Vinfolio Creates a Program to Manage Investments in Fine Wine

 

Vinfolio, one of the country’s leading fine wine companies, recently announced the launch of a new cutting-edge fine wine investment program. Now, in addition to securing some of the most sought after wines by the bottle, Vinfolio clients can also gain access to a selection of investment-grade stock in original cases directly on the company’s e-commerce platform, or by working directly with Vinfolio’s executive team to build a bespoke fine wine investment portfolio.

From the time of my initial investment in Vinfolio back in 2016, it seemed that the U.S. market was lacking a player who could bring the idea of fine wine as an investment opportunity to the mainstream in a clear and accessible way,” says Don St. Pierre, Executive Chairman of Vinfolio. “Now, with the addition of more than 5,000 cases of investment-grade wines to our platform and the launch of our full-service investment program, we are proudly assuming that mantle.”

Historically speaking, fine wine has outperformed many of the traditional asset classes available and we are seeing more and more people looking to diversify by building a wine portfolio,” Vinfolio President Adam Lapierre says. “We believe we are in a unique position to support clients embarking on this journey thanks to our deep knowledge of the collectible fine wine market, unmatched global network of suppliers and innovative business model. I’m particularly excited by our full-service investment program: the process is extremely simple, fully transparent and, at the same time, low cost to the investor. It’s a game-changer.”

Vinfolio’s strength lies not just in the sourcing of fine wines at the best prices, but also in its use of technology to create a platform that provides both buyers and sellers with all the requisite tools and intelligence to successfully build and liquidate a wine portfolio. In addition to its marketplace platform, Vinfolio has proprietary access to crucial flow-data which lies at the heart of all our decision-making. The company’s algorithm dynamically looks at current U.S. retail listings, auction sale prices, and sales on its own platform to determine what is the current fair market value of a given wine. From there, Vinfolio can trigger buy or sell activities to ensure a sound investment and a healthy return.

Over the last three decades, investment-grade wine has performed very strongly against just about all major asset classes. Analysis of a representative selection of the foremost traded investment-grade wines reveals a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 11 percent since 1988. In context, the returns for U.S. Equities (DJIA), U.K. equities (FTSE), Asia equities (Hang Seng), Gold, and Oil for the same period were materially lower.

ABOUT VINFOLIO

Vinfolio is majority-owned by Executive Chairman Don St. Pierre Jr. and his business partner and good friend Allan Warburg, co-founder and co-CEO of Bestseller Fashion Group China. St. Pierre is the recipient of numerous wine industry accolades, including being named number seven on Decanter magazine’s 2011 Top 50 global wine industry power players and selected by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as the 2011 International Man of the Year. In 2012, the French government awarded St. Pierre Jr. the degree of Knight in the French Ordre du Mérite Agricole, and in 2015, he was appointed as a member of the supervisory board of Vinexpo Overseas. Vinfolio’s ownership also includes Jean-Michel Valette, who chairs the Education and Examination Board (EEB) of the Institute of Masters of Wine and is former chairman of Robert Mondavi Corporation and Peet’s Coffee, Jon Moramarco, former CEO of Constellation Brands, and Steve Case, founder of AOL and co-founder at venture capital firm Revolution

Visit https://www.vinfolio.com/wine-investing for more details on Vinfolio’s new investment initiative.

Viva Tequila Festival Mexico Experience Tour Honored by the TASTE AWARDS

Atlanta’s Viva Tequila Festival was honored at this year’s TASTE AWARDS (aka, the TASTY Awards). Often called the “Oscars of Food, Fashion and Lifestyle Media,” this edition of the Taste Awards highlighted Viva Tequila Mexico Experience under the category of OUTSTANDING CULINARY & TRAVEL EXPERIENCE. This year, as for many awards shows, the Taste Awards had a virtual broadcast that reached viewers across the globe, from Japan and South Africa to England, Poland and Italy, and from New Zealand to Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

Hosted by wine, beer and spirits purveyor Juan Bonilla, dubbed “Mr. Tequila,” the Viva Tequila Festival Mexico Experience tour takes participants on an exclusive trip down the historic timeline of Mexico’s Tequila Trail, providing in-depth understanding of the different regions that cultivate Tequila, the history of this iconic Mexican spirit and its importance in local, national and international economies.

The Viva Tequila Festival Mexico Experience tour visits several cities, including Tlaquepaque, Tequila, Atotonilco and Guadalajara to provide a local perspective of the manufacturing of Tequila. Participants are able to mingle with locals and admire and shop for unique Mexican works of art, both folk and fine, all while sipping limited edition craft Tequilas from distilleries that embody traditional to modern styles of manufacturing.

Highlights includes visits to the Fortaleza and Don Nacho craft distilleries as well as hacienda of José Cuervo, where participants bottle their own Reserva de la Familia, and enjoy a tasting in the property’s private cellar and then dinner at the Tienda de Raya, both opened exclusively for Viva Tequila Festival.

Tour participants are treated to stays in centuries-old haciendas that were once home to some of Mexico’s wealthiest people. They can enjoy a morning horseback ride at the historic, 17th century Hacienda Labor de Rivera or disconnect and relax with a spa treatment at Hacienda El Carmen Hotel & Spa.

Other winners at this year’s Taste Awards included recipients of the new ANDREW ZIMMERN DISCOVERY AWARD. This award honors the mission to discover new cultures, flavors or talent. The inaugural honorees of this new award are noted chefs Andrew Zimmern and Tyler Florence.

Other well-known personalities who won or were honored at the Taste Awards include Ming Tsai, Selena Gomez, Idris Elba, Dylan Dreyer, Chef John Folse and Lidi Bastianich, along with Bravo’s Top Chef, America’s Test Kitchen, NHK, the Africa Channel and New Soul Kitchen.

The Taste Awards have included appearances by stars, celebrities, producers and executives from networks and platforms such as the Food Network, the Style Network, Bravo, the Cooking Channel, TLC, Discovery, Lifetime, E! Entertainment Television, PBS, Create TV, APT, NBC, ABC, the CW, HGTV, the Travel Channel, HD Net, Hulu, YouTube, Dreamworks, Esquire Network, FYI Network, The History Channel, Bio, iHeart Radio, Sony Pictures, APT, Myx TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime and more. See them at www.TheTasteAwards.com.


For more information on Viva Tequila Festival’s tours, visit www.vivatequilafestival.com.

Word of the Day: How to Pronounce Aioli

There is always great pleasure in knowing the correct pronunciation of a word you use in front of other people, both friends and colleagues. Unfortunately the real world challenge comes from whether they also know how to correctly pronounce it, and in which region you are. The last thing you want is to misled even further.

Aioli is a good example. It is word both French and Spanish, and means “garlic” and “oil,” which are the two key ingredients.

So for the record:

AMERICA (often more like “aye-oh-lee, but can be the European version as well)

EUROPE (always more like “eye-oh-lee”)

Just in case you are curious, here’s the Australian pronunciation

Fortnum & Mason’s Sailboat Chocolate is Bringing You 99% Emission-Free Luxury Chocolate

If you think things are moving too fast, then Fortnum & Mason has some news for you. They not only get their own chocolate direct from the source in the Caribbean, but they also do it on their own sailboat! That’s right, a slow-going sailboat. A luxury sailboat.

The general idea is that this helps make the brand the world’s first ’farm to store’ 99% emission-free chocolate. The project is a collaboration between Fortnum & Mason, and the Grenada Chocolate Company in partnership with Chantal Coady OBE.

In addition to the wind-powered boats delivering the chocolate made from Trinitario Cocoa beans, they also come in fully-recyclable boxes.

We’re waiting for the client option to sail on the boat in the Caribbean while eating bars of this sustainable chocolate. (hint, hint)

TASTE AWARDS Winner and “Bar Rescue” Star Jon Taffer Launches new Taffer’s Tavern Franchise

Long known to television audiences for saving bar owners from ruin on seven seasons of Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue, as well as TASTE AWARDS winner, renowned hospitality expert and entrepreneur Jon Taffer is bringing his famed level of standards to his own customers with the opening of the franchise Taffer’s Tavern. The first outpost of the casual-dining brand opened in the Fall of 2020 outside of Atlanta in Alpharetta, Georgia, with additional franchise locations coming soon to Boston, Washington, D.C. and other U.S. markets.

“Taffer’s Tavern truly reimagines the modern restaurant, with an emphasis on comfort and trust that spans from the ambiance to the food to the peace of mind that patrons will feel from our dedication to people’s safety”
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Inspired by the quintessential neighborhood pub, a regular gathering place for locals and visitors alike, Taffer’s Tavern is designed with traditional Old World taverns in mind, its ambiance is inviting, warm and comfortable, distinguished by dark woods, soft leathers, copper accents and exceptional food and beverage offerings. With an emphasis on providing the highest quality products and service, the menu highlights include such selections as a 72-Hour Short Rib (slow-braised for 72 hours then topped with rich demi-glace sauce and paired with mac ‘n’ cheese), BLT (Belly, Lettuce, Tomato – slow-cooked pork belly crisped and seasoned with smoked sea salt, topped with lettuce, tomato and zesty tomato aioli) and Tot Roast Fries (an inventive Southern poutine of tater tots topped with slow-cooked shredded beef, mushroom béchamel sauce, and creamy cheese curds).

Taffer’s Tavern boasts a best-in-class beverage program that Taffer crafted with master mixologist Phil Wills of Bar Rescue, featuring a diverse selection of spirits, wines and beers, many of local and regional provenance. Its signature cocktails, employing some of the most advanced mixology techniques, include The Campfire (Taffer’s trademarked Brown Butter Rye Whiskey, bitters and simple syrup is a perfect blend of bold flavors balanced with velvet-like smoothness) and Berry-Impressive (fruit-infused vodka layered with lemon, served bursting with fresh mixed berries in a French Press).

The innovative restaurant concept, developed by Taffer long before the COVID pandemic, features the industry’s highest safety standards for both guests and staff led by the “kitchen of the future” and the latest advancements in food prep/service technology. Always ahead of the industry curve, Taffer established Taffer’s Safe Dining System™ as a signature approach that sets new safety standards for the restaurant industry. Some of these safety and hygiene measures include hand-scanning detection technology to monitor every hand wash for contaminates, advanced glass cleaning technology for all drinkware, and reduced contact through department separation. Other elements include protocols for a no-contact, third-party order pick-up system, eliminating the need for delivery drivers to come inside the restaurant, and a unique meal preparation technology where food is minimally touched to prevent cross-contamination.

Taffer’s Tavern truly reimagines the modern restaurant, with an emphasis on comfort and trust that spans from the ambiance to the food to the peace of mind that patrons will feel from our dedication to people’s safety,” stated Jon Taffer. “American urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg talked about the concept of the coveted ‘third place’ – the first place is home, the second is work, and the third is a gathering place and nexus for human interaction. That third place is Taffer’s Tavern and Alpharetta could not be a better city to open our first franchise location. After spending months there prior to opening, I have found a community that I know will embrace Tavern and the Taffer brand.”

Taffer’s Tavern will open daily at 11:00 a.m. starting October 29 through November 18 for preview and training in advance of the grand opening on November 19. For more information, to make reservations, and for franchise opportunities, please visit.

About Jon Taffer

Jon Taffer is an award-winning hospitality expert, entrepreneur and thought leader with over 35 years of success in the entertainment, hospitality and nightlife industries. He’s best-known as executive producer and star of Paramount Network’s reality TV show Bar Rescue, which just wrapped its seventh season spotlighting Jon as he saves failing bars from looming closure. In 2019, he launched Taffer’s Mixologist, a line of craft, high-quality, pre-made cocktail mixes and hard seltzers available in retail stores across the country, including Walmart. Concurrently, Jon runs Taffer Virtual Teaching, his digital teaching platform, and Taffer Dynamics, his business consulting firm. Over the years, he has consulted for a range of well-known brands, including the NFL Network, Anheuser-Bush, Ritz-Carlton, TGI Fridays, Buffalo Wild Wings, Famous Dave’s Barbecue and Fortune 500 brands such as Hyatt Hotels and Marriott International. Jon is also the author of the best-selling book Raise the Bar: An Action-Based Method for Maximum Customer Reaction and his newest book Don’t Bulls*t Yourself. For more information, visit www.jontaffer.com.

About Taffer’s Tavern

Jon Taffer, Bar Rescue star and award-winning hospitality expert, has launched his own innovative, full-service restaurant franchise concept, Taffer’s Tavern. Taffer’s Tavern is the quintessential pub, a place to gather with your old friends and make new ones along the way. The tavern will feature outstanding signature cocktails, delicious bar food, a streamlined hoodless/ventless restaurant format with small footprint, and the latest advances in food preparation technology, with partners including Cuisine Solutions, Krowne, PathSpot, and Shift4. Taffer’s Tavern will launch its first tavern in Atlanta, Georgia in 2020. For more information, visit www.tafferstavern.com/.

A World of Chocolate: Lindt Home of Chocolate opens near Zurich

If you love chocolate then you are about to be in heaven. If you love Switzerland, this is the best reason to travel there.

Starting in 2020, the Lindt Chocolate Competence Foundation invites small and large guests to take part in a journey of discovery into the wonderful world of chocolate. Planned and designed by ATELIER BRÜCKNER, the Lindt Chocolate Tour provides information on the origins, history and production of the mouth-watering delicacy, and involves all the senses in an exhibition area covering 1500 square metres.

The museum exhibition is located in the Lindt Home of Chocolate, a new building by Swiss architects Christ & Gantenbein at the headquarters of Lindt & Sprüngli in Kilchberg near Zurich. The world’s highest, free-standing chocolate fountain in the foyer of the museum serves as the prelude to the world of chocolate. It is 9.30 metres high and circulates 1000 litres of liquid chocolate, flowing from a large, hovering wire whip down into a Lindor ball on the ground.

Borne along by the aroma of chocolate, visitors proceed on a tour of discovery on the first floor of the building. Sounds, smells, media stations and visitor-participation systems allow them to become part of the different scenarios. Designed individually, each exhibition room communicates through the senses and with information to convey an aspect of the world of chocolate.

To start, visitors travel to a cocoa plantation in Ghana where they learn everything about the cultivation, harvesting, fermentation and drying of cocoa beans – as well as about the quality assurance process. Being all about the 5,000 years history of chocolate, the “Chocolate History” room features a digitally animated 360-degree panorama picture and has a round media table in the middle. It shows how the preparation and consumption of chocolate has changed over the centuries. How Switzerland became the “home of chocolate” is conveyed in the “Swiss Pioneers” room. The first chocolate factory was opened in Vevey as early as 1819. The all-round, hand-painted Swiss panorama is an invitation to make one’s own discoveries.

The subsequent time tunnel “From Past to Present” illustrates the changes in the manufacture and marketing of Swiss chocolate from 1900 until the year 2000. And how does chocolate production function today? Visitors find this out in the “Production” room, which, with its smooth, shiny surfaces, is based on an actual factory. In this room, three chocolate springs, where the different composition of white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate can be tasted are a special attraction – and not only for young visitors.

The darkened adjacent room with the name “Chocolate Cosmos“, which is surrounded by an atmospheric projection of stars, finally places chocolate as a product in a global context before visitors are taken to the “Chocolate Heaven” where they can taste a sample of Lindt products. Large-format Lindor balls supplement the narrative space. They are designed as photo booths.

Finally, the visitors cross a bridge over the foyer of the building to reach the “Innovation Lab“, which opens out towards the light-filled interior. The exhibition architecture takes up the architecture of the building. This area concerns some questions about the future: Can there be chocolate without cocoa trees? How is artificial intelligence changing the production of chocolate? And can chocolate be made in a carbon-neutral manner? As soon as the visitor approaches, the initially opaque glass of the display case becomes transparent and reveals explanatory films and selected exhibits, including a replicated cell culture.

The heart of the “Innovation Lab” is a real testing system, the entire interior of which can be seen. Specialists use this system to develop new chocolate creations. Augmented animation enables an X-ray view into the insides of the machines. The Chocolate Tour ends with a chocolate souvenir: A small bar of chocolate from the testing system, packaged in a golden ball, rolls through a lovingly designed marble run before it falls into the hands of the visitor.

The Lindt Home of Chocolate is open from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday to Sunday. Inquiries for guided tours and workshops, in which it is possible to design one’s own chocolate creations, can be submitted at: https://www.lindt-home-of-chocolate.com/en/tickets-and-prices/