It appears as if the cocktail world is experiencing a great turn, constant approach to seek out innovative ingredients is at peak. The cocktails mixologists are coming up with ways to beat the fashion. In regard to this leading cocktail drink provider ‘vnccocktails’ has introduced some innovative yet sizzling vodka cocktails. According to the company there has been a great increase in demand of vodka cocktails. Moreover, researches have revealed that the drinks are primarily appealing to the youths who love to experiment with new taste and are a common part of bar culture.

Surprisingly enough the history of the Cocktail drinks can be traced to the nineteenth century, one of the first modern cocktails were named as martini which is associated with an 1862 recipe for the Martinez. The American recipe comprised of four parts, and till date the drink has been going through great commercialization and innovation. The involvement of literature and films has bestowed the wealth and class that relates to the cocktail hour.

And offcourse, for all your special events like corporate get-togethers or weddings, a well planned cocktail menu is a must. Weddings are complete fun, the couple also wants to feel every moment of the event, pre-wedding cocktail hour is also a great way to enjoy with your friends and relatives. ‘Vnccocktails’ are among the leading cocktail providers, who have spread their wings across New Zealand. Cocktail parties give way for loads of excitement and fun, the guests have chance to mingle with the glass of sizzling drink in their hand.

‘Vnccocktails’ provides a great way to enjoy your favorite spirits and liquors. Some of their services include-

•           They make sure the drinks are chilled, which is helpful in enhancing the taste of the drink.

•           The servings are garnished according to their flavors.

•           They provide perfect glass that compliment the taste of the drinks.

•           All the drinks are prepared with fresh juices before the beginning of the event.

The above was some the exclusive services of ‘Vnccocktails’, which make them one of most preferred bartender in Auckland, you can have detailed view at their services by visiting  http://www.vnccocktails.com/.

Chicago, February 1, 2010 (word count: 309)
Next month, 17 organic wines French producers will be in Montreal to present their products at a wine tasting event, organized by the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in Montreal and the Parisian head office of UBIFRANCE. The event will be held on Thursday, March 4, 2010, at Le Crystal Hotel.

Dedicated to professionals, this event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover the French soil and its famous regions such as: Alsace, Bordeaux, Lirac, Vallée de la Loire (Chinon, Touraine), Bourgogne, Champagne, Coteaux du Languedoc, Côtes du Roussillon, Cabardes, Fronton, Corse, Beaujolais, Savoie, Vins de pays d’OC, and more.

More than 150 references will be sampled on Thursday, March 4, 2010, from 1 to 6 p.m., at:

Hôtel Le Crystal
1100, rue de la Montagne
Montreal, QC H3G 0A1, Canada
www.hotellecrystal.com

Please register before March, 1, 2010, by visiting: www.ubifrance-events.com/french-wines-spirits-drinks/usa-canada/register.php
List of French companies:
• BIOVIDIS : www.biovidis.com
• CAVE DE JAILLANCE : www.jaillance.com
• CHAIS MEYRUEIS
• CHAMPAGNE FRANCK PASCAL
• CHAMPAGNE MARIE COURTIN
• CHATEAU DE BRAU
• CHATEAU SAINT LOUIS : www.chateausaintlouis.fr
• CLOS DE LA BRIDERE : www.vincent-girault.com
• DOMAINE DES CARABINIERS
• DOMAINE LA ROUVIOLE : www.larouviole.fr
• ERIC FOREST : www.eric-forest.fr.st
• RED SAP : www.redsap.fr
• TERROIRS VIVANTS : www.terroirsvivants.com
• VALENTIN ZUSSLIN : www.zusslin.com
• VIGNOBLES RAYMOND : www.vignobles-raymond.com
• VINIBEGOOD : www.vinibegood.com
• WINE PARTNERS : www.winepartners.fr

The French participants’ catalogue will be available at the event.

Organic wine is a niche market in Quebec, which has grown in recent years whether for products marketed by the Company of Alcohols of Quebec (SAQ) or sold via private importers. Growth rates have been in the double-digits. Sustainable agricultural development is among the priorities of the SAQ, which sets up an active policy of communication about “green” products. Organic wines completely fall within this realm, as they promote sustainable farming practices that maintain biological diversity.

In collaboration with:

Partners for this event:

UBIFRANCE is the French Agency for International Business Development, and is part of France’s export-support framework. As the partner of reference for French companies wishing to export, UBIFRANCE offers a complete range of services based on the provision of information on export markets, legal issues and regulations, international finance and tenders, while also supplying sectorial data. UBIFRANCE also offers export advice and targeted support to companies’ commercial activities, such as exploratory visits, partnership meetings, foreign exhibitions and international press communication. Finally, UBIFRANCE runs the International Postgraduate Programme (VIE) for deploying qualified personnel and young graduates outside France.

For more information, please contact:

UBIFRANCE
Brice Faravel
Project Manager, Wines and Spirits
77 boulevard Saint Jacques
75014 Paris FRANCE
Tel.: +33 1 40 73 31 60
Fax: +33 1 40 73 35 82
E-mail: brice.faravel@ubifrance.fr

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Tel.: (312) 327-5260
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com — There is no doubt that drinking water is contaminated.  Whether it is well water in the country or municipal water in the city, water has chemical pollutants in it.  People want healthier alternatives and Big Berkey Water Filters supplies the best alternative – the water nature intended people to drink.

There are many good water filtration systems on the market, but they can’t do the job that the Berkey Light, or Royal Berkey does.  “Most major brands of home water filters get rid of only 96%-99% of the chlorine in water and do nothing to get rid of heavy metals such as lead and aluminum, harmful bacteria such as e-coli, nitrates and nitrates, or radon,” says Dan DeBaun, owner of Big Berkey Water Filters.  “Berkey water filtration systems such as the Berkey Light significantly reduce and remove all of these chemicals and contaminants out so that they won’t end up in your drinking glass.”

Aside from the benefits that go along with a better filtration system, Big Berkey water filters cost less than their competitors over time.  A Big Berkey system costs less than $50 per year compared to prices ranging from $100 to more than $150 per year for the top consumer water filter brands.  This is a substantial savings and saving money in this economy is an must.  For a list of the comparisons of the leading water filter brands please visit http://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/berkey_filter_comparison and enjoy drinking natural water again.

The ghouls and the goblins are put to sleep and the elves are busy getting ready for Christmas. 

All delicious Pure Fun Candies are USDA Organic Certified, Kosher Pareve, Vegan,   Gluten Free, GMO Free, No Dairy or Casein,   Fat Free and Cholesterol Free and use No Preservatives and is Pesticide Free.

Ingredients like Organic Brown Rice Syrup with a low glycemic index is a much healthier alternative to high fructose corn syrup and tapioca and  Organic Evaporated Cane Juice , unlike refined sugars, the original nutrients of sugar cane are retained.  Pure Fun uses only natural and organic colors and flavours.

Millions of children and adults suffer with intolerances and allergies to synthetic ingredients.   Pure Fun leads the way to bringing a festive feel to those wonderful people who until now were unable to enjoy the full Christmas cheer!

Here’s what consumers are saying:

“Dear Pure Fun, THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  For making a candy cane that does not have horrible petroleum based artificial colours in it! How wonderful to have found you!  My wife and I have for some 20 years informed parents of the dangers of allowing their children to consume artificial food dyes, and the terrible effect they have on normal healthy kids.  Thank goodness a caring, wonderful company such as yours is making such a superb range of products.  …Once again thank you so very much for caring! I did not know you existed until someone gave me your great candies.”      From:  Steve [aka, Just a "crazy" old organic "Foodie" guy who cares about kid's health too]

“Hello, I generally buy a box or two of candy canes to put on my Christmas tree.  They look festive and it’s nice to have a snack hanging nearby.  To be honest, I never really cared which brand I bought because they all seemed to taste the same.  This year my husband brought home a box of Pure Fun candy canes.  When he told me they were the best candy canes he’d ever tasted I told him he was nuts.  Peppermint is peppermint.  After I tasted one Pure Fun candy cane we bought at least half dozen boxes.  They never made it to the tree.  I am enjoying the second to last candy cane right now and I just may hide the last one.  And yes, I had to tell my husband that he was absolutely right.  These are, without a doubt, the very best candy canes I have ever eaten.  Thanks for making our holidays sweet.”    From: Donna

“I haven’t been able to eat gluten, refined sugar or dairy for 3 years. And haven’t had candy canes at Christmas for that long either. My mom found your organic candy canes today. I went home to visit and haven’t tasted a candy cane that was that amazing ever! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”      From: Heather

Pure Fun is the only candy cane that is suitable for adults and children with allergies or intolerance to synthetic ingredients!

Pure Fun Candy canes are available through natural foods distributors across North America.  The retail price for a box of 12 canes is $3.69 – $4.69  less than 40¢ each and are available at Whole Foods Markets, select Kroeger stores, Rexall Pharma Plus, Loblaws and smart retailers across the U.S. and Canada.

The Pure Fun website www.organiccandy.com provides loads of information to help retailers and consumers have a ‘better for you Christmas’.

We wish you a very merry Pure Fun Christmas!

Chicago, September 2, 2009 (word count: 236)
Millésime Bio is an international trade show dedicated to the organic wines industry. For its 17th edition, the show will take place in Montpellier, France, from Jan. 25 to 27, 2010. Building on the success of the 2009 edition, which gave the show a global audience, Millésime Bio 2010 will host more than 400 exhibitors (winegrowers and wine merchants) at the Exhibition Center in Montpellier.

For the third year, the show will also include the Challenge Millésime Bio, an international contest of organic wines. Preliminary tasting of samples for the contest will take place on November 16, 2009.
For more information, please contact:

Millésime Bio (pronounced “meal-ay-zeem”) was established by the Inter-professional Association of Organic Wines from Languedoc-Roussillon (AIVB-LR). Tailored to wine professionals’ needs, the show is a focal point for the organic wines from all wine-making regions and countries. It serves as a presentation platform for the year’s new vintages and a market barometer. Millésime Bio’s concept is unique: ready-made, identical stands, the wine alone makes the difference.

In 2009, the Professional World Trade Show for Wines made from Organically grown Grapes hosted:
- 354 exhibitors: winegrowers and merchants (annual increase of 27%) coming from South Africa, Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania
- 1,700 professional visitors, mostly from Europe, Northern America and Japan, representing 700 wine buying companies (annual increase of 50%). In total, 31 countries (other than France) were represented, including 14 non-EU countries.

AIVB-LR
Cendrine Vimont
Press Relations
Arcades Jacques Coeur, bat. C
Route de Boirargues
34970 Lattes FRANCE
Tel.: +33 4 99 13 30 43
E-mail: vimont.aivb@orange.fr
Web: www.millesime-bio.com

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

July 21 2009

How often when we’re shopping, do we question why so much of what we want to buy is packaged in plastic?  Fruit and vegetables are often shrink wrapped or placed in a polysterne tray with rigid plastic covering.  Everything from plastic hooks to cakes are packaged this way too.  Most bottles now are plastic, including for sparkling water.  Why?  A glass bottle holding sparkling water on the table adds to it’s appeal.

Glass is so much easier to recycle than plastic and that is one of the main reasons we choose to put all of our Innerscents Aromatherapy products in glass bottles and jars.  Why use plastic when you can have glass?

Take a look at the Friends of Glass website at www.friendsofglass.com.  It’s inspiring, informative and gives practical advice.  The other site that came into existence just last month and is well worth visiting is:  www.less-plastic-pledge.com.

Glass is nicer to touch, to use and recycle.  We supply to boutique hotels as well as to individuals and all of our products are in glass.  It is something we feel strongly about and we find that essential oils always smell better when contained in glass, rather than plastic.  What do other people think?

Sue Whall, LLSA Adv, MIFA

www.innerscents.co.uk

According to Patricia Kettle, the co-owner of CoffeeMakersDelight.com, the idea for selling Coffee Makers from a website was born out of the economic times.  “The marrying of one of the latest trillion dollar trends – the internet – along with the economic recession, where the price of a cup of coffee at a café has risen to new heights, seemed to make very good sense” says Patricia.  “I wanted to bring the socialising over a cup of coffee back into the home where it can be infinitely affordable.  On top of that, what is better than gossiping with a few girlfriends over a cup of coffee and having all that fun and laughter in your own home, plus the bonus of the beautiful aroma of freshly brewed coffee?  After all, your favorite place to go for coffee should be your own kitchen”.

So Patricia and husband Wayne started looking around for what they think are the best coffee makers for their price ranges and also deliver the widest number of options.  They approached suppliers and were delighted that all those they had chosen came on board.  The suppliers brought such a wide range with them including Bosch Benvenuto Gourmet Espresso Machines, the well known Silvia with Rocky grinder, the new Pasquini Livietta Espresso maker, Farberware percolators, AquaBrew thermal pod coffee makers and the best of the ever popular ranges from Bodum, BUNN and Hamilton Beach. You will be the envy of any one of your friends with one of these on your countertop.

The type of coffee makers that you will find at CoffeeMakersDelight.com covers a wide range.  There are espresso machines, coffee percolators, French presses, cappuccino machines, stove top coffee makers, thermal coffee makers, vacuum coffee makers and brewing coffee pots.  The range offers a coffee maker for any situation in any setting, whether an informal cosy chat with your special friend to large family gatherings or even larger formal groups.  You can get your coffee pods and cappuccino mixes from the extensive range on offer at the website, replacement carafes and airpots, water filters and pumps, accessories and cleaning and maintenance kits.  There are also lovely snippets of help all over the website.  Patricia has paid a lot of attention to detail making it as easy as possible for you the buyer to find out all you need to know about the coffee maker you are buying including registration of your purchase and the warranty that comes with that item.

I think Patricia has the right idea.  Bring the café to your own home. And if you are not sure how to brew that great cup of coffee every time find out how at   http://www.CoffeeMakersDelight.com/page/how_to_brew_a_great_cup_of_coffee

Chicago, May 7, 2009 (word count: 503) 

A high-resolution picture is available on request.

Bridor is a French leader for premium breakfast pastries and par-baked breads. Its products include dinner rolls or sandwich-size baguettes, and more than 100 breakfast pastries that are “proof and bake” or “bake ready” (pre-proofed and brushed with egg).

Etiq-Etal makes signage for the restaurant, grocery, and catering industries. Its blackboards and easels blend in with any décor or environment. Made from a non-painted material, these products have the advantage of being intrinsically black, retaining a deep color and lasting much longer than traditional blackboards.

Gyrdis is a leader in automatic crepe machines. At NRA 2009, Gyrdis will present the GXL crepe machine with a maximum output of 180 to 360 crepes per hour, depending on chosen diameter. The machine has a four-liter batter capacity and dishwasher-safe accessories.

OrEquip’s Mav-wich sandwich-assembly concept keeps bread under a heat lamp to retain freshness and crispness, and ingredients prepared in advance and resting on plates. Once the customer chooses his desired filling, the sandwich is assembled at the last moment for a fresh, fast meal.

Rousselon has 150 years of experience in making knives and kitchen tools for cooks, restaurateurs, butchers, fishmongers, caterers, bakers, and confectioners. It proposes traditional collections under the brands 32 DUMAS and LION SABATIER .

Santos produces electrical appliances dedicated to food professionals working in cafes, hotels, restaurants, and catering. For NRA 2009, Santos will present three of its professional-grade juicers that are powerful, efficient, and easy-to-clean.

Tipiak is the specialist of frozen products through its two divisions: Tipiak Cocktail Division and Tipiak Frozen Ready Meals. The Cocktail Division makes frozen high-quality desserts and finger food products. The Frozen Ready Meals Division provides many traditional and exotic dishes: seafood hors d’oeuvres, galettes, sauces, and IQF (Individual Quick Frozen) dishes.

Unic has a fresh line up of professional-grade automatic espresso equipment this spring to be exhibited at NRA 2009. Unic’s launch of the Tango Uno will be the main focus at the show, and the company will also introduce its Rumba Blue line. 

Chefs, distributors, dealers, agents and journalists are welcome to join the exhibitors of the French Pavilion as they host a networking reception on May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Culinary and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Enjoy product demonstrations and delicious food and wine from CHIC – Le Cordon Bleu program. Please register online at http://frenchpavilion.eventbrite.com/ attend.

For more information, please contact:

UBIFRANCE
Marie Vavassori
Trade Advisor
Tel.: (312) 327-5243
E-mail: marie.vavassori@ubifrance.fr

or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr 

OREQUIP’S ‘MAV-WICH’ CONCEPT MAKES SANDWICH PREP FAST AND ATTRACTIVE
Coming to NRA 2009 in Chicago, May 16-19, French Pavilion, Booth 3449

Chicago, May 7, 2009 (word count: 327) 

High-resolution images are available on request.

Orequip has created an innovative French concept that transforms sandwiches into fast gastronomy. Orequip, restaurant equipment manufacturer, offers special equipment as well as frozen sandwich fillings to set this concept in motion. The system, with a worldwide patent, has a big success in France and overseas.  The Maverick Cuisine company distributes this concept in the United States under the Mav-wich name. (In France, this concept is sold under the Croust’wich name.) The concept is based on the separation of the bread and the fillings which has various advantages for the consumers and for the shopkeepers.

The consumers benefit from high-quality sandwiches because of the bread. The bread makes 70% of the sandwich quality. To keep the bread crispy and warm, the bread should be kept not in a cold display, but under heating lamps. Furthermore, the consumers can see the fillings prepared in advance and displayed on small plates. They can choose the filling as well as the bread and both are assembled at the last moment thanks to patented rotary equipment.

It also simplifies the organization and lowers the costs for the shop manager. In fact, with this system there is less loss, better rationing of the food, possibility of production in advance and the use of frozen fillings for cold and hot sandwiches.

Around this concept, Orequip created a whole range of production and display equipments adapted to every kind of installations. All new in the United States, this concept responds to worldwide needs: less loss, less labor cost, more flexibility in the organization and food quality.

Orequip is a French company specialized in creating new concepts in the kitchen sector and more precisely kitchen equipments. The two founders, who have a long background in the catering and fast food sectors, have raised these sandwich problems and found solutions with this concept. A year and a half ago, they launched this new sandwich system in France and have since succeed on a global scale.

For more information, please contact: 

MAVERICK CUISINE (USA DISTRIBUTOR)
Sarah Walley
Director
36 Industrial Park
Waldwick, NJ 07463
Tel: (201) 444-6360
E-mail: info@maverickcuisine.com
Web: www.maverickcuisine.com

or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Tel.: (312) 327-5260
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr 

TIPIAK’S FROZEN FOODS AVAILABLE AS FULL MEALS OR FINGER FOODS FOR PARTIES
Coming to NRA 2009 in Chicago, May 16-19, French Pavilion, Booth 3438

Chicago, May 7,  2009 (word count: 238)

Tipiak is the specialist of frozen products through its two divisions: Tipiak Cocktail Division and Tipiak Frozen Ready Meals.

Tipiak Cocktail Division has been the specialist in frozen high-quality mini desserts and finger food products for cocktail parties and events for over 10 years. The manufacturing processes use industrial quality and safety standards, while following the craft tradition for the operations of decorating, garnishing and shaping.

Thanks to its rigorous selection of raw materials; the skills and expertise of its bakers and pastry cooks to manufacture breads, pastries and puff pastry; the quality, the originality and the diversity of its products, Tipiak Cocktail Division guarantees high-quality products with a French touch:
- Savory products: savory cocktail canapés, surprise breads, mini sandwiches, appetizers, pastry
- Sweet products: French macaroons, Mignardises, mini desserts, petits fours

Tipiak Frozen Ready Meals, the recognized specialist in frozen ready meals in France both for quality and innovative products, is making advances in each of its strategic markets annually: scallops, fish dishes, cod brandade, filled galettes, sauces, and more.

Tipiak Frozen Ready Meals is the market leader in its domestic area in each of its business activity, thanks to its high quality and original products.

Each production site is in a region of authentic traditional cuisine. Tipiak Frozen Ready Meals markets many traditional, catering and exotic dishes: Sea food individual starters, galettes, sauces, IQF (Individual Quick Frozen): couscous, quinoa, bulgur, mixed with spices and vegetables.

For more information, please contact:

TIPIAK
Christèle Bagnoud
International Development Manager
D2A Nantes Atlantique – BP 5
44860 Pont Saint Martin FRANCE
Tel.: +33 (0)2 40 32 11 46
E-mail: export@tipiak.fr
Web: www.tipiak.fr

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Tel.: (312) 327-5260
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

GYRDIS’S NEW CREPE MACHINE MAKES 180 TO 360 CREPES PER HOUR, INCREASES NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS SERVED
Coming to NRA 2009 in Chicago, May 16-19, French Pavilion, Booth 3441

Chicago, May 7, 2009 (word count: 211) 

High-resolution images are available on request.

Gyrdis has been making baking molds and automatic crepe machines since 1970. The latest addition to its crepe machine range, the GXL uses state-of-the-art technologies to meet the needs of creperies, bakeries, caterers, restaurants, etc. With its larger-diameter capability, one can now make larger crepes for bigger appetites.

With the GXL, cooks can make crepes up to 36 centimeters (about 14 inches) in diameter with the ability to vary crepe thickness and doneness, using all kinds of mixes including wheat and buckwheat flours, and flours free of preservatives, artificial colors and GMOs. The user can select the 36-centimeter diameter (one crepe at a time), or the 20-centimeter (8 inches) diameter (two crepes at a time).

Everything on this crepe machine has been designed with user-friendliness in mind. The GXL guarantees an output of 180 to 360 crepes per hour depending on the chosen diameter. It will automatically stack 35 to 40 crepes without any handling. Its accessories can be removed within two minutes and are dishwasher-safe. Furthermore, it features digital heat control, electronic timer, a 4-liter batter container, and a cast-iron rotor to reproduce the traditional crepe-cooking method.

Gyrdis has smaller-scale crepe machine models available (the GXL is the largest the company offers), as well as offering its own crepe mixes.

For more information, please contact:

or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Tel.: (312) 327-5260
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr 

ETIQ-ETAL’S SIGNAGE FOR RESTAURANTS AND CAFES SUIT ALL DECOR
Coming to NRA 2009 in Chicago, May 16-19, French Pavilion, Booth 3441

Chicago, May 5, 2009 (word count: 225)

ETIQ-ETAL
Israel Capitillo
Export Manager
71 Chemin Gilbert Charmasson
13016 Marseille
France
Tel : +33 4 91 79 68 00
Fax : +33 4 91 25 77 11
E-mail : export@etiq-etal.com
Web : www.etiq-etal.com

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Tel.: (312) 327-5260
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

BISCUITERIE D’AFA PRESENTS TRADITIONAL CORSICAN TREATS
Coming to Summer Fancy Food Show, New York, June 28-30, booth 728

Chicago, May 5, 2009 (word count: 260) 

High-resolution images are available on request.

Corsica, also known as the mountain in the sea with its location in the heart of the Mediterranean, is preserved from pollution and has a number of national parks and preserves that are declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. This island, already known by the ancient Greeks as  Kallisté (the most beautiful), is called today “L’Île de Beauté,” Island of Beauty. Corsica has given birth to famous men like Pascal Paoli and Napoleon Bonaparte. This island has shaped people of character who are devoted to their values, their traditions and the transmission of their know-how.

A prime example of this heritage is the traditional Corsican biscuit called Canistrelli, the jewel of this land’s gastronomical heritage.

Building on this tradition, two brothers from the Fenech family founded the Biscuiterie d’Afa in 1983, using family recipes and thus creating a genuine link across generations.

Its large selection of Canistrelli products and Corsican cakes, its chestnut flour specialties and  tangerine flavored or myrtle liqueur flavored specialties are bridging the taste of yesterday with the flavor of today, and are delighting gourmets all over the world.

The Biscuiterie d’Afa, with its solid experience, its recognized know-how and its modern production equipment, has become the market leader in its domain.

For more information, please contact: 

or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr 

During the month of May, the first fruits start to appear in southern England and northern France.  The cherry tree is one of the earliest to give us its delicious fruit, which is full of mineral salts.  Cherries have energising properties and contain Vitamin A which helps to revive the skin.  It has diuretic and de-toxifying properties and helps with fluid retention.  The cherry season is short so make the most of them while they are here.

Aromatherapy essential oils, which are extracted from all kinds of plants – trees, herbs, flowers, citrus fruits and spices – do not include an oil from the cherry fruit, but by adding the fruit to our diet we experience it’s life-enhancing effects, during the months of May and June.

The Innerscents Aromatherapy Power and Energy blend as a massage/body oil or bath and shower gel, is designed to invigorate and refresh.  It contains pure essential oils of Juniperberry and Rosemary, along with others, both of which are used in aromatherapy to ease fluid retention.  Take a look at our Choose Your Blend page at www.innerscents.co.uk.  The blend theme colour is Yellow.  Sue Whall, Aromatherapist, LLSA Adv., MIFA.

PIETRA BEER NOW AVAILABLE IN ONTARIO AS PART OF THE LCBO’S SPRING BEERS RELEASE

Please click the thumbnails below to open high-resolution images.

Photo 1 ”Pietra” beer

Photos 2: Pietra logo

Chicago, February 19, 2009 (word count: 255)
Corsica, the small French island that sits in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, is best known as the “Island of Beauty.” Brasserie Pietra, located in Upper Corsica, respects traditional brewing methods and takes great care in selecting the finest primary ingredients, to create high-quality craft beers inspired by the land: Pietra, an amber beer, and Columba, a white beer. For the first time, Pietra will be available for purchase from March 4 to May 27 in Ontario as part of the Spring Beers program directed by the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario).

Pietra is a unique bottom-fermenting beer with a 6% ABV and a beautiful amber body. It is brewed using artisanal methods, from selected malts and Corsican chestnut flour. Mixed with the malt during empâtage, the chestnut flour is used as a primary ingredient.

The chestnuts used in the Pietra recipe come from a chestnut orchard in Castagniccia that sits at more than 1,000 meters altitude. The nuts are picked by hand, brought down on mules, and are sorted by hand. This guarantees the highest quality of the flour. It’s this unique alliance that gives Pietra a unique personality: strong, robust, and mellow with a delicate bitterness.

Each year the LCBO selects several new beers to enter in the Ontario market at select stores. Spring beers will be released to the nearly 100 participating premium specialty stores across the province beginning on March 4. The program runs until May 27. This year, the spring beers program is releasing 11 products, including Pietra.

LCBO product number: 100495

Download the Brasserie Pietra press kit here (1.4 MB pdf).

Brasserie Pietra is represented in Canada by:

Fine Beers Agency
Fred Lavon
President
14 Ames Circle
Toronto, ON M3B 3B8
CANADA
Tel.:  (416) 443-2020
E-mail: finebeers@sympatico.ca

For United States distribution, please contact:

Daniel Shelton
Shelton Brothers
P.O. Box 486
Belchertown, MA 01007
Tel.: (413) 323-7790
E-mail: info@sheltonbrothers.com
Web: www.sheltonbrothers.com

For more information, please contact:

BRASSERIE PIETRA
Dominique Sialelli
Route de la Marana Furiani
20600 Furiani
FRANCE
Tel: +33 (0)6 03 81 56 69
E-mail: d.sialelli@brasseriepietra.com
Web: www.brasseriepietra.com

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

Note to Editors:
Please advise us of publication of this press release and continue to send reader responses to FTPO.  This is the only way we can ensure the follow-up is done efficiently.

Cadman Fine Wines is part of the Venulum Group and is operated by a group of individuals who are passionate about wines and share a combined wealth of knowledge and experience spanning several decades.

Buying wine should be fun and easy and the website is designed to offer the ability to buy wine in what ever quantity desired, whether it’s one or one hundred bottles. It also provides clear relevant information and guidance allowing the user, you, to make an informed choice. The site has already been short-listed by Decanter Magazine, for online wine merchant of the year.

Giles Cadman, founder of Cadman Fine Wines (www.cadmanfinewines.co.uk) and also the Chairman of wealth management group Venulum ( www.venulum.com), a multinational alternative investment company, is passionate about wine and its investment potential. Bringing this fervour to his business, through Venulum’s Bloomberg listed mutual funds, Venulum En-Primeur and Wine investments, offers accredited investors and private pension funds the opportunity to invest in the world’s finest wines.

Cadman also believes that the only wines that can be classified as fine wines are those that come from the Old World and have worldwide recognition. “Fine wines are those that are built on tradition and centuries of history and winemaking knowledge past on from family generations in touch with their soil,” he says, “Wines with a sense of place and standing that have evolved alongside local produce.” He adds that according to Financial Times in an article published in May 2008 “Since 2001, fine wine has significantly out performed the leading equity indices in western markets. Not only has it recorded attractive average annual returns, but price volatility is low compared with most investments”.

At a time where the market has become unstable Venulum has recognised that investors commonly turn to hard assets in market downturns, with the idea that by investing in something real, it won’t disappear although its value may decline modestly, hence the increased interest in the company’s wine investment portfolio

About Venulum:

The Venulum Group is a multinational private wealth management firm headquartered in the British Virgin Islands. The Group manages the wealth of high net worth individuals, and specializes in alternative investments often not available to the general public. Venulum helps high net worth individuals balance their portfolios.

The Venulum Group was formed in 2002, and has expanded to include offices in four countries. Since 2002 Venulum’s client base has grown steadily, and now has a substantial number of United States based clients.

PR Contact Details:

Chris Pattison

CJP Intelligent Marketing

53 54 Brooks Mews

London

W1K 4EG

UK

www.letscreate.it

+44 (0) 207 491 4443

Cadman Fine Wines’ recent November tasting and auction at the prestigious Pewterers’ Hall in London was a great success.

Dec, 2008 – Cadman Fine Wines’ tasting held at the Pewterers’ Hall in The City of London on Wednesday 5^th November proved to be hugely enjoyable as well as boasting an 83% success rate at its wine auction.

The on-line retailer Cadman Fine Wines (www.cadmanfinewines.co.uk) was set up in 2004 as a natural expansion of parent company Venulum’s (www.venulum.com) wine investment business (Venulum invests in fine wine on behalf of its American clients).

Cadman Fine Wines champions producers who really care about the contents of the bottle: unique wines of authenticity and distinction; these sit alongside a carefully chosen range of the famous names and labels of the wine world. Giles Cadman, Chairman of Venulum, believes that what really sets Cadman Fine Wines apart from other fine wine merchants is the ability to order fine and rare wines by the bottle.

To achieve a Cadman Fine Wines listing, a wine must score at least 88 points on either their quality rating system or from the world’s most authoritative wine critics. This high quality was demonstrated by the wide selection of wines picked for the tasting, from Champagne and a mouth-watering array of whites, through to spicy and sophisticated reds and the best of Bordeaux, finishing in style on a vintage port.

The auction offered buyers the chance to bid for mixed cases carefully put together by the Cadman Fine Wines’ team, featuring many wines that had been available for tasting during the evening. Lots included 1^st Growths from Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion, Burgundies from Louis Jadot, Henri Perrot-Minot and Jean Grivot, through to some of the biggest names in Spanish and Italian wine as well as showcasing some delicious discoveries from New Zealand. 83% of lots attracted successful bids and buyers took advantage of the fact that their bids did not attract additional fees, commission or VAT (delivery at £6.99 per consignment the only add-on).

Paul Trimming, General Manager of Cadman Fine Wines, suggested that the success of the auction could also be partly down to the timing and proximity to Christmas. “Several bidders I spoke to were buying for drinking over the Christmas period, or were planning to give wine as a gift,” he explained. Other guests attended for a chance to taste some delicious wines in order to help in their wine buying decisions. “I felt it was a great event with a quality selection of wines,” one guest commented, continuing “I will not hesitate in the future to buy your wines or recommend them to friends and I look forward to attending more of your wine tastings and learning about the wines you have available”.

Another guest commented “Absolutely delightful! Knowledgeable team, excellent venue and what a delicious collection.” Other praise received included “Thank you so much for an extremely well run and informative evening – it was a great success.”

About Venulum:

The Venulum Group is a multinational private wealth management firm headquartered in the British Virgin Islands. The Group manages the wealth of high net worth individuals, and specializes in alternative investments often not available to the general public. Venulum helps high net worth individuals balance their portfolios.

The Venulum Group was formed in 2002, and has expanded to include offices in four countries. Since 2002 Venulum’s client base has grown steadily, and now has a substantial number of United States based clients.

PR Contact Details:

Chris Pattison

CJP Intelligent Marketing

53 54 Brooks Mews

London

W1K 4EG

UK

www.letscreate.it

+44 (0) 207 491 4443

Chicago, November 3, 2008 (word count: 579)

High-resolution pictures and logo are available on request.

Organized by the Inter-professional Association of Organic Wines from Languedoc-Roussillon (AIVB – LR), the next Millésime (pronounced “meal-ay-zeem”) Bio  trade show will be held at the Exhibition Center in Montpellier (in Hérault, Southern France) from Monday, January 26, to Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Millésime Bio is the world’s only trade show devoted to organic wines and reserved for professionals.

In order to meet the expectations of wine buyers seeking to assemble a comprehensive range of organic wines, Millésime Bio will be hosting more than 300 exhibitors this year (winegrowers, packagers, and shippers) from Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Romania, and more.

“The” organic wine trade show changes address

The country and company diversity makes it the leading trade show for professionals. There has been a constant increase in the number of visitors since its creation over a decade ago. Last year saw over 1,000 visitors, including one-third foreign, representing a 30% increase from the year before. In response to such success, the trade show now alternates between Montpellier in odd years and Perpignan in even years, which facilitates:

- Working under better conditions, thanks to increased exhibition space

- Easier accommodation with extended and diversified hotel capacity

- Direct airline access

A one-of-a-kind trade show, sociable and highly professional

The characteristics that have made the success of Millésime Bio remain unchanged:

- A professional trade show exclusively devoted to wines made with grapes from organic farming

- A way of presenting the wines that is egalitarian and identical for all

- A self-service wine tasting area to introduce new products

- A sociable atmosphere for professional sampling, with catering available within trade show premises

Millésime Bio Contest: Millésime Bio trade show’s international wine competition

The second edition of “Millésime Bio Contest,” Millésime Bio’s competition for wines made with grapes from organic farming, takes place every year in November. The awarding of the medal-winning wines’ diplomas will be held on January 27, 2009, at the Millésime Bio trade show 2009.

The purpose of this competition is to foster acknowledgment of organic wine quality, as testified by the many medals awarded to organic winegrowers in conventional wine competitions.

The organic food industry: a booming market

Organic winegrowing provides answers to the planet’s major environmental challenges: protecting water quality, protecting winegrowers’ and consumers’ health, maintaining biodiversity, diversifying ventures in rural areas, etc.

According to IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), by late 2006 organic farming accounted for a total surface area of 30 million hectares (74 million acres), all surfaces considered, representing almost a threefold increase in the worldwide certified surface area between 1999 and 2006. Worldwide turnover stood at about EUR 25 billion (32 billion USD), a 53% increase as compared to 2000.

In 2007 in France, organically farmed vineyards accounted for close to 22,500 hectares, (56,000 acres) an increase in excess of 20% as compared to 2006. Languedoc-Rousillon was the first organic vineyard in France (6,140 hectares; 15,200 acres), followed by the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region (5,294 hectares; 13,000 acres) and Aquitaine (3,065 hectares; 7,500 acres).

For more information, please contact:

AIVB -LR
Ms. Cendrine Vimont
Millésime Bio Communication
Arcades Jacques Coeur, Bldg. C
Route de Boirargues
34970 Lattes
FRANCE
Tel.: +33 (0)4 99 13 30 43
E-mail: vimont.aivb@orange.fr
Web: www.millesime-bio.com

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

Baltimore MD: Mt. Vernon Caterer undergoes a recent re-branding elevating their image to align with their current offerings and company values. Launching the new site : www.mtvernoncaterers.com designed by Bill Garrett, of POC Computers, in Tyaskin, MD. They transitioned from a ghosted back light purple theme with no logo to a one with tones of cranberry, elegant gold and a recognizable company logo throughout the site. Before its user interface was very simple, straightforward but lacking the creative intensity that paralleled the catering company’s talents. Now the site is easy to use, contemporary and more in keeping with their clients needs. Mt. Vernon Caterers arrived at the new concept, logo, and brand message under the direction of communication consultant and branding coach Jessi LaCosta of BlueRio in San Diego, CA.

“I knew our look didn’t do justice to what we are really about. It was great when we started, but now we need an updated, relevant presence. It speaks to our subtle sophistication, results-oriented approach and dedication to reflecting our clients’ wishes when delivering the final product.

Bill is such a warm and honest man and was immediately easy to work with. Jessi has an authentic way of approaching branding. She helped us focus our visions so that our image and language mirrored who we are and what we offer.” -Kim McCain – Mt. Vernon Caterers

Primary colors for the company are teal/turquoise blue and khaki-inspired gold revealing elegance dependability, loyalty and a modern approach. The site is very easy to navigate and presents more helpful information for current and future catering clients.

To learn more about Mt. Vernon Caterers visit: http://www.mtvernoncaterers.com/ or call: 410.325.1995
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