EuroCave Professional International

Pictures : Two is better

2011-11-17T18:49:00.000Z

Discover the amazing installation of two ShowCave by "L'auberge de Confignon" (Switzerland)

Coordinates of the restaurant :

Auberge de Confignon

Place de l'Eglise 6

1232 Confignon

Tél : +41 22 757 19 44
Fax : +41 22 757 18 89
Mail : info@auberge-confignon.ch
Website : www.auberge-confignon.ch

Victor Papadopoulos: driving force of La Maison du Vin

2011-11-07T16:19:00.003Z

What started as a personal longing for quality French wine in Cyprus quickly turned into the highly successful La Maison du Vin. However, Victor Papadopoulos’ own story began in distant Congo where he was born as his family had a coffee plantation business there. Being forced to flee during the nationalisation period and being of Cypriot descent, Cyprus was the natural destination for Victor while pondering whether to live in France or Belgium.

As he had a passion for wine from his early years and later having become wellacquainted with the wines and vineyards of France, Victor decided to return and permanently reside in Cyprus 15 years ago.

There was one thing he missed terribly though — high quality French wines. So through his previous French contacts and acquaintances, Victor began to bring small quantities for himself which he also shared with friends.

At the same time, he recognised that there was a gap in the Cyprus market of these quality French wines especially when dining out at upscale hotels and restaurants and decided to open up a lovely small wine shop, La Maison du Vin.

Once he realised that the business was going very well and demand was growing, by the second year, Victor proceeded to import wines from other quality producers of Europe, later expanding to New World wines as well.

Prestigious wine producers

Victor is proud of the choices of wine producers he personally made to represent are some of the top names in the business. There may be tens or hundreds of thousands of wine producers in the world; however, a number of his selected producers have been named best in the world by prestigious magazines such as Wine Spectator and Decanter. Names such as Gaja, Guigal, Cassanova Di Neri and Casa Lapostolle are synonymous with top class wines.

The prestigious Alpha Estate wines from northern Greece have also won accolades from top wine critics including being named Greece’s best wine by Decanter. The pride and flagship of La Maison du Vin is the Ruinart Champagne range produced by the oldest champagne house. The President of Ruinart, who was in Cyprus a few months ago, proclaimed Cyprus to be the largest per capita consumer of Ruinart Champagne - a feat achieved through the enthusiasm and efforts of Victor Papadopoulos.

Beyond wines

La Maison du Vin has grown to become the exclusive local agents of the Eurocave range, the inventor 35 years ago of the now popular wine storage units which a wine aficionado’s home cannot be without. Compliments to wine include the Maxim’s of Paris fine food and chocolates which are especially popular during the holidays as part of customdesigned gift packages for delivery to special friends and business associates anywhere in Cyprus.

Having started as a small shop in Limassol, La Maison du Vin expanded six years ago by opening a second shop in Nicosia. Then two years ago, the Limassol La Maison du Vin moved to very impressive specially-designed, self-owned premises which include temperature and humiditycontrolled cellars, a chic shop as well as a wine tasting and training room.

Cyprus wine culture

Many years ago in Cyprus, people mainly drank beer, brandy or whiskey with their meal. But recently there has been a change in Cyprus’ wine culture and the elevated appreciation of wine has given Victor even more reason to enthusiastic about the future of wine in Cyprus.

Cyprus wines have markedly improved with a new breed of wine producers coming to the forefront.The level of the wining and dining experience has markedly improved as well with restaurants and hotels upgrading their menus with more creative upscale selections using ingredients unfamiliar to Cyprus a few years back. Of course, their wine lists are also at a level to complement the culinary creations.

As the Cyprus President of La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the oldest gastronomic society, Victor further promotes the philosophy of the fine dining experience. Victor also notes that with a number of other cavas also importing fine wines and more wine journalists who have helped promote the appreciation of fine wines has helped in offering people the knowledge and choice to select wines they will enjoy.

Honours

Victor feels honoured that his contribution has been recognised, having been bestowed with several high honours. Besides being a Chevalier Du Tastevin, Victor was decorated by France, with the L’ordre du Merite Agricole in 2004 and just recently with the L’ordre National du Merite.

The latter, the highest decoration, was presented by the Ambassador of France on behalf of Nicolas Sarkozy, not so much for the promotion of French wines, but rather for the promotion of French culture, gastronomy, image and lifestyle.

Last year, Italy also bestowed high honours to Victor, with the Ambassador of Italy presenting him the Cavaliere Dell’Ordine al Merito della Republica Italiana. As for the future, Victor is content with where he is right now—to have continued good health, the business thriving, and to enjoy good food and wine as often as possible with dear friends and loved ones.

EuroCave at Bistro du Vin

2011-10-14T14:32:00.000+01:00

Ronan Sayburn, Director of Wine for Hotel du Vin talks about wine service and how he uses Eurocave within the hotel and bistro group.

First Sowine Pro in Canada !

2011-09-02T14:59:00.001+01:00

Here is the first Sowine Pro in Canada ! (The first of a great and long series)

Then if you have the opportunity to go in Laval (Quebec), "Rendez-vous" at the Sterlings restaurant to admire the "famous" Sowine pro but also to taste a magnificent wines selection.

Coordinates :
Sterlings restaurant
Centropolis
165 Promenade du centropolis
Laval (Québec)
H7T 2Z6

tel.: 450.682.4800
fax.: 450.682.4070

www.sterlingsrestaurant.com
info@sterlingsrestaurant.com

EuroCave Professional meets you at the prestigious event HAUTE CUISINE PARIS®

2011-07-07T20:17:00.001+01:00

HAUTE CUISINE PARIS®, a cultural theatre of culinary curiosity, will take place in Paris from 7th-10th July in the gardens of Palais Royal, during the Haute Couture collections.

Jardins du Palais Royal - Paris

This event, sponsored by Guy Martin, Chef at the Grand Vefour, will bring together the major players of the French and International gastronomical world. The first two days will be open exclusively to professionals and the following two days, which fall on the weekend, will welcome the general public.
An international gastronomic journey, HAUTE CUISINE PARIS® aims to bring together all those for whom cuisine is a pleasure, a celebration, by inviting them to discover each facet and uniqueness of this savoir-faire.

Presentation :
This cabinet of curiosity will celebrate culinary values and all its aspects, leaving the talent and imagination of its players to create remarkable and delicious par¬tnerships, performances. There will obviously also be tastings as celebrating gastronomy is simply not pos¬sible without a tasting.

Taking place in the Jardin du Palais Royal as an em¬otional and aesthetic journey, HAUTE CUISINE PARIS® will unite the gastronomic world through one central theme : TAKE-OFF.

In order to permanently place gastronomy in the French cultural heritage, HAUTE CUISINE PARIS® has deliberately chosen to affirm itself during the Haute Couture collections in July 2011.

The same know how effectively defines gastronomy and couture where the biggest technical skill allows modernity.

This exploration of excellence in a Chef, as in a Cou¬turier, requires the utmost skill, the supreme tool for creation. To pay tribute to the action which follows imagination, to the hand that pursues fantastic creation, HAUTE CUISINE PARIS® passes deliberately and directly from agriculture to culture.

Visit us :

Dates : from 7th to 10th July 2011 – professionnals the 7th & 8th, public the 9th et 10th
Place : Garden of Palais Royal
Opening hours : from 10am to 7pm
Thursday night : Palais Royal shops close at 11pm
Metro : Palais Royal Musée du Louvre
Parkings :

Parking Pyramide, 15 rue des Pyramides
Parking Croix des Petits Champs, rue de la Croix des Petits Champs

To download the program, click here

Official Website : http://www.hautecuisineparis.com

We're waiting for you !

Welcome to Vinexpo from 19 to 23 June

2011-06-17T16:57:00.000+01:00

Different every time and always more innovative. At every show, Vinexpo sets the scene and reinforces its position as the leading business exhibition for the whole wine and spirits industry. This is your appointment with success.

The largest business exhibition amongst professionals

The defi ning event awaited by all wine and spirits professionals: wholesalers, retailers, hyper- and supermarket purchasers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, importers to name but a few. Vinexpo is the only showcase of its kind in the world, bringing together all the market decision makers in one place. More than 46,000 attended the previous Vinexpo in 2009.

Travel around the world in 5 days

Vinexpo is a truly international event. In 2009 it hosted 2,400 exhibitors from 48 countries and more than 1,300 journalists from 54 countries! From small to major producers and from highly renowned wines to entry range products, the whole world offering of wines and spirits is on show at Vinexpo. This is a prime opportunity for you to experience the latest products, to witness new consumer trends and benefi t from the know-how of the greatest experts.

Performance and profit

Are you seeking to develop your business and boost sales? Then you must come to Vinexpo! This is where you make the most direct contacts at high level and leverage the exchanges. Build new business relations, enhance your product portfolio and take advantage of the best opportunities.

A winning investment

Vinexpo is a market observation platform, a crossroads for ideas and exchanges and a unique occasion to get a better understanding of consumers’ new expectations. Take advantage of the views of world experts and develop your business.

High standards throughout

Vinexpo has been designed to enable you to do your business in a high quality setting with landscaped gardens, outdoor restaurants, a footbridge on the lake, concierge services, etc.

NEW in 2011

In 2011, Vinexpo continues to innovate by introducing a number of new areas where wines and spirits can be highlighted and their characteristics fully experienced. With “Tastings by Vinexpo”, a new dimension is brought to tasting. At the heart of Vinexpo with an international programme, a number of these areas will host events making Vinexpo the new venue of choice for tasting

Root :

US wine critic finds Bordeaux prices hard to swallow

2011-06-09T15:53:00.004+01:00

Robert Parker samples wine in 1997 (AFP/File, Derrick Ceyrac)

One of the world's most influential wine critics is alarmed by the high price of Bordeaux wine, saying the region risks hurting itself by focusing so much on the East Asian market.

"Bordeaux is the epicenter of the greatest wines," Robert Parker said in an interview with AFP. "I hate to see the image damaged by the fact people tend to think it's too expensive."

"Bordeaux is focused too much on the wealthy Asian market," Parker said. "Despite the fact that China has so many wealthy people, it's a very dangerous game if they raise prices, because the world economy is very, very fragile."

It would be a "smart move" for top chateaux to sell the 2010 vintage 10 to 20 percent lower than the 2009 vintage, which commanded record prices, he added.

"It would be a very positive sign to the marketplace and to wine consumers," he said by phone. "If they come higher than 2009, we're going to have a big, big crisis."

Maryland-based Parker, 63, founder of the Wine Advocate magazine and website, has been credited -- or lambasted, depending on one's point of view -- with boosting the prices of Bordeaux's top brands.

"I'm aware by giving an evaluation I have an influence on the positioning pricing in the international market place, but there's nothing I could do about it," he said.

The closely followed wine critic is not the only force driving prices upward, other wine experts say.

"The chateaux care about Robert Parker scores, but they have an eye on the Far East," said Gary Boom, managing director of Bordeaux Index, with offices in Hong Kong and London.

"I was in Bordeaux a couple weeks ago and I told the chateaux then that if the prices go up, the wines will sell, but ownership will get transferred to the Far East," he said.

"They will go exclusively to the Far East. They don't seem to care."

Buyers in China and Hong Kong -- now the biggest single market for Bordeaux wine -- can be fickle, however.

"If it's a 'Far East' brand like Beychevelle, I will sell everything, but if not, my sales are down," Boom said, referring to Bordeaux labels that are especially well-known in Asia.

Last year, Boom sold 800 cases of wine from a Bordeaux chateau not famous in East Asia, only to sell 80 cases this year against the backdrop of higher prices.

"Parker is ubiquitous, he's massive, but the consumers also follow their wallet," he said.

This time last year, Bordeaux buyers were paying record prices for the 2009 vintage. On Tuesday, 2009 Petrus was selling at 35,000 euros (51,000 dollars) for a case of 12 bottles and Chateau Latour at 13,450 euros per case.

At the more popular end of the market, 2009 Chateau Cantemerle was going for a relatively steep 24 euros per bottle, according to wine-searcher.com, a website that tracks wine prices around the world.

Many consumers are still suffering from price shock, aggravated in the United States -- still the world's number-one wine consumer -- by the sagging value of the US dollar.

"Heck, people want to forget the huge increases in 2009," said James Gunter at Glazers, a major US wine distributor.

Many of Glazers' clients invested heavily in 2009 in upcoming vintages, he said. "They have money out for these wines, which will not start to arrive for another four to six months. Most are not in a position to invest more money."

The British market doesn't look much better.

"If prices go up, the UK will not buy," Boom said. "The negociants (wine merchants) will be forced to sit on the stock -- and prices will come down. They will lose money. They can lose money on one vintage but not two."

Root :

We were at The NRA Show 2011 in Chicago!

2011-05-26T18:49:00.003+01:00

Chicago’s NRA Show 2011 just closed its doors. EuroCave Professional, associated with its partner The WineEnthusiast Company, had a booth there, and took benefit this event to launch its new professional product range.

Wine cabinets of course, but also the “by the glass” product range: “Vin au Verre” wine dispenser and SoWine Pro, wine by the glass...by the bottle! Special mention for this new product: it confirms its original positioning on the market and its specific adaptation to restaurant needs and expectations.

Press Review Sowine PRO - Hotelier Middle East - April 2011

2011-04-19T12:47:00.000+01:00

Preview : The new EuroCave Professional's Logo

2011-04-11T19:12:00.000+01:00

Protect yourself against counterfeit wine

2011-04-05T13:36:00.000+01:00

Fake wine spottings are on the rise around the world, with the latest incident striking an area east of London in the UK. But a keen eye and a little sober investigation can save consumers from being duped under the table.

Wine lovers in a borough northeast of the city have been warned to beware of a scam involving counterfeit bottles of Jacob's Creek. Police seized 340 bottles of the fake Australian chardonnay from 19 retailers in the area last month.

In Canada too

Around the same time in mid-March, police in Toronto, Canada, launched an investigation into imitation bottles of a pricey 2006 Italian wine, Negar Amarone Classico, after several customers returned to their liquor stores demanding refunds for the substandard wine. Staff noticed that the labeling looked slightly different than legitimate versions.

Police in the UK also seized 11,400 liters of fake vodka this week after carrying out a raid on an illegal production and bottling plant in Worcestershire.

Counterfeit wine continues to be a problem exacerbated by enterprising criminals in China - one of the fastest growing wine markets in the world - who have been capitalizing on the increasing thirst for fine wines in their country.

The imitation Jacob's Creek was shipped from China, and misspelled the word 'Australia' by omitting the second letter 'A.' According to Decanter magazine, the owner of the winery launched an investigation after receiving a growing number of complaints from customers about the quality of the wine they had bought.

Last December, six people were detained and more than a dozen corporate accounts were frozen in that country after police seized 5,114 boxes of wine thought to be chemically altered and falsely labeled as superior products, reports People's Daily in China.

Some Stuff

Like a piece of counterfeit art, imitation wine can be lucrative business. Last week, a judge tossed out a suit by billionaire wine collector and yachtsman William Koch who charged that auction house Christie's sold him several bottles of Bordeaux wine, claiming they had belonged to Thomas Jefferson knowing all along they were fake.

Experts say that the easiest and most obvious way to detect a counterfeit wine is to look for spelling mistakes on labels.

For serious wine drinkers, collector Russell Frye also created Wineauthentication.com, a website that provides the latest news and information that includes a section on the most recent counterfeits reported. Limited subscription access is free, but fees for complete access range between $20 to $4,000 a year. According to Frye's 'anecdotal experience,' the top 10 counterfeit wines are (in no particular order) :

Cheval Blanc 1921

Cheval Blanc 1947

Lafite 1787 Thomas Jefferson (single bottle format)

Lafite 1870

Lafleur 1947

Lafleur 1950

Latour a Pomerol 1961

Margaux 1900

Petrus 1921

Petrus 1947

Root :

Sowine Pro tested by John Euvrard

2011-03-28T17:56:00.000+01:00

Organic wines stimulate the market

2011-03-08T15:18:00.000Z

Several estates are taking up the challenge and developing organic grape production to make wine. Whether they are “small” or “large” producers, more and more wine growers are taking advantage of this growing market niche.

At the Herrebouc estate in Saint-Jean-Poutge, Carine Fitte launches her first certified organic vintage, 2010 - the result of three years of working towards certification. Photo Philippe bataille.

In the wine industry, like in the rest of the agricultural world, organic products are riding high. More and more producers are embarking on wine production using organic grapes.

« Small » growers like the Herrebouc, Pajot and Séailles wineries or “large” producers like the Plaimont group and Alain Brumont, are all setting out to conquer this fast expanding market.

COMPETITION

Biogascogne wine fair

In Condom, the organizers of the Biogascogne fair, which is held at the end of the Summer, just before the harvest, set up an organic wines competition. It is open to all the wine regions of the South West: the Languedoc, Bordeaux and Midi-Pyrenees. This contest was created “to reflect the same values and interests as the fair,” explains Jean Dubos, president of the CECT (committee for the development of Condom and the Tenareze region). He adds: “We must demonstrate that sustainable development can also be implemented in the wine industry. This year, we plan to put in place forums enabling people to exchange views on the issue.”

The wines sold with the mention « AB » on their labels are in fact wines made from organically grown grapes. This means that no synthetic molecules or petro-chemical products are used.

Only natural ingredients, made from minerals, plants and animal or vegetal compost can be used in the production of organic grapes. These wines are more often than not vinified with sulphur. Some wine makers are taking the organic process a step further and eliminating the sulphur, but specialist tasters remain sceptical about the end result.

Much more work

At the Herrebouc winery in Saint-Jean-Poutge, Carine Fitte and Hélène Archidec embarked on the organic approach in 2007. Certification requires three years of work, so their first official organic vintage is 2010. Carine Fitte explains: “Sulphur stabilizes the wine, so we use it, but of course we keep it below the maximum level. Moreover, we protect the grapes as much as we can in order to use the minimum amount of sulphur possible, even if we work with very ripe grapes.”

Damien Barreau, from the Pajot winery in Eauze, believes that: “Organic agriculture is a choice which enables me to combine sustainable farming and nature conservation with the desire to protect the health of people drinking my wine. This commitment is very important to me. It means more work, but I find it fascinating.” Farming grapes the organic way greatly increases the workload.

Carine Fitte gives an example: « If you use a chemical weed killer in the vineyard, the work is done in a day. If you choose the mechanical method, you need to use two machines – a heavy duty strimmer, followed by another machine to pull up the roots. This will take fifteen days of work, which must be repeated several times during the growing season.”

The Séailles winery in Mouchan, is one of the pioneers of organic viticulture in the Gers region. The winery’s website assures visitors: “Since 1998, we have banned the use of any chemical fertilizers, weed killers, insecticides and synthetic chemical products. In this way, we encourage the natural expression of our grape varieties. The winery practices organic agriculture and is certified by Ecocert.”

The Plaimont producers are also producing wine from organically grown grapes, as is Alain Brumont.

Organic wines are starting to reverse the trend and polish their image. They are more and more in evidence at wine fairs and attract the curiosity of many consumers who want to know more about these new wines, which are not so new after all.

Author : Gaëlle Richard

Root :

Sowine Pro tested and approved by Fabrice Sommier

2011-03-03T18:26:00.000Z

Photography extracted from the website : http://www.daniel-gillet.com

Wine Service is important as much the quality. To protect all the attributes of a wine from the first one to the last glass, we, as sommeliers, dream about equipment which answers to our expectations.

We dreamed about it, EUROCAVE made it !

It is revolutionary, SOWINE PRO is an extraordinary tool for all sommeliers, wine merchants and in general for all wine lovers.

SOWINE PRO permits you to showcase your wine and to guarantee the same pleasure to your customers from a glass to the other one.

It is at the origin of additional sales and arouses the interest, its design doesn't oblige us any more to hide it in the office ! On the contrary it refocuses the service of wine by the glass on the dining room.

But rather than of palaver, make as me, try SOWINE PRO, because the truth is always in the glass.

As I'm concerned, I adopted it.

Fabrice SOMMIER
"Best Sommelier of France" in 2007
Master of Port on 2010
Master Sommelier of The Union of The French Sommellery

Press Review - Caterer Middle East - Sowine Pro & ShowCave

2011-03-02T12:04:00.000Z

Happy New year 2011

2011-02-22T21:57:00.000Z