MY LUXURY MARKETING BOOK IS NOMINATED FOR BEST BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR

The creation and consumption of luxury brands is one of my favorite interest.

I am very inspired by luxury artisans and the craftsmanship necessary in making authentic luxury products.

Last year in 2014, I was able to co-author a business book titled "Marketing du Luxe: Stratégies innovantes et nouvelles pratiques" which is a book written in French about the management of luxury companies. I wrote the chapter about the creation and maintenance of luxury brands.

Luxury Marketing Book published in 2014, Marketing du Luxe

I am happy to report this book was recently nominated for the "Prix Académique de la Recherche en Management" which prize is recognizing the best business books of the year written in French.

The book is available at:

http://www.amazon.fr/Marketing-luxe-Stratégies-innovantes-nouvelles/dp/2847695761

http://livre.fnac.com/a6863376/Eugenie-Briot-Marketing-du-luxe

http://www.editions-ems.fr/livres/collections/regards-sur-la-pratique/ouvrage/320-marketing-du-luxe.html

Enjoy this video which illustrates how Christian Dior crafts a handbag. A real wonder, Astonishing!

https://youtu.be/ixBYyTYZvYQ

YOU ARE LOOKING FOR CRAFT AND ARTISANAL SPIRITS AND YOU ARE WONDERING WHERE TO GO IN LOS ANGELES TO FIND THESE?

CBS NEWS offered an article which highlighted some of the best places (seven) to go to get these craft spirits, these artisanal alcoholic beverages made in small batches which are so important to create an authentic cocktail.

Comandon VS in bar

I added a few more. These places took the courage to sell craft spirits. Spirits made in small scale without large multi-media advertising campaigns. Some started selling artisanal spirits before it became a consumer trend and therefore were leading the trend, and some other were reacting to consumer demands, but at the end none of them are looking back.

Bar Keeper
3910 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 669-1675
www.barkeepersilverlake.com

Beverage Warehouse
4935 McConnell Ave, Ste 21
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 306-2822
www.beveragewarehouse.com

Cap N’ Cork
1674 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 665-1260

Emilio's Beverage Warehouse
17251 Lakewood Blvd.,
Bellflower, CA 90706
(562) 630-8683
www.emiliosbeveragewarehouse.com

Everson Royce
155 N Raymond Ave,
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 765-9334
www.eversonroyce.com

Gourmet Wines & Spirits
626 Wilshire Blvd., #120,
Los Angles, CA 90017
(213) 489-2666
www.gourmetwinesandspirits.com

Hi-Time Wine Cellars (not in LA but Orange County but one of the best store)
250 Ogle St,
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 650-8463
www.hitimewine.net

K&L Wines
1400 Vine St
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 464-9463
www.klwines.com

Lincoln Fine Wines
727 Lincoln Blvd.,
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 392-7816.
www.lincolnfinewines.com

Ramirez Liquor
736 S. Soto St.,
Los Angeles, CA 90023
(323) 261-2915
www.ramirezliquor.com

Red Carpet Wine
400 E. Glenoaks Blvd.,
Glendale, CA 91207
(800) 339-0609.
www.redcarpetwine.com

Silverlake Wine
2395 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 662-9024
www.silverlakewine.com

Vendome Spirits & Wine
10600 Riverside Dr
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(818) 766-9593
www.vendometolucalake.com

Wally Wine & Spirits
2107 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 475-0606
www.wallywine.com

Source: CBS News

NO RATATOUILLLE FROM LA TOUR D'ARGENT THIS TIME BUT SOME PRE-REVOLUTIONARY COGNACS FOR AUCTION

Christie's London will be auctioning next month (December 13th and 14th 2012) a collection of antique and vintage cognacs from the famous Parisian restaurant "La Tour d'Argent" founded in 1582. La Tour d'Argent the restaurant was the inspiration for Pixar’s animated 2007 movie Ratatouille.

This is the second time in recent years that the Tour D'Argent auctions some of its rarer and older fine wines and spirits. In 2009, the restaurant sold 18,000 bottles for more than 2.5m usd in order to finance the purchase of newer vintages.

What's the deal!?

Are they worried of running out? No, with a cellars including more than 400,000 items to choose, that is 14,000 different types of products no point in being worried.

Are they hurting and looking for cash?  No, it is just common sense: people are not ordering these "collectors' items" and this auction will allow the restaurant to renew its stock with more contemporary products. Some stocks will again be auctioned in 200 years, and here it goes from one generation to the other etc...

Some of the products that will be auctioned date back from the stock transfer which was made by the owner's daughter of Café Anglais, Augusta Burdel, after she married the owner of La Tour d'Argent, André Terrail, i.e., the grandfather of the current owner. The Café Anglais was demolished in 1913.

One hundred and eighty lots of ancient Cognacs but also Armagnacs, rum, calvados, Port and marc, all from the cellars of the Parisian restaurant La Tour d’Argent, with an expected value of 300,000 usd total sales.

The oldest bottle of all is the prized, pre-Revolutionary, Vieux Cognac Grande Champagne ‘Clos de Griffier’ Café Anglais 1788, with an estimate of 5,000 usd  (no way!!!).

‘Clos de Griffier’ 1788 [Christie's Image Ltd 2012]

Other remarkable cognac include two jeroboams (2.5L) Fine Champagne Cognac ‘La Tour d’Argent’ 1805. This extremely rare format was bottled on site more than 200 years ago. Both items will be sold in their original hand-blown glass bottles with an estimate of 20,000 usd.

1805 Jeroboam Fine Champagne (c) Luxuo Luxury Blog

Last 1738 Clos de Griffier which was auctioned by Christie's was bought as a charity lot by the Playboy Club in London for 78,000 usd one year ago, and it was accidentally broken by a client last June while they were making him by a 8800 USD cocktail.

In 2009, there was another auction for the exact same cognac but from 1788 which sold for 37,000 usd, from a stock of La Tour d'Argent restaurant again. I wonder how many they have of these!!

Two days ago, Tuesday 13th November 2012, Christie's in Geneva auctioned another bottle of Cognac from 1789, Saulnier Freres (Saint-Amant de Graves) also a Fine Champagne which sold for 31,650 usd.

Saulnier Freres Cognac Fine Champagne (c) Christie's 2012

The question is how much this next bottle of pre-revolutionary cognac will go for in London this December? My guess = 42,000 usd, let's see ...

Source: Decanter and Luxuo and SUD OUEST

Source: Christie's Image Ltd 2012

SO SAUTERNES AND PERRIER MAKES FOR A FUN DRINK

I hear that a Bordeaux wine estate is using its Sauternes wine to produce an aperitif drink to be mixed with Perrier water.

The Cathiard family of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is to launch a light Sauternes wine called 'So Sauternes' made from one of its newly acquired estate.

'SO Sauternes' has been described as a modern-style Sauternes made from young vines in a light style, and is aimed at being mixed with Perrier and ice.

So Sauternes

Already there is the plan to get a high speed train through the region now with this kind of product people are worried it might hurt the image of Sauternes wines. Perhaps it is all about staying hype and recycle the different generations.

SoSAU for the younger generations and Sauternes for the same people when they get to be older.

Perhaps there is an idea here for Pineau-des-Charentes, the not 'So' trendy aperitif sweet wine mixer!

Source: Decanter.com

BROWN SPIRITS ARE BEING CONSUMED WITH MANY MORE ACCESSORIES TODAY

In 3 years brown spirits sales are expected to outsell vodkas says the International Wine and Spirit Research.

The increasing number of gadgets to allow the consumption of whiskys is a visible evidence of the growing consumption of whiskys.

Vinturi Spirit Aerator

Accessory manufacturers are now lusting after whisky fans, especially those who are inexperienced. Favorite accessories include:

. Tasting glasses: my favorite = Stoelzle, Riedel = always work but expensive.

. Ice/cold stones: http://whiskystones.com

. Breathers and Decanters: www.coravin.com, Villeroy & Boch decanters, Vinturi Aerator.

Source: Punchdrink.com

SCALE-ABILITY OF CRAFT SPIRIT BRANDS IS WEAK

"What is a craft spirit company ... the term needs to be defined" says Alexandre Ricard, CEO of Pernod Ricard one of the world's leading wine & spirits company in a recent article in the Spirits Business Magazine.

A craft spirit company is centered around the product, the people, the small scale, and the personal touch of hand work.

In contrast, spirit companies which are not craft are focused on shareholders, marketing, packaging, advertising and promotions, sales, campaigns, market research, and ROI.

Craft Scalability

Consumers are looking for more authentic flavors based on the growing interest in learning of the traditional production methods. Gen-Xers and Millennials are also prioritizing the concept of local and artisan made products. The concept of farm-to-bottle is very enticing to these people.

“We're monitoring craft very closely. To really enter the craft segment in the US, you need to have a long-term view: Is there a real distillery that is craft? What is its scale-ability?” says Alexandre Ricard in Just-Drinks.com.

But there are many risks to invest in Craft spirits where scaling up becomes a problem, i.e., Tito's Handmade Vodka being recently under scrutiny when producing over 2 million cases of vodka.

My guess is that Pernod Ricard will get a Bourbon Craft brand very soon.

Source: Just-Drinks.com

SINGLE VARIETAL BRANDY MADE IN AUSTRALIA CALLED OCHRE - IS IT A COGNAC?

The Australian Cognac says Melbourne Food & Wine Festival in its recent article introducing Ochre Brandy.

Ochre Brandy, Aged Grape Spirits

Further, Ochre Brandy website ochrespirit.com.au says: "...Ochre is a handcrafted Cognac-style spirit..."

Sorry but Cognac is brandy but not all brandies are cognac. To be called 'cognac' a brandy requires a huge list of characteristics, too many to summarize in a short blog. But essentially, this brandy need to be made in the cognac region which is in the South West of France, from grape harvested in the same region, double distilled in small copper pot stills, and aged in French oak casks.

As I said this is only a summary, learn more from cognac.fr for the different details which makes cognac such a unique and the finest brown spirits.

I am very intrigued by this chardonnay brandy as Ochre is just launching its first batch. The article says:

"This rare 1st vintage spirit is double distilled in an Alembic still on the Mornington Peninsula from Chardonnay grapes. The resulting deep golden colour of the spirit reflects the rich red soil that is prevalent in the Red Hill wine growing region."

Something is wrong here ... Distilling is extracting the vapor of alcohol first, and vapors are always clear like water, at least if distilling correctly the heart of the distillation. Hence, the 'deep golden color' does not come from the chardonnay but from the aging in wood barrels.

See more Single Grape distillations from Monteru Single Grape Brandy.

Clearly Ochre seems like a fine brandy which is very much inspired by cognac. Germain Robin Brandy in the USA for instance as successfully with time established a good reputation for a super premium brandy so it is possible that Ochre becomes the brandy from the Southern Hemisphere.