Charlotte is notoriously a Bev City, but when I first arrived in 2016, it was overwhelmingly a BEER city. With a number of local breweries in North Carolina, it was a point of personal pride to drink local. Unfortunately, beer gave me bubble guts in the worst way, and I turned to natty wines, the same that I’d enjoyed in my years in Brooklyn, and the rest was history.

If you haven’t attended before, Loose Tannins Wine Club is typically structured around a tasting — meaning you will experience and reflect on what you taste! While our Somm can teach you a lot about tasting even if you’re not drinking — like the tannins in your heirloom tomatoes? or the uncontested best food pairing for a Baja Blast?? — we’re rarely in a position where we can offer guests an equivalent experience through no-alc/low-alc pours. We don’t mean to be exclusive — we just like to be upfront about it.

So if you’re not into wine OR beer, we get there can feel like there’s nothing to do around here. Luckily, there a lot of brilliant people who have a life outside of Loose Tannins! If you’re planning a little bit of a wine hiatus, check out one of these local clubs (just… promise you’ll come back & tell us about it!)

Positively Pri — No, like, girlie gets it. Priya regularly posts a carousel of “what to do in Charlotte that doesn’t revolve around eating alcohol and drinking at a restaurant” that is inspired. If we weren’t Loose Tannins, we’d want to be working with Priya.

Book Club — Too many to choose from! Loose Tannins has 4 book clubs represented, some open, some not. Send us your trope, and we can help pair you with a book shop & community of readers to read with.

Game Club — There are game bars and there are game meet-ups! There are Dungeon Masters looking to round out a party, and there are ladies who mahjong! Let us know what you prefer and we can get you plugged in with your group of choice.

Craft Club — Fresh Squeezed Craft Club is a Latina-owned, therapist-informed project from the world of Limoncito Goods. Expect a free community offering on the first Sunday of each month, and a “menu” of craft projects at their shop, La Bodeguita, throughout.

Run Club — Mad Miles Run Club offers community for all running levels! Prepare for a marathon or simply stay on track for a fitness goal. You’ll leave feeling so good!

Comedy Club — Already have a tight 5? Attend a show or commit to a class.. amateur improv comedy groups in the area have you start in a beginner class that ultimately “graduates” into a performance ready group.

Pickleball Club — I know they’re out there, but I’m not the girl to find them for you. Sorry!

Actually, don’t make me talk to anyone either…

Tired of all the extroversion at LT, and looking for a little low-stimulation, parallel play action? Honestly, we feel this way sometimes, too! For when you wanna try new things but don’t necessarily need to make new friends about it:

Live Figure Drawing — If I were looking for a live drawing meet up, I’d chat with the good people at Good Postage.

Silent Reading — That’s Novel read-alongs have been put on pause for the moment, but consider a release event or author’s talk at That’s Novel or Trope Bookshop!

Coffee Cuppings — Look out for coffee cuppings and learn more about your morning brew in a low pressure environment, offered by the Head Roaster at Hex Coffee.

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This week’s theme was People’s Choice, a wine pairing based on votes from the most dedicated attendees to our weekly tastings… It was an attending where predominantly women could attend and — shocking no one — the women voted for Bordeaux Blanc.

Imani (LT’s current Somm-in-Residence) and I got to work.

Your Somm should challenge your expectations

We had a vision for what we wanted to achieve: deepen the understanding of the region in a way that would feel relevant and vital. There is, of course, nothing wrong with wanting a mindless wine from time to time, and there’s nothing wrong with having favorite grapes and styles. But with this group, the pervasive “if it’s Savvy B, it’s for me” default is one we work against as constantly as the refrain “Barolo for the Boys.”

The challenge for this tasting was confronting the assumption that Bordeaux Blanc is just one thing: shorthand for Sauvignon Blanc, a gulpable, dry white wine. (Naturally a sweet wine would have to make the list!)

Find Us At Our Next Tasting

Your Somm should provide context

Our through-line focused on getting to know Bordeaux through the lesser-known grape of Sémillon, a thin-skinned rival to Chardonnay that was cultivated in the Middle Ages and drowned out in the competitive white wine market of the 1990s.

We wanted to leave everyone with a few major takeaways:

🍇 the name Sémillon comes form Saint-Émilion — you’ll always remember it’s Bordeaux

🍇 Sémillon has certainly key qualities — high aromatics, thin-skin susceptibility to rot, and honey notes that make it more aptly comparable to Chenin Blanc in the Loire than Chardonnay in Burgundy

🍇 Sémillon’s obscurity has more to do with new world trade politics than flavor profile

And of course, we connected the tasting back to the fires 🔥 plaguing the area this summer. When you hear about those fires, you should think of Graves. You should taste honey. It should tug at your heart strings.

Your Somm should share constructive critique, with the aim of improving your experience

The tasting was at a bar that Tannins had previously written off. Perhaps encountering a server who was still learning the list, the members of LT determined the despite the title, the establishment wasn’t intending to curate a serious wine program. (Contrast this with the hole-in-the-wall game bar, Mother of Dragons we partnered with earlier this month that had a list and wine program that had no business being that stellar!)

Through the eyes of the Somm-in-Resident, however, the venue sang. Through shared, language, research, and expertise, Imani and the Beverage Manager were able to articulate different palate expectations, offer points of contrast, and help the group to delicious new and enjoyable wines (full list below).

Your Somm should provide structure (and offer alternatives)

In fact, no men made it to White Bordeaux night, and that’s okay. Is it because the event was advertised with a track from 2005 Rihanna? No. Everyone loves Rihanna.

But it was only with that undiluted attention of these white wine aficionados, that we had space for my favorite way to build trust with new clients: to meet their expectations exactly on the nose, and then ask them to trust me to take them somewhere new.

And the new horizons do tend to deliver! Our tasting featured:

Oops! Looks like this list is for subscribers only! For a list of suggestions for your own White BDX tasting, message Loose Tannins directly.

It’s the constant refrain lobbed at me in the grocery as my husband follows me around with the basket. I, an independent woman who has been doing her own grocery shopping for over 20 years, scowls stubbornly.

“August 18th!” I show him. I’m defensive; it’s still July and I’m not sure why he’s always on my case about this, “This will not last us two days.” But his head is already inside the refrigerator, foraging for a better, later expiration date. He re-emerges, triumphant: “August 22nd!” and he’s off and zooming to the next station. “If you’re going to pay the same price, wouldn’t you want something fresher?”

This makes sense to me, if you’re considering fresh fruit, but I won’t admit this. He’s two meters ahead of me, continue on about how much the taste and texture mozzarella changes in a week. I did not know this, and if I’m honest, checking the expiration dates on cheese has not occurred to me in years. I’m no chef, I rarely enjoy homecooking, but I know well enough to take my time selecting good produce… It dawns on me, with a creeping guilt, that I don’t think of my processed foods as expirable at all. If it’s outlived its welcome on my shelves at home, of course it needs to be binned. But if it’s in the refridgerated goods section of a major store? I assume it hasn’t been their long. I’m certainly not in the habit of looking for something that’s been there… less long…

The corrective — I mean, ahem, collective shopping experience is one I will come to understand is the norm around here. Necks crane around me so much they might snap as I weigh my various produce selections to a chorus of small, nosy murmurs of approval. I’m reassured that it’s not just me: when a young man cannot find the correct label for his white nectarines, three people jump to his aide. When the sticker that spits out the appropriate barcode needs refilling, the line reforms patiently, in the same order in front of a second machine. It reminds me of the way people sought help, information, guidance from their peers instinctively before ever considering going to a professor in my French graduate program. An instinct I’m not accustomed to. Perhaps this nosy hovering was as much about policing peer shopping behaviors as it was about learning how to do things without ever having to appear ignorant…

There is something I can’t quite put my finger on in the knowing and the selecting and the handling of food here. I realize it is done in a way that feels, from my perspective, somehow masculine-coded. Far from the flights of whimsy and impulse buys that typically overtake me in a supermarket, this is a competitive, serious undertaken, to be handled with the utmost precision. Here, it is “correct” to select seasonal items, whereas a basket including frozen foods and fatty potato chips is pitiable. The Monoprix shopping follows a pattern I have noticed in French culture, where cooking, and curator, and being an arbiter of taste is a male-dominated field. Just another sphere, among countless these days, where I feel that I, a young foreign woman, am expected to take notes. But it’s not all bad.

I grow confident in the grocery to tell the poissoniere conspiratorially that this is my first time buying fish in France. He grins ear to ear, and does not give me the fish I have pointed to or acknowledge my fluent request for portions, for reasons that baffle me. (What gives? I converted to metric! I used the correct and polite verb tense!) He gives me what he thinks is best, and when the salmon turns out perfect that evening, I recognize it is as much his doing as my own. I’m simply the vessel.

And who cares, because dinner WAS delicious. When I return a few days later to thank him, and offer credit where it’s due, a sign announces he is gone for the summer. “Ha! Gone Fishing,” I joke. My husband does not laugh; vacation is important. And there are expiration dates to check.

Taylor Sheridan’s hit series Yellowstone follows the powerful landowning mafia -- I mean family -- the Duttons, and their ranch in Montana. John Dutton’s control over his family, local politics, and a massive cattle ranch paint a beautiful picture of life in the American west. But what looks like beauty from a distance is, up close, a series of decisions about survival and legacy.

“When you look at that calf what do you see?

“I see a life I gotta defend until it grows up and feeds me.”

“That’s exactly what a cowboy should see. But a cattleman sees a $293 investment worth $1100 in seven months, whether it feeds anyone or not.” - James Dutton, Yellowstone

And in much the same ways, Napa Valley landowners conceive of, protect, defend, and strategize about their own land. Recent natural disasters, like the Glass fires in 2020, or the ongoing Pickett Fire Case reflect the huge investments in the wine country and the stakes of managing vineyards, and the big business behind every painstakingly pruned vine, every drop that makes up a precious bottle. But what happens when we start to conflate “survival” and “living off the fat of the land” with our rights to grow our property-assets? And why do we travel over middle America in hopes that we will get to see our favorite winemaker in overalls?

Yellowstone centers on a cattle ranch in Montana, but it could just as easily be a story about land ownership in Texas, where Sheridan grew up, or wine country. Others have made the wine-oil-cattle ranch connection. In a listing for stunning Napa Valley ranch called Glendale Ranch, listing agent Erin Lail of Coldwall Banker Brokers of the Valley highlights its strategic positioning: “It’s arguably the crown jewel of Napa Valley. This is not just a property; it’s an opportunity to invest in a legacy that can be cherished for generations to come in the heart of Napa Valley.” The listing describes the property as “sublime” and “incomparable” with 40 acres of vineyards.

Current owners of Glendale Ranch conceive of themselves as stewards of the land, much like the Duttons do:

Raw land, wild land, free land can never be owned. Some men pay dearly for the privilege of its stewardship... - Elsa Dutton, 1883

“With hundreds of plantable acres, secured water rights and a canvas that extends from the private valley floor to the ridge lines, their decisions will influence this landscape for generations to come.” - Glendale Ranch owners Lindsey Wiseman, Andrew Green

The listing also details the establishment of the ranch by Daniel Fasker, Texas oil magnate, in 1938, using the refreshingly honest term, holdings. It also cites farming development for use of the George Yount family in the early 1800s, and acknowledges the long stewardship of the land by the Onasatis people.

It’s interesting that, despite its current, active management, we must go back 1880s to really give credence to this idyllic vision of the gentleman farmer. It’s equally interesting that this period marks reconstruction: a tumultuous period focused on reintegrating former Confederate states, reconstructing the Southern economy, and establishing the rights of four million African Americans who had never before been allowed to own property.

After 140 years of continued “stewardship”, what has changed? What would it really take to hold onto this land for another century? After closing, what are the continued maintenance costs of owning and protecting something considered this valuable, fertile, and potentially exploitable? What unseemly behavior is written off as the cost of doing business of any mega landowner? And if this valuable land is preserved, would we still package it for re-sale by touting its’ potential for extraction?

But for those of us that want to enjoy our trip to Napa Wine Valley, we suspend our disbelief and let ourselves be swept away by the myth of the gentleman farmer, a sharp man, rugged and untamed, who shows mastery over the elements and still makes time for family dinner. A man who no longer exists today, and probably never did. Now, If only Sheridan could find a way to bottle that up....

Try Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 Reserve Napa Cab, an messy homage to extractive corporate agriculture, in partnership with Tim McGraw, a man who made his first millions selling tickets to middle class Americans who... for some reason, like songs about people who live off the land.... Yeehaw?

In May, I packed my bags to move to a new city. We had months to prepare for it, but the knowing didn’t stop the messy feelings — the anger, the shock, and frustration that comes with having familiar patterns shift.

I have not historically been big on routines. But a big move felt different than moves in my twenties. In that decade, among the messy fits and starts of extended adolescence, we felt the familiar tide of friends leaving the city but never the GroupChat for the dream career. Like a theater kid, in an opening number and a backpack, the world was our audience and our stage. We were stepping into our destinies! So, when I returned to North Carolina a few years later, with the same bags I’d left with, confused to find my “destiny” looked rather like my old life, no one seemed too surprised. But things were different. The moves seemed more destabilizing, the weekends earlier. My friends all had something (mortgages, lawns, dogs, children, parents to care for.) The changes, big and small, were starting to feel permanent.

And so the specific pairings required for big changes grew more significant, too.

1. For the Friend Who Bought a Place in the Suburbs. Something sparkling. The one who once knew every bouncer in town is soon to be checking the baby monitor and regularly referencing early morning appointments. You’re not going to finish the bottle. So go for a glass or something expensive, like a champagne and cheers to the time you could steal away to bask in each other’s presence.

2. For the Friend Moving to a New City. A low tannin red. Regardless of what the wine tastes like, more time will pass than either of you hope until the next time you see her. Choose something with soft tannins to and a ripe fruit, something sweet to balance the bitterness of a goodbye. Snap a photo to savor the memory, beautiful and blurry.

3. For a Friend that has Drifted Apart. Bring two — one to drink now, and one to cellar. Honor your friendship with a loose connection to the past or an old favorite (Duck Cellar? Barefoot?) Honor her future with something exciting — gorgeous label art, or a crowd pleasing bottle. You don’t have to be close to wish someone well.

4. For Chronic Conditions & Medical Emergencies. Something zero proof. For the one with the ovarian cyst, endometriosis, a tumor, an autoimmune disease, preparing for a marathon or more the wine is for the guests. For her, leave a sparkling water, offer to make a cocktail, or a lemonade made from a simple syrup. If she’s on a journey, we are too, to find small ways to become more inclusive and supportive.

5. For the Anniversary of a Friend’s Passing. Anything. September marks a friend who grows further away with each year she stays the same age, and I’m swept away by time and compelled to grow older. For loved ones who are no longer with us, we crack open whatever we have in the fridge, grateful for more time on earth, and a friend to share it with.

It felt like a good time to bring back a recent interview with someone who has lived and learned from his testing: seasoned Wine Pro Adam Arlen. Once a stellar Sommelier Wine Spectator Award Winner, three years consecutively, he is now a rockstar distributor for Orsini Wines. I owe much of my knowledge to his patience and consideration early in my career.

Adam shared his journey with me on one of the most challenging tests in the world, the Advanced Court of Master Sommeliers exam, and his philosophies on building a life & career beyond certifications.

SPILL is the unofficial official podcast of the Loose Tannins Wine Club, based in Charlotte, NC.

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a humble citizen of Athens in 500BCE, invited to a democratic assembly. Pericles is President and citizen-leader (yes, President!, elected and re-elected by the free men of Athens who had completed military service). The night’s proceedings, however, are being led by the Master of Ceremonies and Somm, the Symposiarch.

Despite the fact that women, slaves, and foreigners have no vote (that is to say, 80% of the city’s population of 300,000), Athens has established a type of ‘radical democracy’, lubricated by the world’s most democratizing substance: wine.

The wine & water concoction would then served to lecture hall style room in pitchers -- the same amount for each citizen served at the same time and a steady rate. This steady flow of wine encouraged, in turn, a steady flow of conversation. Drinking the wine was an act of vulnerability - your neighbor wouldn’t dare poison the source knowing he would also be compelled to drink! - and so it was considered a great equalizer. Citizens present were granted both Parrhesia, protected free speech, and Isogoria, the right to speak and have their voice heard in public assembly.

Greek, Roman and Etruscan symposiums followed slightly different customs, they agreed that the optimal reason for introducing alcohol to these animated discussions was to reach a state of thorein—a state of being “alert but relaxed.” The poet Eubulus outlines the 3-krater rule in the comedy Semele or Dionysus:

“For sensible men I prepare only three kraters: one for health (which they drink first), the second for love and pleasure, and the third for sleep. After the third one is drained, wise men go home. The fourth krater is not mine any more – it belongs to bad behaviour; the fifth is for shouting; the sixth is for rudeness and insults; the seventh is for fights; the eighth is for breaking the furniture; the ninth is for depression; the tenth is for madness and unconsciousness.”

We find the same rule works very well for glasses of wine.

Tami V., 3 Keys

Jax Y3 Chardonnay

Walnut Ridge Rose’ of Gamay

Painted Fields Sierra Côtes

Jason N., Haw River

“I get tired of Pinot Noir on the holidays, so these are the light red alternatives to go with turkey and stuffing with cranberries.”

2022 Thet Pineau D’Aunis

2022 Overnoy-Crinquand Ploussard

Michael C., Kellogg

Pedro Parra y Familia, Bluepit 2022—96pts Wine Advocate—$33/bt

*Definitely the wildcard pick, Bluepit País comes from a tiny dry-farmed parcel in Ñipas, Chile, made from wines pushing 150 years old. Winemaker Pedro Parra uses indigenous yeast and whole-cluster fermentation in concrete, then ages the wine reductively in neutral oak until geology becomes the star of the show. On the nose the wine seems nearly devoid of typical “fruit bomb” signatures: instead you get fine, airy herbal and mineral aromas, a tapestry of weightless herbs, subtle underbrush, maybe a whisper of wild fennel or mountain mint that linger with haunting persistence.

James C., Orsini

Argyle Nuthouse Pinot Noir 2008, Willamette Valley

Francois Leclerc Corbeaux 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2015, Gevrey-Chambertin

Paloma Merlot 2017, Spring Mountain

Jacob H., Tryon

Mistinguett Rosé Cava

Jean-Louis Mothe Chablis

“The red was going to be the 2023 Marcel Lapierre Morgon, but a few people came down with the flu, so with only three wine drinkers present we never even opened it.”

Brian B., JB Mutual

Deveaux Cuveé D Champagne

Wehlen 2018 Riesling S.A.Prüm

2021 Denner Mother Of Exiles Bordeaux Blend, Paso Robles

Loose Tannin Thxgiving Picks

Gosset Grand Reserve Brut Champagne - courtesy of Carson

Joubert-Tradauw Chardonnay, Klein Karoo - courtesy of JL

Purple Hands Loan Oak Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- courtesy of the Nanner/Peppers

Cranberry G&Ts - courtesy of the Mercers

Other Prestige Bottles -- perfect for Host Gifts:

• Bregeon Muscadet-Sur-Lie

• Laurent-Perrier Brut (**this one got two shouts!**)

• Château Carbonnieux Blanc, Pessac-Leogan

• Jean Collet & Fils Chbalis Grand Cru, Les Clos

• Trimbach Gewürz

• Robert Sinskey Pinot Blanc (only available in 375mL and 1.5L)

• Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain

• Any vintages and bottlings from Marcel Lapierre

*Find these wines wherever you buy good wine! Loose Tannins is not a wine seller and is not affiliated with any particular licensed wine seller or distributor. But we are happy to help you find some!

Photo from @terroir_matters.

But the interesting thing about NZ Savvy — and I pinky promise I am not judging! - is that for all of the people asking for it, very can tell me why it is they love it. In 2001, Doug Frost, MW, CMS noted “New Zealand wines are generous to a fault and, in the case of the country’s Sauvignon Blanc, some find the flavors of the wine too intense” even “bombastic.” But cool climates give the rip-you-face-off acidity that fans of natural wine love without sacrificing tropical flavors. In short, it tastes a lot like lemonade.

But there’s all kinds of great wine. Sancerre’s Sauvignon Blanc is perfection, and there are other light zippy whites [including…?] So why would this region become such a phenomenon? Economics have a lot to do with it.

Most Sauvignon Blanc is machine harvested, an affordable alternative to the hand-harvesting needed in precarious or temperamental growing conditions. As Margot White wrote for NZ Nat Geo in 2008, “… even if some berries are riper than others at the time of harvesting, they all end up in the same stainless-steel vat. In fact, this mix of ripeness could be partly responsible for those ‘tropical fruit aromas’ and the ‘herbaceous spine’ that a Marlborough sav is so famous for.”

When winemaker Ross Spence first brought clippings to Auckland from UC Davis, in 1969, New Zealand was already experiencing a wine revolution. Like soldiers from so many countries, soldiers from New Zealand came back from World War II having been exposed to new tastes and new ways of drinking and dining. New Zealand slowly turned away from sickly sweet fortified wines, and were eager for something lighter and easier to pair with dinner. After years of Chenin Blanc and the underperforming New Zealand Muller-Thurgau*, (mistakenly planted because growing conditions were believed to be similar to Germany) the hearty Sauvignon Blanc proved a promising replacement.

Spence experienced modest success in early crops, but evidence of root infections and leaf roll virus made it a risky endeavor. When peer viticulturist from Montana Wines recognized the potential of Marlborough’s climate: long, warm days and cool nights, acidity-enhancing maritime influence, minimum rainfall at harvest and free-draining soil. Under their commercial level propagation and foreign investment from Seagram in New York City, the clone took off like a rocket.

The market, however, took a few years to catch up. Sauvignon Blanc gained a small foothold under the name “Fumé Blanc” — so dubbed by Robert Maldovi who was also experimenting dry sauvignon blancs in Sonoma — but by 1980, New Zealand wine lovers faced an onslaught of low-priced, low-quality wines in a tightening economy. The NZ government paid farmers subsidies to pull up their vines and keep wine prices low, and many took the opportunity to replace their vines with hearty Sauvignon Blanc. Determined to do damage control to New Zealand vino’s reputation in the wine world, Ernie Hunter of Hunter Wines took Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to the International Wine Show in the UK, where it won three international awards against France’s Sancerre. Cloudy Bay entered the market as the same time with smart labeling and stellar distribution network in the United Kingdom, and all at once, Sauvignon Blanc was the name whispered round the world.

By the mid-1990s, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay had overtaken the considerably less exciting* Müller-Thurgau in New Zealand as the number one varietal planted. In the United States, Sauvignon Blanc was a refreshing change from the oaky Chardonnay that had the nation in a chokehold, and names like Kim Crawford and Oyster Bay became household names. Holding at under $20/bottle, import of New Zealand wines in the U.S. have steadily grown for 16 consecutive years.

Today, in 2025, the style now accounts for over 86% of wine exported from New Zealand and remains a simple, drinkable grocery store wine. Customers have few complaints, but like too much of any good thing, critics have grown tired it. ‘So much Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc tastes as if it’s come out of the same bottomless tank,’ said critic and Club Oenologique contributor Tim Atkin MW in a 2020 review. But even as Somms snubbed it, casual wine drinkers doubled down on NZ Sauvignon Blanc during a global pandemic. Demand for vibrant, unpretentious, and consistently delicious wines sky-rocketed, and customers were happy to find something they could rely on no matter what.

So why put it on your wine list and on your shelves? In short, because it sells! And it doesn’t look like the nations thirst for this style is going to be quenched any time soon.

*Muller-Thurgau is not disappointing, it’s very cool. Don’t take my word for it, try Covée MT grown in Trentino (Italy).

https://cluboenologique.com/story/marlborough-sauvignon-blanc-evolving-wine-styles/

https://www.nzwine.com/en/media/story/sauvignon-blanc-capital/

https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/wine-grower/wg-general-news/the-history-of-sauvignon-blanc

https://neelburton.com/2024/01/30/the-wines-of-new-zealand/

https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2025/03/14/new-zealand-wine-continues-to-defy-market-trends-growing-for-16th-consecutive-year-in-the-us/

https://macrostiewinery.com/sauvignon-blanc-a-success-story/?srsltid=AfmBOopt2vXaUpZy9s4izH1vnHicCGBk_1GJFA1p_eKZXVjlPtAcnmND

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The Cocoon replaces the 2020 Ecobox, a gift box made from FSC paper, treated with their iconic Art Nouveau flower designs, and marks a satisfying reinterpretation of the technology first introduced by the Ruinart Second Skin.

Pierrer-Jouët: Inspired by nature since 1811.

The fully recyclable ‘coffret’, made in France, and 93% lighter than previous gift boxes offered by the Maison, and serves as a symbol of the brand’s high regard beauty and the environment. Additionally, it links the brand more closely than ever with their commitment to a zero-herbicide policy, preservation of biodiversity, and the development of sustainable growing practices.

Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose-Adélaïde Jouët is named for a young couple united by their love of art and nature. Pierre-Nicolas Perrier, and his son Charles were botanists and horticulturists, regularly implementing progressive ideas on natural 
viticulture and vineyard management for their time. 

 *It is unclear if this vine waste is added for additional structure or added texture.

Last week I discussed the importance of heritage in product premiumization. Which poses the question: What, then, is the difference between Volcan and Eminente in the Moët Hennessy portfolio?

Eminente, another beautiful brand with a story rooted in Cuban heritage, faces very different market conditions.

The rum market is much more saturated in Europe than tequila, meaning that while a great story and beautiful packaging matter, they will not be enough to stand apart from other rhum brands.

To emphasize its unique features, quality, and exclusivity, Eminente should be focusing on different selling points than Volcan.

Rather than highlighting a strong, biodiversity strategy or highlighting the makers of their product, Eminente has a targeted strategy for existing rum consumers.

Exceptional experiences, is the name of their game. You will find Eminente enlisting the help of bar tenders elevate the versatility and flavor profile of their product, and offering unique installations, such as the Hotel Monte Carlo exhibit and the newly opened Casa Eminente. should do the trick to build buzz and make already-eager rum aficionados rabid.

In an uncertain market, many brands turn to premiumization, the process of enhancing the features of a brand that make it unique and appealing. This can happen for an existing brand, but it call also happen for an entire product segment, as is the case of Tequila in recent months.

Moët Hennessy has started its first tequila brand, Volcan, and paired this fresh story with an iconic look in the XA bottle. Brand elements feature the farmers and the AOP of Jalisco, acknowledging the historical knowledge, the rich heritage of the region, and offering the same dignity to Mexican spirits as they afford to France’s noble vineyards.

Bold brand identities, strong existing communities, and green credentials are essential for any new brand looking to launch in 2023, and the time is ripe for Tequila and Mezcaleria stories to be told!

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Each November, the annual Beaujolais festivals celebrate the fresh bottling of this unpretentious wine and the rich history of the region. Beaujolais boasting wines that have been around since the reign of Julius Cesar and was bottled by monks. It is also known for sporting many innovations in wine making, including strategies for protecting the vines from phylloxera and new sprays to protect vines from mildew.

Light and abundant, Beaujolais was bottled by the monk-vintners and shipped down the river for restaurants to use. It remains a popular, modest choice for Thanksgiving dinners everywhere.

In honor of COP27, we chose to highlight packaging innovations as a way to tackle decarbonisation of the spirit and beverage industry. The following posts detail various notable innovations:

• Recycling & High Consumer Cooperation in Craft Beer

• Eco-design - Lightweight & Streamlined

• Upcycling & New End of Life Ideas

Two brands are offering eco-friendly champagne options to help you celebrate Champagne Day, the last Friday of October.

• Champagne Telmont, a Rémy Cointreau brand, has announced they will trade the clear bottles for a lighter, recycled bottle alternative and no longer package their bottles in a gift box, reducing packaging waste and lessening shipping weights. The commitment reflects their “In the Name of Mother Nature” commitment to cutting down carbon emissions by 50% before 2030.

• Ruinart, a maison in the LVMH group, announced a different packaging solution this time last year with their “second skin,” a wood fibre material that is recyclable, water resistant and insulating, and fits perfectly to the form of the Ruinart signature bottle. The texture was design to invoke the cuvées of Riems, where the drink is made. The packaging protects the Blanc de Blancs and Rosé de Blancs from purchase all the way until serving.

Both Ruinart and Telmont have committed to shipping by land and sea, rather than by air freight.