Brunello Cucinelli’s Post

“Wine makes blood”, as Florentines often say. Tuscany is an area rich in vineyards. The production and sale of wine was already strictly regulated in the Middle Ages, and a winegrowers' guild has existed here since 1288. No one but the guild members were allowed to sell wine. There was one small exception, however, for owners of vineyards who made wine on their land for themselves. Namely, non-members of the guild were only allowed to trade in "decanters" (or in Italian "a fiaschi") and only from a private house. In those days many influential Florentine families, such as the Antinori, owned vineyards and produced wine. What was the benefit of selling it privately? It's simple, wine destined for one's own cellar was not taxed on entry into the city. However, it was not such a simple task to organize "distribution points" inside the city walls. Times were turbulent, however, and the entrance to the properties was kept shut even during the day. As luck would have it, someone among the noble producers came up with the idea of a more convenient and secure way of selling wine - a small decanter-sized window carved into the outer wall of the palace, not far from the main entrance. A win-win situation, as the wine could be stored in a room next to the entrance, and it could be sold by the same servant who was supposed to watch the main gate. And it was a success. When the plague came to Florence in 1630, the sale of wine through the windows did not stop, although the coins now had to be thrown onto a special tray from where they were immediately sent for disinfection with vinegar. This was the medieval kilometer zero, from the producer directly to the buyer. By the 20th century, the tradition had gradually died out. But in 2020, at the height of the lockdown, bar and restaurant owners turned to the ancient tradition of "social distance" and began offering not only wine, but also coffee, gelatos and various drinks from those very medieval wine windows. An interesting tradition, isn’t it? *** Let us help you design your next trip around Italy. #aureatravelitaly #travelinspiration #italytravel #howitalyfeels

BEYOND BORDEAUX, the fourth episode of Inside La Place de Bordeaux by ARENI Global, discusses a pivotal moment in the history of La Place: the exact moment when the fine wine market became a truly international fine wine market. Twenty years ago, wines from countries like Chile, Argentina and Australia accounted for less than one half of one percent of the global fine wine trade altogether — despite the presence of Almaviva and Opus One on La Place. But all that changed in 2010, towards the end of the global financial crisis. The rise of less expensive airfares due to cheap oil prices, and more affordable accommodation options like Airbnb led to the rise of gastrotourism with its focus on visiting the best restaurants in the world. At the same time, both executives and tourists alike started visiting premium wineries directly – and they wanted to experience these wines again once they got back home. By 2016, approximately 30 million bottles of foreign wines were being consumed in France, a figure that wouldn’t have seemed possible just ten years earlier, when “fine wine” in France was limited to Bordeaux and Burgundy and occasionally Champagne. A greater need for global distribution became clear – and La Place de Bordeaux was in the perfect position to respond to this need. #BeyondBordeaux #Bordeaux #LaPlace #ARENI Enjoy the fourth episode of this acclaimed series featuring Pauline Vicard, co-founder and executive director of ARENI Global, and editorial director Felicity Carter by listening here: https://lnkd.in/eRupckG8

🚨 Bing! Amazing Wine Alert 🚨 Spirits Sourcery is not just about discovering the world’s rarest bottles; we are also enthusiastic about finding hidden gems that punch well above their price tag! 🌟 With 42,000 bottles rated on Vivino, you will find everything from the undrinkable to legends like the 1945 Romanée-Conti. (They only made six hundred bottles but yes, we can supply those if you are interested! 😉) But the real thrill? Uncovering wines that over-deliver in every way—like Castillejos from Calvente Winery. 🍷 This remarkable wine has not only featured in the top 1% on Vivino of all wines produced globally but has also graced tables at numerous 3-star Michelin restaurants in Spain. Calvente is a family-owned winery nestled in the stunning mountains of Granada, southern Spain. The passion they pour into their craft shines through in every sip. Although widely distributed across Europe, Calvente offers a unique opportunity for expansion, including in travel retail where there is no representation currently. They may not be a household name yet outside of Spain, but their authenticity and dedication are unmatched. 🌍✨ With the travel retail community about to descend en masse to Cannes for TFWA in the next few weeks, now is the perfect time to share this opportunity. If you are a progressive operation and searching for a partner brand that values quality, collaboration, and storytelling, then please get in touch. #WineDiscovery #CalventeWinery #SpiritsSourcery #HiddenGems #WineLovers #QualityOverQuantity #WineBusiness

Can you believe it has been a week since we closed the doors on the final event of our national, five-city tour of LANGTONS Classification of Australian Wine Eighth Edition? Over 2500 guests, RIEDEL glass in hand, took to the red carpet, passed the Vintec Wine Cabinets and tasted from the 4837 opened bottles of Australia's best and finest wines as we landed what are, without doubt, the best wine-tasting events in Australia. We are immensely grateful to our winery and industry partners for helping us deliver this mammoth effort. We have been waiting to host these events since we last did so in 2018. And the wines. Oh! The wines. Over 100 of them. A is for Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged. We like to open our events with fizz, and, naturally, we were at the top of the tree for the Classification series. B is for Bass Phillip tasted next to Bindi, an elite-level masterclass in distinct Australian terroirs. C is for Classified Chardonnay, a tasting that took us from east to west with the deep energy of Cullen Kevin John to the tense, acrobatic balance of Tyrrell's Vat 47. Next to Shiraz. But where to start? Barossa Valley? Eden Valley? Hunter Valley? Or Beechworth or Canberra or Sunbury or Yarra or Grampians. Australia does Shiraz well and in many different styles and places. Following that with Cabernets felt like artillery being rolled out as Coonawarra and Margaret River staked their claims for regional dominance. Yarra Valley and Tasmania asked serious questions with flagship offerings that had punters sniffing, sipping, oohing and aahing as they got into deep discussions with one eye on the clock. Being in the fine wine auction business, we know what rarity does for demand. Six years since our last Classification event feels like a very long time. However, LANGTONS Classification is a guide for buyers to secondary market trends for Australian fine wine. The time between drinks allows us to map great changes in Australian fine wine rather than vintage variation. And what a pleasure it was to spend time with the Australian fine wine community, makers and tasters alike. RIEDEL - The Wine Glass Company Vintec The Australian

Make this July extraordinary with a visit to Quinta da Vacaria! 🔸 Historic charm: with its first recorded mention dating back to 1616, Quinta da Vacaria is steeped in rich history and tradition. Walking through this estate is like taking a step back in time. 🔸 Breathtaking landscapes: marvel at the stunning vistas of the Douro Valley and the picturesque Casa da Vinha. 🔸 Guided vineyard tours: enjoy a guided walking tour through the vineyards. Learn about the winemaking process, the estate’s history, and the unique characteristics that make Douro wines so special. 🔸 Wine tasting experiences: from robust reds to elegant whites, savor the flavors that have made Quinta da Vacaria a renowned name in the wine world.

En Primeur 🍷 📈 Investing in Bordeaux En Primeur offers early access to newly released vintages, providing a chance to procure wine directly from producers before broader market availability. This practice, common in esteemed wine regions like Bordeaux, presents several advantages, including access to rare wines at initial release prices, opportunities to secure allocations of highly sought-after vintages, and the assurance of provenance. When looking at wines from an investment point of view, we consider various factors including scoring, critics' reviews, past vintages, and branding Critics’ Reviews: Highly acclaimed wines endorsed by such critics often command premium prices. For example: • The 1989 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc, awarded a perfect score of 100 by Robert Parker, commands £2,000 per bottle • The 2005 Chateau Ausone, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, earning 100 points from The Wine Advocate, fetches £1,200 per bottle. Top Vintages: • Vintage: 1949, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961 and 1982 • More Recent Vintages: 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018 and 2019 left bank Classification: The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 divides estates into First to Fifth Growth based on prestige and market value First Growth Wines (Premier Cru) represent the highest tier: 🥇 Château Haut-Brion Château Lafite Rothschild Château Latour Château Margaux Château Mouton Rothschild Second Growth Wines, often referred to as "super seconds," boast promising investment potential. A few to note: 🥈 Château Cos d’Estournel Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Château La Mission Château Montrose Château Léoville-Poyferré 5th Growth Wines, despite their accessible prices, frequently demonstrate remarkable investment potential. 🏅 Château Pontet-Canet Château Lynch-Bages Château Batailley Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Château Lynch-Bages for example. In essence, Bordeaux En Primeur investments offer a diverse array of opportunities, enabling investors to capitalise on the allure and prestige of Bordeaux's finest offerings, whether it's the revered First Growth estates, the promising Second Growth producers, or the accessible yet formidable 5th Growth wines. Are you securing a case this campaign? ? ✅ #investing #assurance #quality #enprimeur #future

BORDEAUX SECOND LABELS REPRESENT VALUE For centuries. Famous Bordeaux estates made their premier cru, and sold it at the highest price they can. Bordeaux are always blends, and the premier cru are the best barrel’s blends, the remaining lots are still very fine wines, and in many cases they are sold as second labels under a different name. Some chateaux make even third labels. Chateau Margaux, a classified premier grand cru, uses 33 percent of the crop for its prestige blend, another 33 precedent goes into the second label, and third portion into the third blend. Some second labels cost a fraction of the prestige bottle, and most wine enthusiasts wait eagerly for them to appear in wine shops. Here are some second labels you can try, when they are available. Chateau Lafite Rothschild second label Caruades de Lafite Chateau Latour Les Forts de Latour Chatau Margaux Pavillon Rouge Chateau Mouton Rothschild Le Petit Mouton Chateau Brane Cantenac Le Baron de Brane There are many other classified Bordeaux chateaux that produce second labels The L C B O occasionally offers second labels.

"When I run into people not using Tripleseat, I bend their ear and tell them it will change their life. I meet with a lot of venues here in Northern California, and I tell them what a timesaver it has been, how helpful it has been with reporting, how it has helped us bring so much more revenue in, how it helps us communicate with clients - it’s such a valuable tool, and I can say with confidence that our event program would not be where it is without Tripleseat." - Johanna Holm, Director of Marketing and Events at Elusa Winery Locals and travelers alike visit Napa Valley’s Elusa Winery to experience its incredible wines through wine tastings, facility tours, and private events. Elusa Winery has grown its private event offerings – hosting wine dinners, receptions, and private tastings - for social and corporate clientele. Since implementing Tripleseat to streamline the event management process, Elusa Winery has tripled its annual private event revenue, cementing private events as a substantial part of its business. We sat down with Johanna Holm to learn about her experience using Tripleseat to manage Elusa Winery's growing private events program. Check out the full case study below. https://bit.ly/3JEK5Dt #eventindustry #hospitalityindustry #eventsales #wineryevents #winery #wineindustry #eventmanagement #eventplanning #eventexperiences

Still a few bottles left of the exclusive 2008 Dom Pérignon for investment 🍾   The 2008 Dom Pérignon is back and available at a rare price drop, offering a unique investment opportunity! Here’s why you should invest:   Exceptional Quality: Rated as “the finest Dom Pérignon of the decade” by Wine Advocate and scored 97+ points by top critics.   Demand: 2008 Dom Pérignon stands out among few legendary vintages and is among the most traded wines of the year. A bucket-list wine for future wine lovers.   Price Correction: A recent market shift means this vintage is available at an 18% discount compared to last year, making now an ideal time to invest in a champagne icon.   And with the next top champagne vintage years away, demand for 2008 Champagnes rises. Read more below.