2009年1月26日 星期一

紙筒葡萄酒

紙筒葡萄酒 經濟又環保
加州酒商FOUR公司推出3公升裝的卡本內蘇維翁和小西拉品種的葡萄酒,特別的是,葡萄酒是用成本較低的紙筒裝。(法新社)

編譯管淑平/特譯

許多傳統派葡萄酒愛好者聽到釀酒業者以塑膠瓶塞取代傳統軟木塞已經嗤之以鼻,對那種用旋轉式瓶蓋的葡萄酒瓶更是悻悻然無法接受。這下,他們再聽到有釀酒業者甚至連玻璃瓶都不用了,改用「紙筒」裝葡萄酒,不知會有什麼反應了。

加州酒商FOUR公司推出3公升裝的卡本內蘇維翁和小西拉品種的葡萄酒,特別的是,葡萄酒是用成本較低的紙筒裝(見圖,法新社)。紙筒裝葡萄酒已行之多年,但都以廉價酒為主,FOUR公司說,他們是第一家加州高級酒廠打破傳統,捨棄玻璃瓶裝。

品牌經理萊剛說,紙筒更環保、成本也比玻璃瓶還低,而且開「筒」後氧氣進入較少,風味能保存的時間比玻璃瓶裝還久。

萊剛在葡萄酒領域過去已有過創新作法,例如25年前推出不含酒精的高級葡萄酒。他說:「在1400年或1500年代,玻璃瓶是種創新」,「如果我們正確的來做,就能改變傳統,讓它變得更好。紙筒裝也能成為傳統。」

不 過,不令人意外的,這種「創新」引起部分法國釀酒業者質疑。法國波爾多葡萄酒產區頂級的奧信酒莊(Chateau Ausone)負責人沃傑說:「我不認為這有道理……紙盒是來裝牛奶的。」他說:「一支好的葡萄酒需要深色玻璃瓶和高品質軟木塞來封裝。我也質疑紙盒的耐 用度。我們廠裡儲存了自1849年保存至今的陳年葡萄酒,紙盒是不可能保存這麼久的。」

沃傑甚至說:「2、3年就喝掉的廉價酒是可以用紙筒裝,但是需要擺上10年、20年甚至30年的高檔陳年葡萄酒是不能這麼做的。」

FOUR的紙筒裝葡萄酒高28.5公分、直徑13公分,容量相當於4支傳統玻璃瓶裝葡萄酒,紙筒包裝全部都能回收,而且製造商說重量僅玻璃瓶的6分之1,製造和運送成本都較低,消耗的資源也更少,因此可以每筒40美元價格出售,經濟又環保。

該公司說,2008年10月推出首批一萬支紙筒裝葡萄酒銷售表現不錯,今年1月再推出第二批6000筒。他們正與航空公司接洽,希望飛機上提供的酒品能改用紙筒裝。不過傳統葡萄酒經銷商、餐廳和酒吧都尚未鋪貨,顯然對這種包裝的市場接受度還很有疑問。(取材自法新社)

2009年1月24日 星期六

昭仁的

Monsieur William 法國紅酒France rouge wine 由 Sergio Valente出品
待查
2008年昭仁的喜酒


CAMUS COGNAC XO ELEGANCE

2009年1月19日 星期一

Charles Shaw known as "Two Buck Chuck."

2007年底,來自芝加哥的商人Colin Wu在義烏市場租下了12,000平方米的攤位,打算出售美國華盛頓州生產的汽車潤滑劑、加拿大瓶裝礦泉水以及加州的Charles Shaw葡萄酒(俗稱兩美元葡萄酒)。

Colin Wu當時想,由於中國出現了一系列產品質量問題,會有國內客戶願意多花些錢購買更安全、更健康的進口產品。然而天不隨人願,他說自己投入的1,000萬元(約150萬美元)幾乎都賠光了。Colin Wu租下的攤位現在只有約六分之一在使用,他正在考慮今年將生意全部停掉。

Colin Wu說,中國政府在幫助進口商開拓國內市場方面也做得不夠。他說希望政府能降低進口稅,這樣他的產品就能具有價格競爭力。Colin Wu說,在加上關稅成本後,他的“兩美元葡萄酒”差不多要賣十美元了。

Charles Shaw is a brand of "extreme value" wine. All from California vineyards, Charles Shaw wines currently include Cabernet Sauvignon, White Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Valdigue in the style of Beaujolais nouveau, and limited quantities of Pinot Grigio. These wines are sold exclusively by Trader Joe's grocery stores, and sell for $1.99 in California.

Charles Shaw wines are affectionately known as "Two Buck Chuck." Due to transportation costs and other factors, in other states the price can go up to around $4. As such, the wine is often referred to as "Three Buck Chuck" or "Four Buck Chuck" relative to the price.

Contents

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Ownership

Grapevines growing on the grounds of the Bronco Wine Company in Ceres, California, where Charles Shaw wine is produced. The winery can be seen through the tall trees in the far distance.

The Charles Shaw label is owned by the Bronco Wine Company, headed by Fred Franzia (formerly of Franzia Brothers wines). The Bronco Wine Company produces the Charles Shaw label at their Ceres, California winery, which is not open to the public.

There once was an actual, eponymous winery owned by Charles F. Shaw, which produced Beaujolais-style wines in the Napa Valley AVA. That winery went out of business, and the name was sold to Bronco.[1]

Awards

At the 28th Annual International Eastern Wine Competition, Shaw's 2002 Shiraz received the double gold medal, besting the roughly 2,300 other wines in the competition.[2]

Shaw's 2005 California chardonnay was judged Best Chardonnay from California at the Commercial Wine Competition of the 2007 California Exposition and State Fair. The chardonnay received 98 points, a double gold, with accolades of Best of California and Best of Class.[3]

Labor problems

On May 16, 2008, a 17 year-old immigrant worker named Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez collapsed and later died while pruning vines at a vineyard east of Stockton, CA owned by West Coast Grape Farming, a division of Bronco Wine Company.[4]

On June 8, 2008, an action call went out among bloggers to ask Trader Joe's in their areas to pull Charles Shaw wine until two conditions are met by Bronco Wine Companies:

  • "justice for Maria"
  • "ensured compliance with state mandated working conditions[5] for all of Bronco Wine’s employees."[6]

On June 23, 2008, the United Farm Workers sent a similar request to its mailing list members. The standard UFW petition asks Trader Joe's to:

  • "implement a corporate policy to ensure that your suppliers are not violating the law by failing to provide basic protections"[7]

References

External links

2009年1月7日 星期三

highball

on Page 87:
"... How I envy the clarity of vision that comes to the travelling salesman in a railway buffet-car at the third highball! How simple the great problems become! ..."

Return to book

highball

n.

high・ball

━━ n., vi. ハイボール ((ウイスキーをソーダ水で割った飲物)); (鉄道の)進めの信号; 〔俗〕 全速で突っ走る.
high

  1. A cocktail served in a tall glass and consisting of liquor, such as whiskey, mixed with water or a carbonated beverage.
    1. A railroad signal indicating full speed ahead.
    2. A high-speed train.
intr.v. Slang., -balled, -ball·ing, -balls.

To move ahead at full speed.

A highball is the name for a family of mixed drinks that are composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer. Originally, the most common highball was made with rye whiskey and ginger ale. The Online Etymology Dictionary suggests that the name originated around 1898 and probably derives from ball meaning a "drink of whiskey" and high because it is served in a tall glass.

2009年1月1日 星期四

燒酒

燒酒 私燒

燒酒
泛指酒精含量高的蒸餾酒。性烈味香,以高粱、米、麥等釀製而成。通常指高粱酒而言。亦稱為「白酒」。

bathtub gin 私燒錦酒

私烧锦酒
英文解釋
[ 名词 ]
1. homemade gin especially that made illegally

  三年後,孫嘉淦被任命為直隸總督。當時京輔一帶,酒禁甚嚴,儘管如此,違法的人還 是很多。但是,地方官吏都不敢向上報告。孫嘉淦上任後,根據實情,上疏提出:“禁酒原在災年,現處豐年,不宜再禁。造酒之物,本非朝夕所食,豆皮、大麥、 谷糠、黍谷之類,原屬棄物,雜而成酒,可以得價,其糟可飼六畜。化無用為有用,非作無益害有益也。”他又進一步指出:“利所不在,雖賞不為。利之所在,雖 禁彌甚。燒鍋禁則酒必少,酒少則價必貴,價貴而私燒之利會倍于昔。會倍之利所在,民必性命爭焉。孟子曰:‘君子不以所養人者害人’,本為民生計,而滋擾乃 至此,則立法不可不慎也。”乾隆接到孫嘉淦這份邏輯性強、論證嚴密的上疏,認為他的建議對民生確為有利,決定對禁令作修改,使酒禁較前有所放鬆。