Spring is in the Air

Here is our blueprint for the perfect Spring Tasting that you can pass on to your customers to put them in the mood. No one wine is the best companion for any time of year. The fun part is tasting, matching and trying different wines of the season. If you inspire your customers to do so, they'll be forever grateful. Spring is so dynamic and invigorating it's the perfect time to explore new food & wines!

Start with Prosecco a friendly sometime sweet, sparkling wine from Italy (Grandma will love it!) which is a great match for your brunch. Prosecco is typically low in alcohol (you see we told you grandma would love it!) and energizes your wine tasting with the nuances of spring: fresh cleansing renewal. Easily quaffed and convenient with food, yet still serious. To showcase your Prosecco serve in our elegant Champagne Flutes to highlight the sparkling bubbles and make sure to keep it fresh with our Champagne Stopper.

An off the beaten path wine that deserves more respect then it garners is Rosé. When featuring a Rosé remember when people see that pink-orange hue they think "sweet". A true Rosé is not a frilly, fruity, fiasco. Rosé wines provide an "out of the box" flavor experience and fragrances that require atmosphere. You begin with a slight chill, an array of food and interesting conversation. Since food and warmer weather are the theme of the season accent your Rosé choices with beautiful Spring infused flowers. Our Spring Assortment is a great gift for the Sunday brunch hostess and the perfect accent for this under rated wine. If you are lucky enough to enjoy Spring outside Pinic Stixs are sensational spiral shoots reminiscent of the flowers of Spring and will brilliantly display the special notes of Rosé. Remember...atmosphere is key.

Big reds are in the rearview mirror so we can now focus on the full yet accessible flavors of Burgundy...this means Pinot Noir. Whether it is freshly harvested shellfish, the first runs of spring salmon or the annual feast of lamb, Pinot Noir is a formidable and spectacular Spring wine tasting favorite. Choose your selections from a variety of regions to provide value, tradition and the best vintages they have to offer. Cheeses and meats from throughout the world are traditional matches for the great red grape of Burgundy and our Slate Cheese Board is the perfect presentation for these food pairings. Great food & wine coupled with our Bamboo Buffet Plates will allow you to keep one hand free while you enjoy your Spring infused fare!

Share your ideas and thoughts with us on what you think go best with the season of re-birth and awakening...Happy Spring.

Oscars!

With the Academy Awards now behind us, we thought it might be fitting to get you up to speed on the increasing number of celebrities making wine or owning their own labels. A quick Google search returns some interesting celebrities making wine ranging from rapper Lil Jon to Nancy Pelosi to Jason Priestly of Beverly Hills 90210 fame. For a fun and informative list of celebrities who own wineries, you should really click here.

After reading the large and growing list, we at True Fabrications had to wonder if celebrities do in fact sell more wine? We dug around a little and found a quick review of Nielsen data online that says:

“The Nielsen data, which do not reflect the impact of the current economic crisis, indicate that grocery store sales of celebrity wine grew by nearly 19 percent in 2007, albeit from a low base (the celebrity wine category is still a small market segment - less than one percent).

The average price of the celebrity wines, $8.50, is higher than the supermarket average of $5.75, according to Nielsen. Unsurprisingly, the Nielsen report focuses on marketing and distribution (not the quality of the wines themselves) as the key factors driving sales growth.”

Has your store created a section in your wine store dedicated to celebrity wines? We would love to hear your feedback on whether celebrity wines sell or if customers ask for them in your stores to pick up as fun and novel wine gifts? Email us back if you have any comments on this topic as we would love to hear from you.

Cheers!