Coming in at a sexy just 30 Euros is Champagne Piper Heidsieck's new limited edition bottle wrapped in its own crocodile skin bodyguard. Think a lipstick red croc Kelly bag for your champagne. Makes a chic gift and the red latex imprint will pair nicely with your holiday heels or even your (naughty) red Santa Suit! Champagne is a blend of several vintages, with a dominance of Pinot Noir. Available at select Travel Retail outlets such as CDG Paris Airport store Aelia.
| The Grand Tasting took place on December 2nd and 3rd at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. Twenty one Wine and Management Diploma students, representing 9 countries, were responsible for serving wine for the “Master Class” and “Master Class Prestige” tastings. *Editor's Note: Including the Ruinart Master Class Tasting that featured a 1998 Ruinart and an almost caramel-colored 1988 vintage paired with pan-seared fois gras. |
| The Grand Tasting brings together the best producers of wine, from International personalities to young talented winemakers. During the Master Class the best wines are unveiled and tasted. The following were amongst the esteemed producers who were present: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Château Ausone, Domaine Ponsot, Maison Cazes, Domaine Weinbach, Domaine Jean Louis Chave, Domaine de la Chevalerie, Champagne Joseph Perrier, Champagne Taittinger, and other well-known brands.
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| The tastings were organized by Franck Ramage, Director of the Wine Department at Le Cordon Paris. During this two-day event, more than 3000 glasses were served to 500 wine connoisseurs. Le Cordon Bleu students were eager to participate in this event, proving their professionalism and confirming their know-how in the world of oenology. |
| Le Cordon Bleu excels in culinary arts training, but the Wine and Management program brings a new dimension to professional education in oenology, wine producing countries, technology, and food and wine pairing. |
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| What do Students think about this experience? |
| “It was unquestionably one of the most memorable experiences of my life! Most unexpected in fact as prior to the occasion, I could only appreciate (and fear!) the vast challenge. To taste some of the world's most incredible wines and work in a team under one of the wine world's best teachers... With hindsight, it was an honor to be included and consolidated my passion for the subject “ Amanda Thomson, student at the Wine Management program. |
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Dear Readers and Wine Lovers: Please have a look at my recent article which originally appeared in the International Herald Tribune. It is also online at NYTimes.com with full LINK HERE.
by Paige Donner
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| “ "Robert Weakley and David Alan Bernahl of Coastal Luxury Management, co-founders of Pebble Beach Food & Wine, bring another multi day celebration of food to this here city via Los Angeles Food & Wine..." ” - Kat Odell, Eater LA |
Celebrities from Music and Television Converge for Inaugural Epicurean Event
LOS ANGELES, CA, October 7, 2011—Los Angeles Food & Wine, a new breed of culinary festival debuting October 13-16, 2011 will gather all-star talent from both the entertainment and culinary worlds to celebrate the very best in L.A. food and drink culture. Headquartered at L.A. LIVE with events featured throughout the city including Santa Monica, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills, Los Angeles Food & Wine is brought to you by Coastal Luxury Management, the founders of the acclaimed Pebble Beach Food & Wine with partners dick clark productions (dcp) and AEG as well as chef and philanthropist Wolfgang Puck and Saint Vincent Meals-on-Wheels. More than 140 renowned chefs including Daniel Boulud, Tom Colicchio, Tyler Florence, Nobu Matsuhisa, and Nancy Silverton will team up with today’s most celebrated pop culture personalities, such as Grammy Awarding-Winning rock band TRAIN, American Idoljudge and acclaimed producer Randy Jackson, drummer Questlove from The Roots, TV stars Busy Phillips (Cougar Town) and Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), and more to lead demonstrations, seminars, dinners, and dedicated after-hours events featuring tastings from over 300 premier international wineries: “Where Celebrity Meets Celebrity Chef and Winemaker.”
Entertainment highlights from the upcoming Los Angeles Food & Wine include:
Red Carpet Premiere
Top chefs walk the red carpet in a gala kick-off night that transforms Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE into a culinary wonderland with over hundred wineries from around the world will pour their very best alongside top breweries and distilleries. This is your chance to rub shoulders with culinary royalty while feasting and toasting all that makes LA great – from rock stars to rock star chefs to Hollywood elites such as GRAMMY® award winningproducer, author and American Idol judge Randy Jackson who will make his debut appearance as a DJ and The Canyons, a collaboration of new artists whose self-titled album debuted in September 2011.
Lexus Presents-They Sing. They Act. They Cook?
Two accomplished chefs; two of Hollywood's elite; put them in the kitchen and suddenly the tables are turned. Of course, everyone's culinary talent is bound to shine when an accomplished chef is thrown in the mix. Lexus gives you the opportunity to watch as two of Hollywood's hottest stars Busy Phillips (Cougar Town, Made of Honor) andEric Stonestreet (Modern Family) are paired with Lexus Culinary Masters Christopher Kostow and Michael Chiarello, to prepare something delicious (and no doubt entertaining)! Two dynamic duos will collaborate to create a signature dish for your enjoyment and needless to say…there will be more than food cooking in this kitchen.
Heat-LA’s Spiciest After Party
We are lighting it up for Friday Night. Party the night away at L.A. LIVE’s Club Nokia with a private performance by indie-pop band The Brunettes, who just released their latest album “Mars Loves Venus” and will be performing with dance-pop singer and musician Grace Valerie.
Guy Fieri’s Brew B’Queon the Santa Monica Pier
Meat masters Tim Love, Chris Cosentino, Roy Choi, and Stephen Pyles descend onSanta Monica’s famed pier with celebrated local and international breweries hosted byFood Network star Guy Fieri. Enjoy a day on the famous Santa Monica Pier and take in the sun-drenched view of the Pacific Ocean, the sounds of music from DJ Cobraand Top 40 rock and rap rock musician/songwriter Uncle Kracker.
Lexus Grand Tasting-Saturday and Sunday
The Lexus Grand Tasting at the Event Deck at L.A. LIVE is the most spectacular opportunity to enjoy over 300 wines from 200 of the world’s most prestigious wineries. 30 Celebrity Chefs will showcase their culinary skills and provide delicious and decadent tasting samples of their cuisine. During this remarkable strolling event you will have access to cooking demos, book signings and photo sessions with some of the weekend’s biggest chef celebrities. Producer, drummer, and vocalist D Fuse, who has been featured at music festivals worldwide including Coachella will be performing.
Lexus ‘LIVE on the Plaza’
An unbelievable strolling reception at Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE, capped with an extraordinary musical performance from the multi-GRAMMY® award winning, platinum-selling artists, TRAIN. 30 chefs and 200 wines will serve up delicious samples while TRAIN provides a rockin’ soundtrack with hits songs like, “Drops of Jupiter”, “Meet Virginia”, and “Hey Soul Sister.” This is the culmination of a city-wide celebration of all things Food, Wine, Celebrity and Los Angeles.
Decadence-LA’s Sweetest After Party
Sherry Yard, queen of all things sweet, curates the best pastry chefs in the country including Elizabeth Falkner, Bill Corbett, Gina DePalma, Johnny Iuzzini and Claudia Fleming for a perfect night of heavenly desserts, champagne, wine, and great spirits taking place at the Event Deck at L.A. LIVE. Check out the stellar line-up of pastry chefs and you will understand why we are so excited to get them all under one roof. The evening will be highlighted by a special performance by drummer, DJ, music journalist and record producer Questlove, who is best known as the drummer for theGRAMMY® award winning band The Roots, the in-house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, as well as a producer for artists such as Erykah Badu, Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse and John Legend.
Headquartered at the internationally renowned L.A. LIVE sports and entertainment district as well as locations throughout the city, including Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, Los Angeles Food & Wine will set the stage as the country’s first crossover culinary event that matches personalities from television, film, music and sport with celebrity chefs. A portion of the proceeds will benefit St. Vincent Meals On Wheels, raising awareness for the culinary community with the extraordinary talent provided by Coastal Luxury Management, dick clark productions (dcp) and AEG.
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[Press Release] Bordeaux, September 2011
January- June 2012 The 11th event of the “20 sur vin” Wine Tasting Competition for international wine clubs of leading business schools, higher education establishments and universities. After the great success in 2011 with the presence of the United States, China, the Netherlands, England and France and with general demand, "20 of wine," wine tasting international competition for higher education establishments, will be held again in 2012.
According to the well-known concept of the America Cup, challengers from North America, Asia and Europe will come to compete against the best wine clubs of universities, leading business schools and higher education establishments in France.
Chaired by Baron Eric de Rothschild, owner of Château Lafite Rothschild, the “20 sur Vin” Wine Tasting Competition, organised by the Commanderie du Bontemps, first came into existence in 2002. The aim of this contest is to enable the elite students to come into closer contact with Great Growth wines of Bordeaux’s left bank.
A certain number of leading business schools, higher education establishments and universities have taken part in this event since the time it was initially launched: the Ecole Centrale de Paris, Dauphine University, the Ecole Normale Supérieure, the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris, ESSEC, HEC, Sciences-Po, Polytechnique, the Ecole des Mines de Paris …In 2004, the competition first welcomed competitors from England, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and their participation is now a traditional feature. 2011 opened a new chapter in this contest with the arrival of challengers from all over the world:
For the United States of America: Kellogg Business School of Northwestern University, The Wharton School, Harvard Business School, Columbia Law School, Columbia Business School.
For Asia: Chinese University of Hong Kong and the NTU Wine Society of Singapore.
For France: Dauphine University Paris, ENS Lyon, ESSEC, ESC Lille, Mines, Centrale, EDHEC Lille, ENS Paris, ESCP Europe, HEC, Sciences Po and Polytechnique.
For Europe: Cambridge University for England and Nyenrode Business Universiteit for the Netherlands.
On Friday 17th June, at Château Lafite Rothschild in Pauillac, the HARVARD Business School team clearly placed itself in the lead at the end of this international final, defeating the other teams from...
2-CHINESE UNIVERSITY, Hong Kong,
3-NYENRODE Business Universiteit, Netherlands, tying with WHARTON School, USA,
4-CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, Great Britain, tying with,
5-NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, Singapore.
6-SCIENCES PO Paris, France
7-SKEMA Lille, France
See you in 2012 for new selections, with new teams !
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by Paige Donner After nearly 40 years with the House of Champagne Lanson, Reims, winemaker Jean Paul Gandon is not afraid of innovation. That is, innovation when it stays within the context of tradition. Gandon and Champagne Lanson enjoy a singularly unique relationship in Champagne insofar as next year, when he celebrates his 40th year with the house, it will be the longest standing winemaker-to-winery relationship in this very exclusive region of France. 
Jean Paul Gandon, winemaker, Lanson Champagne. (Left). Philippe Baijot (Far Right, background).
Gandon, Enguerrand Baijot, Lanson Tasting Room, Reims - Local Food And Wine
Harvest at Clos Lanson, Reims - Local Food And Wine
During one day each year family members, employees and friends of Lanson Champagne assemble for a spectacular day of convivial harvesting and celebration of what will be the most exclusive of Lanson Champagne cuvées, the Clos Lanson. This celebratory harvest and Cuvée of no more than 8,500 bottles was the brain child of Gandon and one of the owners of Lanson International, Philippe Baijot, 6 years ago. This year will mark the first that the champagne will be available to taste and to drink. 
Philippe Baijot, Lanson International, Reims
Champagne Lanson Cellars, Reims
Champagne Lanson was founded in 1760 by Francois Delamotte which makes it the fourth oldest house in the world. During its changing of hands in the last several decades, "...vintages of Lanson remained of high quality... Much of this success in the face of adversity must be down to Gandon."
Launched in 2011 is Lanson's L’Académie de Lanson and its Little Black Book of Champagne. The House believes strongly in viewing champagne as a wine and not purely as a label. The Lanson Academy was developed to engage and enlighten all champagne drinkers. - ♥Chérie Du Vin
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