Archive | March, 2009
ghostbusters

Dan Aykroyd is a Snob Free Grape User. Huh?

The list of celebrity vineyard owners is long and varied. Francis Ford Coppola, Sir Cliff, Sting, Bob Dylan and of course Olivia Newton John (!). But only one celebrity affords an opportunity for a reference to spectral investigation and removal services. Dan Ackroyd ain’t afraid of no ghosts and he ain’t afraid of making wine [...]

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And On The 8th Day Science Turned Wine into Electricity

We’ve all had the odd bottle of wine that tasted like it had just been drained from the tank of a Toyota Corrola. Now, Canadian Ice Wine maker Inniskillin has decided to turn grapes into fuel. The winemaker has got together with alternative energy firm StormFisher Biogas to turn grapes into power. The grape waste, that [...]

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Wine + Foot Fetish = Mess

This one goes out to all those with a foot festish.  The “Feet “ad campaign for Bela Sintra shows a couple of feet messing around with a bottle of wine. You can either see this as seductive or downright filthy. Or perhaps the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Either way, I hope the lady has a [...]

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A Wine Accessory Kit that James Bond Would Approve Of

The Wine Bottle Accessory Kit performs a balancing act between tat and cool. And, for me, cool just about wins out. The bottle shaped case worries me slightly – describesd as “matte black plastic” – I fear it may be similar to the cheap industial packaging of my Darth Vader figurine case ($26?!).  The kit [...]

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Ever Soaked Your Ears in a Bowl of Wine? Give This a Try

Every now and then I come across a wine gadget or innovation that sings to me like a nightingale. The Whiner and Diner feeder is one such creation. Made out of old wine crates from European and Californian vineyards, the feeders house a couple of removable steel bowls. One for white one for red? I’m [...]

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Forget Black Tie, Dress Code is Strictly Cork

Trendhunter magazine recently showcased 20 conepts based on innovative uses of cork. You can see the full slideshow here, but the clear winner for outright oddity is the Corkxedo. Designed by LA designer Dave Hamilton the outfit took 10 months to put together. Apparently there are more than 240 wineries represented with the oldest wine [...]

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Harvesting in the Nude, Just Watch out for the Ducks…

I’ve long despaired at the cliche sodden universe of wine brand advertising offered to us by (mainly) New World behemoth producers. The Wines are too often pimped in poorly staged lifestyle scenario’s that so few of us actually relate to (just see anything by Jacobs Creek). So, when I came across the “Au Naturel” campaign for [...]

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The $30,000 Corkscrew? You Gotta Be Kidding Me?

Every now and then you come across something so utterly preposterous that it almost defies belief. And so it is with the $30,000 Corkscrew from Svied. Remind me, there’s a recession on right? It may have an 18 carat gold fingertip lever, but take a look at this video. Personally, I would have lost the will [...]

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Who Would Store Beaujolais Nouveau in a $35,000 Wine Vault?

This is a Wine Vault. A $35,000 Wine Vault to be precise.   Looking like a prop straight out of Ocean’s 11, the manufacturer describes this as a “must for luxury homes”. The stainless steel monolith features a Cellar Management System accessed through a flat screen display.   But the best thing about this contraption is the [...]

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Comfort Inn? Nah, I'd Rather Spend the Night in a 14,500 Litre Wine Cask

Forget about the luxury of the Hotel Du Vin, the oenophile travellers place of rest is clearly this Dutch eccentricity.  The Hotel de Vrouwe van Stavoren allows you to lay down your head in a choice of four gigantic 14,500 litre wine casks. A recent post at Green Upgrader carried the following description: The rooms offer two single [...]

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