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Top 100 IGP appoints Relish PR

Relish PR is delighted to be appointed by Top 100 IGP France to run its annual wine competition. The wines will be selected at a blind tasting in March, by a team of top wine industry professionals, including retail and on-trade buyers and journalists, chaired by Tim Atkin MW. The final selection will be shown on the Fast Track to France stand at the London International Wine Fair in May, where the trophy winners will also be announced.


7th February 2011


 

Latest news

 Relish had the right latitude this Christmas

 

After seeing all the buzz on Twitter about 28-50 over the past few months, Relish decided to find out what all the fuss was about. We were very grateful to Xavier for the welcoming and warming glass of Champagne, after skidding and skating our way along Fleet Street. Highlights of the menu were the pig cheeks and belly, washed down with the Torbreck Juvenile (GSM).

 

 

21st December 2010

 

 


 

A Relish Christmas

 

And finally... A very happy Christmas from all of us at Relish. It's been another busy and exciting year for us - watch this space for our review of the year, coming soon. In the meantime, you may remember our 2008 Christmas card, made with the help of a splash of red wine and a couple of Riedels. This year, due to snow, a very busy December, and a shortage of sticky-back plastic, we sadly had to cancel Relish arts and crafts hour, but with the help of a few elves, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas...

 

14th December 2010

 


 

Dreaming of Belvedere

We have been working with Belvedere Vodka on an exciting new initiative to find a new Global Ambassador to be the face of the brand. The campaign ran on Facebook, and candidates were invited to submit videos demonstrating their affinity with the brand. From a weird and wonderful array of applications, seven top bartenders from the UK, Europe, and Asia Pacific were invited to an exciting finale at The Cuckoo Club in London. The finalists were put through their paces to create ten key cocktails in ten minutes, as well as a signature Belvedere cocktail, before having an opportunity to show off their personality with a Love/Hate round, which featured everything from a table-tennis match, to lessons in Spanish and bow ties! The three finalists, including UK hopeful Stuart McClusky from Edinburgh’s Bon Vivant will compete with US finalists at a star-studded event in NYC on 14th December.

 

 

 

19th November 2010

 


First taste of Follador

Last Wednesday, we celebrated the launch of our new Prosecco client Follador, with a party which brought together key names from the worlds of wine, art, fashion, and finance to taste the range of premium Proseccos for the first time in the UK. It was interesting to see such a diverse range of Prosecco styles, with frizzantes, Treviso sparklers, and prestige cuvées from Valdobbiadene. The surprise hit of the evening, however, was the red Ca dei Noni – a complex Cabernet blend, which combined upfront New World style fruit and vanilla notes with unmistakeably Italian balsamic acidity, and savoury herbal notes.

 

16th November 2010

 


Cloudy Bay winemaker in town

Tim Heath, winemaker at Cloudy Bay was in London last week to launch the 2010 vintage of the iconic Marlborough winery’s Sauvignon Blanc. Over a delicious lunch at the recently launched Cloudy Bay Chef’s Table at the Hyatt Montagu, we were also treated to a very special new launch. The Cloudy Bay Late Harvest Riesling has been made in very limited quantities for several years, but until EU legislation on sweet wine imports from New Zealand changed earlier this year, the wine has not been available over here. We got a chance to taste a bottle from the very limited UK allocation – absolutely delicious – with zesty acidity balancing beautifully sweet rich apricot, honey, and orange blossom flavours – a real treat.

8th November 2010


Relish takes on new Prosecco

We're very excited to announce the UK launch of Prosecco Follador. Premium brand Follador is a long-established name in Italy, with a history dating back for generations, but this is the first time the wines have been available in the UK, and we're looking forward to working with them to establish the brand on the UK market.

 

 

7th October 2010

 


Ain't no mountain high enough

 

Last Saturday, Lottie joined a team of intrepid wine-trade explorers, climbing Mt Snowdon to raise money for official drinks industry charity The Benevolent. It was a somewhat challenging climb, not helped by our guide (Sherpa?) informing us that Snowdon had been the pre-Everest training ground for Mallory and Irvine - not quite the gentle stroll we had been hoping for... We finally made it up the mountain in around three hours, and in true wine trade style, toasted our summit-reaching with a glass (well, paper cup) of Louis Roederer.

The climb raised a total of £5000 for The Benevolent.

 

 

 

28th September 2010

 


 

Septima raises the steaks

 

Here at Relish Towers, we have certainly had our fair share of meat and Malbec recently... The day after the polo, it was time for another Argentinean evening, this time with Bodega Septima, who have teamed up with A La Cruz, an authentic asador in Farringdon from the people behind Hackney restaurant Buen Ayre, to create a Steak & Septima menu.

 

Marcelo Marasco of Bodega Septima joined John Rattagan, head chef at A La Cruz, to present seven cuts of steak, each paired to a different wine from the Septima portfolio. Ranging from the delicate beef carpaccio, matched to the fresh appley Septima Chardonnay, through fillet, rump, rib-eye, and more, ending up with a flank steak, slow-cooked on a traditional Argentinean asador barbecue, and paired with the Septimo Dia Cabernet, there were delicious matches to be found throughout, and it proved an interesting new take on Argentinean meat and wine pairings.

 

Suffice to say, team Relish had a vegetarian weekend after all this steak!

 

16th September 2010

 

 

 


 

Anyone for polo?

 

On a sunny September afternoon, Relish and a number of top wine journalists descended on Ham Polo Club to see multi-talented Terrazas de los Andes winemaker Nicolas Audebert take to the polo field in a thrilling match against Gaucho Restaurant. Polo is big news in Argentina, and nowhere more than at Lujan de Cuyo based estate Terrazas, where an entire polo field has been built amongst the vines.

Nicolas treated us to a tasting of wines from across the Terrazas de los Andes portfolio, including three back vintages of icon blend Cheval des Andes, before picking up his mallet for the first chukka against Gaucho. It was a closely fought match, but in the end, Gaucho claimed an impressive victory. Gaucho laid on a fantastic barbecue after the match - the Argentinean steaks proved a perfect match for the full-flavoured and complex Cheval des Andes wines.

 

15th September 2010

 

 

 


Now Hat's what I call a good Mexican

 

At Relish Towers, we're all partial to a good burrito, so we were very excited to work with Benito's Hat Mexican Kitchen with the opening of their new restaurant in Covent Garden, joining the Goodge Street branch which has been open since 2008. Relish joined a group of journalists and bloggers at a cocktail evening hosted by Benito's Hat owner Ben Fordham, and Alex from Tequileno - the restaurant's house-pour tequila, who gave a masterclass on this diverse spirits category. Once we had tasted a number of different cocktails, including the signature Paloma - a refreshing Margarita-style long-serve cocktail, featuring tequila, salt, lime, and grapefruit soda, it was time to get creative, as attendees set about creating their own cocktails. The winning cocktail -Jules's Marvellous Margarita, was created by a team from ITN and @booinlondon . If you want to create it for yourself, here's what you'll need:

 

A good slug of Tequila

Juice from a quarter of a fresh grapefruit

Juice from half a fresh lime

5 mint leaves

1 tbsp ginger liqueur

1 tsp grenadine

Half tsp campari

A drop of passion fruit liqueur

 

Shake over ice, strain, and enjoy!

 

 

16th July 2010

 


Elements 8 spices it up

 

We were at Hush last night for the launch of a brand new addition to the Elements 8 range. Elements 8 Barrel Infused Spiced Rum has been 18 months in the planning, as the blenders perfected the recipe of ten spices, all 100% natural and indigenous to St Lucia. We sampled a range of delicious cocktails including the Dark & Spicy (a twist on the Dark & Stormy), and an Old Fashioned, substituting the traditional Bourbon with the new spiced rum. Served on its own, Elements 8 Spiced was like Christmas in a glass - very smooth, and packed with orange, ginger, cinnamon, and clove flavours - just add a fireplace, and Bing Crosby crooning in the background, and it could be December!

 

1st July 2010

 


Gin in the Park

Last week Relish descended en masse to the sun-soaked Regent's Park to see our client Gin Mare who had taken a stand at Taste of London. We had worked with Gin Mare on their UK debut at Distil in May, so it was great to see their Ibiza-inspired bar at Taste. We enjoyed their trademark Molecular Martini cocktail - delicious, and really brought out the flavour key botanical the Arbequina olive.

 

 

22nd June 2010

 

 


Croatia comes to London

25th May saw Croatia's first generic tasting in the UK. Producers from around thirty different wineries from Istria, Dalmatia, and Continental Croatia attended the Fine Wine from Croatia tasting at the Hotel Intercontinental on Park Lane, bringing with them an array of wines from grape varieties rarely seen in the UK. Highlights included diverse styles of Malvazija Istriana with excellent minerality, as well as some luscious stickies, and some really interesting natural wines. Turn-out was great, with plenty of positive feedback, so hopefully we'll be seeing more of these wines on UK shelves and wine lists very soon...

 

28th May 2010

 

 

 


All the fun of the Fair...

The first half of the year is traditionally a busy one for Relish, as we look after the PR for LIWF and Distil. 2010 was no exception, but it was great to see the trade out in force at ExCeL for the 30th London International Wine Fair and Distil. After a difficult year, it seems that the trade is really getting back on its feet, with all the exhibitors we spoke to reporting a really successful show.

 

 

21st May 2010

 


From Russia with.... wine

Relish was appointed to handle the PR for Russian sparkling wine producer Abrau-Durso in the lead-up to its debut at the London International Wine Fair. 2010 marked the first year that a Russian winery had exhibited at the LIWF, and Abrau-Durso, which produces traditional method sparkling wiens from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling, under the guidance of renowned Champagne oenologist Herve Gestin, attracted an unprecedented amount of interest over the three days of the LIWF, so watch this space for more Russian wine in the UK.

 

30th April 2010

 

 


Putting Croatia on the map

 

We are very excited to have a new client on board at Relish. We will be working with the generic body Fine Wine from Croatia to run their first ever UK trade tasting. The tasting will feature an impressive array of native and international varieties, and is due to take place on 25th May at The Intercontinental at Hyde Park Corner. In the meantime, we'll be working on our pronunciation of Malvazija Istarska!

 

5th March 2010

 


 It is that easy being green...

Lottie and Naomi were in Belgrave Square last night at the drinks business' inaugural Green Awards, where we were thrilled to see our client Wakefield walk away with the award for Best Green Wine Launch. Congrats to the team at Taylor's (Wakefield) in Australia and Stratford's in the UK.

12th February 2010

green awards 2010

The Wine Gang on board for LIWF 2010

It's February, and that can only mean one thing at Relish Towers; the countdown to the LIWF is well underway. The event takes place from 18th - 20th May, and we have once again linked up with The Wine Gang, who will be selecting wines for the ever popular Top 100 feature. To celebrate the Fair's thirtieth anniversary, the tasting will incorporate thirty sparkling wines, as well as seventy "regional ambassadors", highlighting the best regional specialities from around the world. We'll be finalising the list with The Wine Gang in March, so watch this space, and be sure to stop by the tasting in May...

5th February 2010

the wine gang on board LIWF 2010

Going the extra (green) mile:

Relish client Wakefield Wines has upped the green credentials on its Eighty Acres brand, which has just become the world's first winery to become 100% carbon neutral throughout the production, consumption, and disposal process. Relish has been working with Stratford's Wine Agencies to highlight this story to press, trade, and consumers. We've had a great response, including a mention in the Observer, and a nomination for one of the drinks business Green Awards.

1st February 2010

going the extra green mile with wakefield wines

Lottie wins WSET scholarship

We were at the Guildhall last night so see Lottie pick up a scholarship for her WSET Advanced certificate. Lottie won the Porter & Laker prize; an ?850 scholarship towards the WSET Diploma, which she is due to finish in June.

19th January 2010

lottie wins WSET scholarship

Make mine a glass of Clos d?Ambonnay

On Wednesday, Naomi attended lunch hosted by Olivier Krug to present the 1996 Krug Clos d'Ambonnay to journalists. The lunch took place in the Krug Room at The Dorchester, and was prepared by executive chef Henry Brosi. Dishes included roast calves sweetbread with risotto of white Alba truffle, served with 1996 Krug Clos d'Ambonnay.

15th January 2010

make mine a glass of clos d'ambonnay

And then there were three...

The Relish team gained its third member when Lottie West joined us as a full-time account manager at the beginning of January. Lottie had been freelancing with us since March 2009, as well as doing projects for Cube Communications and the IWC. Previous to that she spent two years working at Westbury Communications, and is currently studying for her WSET Diploma.

4th January 2010

lottie west

Do you want some Relish with that tapas?

The Relish team celebrated our Christmas party last Friday by eating our way through a delicious array of tapas at Salt Yard, washed down with plenty of Manzanilla.

15th December 2009

salt yard charcuterie bar and restaurant

First taste of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Winemaker Tim Heath brought over the new vintage of the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc on Tuesday. Relish invited journalists to lunch at The Boisdale to meet Tim, and taste the wines. We're hoping Tim brings us some beer from his home micro-brewery next time he's in the UK!

20th November 2009

first taste of cloudy bay sauvignon blanc 2009

New-manthia

Manuel Louzada has been over this week to present new vintages of Toro icons Numanthia and Termanthia. We've worked with Manuel Louzada in his previous role at Terrazas de los Andes, so it was great to see him in his new role. The wines were as big and bold as you would expect from this region, and with definite ageing potential.

11th November 2009

numanthia

Remember, remember Clos d'Ambonnay

Guy Fawkes Day provided the perfect backdrop to an unveiling of the 1996 Krug Clos d'Ambonnay to a select group of Champagne writers, hosted by Olivier Krug. This is only the second ever vintage of Krug's iconic Blanc de Noirs blend, and from an excellent year; we expected fireworks, and we weren't disappointed!

5th November 2009

krug clos d'ambonnay

Making room for Krug

The Krug Room at The Dorchester reopened after an extensive refurb earlier this month, and to celebrate, we worked with Moet Hennessy to invite journalists to sample a tasting menu, prepared by chefs from the two other Krug Rooms, located in Berlin and Hong Kong. Dishes such as Sashimi of Dublin Bay prawns with Granny Smith apple jelly and Beluga caviar, and Cod, Manuka Beurre Blanc and Anise, were paired with various vintage Krug Champagnes.

30th October 2009

the krug room at the dorchester hotel in london


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