Your Mum's special. So gift her a special wine, Feudi di San Gregorio's Cutizzi

As we approach Mother's Day, it's time to start thinking about what to gift Mum on her special day. 

Although it's sometimes difficult to choose a present which reflects your mum's brilliance, Feudi di San Gregorio's Cutizzi, a refreshing and smooth white wine from Southern Italy, is guaranteed to put a smile on any mum's face.

Both the bottle and label for Cutizzi were designed by the late Massimo Vignelli, the celebrated Modernist Italian designer. Its sleek and striking design serves as a graphic translation of the winery's identity: innovative, elegant and timeless.

An obvious gift for any art enthusiast, each bottle of Cutizzi is a testament to Feudi di San Gregorio's core belief that every bottle of wine is a work of art in itself. Just like a mother figure, this exquisite bottle pays a fitting tribute to a mother's impeccable taste.

Allow a glass of Cutizzi to transport her to Italy through its deliciously spicy and floral aromas of vanilla, almonds, and orange blossom. The wines of Feudi di San Gregorio allow one to explore what the beautifully mountainous Italian region of Irpinia has to offer.

The Cutizzi is a thoughtful and sustainable choice for those who champion a greener lifestyle as the multi-award-winning wine producer, Feudi di San Gregorio is firmly committed to their sustainable practices, for which they were awarded their B-Corp certification in 2022.

This wine is perfect for Mums in search of la dolce vita, transporting her to Italy through just one sip. Feudi di San Gregorio's Cutizzi is ideal to pair with a light starter for Mothering Sunday lunch, such as smoked salmon or mozzarella.

You can buy it for her at Vinissimus for £23 https://www.vinissimus.co.uk/en/wine/feudi-di-san-gregorio-greco-di-tufo-cutizzi

St-Remy Launches Limited Edition Bottle With Artist Lucas Beaufort

St-Rémy, the world's number one French brandy, unveils its exclusive collaboration with celebrated French artist Lucas Beaufort, which unites the worlds of fine spirits and of urban artistry, and will be certain to captivate collectors, art enthusiasts, and connoisseurs of fine brandy alike. 

Lucas Beaufort brings his revered vibrant street artist vision into the St-Rémy brand with a stunning limited-edition bottle design that showcases Beaufort's signature urban style, blending dynamic colours and captivating geometry that reflects his inspiration after tasting the St-Rémy XO with Master Blender, Cécile Roudaut.  

At the heart of this collaboration lies the shared values of authenticity, generosity, and open-mindedness, both of which Lucas Beaufort and St-Rémy hold dear. It's a meeting of two artists: Lucas, the painter of colours, memories, and emotions, and Cécile, the Master Blender, who expertly crafts harmony from the diversity of French terroirs. 

"Collaborating with St-Rémy on this project has been an genuinely incredible opportunity to fuse the worlds of art and savoire-faire," said Lucas Beaufort. "The design of this limited-edition bottle encapsulates the spirit of both our artistic endeavours and the refined excellence of St-Rémy brandy." 

Lucas Beaufort's captivating bottle artwork was inspired by an extensive tasting and masterclass with Master Blender Cécile Roudaut, where he translated St-Rémy XO's bold flavours of vanilla and wood, paired with the delicate notes of ripe fruits and honey into different shades of colours.   

"Diversity is the cornerstone of both Lucas and St-Rémy's artistic expressions," said Aveline Rimbaud, Executive Director at St-Rémy. "For St-Rémy, it is the diversity of the eaux-de-vie sourced from the different regions, grape varieties and vineyards of France. For Lucas Beaufort, it is his palette of colours, shapes, emotions, and memories that fuel his creativity. We share the belief that harmony is born from diversity." 

Both Cécile Roudaut and Lucas Beaufort embody the spirit of exploration in their unique ways - searching, waiting, observing, and adapting, to result in a harmonious creation. 

St-Rémy XO Tasting Notes 

Appearance  

Luminous amber, with a rich golden aura. 

Nose

Mature nose underpinned with echoes of oak and delicate vanilla aromas, layered with hints of ripe fruits and honey.  

Palate  

A rich palate of flavours. Subtle notes of wood and vanilla are enriched with flavours of gingerbread, candied apricots, dates, figs, and nuts. This complex taste is subtly spicy and offers a long finish. 

http://www.st-remy.com/

Global Spirits Giants Gather in London Committed to Establishing a World Spirits Dialogue Platform

On September 29th, Javier Ferran, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Diageo, Gilles Bogaert, Executive Vice President of Global Markets at Pernod Ricard, and Ding Xiongjun, Chairman of Moutai Group, jointly signed the "Global Spirits T3 Dialogue International Cooperation Agreement" in London, witnessed by the China Alcoholic Drinks Association. 

This marks the first meeting of the top three global liquor companies under the name "T3" aiming to establish a global dialogue platform for premium spirits.

In the spirits industry, Guizhou Moutai, Diageo, and Pernod Ricard are all representative brands, with a combined annual revenue exceeding $52.2 billion. According to statistics, the global spirits sales in 2022 reached something in the order of $467.69 billion, and it's estimated the spirits market revenue will maintain a compound annual growth rate of 4.6% from 2023 to 2027.

The "Global Spirits T3 Dialogue International Cooperation Agreement" reached by the T3 dialogue includes seven parts:

1. Establishing a cooperative platform with the China Alcoholic Drinks Association as the organizer, where all parties adhere to the principles of equality, openness, and sharing to strengthen cooperative relationships.

2. Complying with relevant anti-monopoly laws and conducting exchanges, conferences, and other collaborative activities among parties.

3. Promoting global exchange and mutual learning in spirits’ culture.

4. Driving exchanges and cooperation in the field of alcoholic drinks cultural heritage.

5. Enhancing cooperation in promoting responsible drinking.

6. Focusing on environmental protection and promoting sustainable development of society and the environment.

7. Advocating for energy conservation, emission reduction, circular economy, and recycling.

Song Shuyu, chairman of the China Alcoholic Drinks Association, stated that the T3 dialogue is a historic and high-profile gathering of the three leading spirits companies, and as the future summit becomes institutionalized, it would evolve into a globally influential IP, further solidifying in-depth exchanges and interactions among world spirits companies in the fields of market, brand, and culture, and then promote the healthy, sustainable, and high-quality development of the global spirits industry.

(Image courtesy of wasi1370 from Pixabay)

Salcombe Gin Partners With the Heroic RNLI to Launch 'Four Seas' Gin With Every Bottle Helping Save Lives at Sea

With a love and respect for the sea at the heart of everything they do, multi-award winning Salcombe Gin is delighted to have partnered with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to launch 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin. 

Commemorating the charity's upcoming 200th anniversary, the new classic London dry gin is a true celebration of British and Irish coastal community spirit.  

Available now and for the next two years, every bottle of 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin will help save lives at sea, with 10% of the net price of every bottle sold proudly donated to the vital work of the RNLI. 

'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin is available in a 70cl bottle, at £39.50, ABV 40% from salcombegin.com, Salcombe Gin's Dartmouth and Salcombe stores, plus via Master of Malt, Amazon and leading independent retailers throughout the country.

It's a relaxed and inclusive gin, 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin is crafted for everyday heroes, everyday occasions and for those who love to be close to the sea.  Adhering to the same exacting London Dry standard as their iconic and global award-winning citrus led Salcombe Gin 'Start Point', 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin draws inspiration from their journey around the British coastline to where the four seas that surround our island nation, the Atlantic Ocean, Irish Sea, English Channel and North Sea, all meet our shores. The same four seas served and protected by the heroic RNLI.  

Beautifully balanced, 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin showcases four key botanicals and is led by lemons smoked over Scottish whisky barrel wood chips, tangy sea buckthorn from where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Cornish coast, sugar kelp foraged from the Irish sea providing a richness and a hint of salinity and elderberries from wildest Wales, giving an earthy floral sweetness.   

On the nose there's zesty fresh lemons, smoky citrus and classic juniper, followed by a citrusy tang and sweetness from the sea buckthorn with underlying floral and earthy layers on the palate, too. 

The finish is reportedly smooth, rich and warming, with a slightly saline tone, reminding you of its coastal influence and origin. 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin contains no colourants and no added sugar.

Appealing to gin drinkers both old and new, just serve 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin in a highball glass with four ingredients; gin, premium Indian tonic, ice and lemon or in a cocktail to showcase the subtle notes of smoked citrus and the hint of sea salt.

Like all the products in Salcombe Gin's portfolio, it contains no plastic packaging and has biodegradable cellulose tamper proof seals, 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin uses a totally natural cork and wooden stopper.

Commenting on the partnership, Co-founder and Director of Salcombe Distilling Co., Angus Lugsdin says:  “Spending years working at sea and having grown up learning to sail in Salcombe and watching with fascination as a child when the Salcombe Lifeboat was called out,  it's hard to express just exactly how thrilled I am about the collaboration between Salcombe Gin and the RNLI.  

"Having spent years offshore myself and having undergoing sea survival training myself, I have the utmost respect for the RNLI and its dedicated volunteers who generously devote their time to safeguarding and rescuing lives at sea, ensuring a safer environment for us all."

Angus went on to say: “It obviously fills the Salcombe Gin team with immense pride and pleasure to join forces with the RNLI, knowing that the sale of 'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin will contribute to our coastal communities and support the RNLI in their crucial missions.  What's more, as part of our special two-year partnership, we'll also contribute 10% of the net price of every bottle sold of our Salcombe Rum 'Island Street' to the RNLI, too.”

Mark Dowie, RNLI CEO adds: “We're delighted to partner with Salcombe Gin and welcome their kind support. And because Salcombe Gin is made in my hometown, I'm obviously hoping for great things!”

Mark went on toy say: “For almost two centuries the RNLI has been saving lives at sea.  All of the essential training and equipment for our lifeboat crews and lifeguards is only possible because of the donations we receive from our generous partners and our supporters.  Our partnership with Salcombe Gin will raise vital funds to help us continue our lifesaving work.”

The perfect partnership, Salcombe Gin draws influence from the coastal vitality of Salcombe and its shipbuilding heritage.  They produce internationally acclaimed gins at their waterside distillery on Island Street in Salcombe, one of the world's only distilleries directly accessible by boat.  'Four Seas' by Salcombe Gin joins Salcombe Gin's outstanding line-up of Salcombe Gin 'Start Point', Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie', Salcombe Gin 'Start Point - Offshore Strength' and their exclusive Voyager Series.

Since 1824, the story of the RNLI is one of courage and dedication.  Across their almost 200-year history, RNLI lifesavers have answered the call to rescue, day or night, on calm seas or in ferocious storms.  If someone is in peril at sea, the RNLI will do all they can to save them.  Since the charity launched its first lifeboat in 1824, the RNLI has saved over 144,000 lives at sea.

For further information about Salcombe Gin, visit www.salcombegin.com, follow Salcombe Gin on Instagram and Facebook. For further information about the RNLI's work, visit www.rnli.org or follow RNLI on Facebook.

That's Food and Drink believes this will make a superb Christmas gift or birthday present this year. 

A very special gin

A new and limited release, this gin was envisioned by cheffe Anne-Sophie Pic alongside her executive sommelière Paz Levinson, in special collaboration with Miko Abouaf, distiller at Audemus Spirits. 

It's an entirely unique recipe drawing its inspiration from the richly imaginative universe of the cheffe's cuisine.

The gin is boldly aromatic with a core body of bees wax, reinforced by top notes of unripe blackcurrant buds, juniper and lemon, underlined by rooibos and myrtle. The gin's freshness is balanced by earthy and honeyed notes, forming a light and intensely aromatic spirit, which maintains a delicate harmony between the different elements.

Reiko Kaneko, the London-based ceramist, designed, produced and hand-painted the bottles. This elegant, delicate, and unique creation is limited to 160 bottles.

This gin is ideal for a Dry Martini, a French 75 or a Gin & Tonic. It also reveals its aromatic strength when tasted neat, served chilled, in a tulip glass.