I stumbled across this article, and remember orginally watching this on the show Dragon’s Den a few months ago.  Originally I have to admit I agreed with the Dragons, and didn’t see the appeal to buying a plastic glass of wine sealed like a juice drink. Now I was in Marks and Spencer’s yesterday, and saw the Le Froglet glass on the shelf on my way home from work!  Will this appeal to commuters? I guess it could as long as the wine isn’t a disaster.   Apparently the wine isn’t all that bad according to Decanter, although I seriously have my doubts.  There is only one way to find out….Review to follow.  I wish I had come up with this idea?!!!

Le Froglet Shiraz wins gold

By: Rebecca Hubbard

Posted: Friday, August 20, 2010 2:10 pm

Le Froglet Shiraz hit the headlines last month when high street retailer Marks & Spencer launched its hugely successful cup-a-wine range, brainchild of Dragon’s Den reject James Nash. The sealed plastic glasses of red wine proved an instant hit and to keep up with the demand they have since been rolled out to all M&S stores nationwide. Now the bottled version of the same wine has been awarded a gold medal at the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards – the most influential wine competition in the world – cementing its position among the top wines in the world.  The French red was entered into the internationally renowned competition alongside 10,983 wines from around the world. It was judged by the best palates in the business before being awarded a gold medal. Describing the Marks & Spencer Le Froglet Shiraz 2009 Decanter’s Editor Guy Woodward commented: “‘It’s a great value find. It has a lovely leather and bramble fruit nose. It’s fragrant and complex, with lots of dark fruit and savoury chocolate. The plastic glass version is a great idea, but given the bottled version is screwcap, won a Gold medal and works out cheaper, if I was going alfresco I’d probably buy a bottle and take my own glasses!” M&S winemaker Belinda Kleinig, added: “We are delighted with the success of Le Froglet Shiraz, not only has it proved a huge hit with our consumers but it has impressed the Decanter judges as well. The bottle version is now an award-winning wine and the glasses are proving hugely popular with our customers. There really is no stopping the little frog!”

Full article here: http://www.fmcgnews.co.uk/le-froglet-shiraz-wins-gold-cms-896

Related article: http://realbusiness.co.uk/sales_and_marketing/le_froglet_another_dragon_blunder

I never knew there was Champagne “pouring etiquette.”  Yikes….I am a wine buff, but certainly not a wine snob.  I actually always pour it like beer…check out the article by Decanter Mag:

Champagne best served like beer, say French

August 13, 2010
by Rebecca Gibb

French scientists have discovered the secret to keeping the fizz in a glass of Champagne: pour it like a beer.

Last week saw the release of 2002 Dom P.  My inbox was flooded with offers and retailers selling for about 420£ for a 6 pack.  Looks fair in price, but I need to do some more research first before buying any “champers” for investment.  I guess Dom P would probably not be a bad place to start though.  I just don’t see enough growth potential for me to invest yet.  I personally prefer Tattinger Comtes de Champagne at this level, and is actually a little cheaper. Below is a recent posting on Liv-ex about the wine which I found interesting: 

Spotlight on… Dom Perignon   

Owner: Moët & Chandon
Colour: White
Standard blend: Pinot Noir (45%) and Chardonnay (55%)
Other wines: Dom Perignon Rose, Dom Perignon Oenotheque  

History Dom Perignon is one of the world’s most sought-after prestige cuveés. Produced by the Moët and Chandon champagne house, the vintage wine takes its name from a celebrated Benedictine monk whose experiments with bottle fermentation and blending methods in the 17th century contributed greatly to the rise of sparkling wine. 

Champagne became a favourite of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour in the 18th century, and its imperial popularity and status soon saw it shipped to England, Spain, Eastern Europe and America. It was during this era of rapid expansion that Moët and Chandon purchased the vineyards of the Abbey of Hautvillers, the setting where Dom Pierre Perignon had once investigated the possibility of making sparkling white wines from an assemblage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

In 1921, Moët and Chandon produced the first vintage of its super cuvée – Dom Perignon –  though it was not released until 1936. Since then, the champagne has come to enjoy extraordinary brand recognition, alongside other quintessential luxury cuvées such as Cristal and Krug. Dom Perignon winemaking is currently overseen by chef de cave, Richard Geoffroy.Dom Perignon 2002 

In March this year the 2002 vintage received  96 points from Antonio Galloni of the Wine Advocate – the brand’s highest WA rating since the 1996 (RP 98). Galloni describes the latest vintage as “at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical.”  More redolent, however, were Parker’s comments on his bulletin board: “2002 DP…..call your bank…line up the truck…September 2010 release…” The latest vintage is described by winemaker Richard Geoffroy as “very approachable and inviting, more open than previous vintages at the same stage thanks to the ripeness of the fruit.” It is currently available on pre-release at £420 per 6x75cl case. 

 Market Trends 

Dom Perignon vintages have seen robust price appreciation over the past few months, with a number of recent vintages posting gains of more than 6% year-on-year. The 1995 (RP 94; £800) in particular has seen a strong push upwards, having risen by 24% since July 2009. Despite a similar Parker score, the wine is double the price of the 2000 (WA 94), which is trading at £380 per 6x75cl case. With a rating of 18.5/20 from Jancis Robinson, the 2000 certainly looks good value Two of the most celebrated Dom Perignon vintages of the last decade are the 1996 and the 1990. The 1996, which received 98 points from Robert Parker but only 95 from his colleague Galloni, is trading at £900 per 6x75cl case – up from £730 in July last year. And whilst the 1996 edges ever closer to £1,000 per case, the 1990 (RP 96) has already broken through this barrier, and is up 7% year-to-date. The table below shows the current prices of recent Dom Perignon vintages. 

 
  All prices are in GBP and are for 6x75cl cases stored in bond. All scores from erobertparker.com. 

Delicious California Wines Don’t Have to Cost a Fortune: Review

Spending an afternoon in a Sonoma Valley vineyard sipping from a heavenly $450 bottle of Verite 2007 La Joie is hard to beat. Shelling out a tenth of that for something just as memorable is even better.

I recently sampled some of California’s most sought-after – – and priciest — cult wines. Among the highlights were a 2006 Cardinale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($250) and the La Joie, both of which received perfect scores from Wine Enthusiast magazine and uber-critic Robert Parker. All were delicious — and unaffordable to the average wine drinker. To find bottles that could stand in for their pricier counterparts, I asked sommeliers, vintners and fellow connoisseurs for recommendations. The wines had to be limited production, made with grapes from the same farms that cult producers use, or have a famous winemaker attached to the project. Plus, cost as close to $50 as possible.

Petra Polakovicova, wine director at San Francisco’s Epic Roasthouse, offered me several excellent choices. She first poured me a 2007 Fisticuffs Napa Cabernet ($25), made by highly regarded winemaker Jeff Smith, who’s better known for his Hourglass label ($125). Fisticuffs sells for $65 at the restaurant, and less than half of that in shops.“It’s very well balanced, velvety on the palate and doesn’t overpower you,” Polakovicova said. Coffee Flavor

Another wine she recommended was the 2006 B Cellars Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) from Kirk Venge. This bottle presented ripe raspberries, sharp tannins, nice acidity and a roasted coffee flavor on the finish. A bigger pour was a 2005 Bridesmaid Proprietary Red ($45), which displayed black fruit, smokiness and a tight structure with ample tannins.

“These are nice, lower priced wines, and people really buy them,” Polakovicova said.

Smith said Napa vintners have generally ignored lower- priced quality wines. For instance, he said, cabernet sauvignons costing less than $30 is a “wide-open” category.