​Beverage News from India & the World

Mumbai, India
​Sula Selections the import arm of Sula vineyards and the renowned wine clan, Hardys, are all set to, together, announce the launch of the William Hardy wine range in India, the Limestone Coast Chardonnay and the Langhorne Creek Shiraz.
For over 160 years, the Hardy family has been known for its expertise in winemaking world over. Pioneered in the family by William Hardy’s great grandfather, Thomas Hardy, throughout five generations and to this day, the Hardy family has maintained their passion as William remains actively involved in the business. William Hardy beamed, “The Hardys name is synonymous with South Australian winemaking, dating back to 1853, and we wanted this new range to recognise and celebrate the pivotal role the family has played in developing the premium wine regions of the state”.
On the occasion of the launch, Glenn McGrath, Australia’s celebrated cricketer and brand ambassador of Hardys Wines will tour India and launch the wines across Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.
The Limestone Coast Chardonnay and the Langhorne Creek Shiraz are priced in Maharashtra for Rs 2300 each for a 750 ml bottle. 

Mumbai,India
There are luxury spirits and there is Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac.  At Rs 2 lakh something a bottle to buy in retail and some eye-popping price for a shot at a star hotel, certainly; not everyone is invited. After a futuristic ‘100 Years –The movie you will never see’ initiative which saw the Robert Rodriguez movie made to be released 100 years later in November 2115 , Louis XIII now has gone back to relive the  past  and unveiled  L’ODYSSÉE D’UN ROI, a unique collaboration inspired by the first shipments of LOUIS XIII in the late 1870s.
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Louis XIII a blend of over 1200 eau de vies aged between 40-100 years comes in a Baccarat crystal decanter  which takes  11 men to craft and this epitome of luxury  was first created  in 1874. It was a hit with the royalty and India had its first bottle in 1881, had to be one of the Queen’s ‘henchmen’ or one of the princely states , we can only speculate given the fact that company doesn’t disclose client details.  From then till now, to commemorate this monumental journey, LOUIS XIII has chosen as its traveling companions three French luxury houses that share its passion for rare craftsmanship and unbroken tradition: Hermès, Puiforcat and Saint-Louis. They have contributed their own centuries-old savoir-faire to the creation of a series of three unique objets d’art. 

​Trunk by Hermes, a white gold pipette by silversmith Puiforcat , a mouth blown decanter by royal cristallerie Saint Louis and of course liquid gold by Louis XIII. Sotheby’s will auction each masterpiece in New York (September 2016), Hong-Kong (October 2016) and London (November 2016), with proceeds benefiting The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Martin Scorsese and several other leading filmmakers to  preserve and restore classic films, ensuring their survival for future generations. 
India has its own fan following of the Louis XIII and also for the more elusive Black Pearl which is pegged close to Rs 14 lakhs a bottle.  We will have to wait and watch to see if an Indian lays hand on L’ODYSSÉE D’UN ROI at one of the auctions!