Click here to watch the launch video

Founded in 1661 by Pierre de Rauzan, Château Rauzan-Ségla, situated in the heart of the Margaux appellation, was acquired by CHANEL in 1994. With its unique experience in luxury goods, CHANEL, endeavors to exalt the unique and precious qualities of this great vineyard with the upmost care and respect to its vines. The incomparable rich bouquet, silky intense tannins and elegant taste make this Grand Cru Classé an exceptional wine.

On its 350th Anniversary and to celebrate the exceptional quality of the 2009 vintage Château Rauzan-Ségla is proud to announce a very special – one time only – collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld. To honor these two milestones (the anniversary and exceptional vintage), Lagerfeld has brought his iconic drawing style to the label with a rendering of the Château Rauzan-Ségla.

Russian Standard Gold, a new vodka with Siberian ginseng extract that just launched in the United States. Russian Standard Gold uses the finest Russian ingredients, including carefully selected Siberian Golden Roots, giving it a rich, smooth taste.

The bottle design incorporates a proprietary motif inspired by the vyaz’ (Russian for ligature).

About the iconic bear & eagle logo: The Russian Bear – A centuries-old symbol of Russians’ strength and determination, it occupies a central role in many enduring Russian fables (the Bear always faces the right/East). The Eagle: A centuries-old symbol of dynamism and intelligence, the double-headed eagle crest was the mark of the Czar’s family and the Imperial Russian state. It is now the official insignia of the Russian Federation (the Eagle always faces left/West).

The unique shape and specially textured bottle of the Russian Standard Vodka is inspired by the 200 tonne bell commissioned by Tsarina Anna I, which stands at the foot of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in Moscow. The spirit’s visual language is a testament to a Russian preference for rich, maximalist patterns, ornaments, and symbols in all their expressions of design, from the Fabergé egg to the Imperial carriages.

With the cooler days slowly approaching, we will all need that extra kick to get us through this Fall/Winter season.

Vodka Light Vodkas, available in five fusion flavors, is the first ever line of super premium, low calorie vodkas. Voli Light Vodkas are on average 25 to 40 percent lower in calorie than leading brands. Voli’s natural ingredients are blended to achieve the balance of natural fruit flavors and vodka distilled from French wheat and pure spring water.

Flavors Include: Lyte, Voli Lemon, Voli Espresso Vanilla, Voli Raspberry Cocoa, and Voli Orange Vanilla.

All Voli light vodkas also contain electrolytes. They are artisinally produced in Cognac, France from French wheat, pure spring water, and natural flavors. It is five times distilled and four times filtered. Available in all major markets throughout the United States and are imported by Palm Bay International, Port Washington, NY and its headquarters is in Los Angeles, CA.

The Original MOONSHINE is a new clear corn whiskey which launched in the US market last Fall. The Original MOONSHINE is a versatile 80 proof. Created by Internationally renowned barbecue chef Adam Perry Lang and third generation master moonshine distiller Chuck Miller, The Original MOONSHINE is handcrafted from 100 percent estate-grown corn and distilled four times in Chuck’s famous Prohibition-era copper pot still in the same authentic tradition that moonshine has been made for hundreds of years.

With authenticity deeply rooted and always in mind, Adam questioned and deconstructed the why and what makes whiskey so great. While researching and exploring for a legal way to make moonshine, he discovered Chuck Miller, third generation master moonshine distiller from Culpeper, VA and Adam knew immediately that this guy was the “real deal”. Chuck had a passion for moonshine and would light up and glow whenever he talked about it.

After speaking to Chuck over the phone, Adam knew he had to meet him in person and hopped in his car to drive the twelve hour trip from NYC to Chuck’s distillery in VA. The two traded recipes and ideas — Chuck brought his excellent technical skills to bare and Adam lent his highly trained palette and his knowledge of what consumers want to taste and together they created an aromatic, shockingly clean, ultra smooth moonshine unlike any made before.

Heineken is inviting aspiring designers to design a concept nightclub for the brand that will be unveiled during Milan Design Week in April 2012. To enter, designers living in or near New York, Milan, Tokyo or Sao Paolo must go to a Facebook Page, and submit a design portfolio or video by August 14th.

Heineken will then select 80 designers to attend a design scouting night at one of the four cities listed, and on September 7, 20 finalists to work in groups, working with experts such as Heineken’s head of global design Mark van Iterson and visiting various nightclubs for inspiration. The final designs will be selected in October.

Pharrell Williams is the latest artist to try his hand in the liquor business, with the launch of a new drink in partnership with one of the world largest spirits maker, Diageo. Pharrell Williams is launching the drink named “Qream with a Q,” which is due to hit shelves nationwide later this month. According to Pharrell, the new drink is an ultra-premium cream “liqueur.” In addition to developing the taste of Qream, the Grammy award-winning producer also designed the bottle, the marketing and advertising campaign and will also act as the brand’s cultural ambassador. According to Pharrell, everything about the drink is made to appeal to women. “Qream was created for contemporary women who work hard and want to relax with friends at the end of the day… Women make up half the population and Qream is about celebrating that power. To work with Diageo in bringing something original like Qream and the notion of delicious living to market has been a thrill.”

Designed by the Indian Studio Mancini Enterprises, Mocha – Mojo is a coffeehouse in Chennai with seating for 110. Adopting the early modernists’ philosophy of creating beauty through purity, the interior refers to the era’s reduction of functionalist objects as well as the intensity of its color field paintings. Each layer was generated in 3D, then issued to the site level by level – a simple process inviting an immediate visual satisfaction similar to the childhood joy of playing with Legos.

Bearing in mind their exquisite collaboration with Viktor & Rolf, Piper Heidsieck bring us another interesting  production. With utterly luxurious overtones, here’s the champagne that’s been reinvented by Jean Paul Gaultier. The product shows the champagne brand’s sensual side, combining black, red and gold tones with masks, tights and a high-level to details. This edition comes with an black glass, a further tribute to the chic style of this delectable Brut Cuvée.

Country inns with restaurants tend toward a certain type of accomplished sameness. The North Fork Table & Inn takes this concept and elevates it ten fold. Perhaps it’s because two of the the Inn’s four managing partners are famed pastry master Claudia Fleming and her husband, executive chef Gerry Hayden. Looking for a different pace of life, they left their days at NYC restaurants like Gramercy Tavern (Claudia) and Aureole (Gerry) and set up shop in Southold on Long Island’s North Fork.

Pastry Master Claudia Fleming

Unlike the now-glitzy South Fork encompassing the Hamptons, the North Fork has remained au natural, thanks in part to over 35 wineries that have preserved the area’s open space. Picturesque rocky beaches feel more like Europe and the copious farm stands still feel like the produce is actually from the area. As nice as it all is, the area has long been lacking in nicer places to stay and some great places to eat. Thanks to the North Fork Table & Inn, that problem no longer exists.

Mike and Mary Mraz, the two other managing partners, welcome guests to the Inn and restaurant housed in big white house, close to the road. Upstairs there are four comfortable rooms with private baths, Frette linens, locally produced bath amenities and flat panel TVs. But it’s downstairs where the magic happens.

Paumanok Vineyards Wine Dinner

The first time I visited, we stopped in for lunch. A seemingly simple choice of soup, salad and dessert was a combination I’d long remember. Wanting more, we recently attended a wine dinner given in conjunction with the inn’s neighbor, Paumanok Vineyards.

Before we even entered the dining room, a drink at the bar was made more memorable with the most delicious irregularly shaped breadsticks. Crunchy and long, they were totally irresistible.

The dinner made the most of the local ingredients, including a tuna ambuse bouche, followed by Peconic Bay Scallop Crudo, paired with Paumanok’s fresh, bright Chenin Blanc. The main course was Long Island Duck Breast with an unusual Duck Confit Streudel and Apple Cider Jus. The Paumanok Assemblage, 2005 — a blend of merlot, cabernet and petit verdot — and was a rich, hearty accomplice to the duck preparations.

Perfect, yes, but Claudia Fleming’s dessert awaited. The Upsidedown Carmelized Pineapple Tart with Ginger Ice Cream didn’t last nearly long enough and was served with Late Harvest Riesling, 2009, a dessert wine that reminded me of peach nectar. What a dinner.

The bar, the breakfast, the Food Truck — and the incredible menu

Back at the bar with some friends we’d made at the dinner, we sampled some more of Paumanok’s treasures — and luckily a few of those slender breadsticks remained. We slept well and left early for a look around the wintry waters, but not before our breakfast of homemade crumb muffins and blueberry scones — plus poached pears and a flaky, delicious quiche, thanks to Claudia Fleming.

The restaurant’s regular menu is rife with selections just as appealing as those we had at the wine dinner. The winter entrees include Black Pepper Dusted Pineland Grass-fed Striploin of Beef, Potato Crusted Chatham Cod Fillet and Smoked Bacon Wrapped Berkshire Pork Tenderloin. The dessert I had at the lunch I mentioned is still on the menu and its pleasures are still resonating in my mind: Coffee-Toffee Ice Cream Sandwich with Roasted Bananas and Salty Peanuts. Dream on — or drive out there now. It’s just a couple of hours from midtown Manhattan.

North Fork Table & Inn also has a cool food truck with a fabulously painted facade that sits in the inn’s parking lot, serving the most perfect comfort food each day. Hot dogs, chili, cookies and more — all, of course, with excellent pedigrees.

North Fork Table & Inn is open for long weekends during winter and adds more days as the season warms. Whether you’re looking for a nice place to stay or a meal that will live in your mind long after it’s over, it’s pretty close to perfect.

North Fork Table & Inn.
57225 Main Road, Southold, NY 11971
631-765-0177
northforktableandinn.com

It’s true that there are more single households than ever before but that doesn’t mean that you have to cook and eat alone. For the more brave and outgoing individuals, creative artist Luong Lu came up with a new social dining concept called “Neighbor Dining” for the energy company Vattenfall.

Lu proposes using a community website integrated with Foursquare that would detail the daily menu of all users. Hungry belly’s would simply send a request to that user and join them for dinner. And what’s in it for the host? Members who serve the dinner get a discount on their energy bill when the guests ‘check-in’ to their place using Foursquare.

Via PSFK