BRANDY THE TRADITIONAL SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

 

Cognac Christmas Tree

Brandy covers a wide spectrum of fruit spirits, from the awesome grape armagnacs, pisco, grappa and brandy jerez, to the apples and pears in Calvados, or cherries in kirsch.

Brandy is warma and fits well with all Christmas dishes and it is historically correct for who wants to be traditional.

During the 19^th century, cognac, a specific type of brandy, had become the tipple for Europe, and despite relations with the French, the British championed the stuff. The Irish meanwhile kept their eyes smiling while opening their own houses – Richard Hennessy being the most renowned purveyor.

And as the American cocktail revolution took hold in the mid 19^th century, it was cognac that was at the base of classics we still venerate today. Alas, the progress of the spirit was severely hindered in the 1870s when French vineyards were attacked by the devastating phyloxera pest, and as the grape growers stewed in their wrath, whisky nipped in to claim the discerning drinking crown.

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Source: Life Spectator

CONSUMER VIRTUAL REALITY AND LOUIS XIII

Louis XIII Cognac’s most recent activation is a great example of how luxury brands are aligning with meaningful causes and influencers to appeal to luxury consumers’ growing desire to feel their purchases are part of something bigger than themselves.

Luxury brands once relied on the tailored customer experience perfected at boutique storefronts on the most fashionable streets of the world’s most glamorous cities to bring their ethos to life.

With a new generation of luxury consumers interacting with brands online rather than in-person, it can be difficult for a brand to differentiate itself and play up the nuances of its legacy, heritage, and superior production.

Thus many brands from across all luxury sectors are turning to activations, or experiential marketing, as an opportunity to provide the high-level, white-glove experience that is missing in the digital customer relationship.

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Source:  Skift

EDUCATION AND PRACTICE MAKE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS INTO LUXURY

 & EDU

On Monday, the LVMH group started its first Italian professional training programme in Florence, where it established a branch of the Institut des Métiers d’Excellence (IME), its vocational training institute. On this occasion, the French luxury group’s Director for Human Resources and Synergies, Chantal Gaemperle, spoke to FashionNetwork.com about the new needs of the luxury goods industry.

“…LVMH’s training is a way of passing on our expertise, of preserving crafts which risk being lost, and of educating craftsmen to deliver excellence…”

“…crafts people transmit not just the quality of their expertise, but also their pride in creating fine products…”

“…Working in the luxury industry means… embracing the uncertainty and ambiguity of things, because we are part of a creative process. The world of luxury is full of paradoxes and tensions…”

Source: UK FashionNetwork

COUNTERFEIT WINE BRANDED MOET-HENNESSY REPORTED IN CHINA

 

LVMH's Moet-Hennessy Unit, and logo

Source: the drinks business
by Natalie Wang
5th December, 2017

Following a formal complaint filed by French luxury group Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce has busted a local Chinese wine company which has been selling counterfeit Rhône wines it claimed were made by Moët Hennessy.

The wines in question, purported to be Côtes du Rhône, are distributed by a company called Shanghai Haotuo International Trading Company Ltd based in Beijing's Fengtai District, and each wine carries a back label stating that it's made by Moët Hennessy, using its trademarked Chinese name, reported Beijing TV.

In fact, Moët Hennessy doesn't make wines in the Côtes du Rhône or indeed any part of the Rhône Valley.

Speaking of one of the wines called; 'Wan De Da Special Reserve', an officer called Zhang Peng with the bureau, explained that: "This is to mislead consumers to let them believe the wine is produced by Moët Hennessy."

However, the wine in question has a front label that says it's a Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet 2003 with a suspiciously sounding French company name called 'France Henris Co Ltd'. Henris in Chinese sounds phonetically similar to Moët Hennessy's Chinese name.

Another imperial bottle claimed to be made by Moët Hennessy with a Chinese name 'Wei Da Mu Special Reserve' is described as "the most treasured bottle" in the shop. It sells for a staggering RMB 99,999 (US$15,121) a bottle. The wine's label says it's a 2007 Côtes du Rhône Sablet, but its back label says it's made by Moët Hennessy.

According to the report, police found more than 500 bottles of counterfeit wines with labels saying they are produced by Moët Hennessy. The wines' retail prices at the shop range from RMB 300 to RMB 99,999.

In a Chinese statement by Moët Hennessy, the company reiterated that it "under no circumstances" had granted Shanghai Haotuo International Trading Company Ltd any right to use its company name, and the products are not produced by Moët.

It's unclear based on the report if any suspect has been arrested.

This is the latest case taken by Moët to crack down on counterfeit wines using its branded names. Previously the company won a court case against wine auction house Acker Merrall & Condit concerning a counterfeit bottle of Krug Collection 1947.