of discerning drinkers. Emphasizing sustainability, artisanal methods, and delicious natural apple flavor will resonate with today's conscious drinkers. 🚀 The future of Calvados lies in: 1. Educating drinkers about its rich history, delicious apple flavor and eco credentials 2. Innovating with modern twists, craft cocktails and a start serve - the appletini 3. Collaborating with top bartenders and influencers to showcase its versatility By leveraging these strategies, we can unlock the potential of Calvados and carve out its place in the premium spirits market - with special thanks to Damien Amadou, Pierre Martin Neuhaus, Damien Chabaud-Arnault and team who will spreading the word in Miami, Austin and Houston this week. 🇺🇸 RDV at Bar Convent Brooklyn next week for face time with Tim Etherington-Judge - where I expect he will be ordering an Avallen Spirits | BCorp appletini... or two🍸🍏 ! #Calvados #SpiritsIndustry #InnovationInSpirits #CraftDistilling #HeritageAndInnovation #FutureOfDrinks

You've probably seen Esquimalt Wine Company (Esquimalt Vermouth and Apéritifs) on menus and in stores- learn a bit more about one of our local businesses in a recent interview: https://lnkd.in/dh2xUh8z #esquimalt #shoplocal #localbusiness #yyjfood

Question: What do the below all have in common? 1st Fill Bourbon - Virgin American Oak- STR - PX - Oloroso - Rioja - Ruby Port - Tawny Port - Lagrima White Port - Amarone - Valpolicella - Madeira Malvasia - Rivesaltes - Ramandolo - Banyuls - Orange Wine - Champagne Blanc de Blanc -Vino Santo - Cognac - Calvados Answer: ALBA COOPERAGE delivered all of these incredible casks to our clients in the past month. Which of the above would be your cask of choice and why?

A 'Scottish Oak Programme'. Great news. More Scotch Whisky Casks, for the future. As an aside, how many Scotch Whisky Casks, in total, are already resting, in Scotland? What do you reckon? Even the 'Scottish Business Leaders' I ask are always MILES out! The 'official' Scotch Whisky Association figure is 'about 20,000,000'. Twenty Million. I've been told, by very senior Scotch Whisky Figures, who know about this sort of thing, it's 'about 45,000,000'. Others, high up in the 'Whisky Industry' suggest even more than this, 65,000,000. That's Sixty Five Million. Whatever the true amount, the 'American Standard Barrel' makes up the lion's share of this. Each one holds 271-314 bottles (that pesky Angel's Share 'alcohol evaporation' and age causes the alarming discrepancy!). But, if it's a 'Butt', you can expect 670-700 bottles, from just one Cask. A few Distilleries use 'Port Pipes', which are even bigger! Hmm... Port Pipe Scotch Whisky, yum! There's lots of different Casks, Puncheons, Barriques, Quarter Casks, Port Pipes, och, loads. Suffice to say, the average Scot just doesn't have a clue about the true amount. Only one rule, it has to be Oak. Old, new, French, Scottish, American, second/third hand, it doesn't matter. This further complicates things. Convenient, or inconvenient, depends if you're buying, or selling! As they're not told anything NEAR the truth, you can't really blame the average Scot for being totally clueless here! Anyway, who cares? It surely can't be that important? Well, in Scotland, we've 'got form' in undervaluing our natural resources so, now we have one, that's GETTING MORE PLENTIFUL and ISN'T running out, it IS important. Also, as you've probably read, a 25/30/40 year old Cask of Scotch is worth 'rather a lot'. Scotland has quite a few of these. We mentioned that pesky 'Angel's Share' so science tells us, older Casks contain less Scotch Whisky and 'certain Distilleries' can flog them, at an enormous premium. Add this to the algorithm. Soon, a 21st-Century Cask will be 25 years old. Do you know how much a 25 year old bottle of Scotch Whisky is? A bottle of Glenfarclas is about... £200. A bottle of The Macallan is about...£2000! It's complicated but probably explains why a nice Cask of The Macallan is a million quid now and they have the best booze 'Visitor Centre' on the Planet. Anyone good at 'sums'? #ScotchWhiskyTruths

The future of wine festival customer experience is here. It doesn't matter whether you are a winery, operator, influencer, or attendee. The ability to create engaging digital experiences that support and enhance the modern wine festival experience is critical for younger, more digitally-savvy, modern wine consumers. #winefestival #winesales #winemarketing

Top 5 most traded wine labels by value on Liv-ex in 2023: 1.  Chateau Lafite Rothschild Premier Cru Classe 2.  Petrus, Pomerol 3.  Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru Classe 4.  Louis Roederer, Cristal 5.  Dom Perignon

This President's Day, we're looking back on the leaders who left a lasting mark on America's beer industry, from the early 19th century to the present day. Click the link below to learn more about how these former presidents have helped the beer industry thrive. 🦅🇺🇸🍺 https://lnkd.in/ehFSNiYq

🥂 CHAMPAGNE INSIGHT 🥂 Champagne growers, also known as "Récoltant-Manipulant" (RM) in French, are wine producers in the #Champagne region of France who grow their own grapes and produce Champagne from those grapes. The tradition of Champagne growers dates back centuries to the early development of Champagne production in the region. While the larger Champagne houses, known as "Maisons," have historically dominated the market, the importance and influence of Champagne growers have grown significantly in recent decades. Today, many Champagne enthusiasts seek out the artisanal and terroir-driven expressions offered by these smaller-scale producers 🥂 🍾 💫 Have you already tried any of these beauties? 😍 #BespokeWineCollection