Updated 30/05/08

 

Obituary - Robert Mondarvi

Robert Mondarvi passed away on Friday May 16th 2008 aged 94. It was Mondavi who led California wine producers out of their mass-production jug-wine mentality and into the light of quality, limited-yield wines that would ultimately be judged on par with the great vintages of Europe.

It was Mondavi who helped bring wine into the greater American consciousness the way it has been integral to life in Europe for centuries. From food and wine pairings to wine as part of a lifestyle associated with good living, Mondavi was instrumental in changing the ways Americans perceived and consumed wine

Without the life of Robert Mondavi, one could argue, the California Wine Industry would not exist in its current form. And so it is more than appropriate in light of his recent passing, that the praise being showered on the man in his wake be commensurate with his lasting impact. Perhaps no single person had such a pronounced impact on California Wine Country. With remarkable vision and diligence Mondavi steered the current irresistible force that is California Wine.

So raise a glass and salute him in their own unique way and honor one of life's true visionaries.

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Harper Wells Wine Tasting

Harper Wells are a local wine company who deal with some of the most interesting of wine suppliers. I loved all the wines but did not get to taste all 100 I must say.

If anybody wishes to be added to their mailing list let me know

Mel

Click here to see pictures from the evening.

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Nose Insured for £4 million!

The Lloyd's of London insurance market has insured the nose of a leading wine maker and taster for 5 million euros (3.9 million pounds), covering the Bordeaux producer against the loss of his nose and sense of smell
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Lloyd's is famous for creating policies for giant corporations but also for insuring celebrity limbs, from Fred Astaire's legs to the hands of Rolling Stones' Keith Richards.

It said on Tuesday that Ilja Gort, the Dutch owner of Chateau de la Garde in Bordeaux, producer of Tulipe Wines, said his nose could distinguish millions of different scents and was essential to guarantee the quality of his wines.

"The nose and sense of smell of a winemaker are as important as the fingers of a chef," Jonathan Thomas, lead underwriter at Watkins Syndicate who co-insured the policy.

Lloyds worked with Allianz Nederland and British reinsurance broker Benfield to create the policy, co-insured by Watkins.

Gort's will not be the first nose insured by Lloyd's, which famously insured U.S. comedian Jimmy Durante's trademark. It also insures the taste buds of restaurateur Egon Ronay.

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Beer consumption falling

Beer consumption has fallen to its lowest level since the 1930s as Britain becomes a nation of wine drinkers, according to figures from the British Beer and Pubs Association (BBPA).

Britons drink 9.6 billion pints of beer a year, almost a quarter less than the peak of 12.2 billion in 1979 and the lowest since the Great Depression. Since 1997, beer sales have fallen by 11 per cent, while spirits have risen by 20 per cent and wine by 46 per cent.

The BBPA points out that duty on beer has gone up by 26 per cent compared with just 3 per cent for spirits and 16 per cent for wine. The industry group intends to call for a freeze in beer duty when it lobbies MPs in the all-party parliamentary beer group in the Commons as the Treasury begins talks on the Budget in March.

Overall alcohol consumption is falling in the UK. In 2006 it fell by 3.3 per cent and, the year before, by 2 per cent, according to government figures. It seems far more people are drinking at home. "Off-trade" sales from shops and off-licences account for almost half of beer sales, compared with less than 20 per cent in 1979.

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